The Searing Plague

The Searing Plague, known commonly as the Searing, was a sickness that emerged amongst humanity and virtually all species of the Animal Kingdom in the aftermath of the Great Cataclysm. Whether it was already proliferating in the immediate aftermath of the Ash Gods' arrival is a matter of debate among the remnants of human science. Some argue that is linked directly to the presence of so much ash and smoke in the atmosphere, and that it is merely a consequence of inhaling so much ash. Others, perhaps more vociferously, argue that it is a blight brought to Earth by the Ash Gods themselves, and that the particulate matter being spewed forth from their colossal Constructs is responsible for the affliction. Regardless of its origin, it is the factor that almost single-handedly exterminated over two-thirds of the survivors of humanity following the Cataclysm, and reduced the overall population of human beings on the planet now known as Ashrain to a staggering 100 million or less. The Searing Plague still proliferates amongst these few survivors, and is a cause for great fear and dread amongst the remnants of humanity.

Transmission & Vectors

The Searing Plague is airborne, transmitted through inhaled particulate matter raining down from the global ash clouds that blankets the planet formerly known as Earth. Inhaling these particles is inevitable for any oxygen-dependent organisms still remaining on Ashrain, and as such infection is almost certain at some point for virtually every individual, whether human or animal. Once infected, the disease becomes highly potent within the afflicted individual and may be transmitted by them to others through coughing and exhalation. There is no actual evidence to suggest person-to-person transmission by any method other than inhalation; however, due to the ease of transmissability via this method alone, afflicted individuals are often cast entirely out of society for fear of transmission.

Causes

The Searing Plague began after the Great Cataclysm decimated the environment and polluted the atmosphere of the new world with so much ash, smoke, and particulate matter that it blotted out the sunlight across the entire planet. It was believed that inhaling this ash overtime led to the respiratory damage which constitutes the Searing; however, it was later believed that alien matter, emitted by the enormous Constructs of the Ash Gods, that led to the disease.

Symptoms

Initial symptoms of the Searing Plague are excessive coughing and shortness of breath. However, since this is a general condition for even healthy individuals, it is often not flagged as potential infection until the disease has been allowed to progress past infection to the Initial Stage. During this stage, more serious symptoms manifest in the form of advanced repsiratory distress, a burning sensation in the throat and lungs, high fevers, and extreme fatigue. The crucial symptom at this stage is the prolonged burning sensation in the lungs, which immediately identifies the Searing Plague. If the disease is allowed to continue, the victim enters the Intermediate Stage, during which symptoms worsen to include welts and lesions which form all across the skin, especially around the nose, mouth, and throat. At the sites of these lesions, the victim experiences searing agony, giving the plague its name. These lesions also produce a foul smelling discharge which has been linked to cases of transmission, though this is unconfirmed. Additionally, victims in the Intermediate Stage may suffer from the onset of strange hallucinations and delirium. These hallucinations are thought by some to be visions of the Ash Gods, visions too profound and horrifying for the human mind to grasp. If the disease is allowed to progress to the Advanced Stage, these hallucinations almost always result in the total mental collapse of the individual. Additionally, during the Advanced Stage, the victim suffers from ruptured lungs, internal hemorrhaging, and the worsening of the lesions across the entirety of the skin, similar to being burned. These combined almost always result in the death of the individual, who is almost always by this stage already brain dead.

Treatment

No widespread cure exists for the Searing Plague, as humanity is too widespread, scattered, and primitive to effectively organize to create one. However, some groups of survivors consisting of scientists and biologists who survived the Great Cataclysm have established laboratories in which they attempt to study the plague in search of a cure. These groups believe that if they were able to discover a remedy, it could be distributed to local survivor groups and hopefully eventually reach a broad enough pool to constitute herd immunity. However, a cure is still to be found that could be implemented at this level of distribution, and threats from rival survivor groups make the research of these scientists incredibly hazardous and potentially fruitless.

Prognosis

Almost every case of the Searing Plague is fatal, with a projected mortality rate of 93%. The few that do survive are simply hardy enough or possess strong enough immune systems to curtail the infection before it reaches the Advanced Stage. However, the majority of these survivors suffer from irreparable, permanent physical and mental damage as a consequence of the physiological symptoms of the disease and the mental anguish brought on by the abstract visions. A very small portion of these survivors manage to beat the disease before the Intermediate Stage, and suffer no worse consequences than weakened lungs and a continued, incurable, constant hacking cough. Less than 1% of infected cases survive the Advanced Stage, and these individuals are often in such poor condition following the cessation of the disease that life is simply too horrific to endure.

Cultural Reception

Because of the massively high mortality rate of the Searing Plague, victims are treated with abject fear by fellow survivors. A concurrently high rate of transmission leads survivor groups to exile and cast out infected, shunning them as soon as symptoms progress to the Initial Stage and forgoing all chance of treatment. Unfortunately, by this stage, transmission has usually already taken place, leaving the community devastated with every new exile. Lack of cooperation results in widespread death when survivor groups do not work together to achieve group survival and instead attempt to sacrifice the one to save the whole.

Type

Physiological

Origin

Alien

Cycle

Chronic, Acquired

Rarity

Common