Red Death Plague

The Red Death, or Red Death Plague, refers to a catastrophic supernatural plague that swept through the lands of Ustalav and neighbouring regions in the year 4702 AR. This mysterious and deadly epidemic, characterized by a crimson mist, manifested as a curse that stained its victims' skin and drove them to madness before a gruesome demise. The origins of the Red Death were traced back to the dark rituals of a long-forgotten cult known as the Crimson Covenant, whose pursuit of forbidden knowledge unleashed otherworldly forces.
The primary method of transmission was the crimson mist, which carried necromantic energies and tainted those who breathed it. Conventional treatments proved challenging due to the mystical nature of the plague, leading to desperate measures such as isolation, purification rituals, divine intervention, alchemical remedies, and the exploration of ancient lore.
The Red Death finally ceased its onslaught through various factors, including powerful magical intervention, unity among affected communities, and the gradual fading of the necromantic residue.

Transmission & Vectors

The disease's primary method of transmission was a mysterious crimson mist that rolled in from the east, carried by unnatural winds. This mist, tainted with dark and necromantic energies, had an otherworldly quality that defied conventional understanding.
Breathing in the contaminated air of the mist was the most common and direct way the Red Death spread. Once inhaled, the plague manifested in its victims through the staining of their skin with a deep crimson hue. This physical transformation was accompanied by a rapid deterioration of health, both physical and mental, leading to a gruesome demise.
The mist, however, wasn't the only source of transmission. There were instances where the plague seemed to linger in affected areas, tainting the soil and water. Those who came into contact with these contaminated elements risked infection, and it was not uncommon for entire communities to succumb to the Red Death due to shared water sources or agricultural practices.

Causes

The true cause of the Red Death plague lay hidden in the forbidden arts of a long-forgotten cult known as the Crimson Covenant. Centuries before the outbreak, this secret society delved into dark rituals and necromantic magics, seeking power and immortality. In their pursuit of forbidden knowledge, they unleashed forces beyond their control, inadvertently triggering a curse that would manifest as the Red Death.
The cult's rituals involved tapping into a dimension where malevolent entities dwelled, drawing upon energies that bridged the realms of life and death. One particularly ambitious sorcerer within the Crimson Covenant sought to harness this eldritch power to create a weapon of unimaginable potency. However, in their arrogance and lust for power, they underestimated the consequences of meddling with forces that should have remained untouched.
The ritual, intended to grant dominion over life itself, went awry, tearing a rift between the planes and unleashing a surge of chaotic necromantic energy. This energy coalesced into the sinister crimson mist that would become the carrier of the Red Death plague. Infused with the essence of the forbidden ritual, the mist spread across Ustalav and neighbouring regions, carrying with it the curse that stained the living with its malevolent touch.
As the mist rolled in, it left behind a wake of suffering and death, as the curse twisted and consumed the life force of those it touched. The cult, realizing the magnitude of their folly, had long disbanded when the consequences of their actions became apparent. The few surviving members scattered, their dark secrets buried with them.

Symptoms

Its visual symptoms included painful large red blotches that appeared all over the infected person's body, which eventually grew and joined together, turning nearly the entire victim's body a sickening scarlet hue. Coughing, vomiting, dizziness, joint aches, dementia, and decreased energy were physical symptoms of the Red Death.

Treatment

None. A potion that slowed the progression as long as it was taken daily was developed. Once consumption of the potion ceased, the disease progressed as normal.

History

The original Red Death was first seen hundreds of years ago as a part of arcane exploration from a cult known as the Crimson Covenant. But as the Red Death escaped their control, the cult realized their mistake and dissolved, abandoning their many temples across Ustalav.
In the year 4702 AR, the sinister crimson shadow returned to the lands of Ustalav and its neighbouring regions. It was believed that a sample of the Red Death was discovered by another cult – the Ebon Triad — who believed it was part of a prophecy connected to the return of their Overgod.
The first signs of the returning plague emerged in the remote villages of Ustalav, carrying with it an otherworldly chill. Those unfortunate enough to breathe in this eerie fog soon found themselves afflicted by a gruesome malady that ruptured the blood vessels in the skin, stained their skin a deep crimson. As the Red Death spread, panic gripped the land. The afflicted suffered physically and mentally, descending into madness as the plague consumed them. Desperation drove the living to extremes—isolating the infected, burning entire villages, and resorting to forbidden magics in futile attempts to halt the advance of the crimson doom.
The source of the Red Death remained elusive, hidden behind veils of necromantic energy. Scholars and clerics consulted ancient texts to try to understand the nature of this supernatural contagion, but their efforts were often met with frustration and despair. The church of Pharasma, already burdened with the grim duty of tending to the dead, was overwhelmed as bodies piled up in makeshift mass graves. Temples became sanctuaries for the desperate, where prayers for mercy mingled with the wails of the dying.
Some claimed the Red Death was a divine punishment, while others saw it as the result of meddling with forbidden arts. Entire regions were quarantined, and brave adventurers who sought to unravel the mystery behind the plague faced the horrors of the afflicted and the machinations of cults that had seized the opportunity to sow chaos and darkness.
As the year 4702 AR drew to a close, so did the Red Death's grip on the land. The mist receded, leaving behind a scarred and haunted landscape. Tens of thousands had perished, and the survivors were left to rebuild amidst the remnants of their shattered communities. The Red Death plague would be remembered not just as a dark chapter in history but as a cautionary tale—a reminder of the fragility of life and the ever-present spectre of the unknown that lurks in the shadows. The scars it left on Ustalav would endure for generations, etching a sombre lesson into the collective memory of the land.

Cultural Reception

Panic was rampant as the Red Death spread across Ustalav, infecting commoners and adventurers alike. The Red Death plague could not be cured by any means, magical or mundane. Anyone slain by the disease could not be resurrected. In one documented case, even clones failed, for the Red Death seemed to leave a "Spiritual Imprint" on the victim's soul, which shrivelled and slayed any clone it tried to inhabit.

Type

Magical

Origin

Engineered

Rarity

Unique