The Night Plague

Death from the dark

She leaned back against the door, shoulders shaking with sobs, hands pressed to her ears but unable to block out the sounds on the other side of the door.
A cough shook her frame, and blood sprayed onto her knees from between her lips. She couldn't even focus on it, her attention focused on her brother dying outside. She'd already seen the black lines on her skin days earlier.
There was no escape. Death was coming for her.

The Night Plague was a pandemic that spread rapidly over Eterlania and northwestern Rushlinna in the 1200s, killing nearly 3 million people in the same amount of years.

---

The year 1203 seemed to be going rather well. Multiple peace treaties had been signed between the most powerful countries of Eterlania. Trade had skyrocketed, and merchants from all over the eastern and central hemispheres were traveling more than ever to bring fabrics, jewels, metals, animals, fruits, and other products to foreign countries.
Of course, that meant that normally contained illnesses and viruses were spread to vulnerable, oblivious people. When those diseases met the native plagues in the destination countries, they mutated and together created a new condition
It hit lightly at first. A city in Everlian had a small outbreak among its merchants and traders. Easy to quarantine, nothing too huge. But then their customers got sick. Their families. Their friends. The friends of those friends. Within days the entire city was infected, and by the time those first victims were dead, over half the continent was ill as well.
Governments across Eterlania and Rushlinna panicked. Kings and Queens desperately collected Healers and kept them close, determined to protect themselves. Countries went into lockdowns, closing borders and stopping trade in an attempt to prevent the spread.
But while nobles stayed isolated and protected, others were not so lucky. With the disappearance of the Healers, those afflicted by the plague were unable to be cured. The lockdowns were too late. By the time borders closed, almost everyone was ill.
For months people were trapped inside their homes, terrified to leave, but physically needing food and supplies. The plague, therefore, remained quite a regular part of life until, finally, after ten months of death and illness, the worst of the disease was over. Eterlania was almost free.
The pandemic may have seemed to be blown over, but the politics were just starting. As things settled down and borders reopened, the kings and queens of the afflicted countries started looking for someone to blame for the disease. The problem was, the merchants had traveled from country to country before they settled in the outbreak area.
Most of the political frenzy faded by the next year, but some prejudices remained strong for many years to come. Mattatuans and those from various parts of Imbowge were outcasted and excluded. But the question of what caused the Night Plague went unanswered until 1843 when top scientists in Baronde and Everlian finally traced the condition's roots to the country of Lugwan in Imbowge.
Traders had unknowingly brought the disease with them by loading bales of cotton that were filled with

by Lilliana Casper

fleas. Those fleas carried the illness to various countries. Known as Black Bleeding to the Lugwanese, it had all but died out by the time merchants arrived. Ignorant of the Eterlanians' vulnerability to the disease, the locals had not seen the need to inform the visitor of the then ancient condition.
Presently, the Night Plague has been eradicated in most countries and, aside from occasional cases, almost uncatchable. The few exceptions are easily curable with the intervention of Healers.

Symptoms

The Night Plague starts subtly, with a fever and sometimes a headache. Weakness gradually sets in, but at this time it is still indiscernible from any other disease. The first clear indication is when the ill person's veins begin to turn black. This starts along wrists and ankles and slowly creeps up arms and legs. As the color change spreads, black seeps up into the skin until it is clearly visible.
At this point, the illness is still curable, but without a Healer, it will continue to progress.
The black continues to spread along the veins, and the afflicted gets weaker and weaker, with headaches becoming more common. Coughing soon begins, and breathing gets harder, although not impossible. About two days after black appears, the victim will begin to cough up blood This is one of the final symptoms, and although Healing can still occur after this starts, after three hours, the disease is now incurable.
After the blood-coughing begins, most consider death unavoidable. This is generally when last rites are performed. The final stage of the illness happens as the lungs rapidly fill with fluid and blood vessels burst. The victim begins to bleed from the mouth, nose, and ears, and finally from the eyes, by which point they are likely unaware of anything happening. Death occurs during this.

Also Known As
Black Bleeding; Lugwan Plague

Type

Bacterial

Origin

Natural

Cycle

Chronic, Acquired

Rarity

Rare

by Lilliana Casper

What's In A Name?

The Night Plague. A dark, haunting name guaranteed to strike fear into the hearts of many who hear it. But how and why was it named so?
Victims of the disease usually fall ill, reach the next stage, or are found dead in the morning, leading those first afflicted to believe that the disease progressed only at night. In 1843, the same scientists who traced the plague's roots also discovered that the disease progresses faster during sleep and that three hours of sleep was enough for the next stage to appear.
Along with that, many also call it the Night Plague because of the night-dark lines that appear on the ill's skin.
But no matter how the name originated, after more than eight hundred years of being called the Night Plague, the disease will likely never be known as anything else.

---

Father is ill now. I have tried to keep the younger ones away from him, to distract them with songs and stories, but I do not know how long I can keep thier attention. I do not know how long I have before I too get sick. David already has the lines. He is away now, burying Mother.
The little ones are asleep as I write. David will be back soon, and I can hear Father coughing in the other room again. If they both die, it will be just me to watch Cait and Micah. Dear Lord, please let me live. Let me be able to take care of my siblings. Please. Please. Please, I will do anything. Just let them be safe.

— The diary of Carlyn Jardice, entry dated July 5th

---