Plague of the Bitter Hand
The Plague of the Bitter Hand (often simply 'the Bitter Hand') was an act of biochemical warfare created and unleashed on the 33rd Day of the Season of Ripening, 989AC by Aguthsha-Titan at the peak of the Widow's Siege during the War of the Six, resulting in a frantic truce and the ultimate end of the war.
In her research on the Ikam fruit, Aguthsha managed to extract a type of tannin from the stone of the fruit that normally is not eaten; when cultured one way it has the power to fertilize great swathes of otherwise barren land, but when cultured in another it can lead to necrosis and other plague symptoms. Her original intention was to use the fruit to make cooperative lands fertile; she also believed that further study of the fruit over time and its interaction with humans could better-enable them to move off Icalar.
It is primarily a waterborne disease of three general stages (and is highly contagious in the first two), but can be transmitted from person to person.
For recordkeeping purposes the following terms were coined to describe the status of the plague:
Plague Active -- Any time between the release of the Bitter Hand on the 33rd Day of the Season of Ripening, 989AC, and the 1st Day of the Season of Closing, 995AC -- marking the period of immense travel and trade restrictions due to the plague. By association, this term means that the majority of countries were still seeing new infection rates at twenty or more a day and/or victims were entering second-stage infection in significant numbers.
Plague Recessive -- Regarded as any time following the 2nd Day of the Season of Closing, 995AC -- marking the lifting of the final city-based travel and trade restrictions due to the plague. By association, this term means that the majority of countries were seeing new infection rates at less than twenty persons a day and the majority of their victims were in the second or third stage.
Notable Victims
Iknais, Talo'eran Elbusgar, Nerise Vil'rabenen, and Saraphne Vil'rabenen of the Hidden Company. Joqo and Jixcebi Danig, Aramastus' wife and daughter. Suiha Ghuzneind , Mhadan Ghuzneind's wife. Iryck Marrowgleam's father.Transmission & Vectors
Waterborne, infected persons in the first and second stages. Infection from third-stage patients has proven rare and only through extreme means such as touching an open wound to an infection site or deliberate ingestion of contaminated water, food, or otherwise in large quantities.
Symptoms
First stage (initial symptoms): shortness of breath (e.g., walking pneumonia), hives-like rash, loss of appetite
Second stage: difficulty breathing, hives become sores, joint stiffness, bloody coughing
Third stage: largely bedridden, sores lead to necrosis, seizures, vivid dreams. Death usually results in this stage from either spreading internal infection or heart failure.
Treatment
There is no known outright cure, but patients can be made more comfortable through management of the sores and bedrest.
Biae and Martus Eburos, the Chief Physicias of Korzhûn, created a salve that managed to slow the spread of the third-stage sores. Its composition included drake ivy.
Prognosis
Inevitably fatal, though care and prior health conditions have a variable impact on longevity.
Hosts & Carriers
There has been no evidence of the plague itself being present in non-humanoid species, though it is not understood why.
Prevention
Avoidance of contaminated water and food supplies; wearing protective clothing around the infected and proper disposal (burning) of contaminated such; proper cleaning of medical utensils; quarantining of infected individuals.
History
When Aguthsha released the plague it began as an eruption of Aré that extended several leagues from the epicenter, itself causing immense (but not immediate) fractures in the Ega structures of living things that led to their rapid decay and ultimately death, with few exceptions. The Aré cloud also carried -- and created -- spore-like powder containing the actual biohazardous engineered tannin that was activated as soon as it contacted water. Unfortunately, it had been raining that day.
In the chaos and the loss of many preeminent scientists, it took three years for its nature as a waterborne disease to be firmly accepted; this prompted attempts to drain the marsh south of the Temple at Willowbreak Field where the Tubisqu was especially shallow and slow, and closest to Gell's Landing and the grove. Additional massive loss of life occurred as a result of these largely fruitless efforts.
Type
Bacterial
Origin
Engineered
Cycle
Chronic, Acquired
Rarity
Unique
Affected Species
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