Zalia Plague

Written by TheirGraceGrace

I was there in Zalia when the plague struck. One day, the village was celebrating the beginning of summer, people drinking and cheering and having fun. The next, houses were being boarded up, and the main square was filled with coffins of the dead and the mourning of the living.
The people blamed everything: vampires, the ghost grass, the drinking the night before...but diseases are always the reason. At least, in my line of business it usually is...
~Rozura da Gara, Dis-eases and their Cures

Transmission & Vectors

The transmission of the Zalia Plague is not known, but theories state that it is passed through contact with infected blood. Some also claim that insects hiding in the pale grass of the Ghostgrass Prairie might also be to blame.

Symptoms

The plague is characterized by being able to randomly sweat blood, commonly from the backs of the hands or under the arms. Other symptoms include general tiredness and occasionally hallucinations due to the blood loss.

Treatment

Rest or divine magic is the most commonly used treatment used against the disease. A few herbalists have noticed that the burning of incense and herbs collected from the base of the Nëra Tree have a very good effect on those suffering from the disease.

Prognosis

Those initially catching the plague will feel vaguely lightheaded as some of their blood begins to escape through their skin. As the disease worsens, the sufferers get a fever which causes them to sweat even more. If the sufferer tries to do physical labour during this time, they are very likely to collapse from the blood loss. Otherwise, the disease will run its course within fifteen days and stop.

Sequela

This is the deadly nature of this disease. The weakened state of those who suffer from it means that they are very susceptible to other diseases, especially those which are passed through the blood. Vampires are also more likely to target them.

Prevention

No preventative measures are known to be effective against the spread of the Zalia Plague.

History

The first recorded case of this plague was found in the town of Zalia in Britaxia, hence the name.
A large outbreak occurred in the early days of the Drowned Years in the city of Sunport, as well as smaller outbreaks in the shantytowns of displaced folk during that time.
Another outbreak is recorded for The Greatwood during the Bloodmoon War, which is responsible for the disease's reputation as a harbinger of vampiric activity.

Cultural Reception

People carrying the Zalia Plague are commonly shunned, as many believe its existence to be due to the work of vampires and other bloodsucking creatures. Because of this fear, many people with the plague don't leave their homes and/or rely on others to do their social obligations.

Type

Viral

Cycle

Short-term

Rarity

Rare

Art Credit: emperorcharlesii (me!)