The Necrotic Plague

The Necrotic Plague is one of the most disgusting diseases encountered by mortal creatures. The first recorded instances are found in records in Egypt centuries ago, followed by records held by the Greeks, then by the Romans. The disease seems to have spread from down the Nile into the populated centres at the mouth of the Nile, and linked with trade goods coming from southern parts of Africa. When infected a creature (usually a human or humanoid), starts with flu-like symptoms which lasts about a week, then gradually progresses to blemishes on the skin ranging from blue, green and black. One or two days later the victim begins to cough up blood, followed by bleeding out of the eyes, nose, ears and other orifices. This slows down and the blemishes start to turn reddish in colour, and begins to rot from the inside out. This spreads across the body, and the victim's nerves are damaged becoming insensate to pain, and difficulty moving. They also start to feel the need to eat raw meat, and preferably living raw meat. A bite can pass this infection and this is the main way of spreading it. It gets to the point that the victim is overcome with the need to sate a growing hunger in them. Eventually after 2 to 3 weeks of the onset the victim is effectively just a walking shell grouping together with other infected, and scouring the lands around for the living to eat.
No-one knows exactly where in Africa this disease come from, just that it has spread north to the Mediterranean with trade caravans. It seems that the caravan workers are deathly afraid of it, and their stories hint at it being a disease that first came from Gnoll attacks, leaving behind a few injured and infected survivors. Others hint that it came from the eating of certain bat or ape species found in the jungles of Central Africa.

Type

Viral