Defence Against Delgorad

CW: This article is about war, death and destruction.

The first we knew anything was wrong was when the winds brought dark flecks of ash with it. It darkened the sky and smothered our fields and none knew where it had come from. Eventually we found out, when the first bedraggled and terrified refugees came knocking on our door. Delgorad was dying. We thought it might just be a civil war, which was already hard to believe from such a peaceful, friendly people, but we were wrong. It was so much worse than we could ever have imagined.

There are a number of people in the world who enjoy a good thriller or horror story, but living one is far less enjoyable than listening to one. For the people of Miraki, Edrenell and Vaskana, the horrors that came out of Delgorad went beyond anything they had expected or were prepared for. Despite this, they all fought as well as they could, and gathered their strength, uniting together to push what they called the demons of Delgorad back into their dying land. Long, hard-fought years have passed, the borders continue to be attacked, but there is a sense of hope building as these attacks have lessened of late. An end to this conflict could well be drawing near.

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It began with small signs of trouble: reports of small tremors in the earth, minor changes in the weather that caused crops to suddenly flourish or wither, communications sent but left unanswered. Individually, these hadn't seemed to be an issue, but a pattern began to emerge and concerns were raised. When clouds of thick ash swept across Edrenellian fields, emissaries were sent out, to discover the source and if support could be offered. The answer came via groups of refugees fleeing their homeland, terrified and paranoid of what might be following them. With them came wild stories that were hard to believe, but their need and their terror were plain to see so they were not turned away.
Vaskana was the first to be truly hit. Villages were destroyed with no survivors to tell what had happened, streams of fresh water turned to acid killing everything it touched. Word was sent to the King and Queen, who sent back a squad of soldiers to investigate. Only one returned, with deep gashes covering their body and with their last breath they spoke of nightmares walking. More disturbing reports flooded in, culling any suggestion that these "nightmares" were nothing more than a dying persons fearful ramblings. Villages and towns were ordered to evacuate to nearby cities, and the King marched out with his army, hoping for a quick solution. Meanwhile, the Queen sent messengers to Edrenell, arriving at the same time as Mirakian messengers, each bearing the same words of warning. Vaskana had been dealing with it for longer, but not by much. A flurry of messages were sent back and forth between the rulers, and eventually they held a brief meeting in person, signing a treaty that bound the three countries together against Delgorad.

Together We Stand

The biggest struggle for all three countries was the length of border that needed protecting. Attacks could happen at any time from anywhere, but each were invariably carried out by a chaotic group of creatures. There seemed to be no strategy to plan against, no reason to be guessed at other than a thirst for blood and destruction. Armies were spread thin to cover as much ground as possible and the need for volunteers soon became clear. Petitions were sent out to not only their own countryfolk, but for foreign aid also.
The island of Daenara was generally protected by the sea, but sent ships loaded with some soldiers and goods to both Miraki and Vaskana, with more to patrol the coast of Delgorad in case the demons learned to cross the water. Virenna, to the south of Edrenell, and Lethinor to the east of Vaskana, both sent small armies to assist for a short while during the heaviest attacks, but these could not be spared for long. No matter how small or large, whatever help was offered and received was greatly appreciated by all, and helped strengthen diplomatic relations in each country.

A Deadly Disease

The cause of the conflict and the destruction of Delgorad, is found in a unique sickness that corrupted more than just physical bodies, but sent its victims insane. Delgorad had been home to one of Taeferra's most powerful ancient dragons, Rii'Kuna, and not even they had been immune to this illness. An angry ancient dragon is a considerable danger to anyone, but add insanity to the mix and the threat is raised to a whole new level of terror. Rii'Kuna's power changed the landscape of Delgorad drastically, transforming it from a luscious, beautiful land to a hellscape where only others twisted and corrupted by the sickness could survive.
No-one is sure as to what happened to Rii'Kuna, but it is generally believed that the sickness destroyed them before they could travel beyond Delgorad. There are some who believe they are not dead, but merely slumbering somewhere, and will return to wreak havoc across Taeferra and perhaps the world.

Questions

Scholars have been completely befuddled by what caused the illness that struck the inhabitants of Delgorad so severely.
Where did it come from, how did it spread? Was it manufactored or natural? Will it happen again?
Delicate interviews have been held with refugees and survivors, but those who are willing to speak of what happened, can give nothing much to shed any light on the matter. Some spoke as if it were a punishment, but for what they did not know, and others spoke that it was simply pure and utter madness.
The amount of skirmishes and battles along the border have lessened enough for scholars to sneak across the borders to collect samples to examine. No answers have been found yet, but they are hopeful for results soon.