Coven's Rage

The Second Great Plague

The most virulent disease ever known on Valine emerged in the Year of the Hag (593), infecting nearly half the population of the planet and literally decimating the population of Valine. By the time the disease was eradicated, over one in ten souls on the planet had died from the disease or the carnage that resulted. The origins of the disease were traced to a coven of hags on the vast barren island of Atrain to the northeast of the continent of Cleoss. Worshippers of Qyrad, the coven had created the disease through the magical alteration of worms which were sent to all continents. Their aim had been to eradicate the sentient species from the world. A coalition army of two dozen realms were sent to destroy the coven and were met with surprising resistance from the hags and their followers. The site of the resulting battle at Apocalypse Falls remains an area riven with Wild Magic, mutation, and disease where few dare to tread even four centuries later.

Transmission & Vectors

Although initially transmitted via magically altered worms burrowing into the flesh of sentient creatures, once in the general population the disease spread from being to being through respiratory droplets in the air.

Causes

Fortunately for the entire world, very few of the coven's magically altered worms were created - just enough to get the disease started in the general populace. No cure was ever discovered for Coven's Rage, either from healers or within the tomes of the coven and eventually the disease burned out. All notes that were discovered on the creation of the disease were destroyed and no doubt the coven had planned other waves of infection before they were stopped. It spread particularly quickly in colder climates, but ultimately nowhere was spared from the ravages of Coven's Rage.

Symptoms

Physical symptoms began with a general malaise and a persistent cough. After 3-5 days a fever would develop, peaking around the seventh day after infection. At the peak of the fever, the infected creature would develop a murderous rage and attack anyone who came close to them with deadly force. Approximately 1 in 20 beings who contracted Coven's Rage would die after a violent coughing fit ended in vomiting blood. Many more were killed during attempt to stop them violently attacking others. Most returned to health after the disease ran its course, although long term symptoms manifested such as short-term memory loss, confusion and general weakness. A large number of the infected, unable to live with the violent acts commited under the fever rage, took their own lives in the months and years after recovering.

Treatment

So quickly did the disease run through the population of Valine that no effective treatments were found for the disease itself. Clerical magic proved ineffective for the most part, only holding back the worst effects of the disease for a few days at best. Isolation was the best tactic found against both the spread of the disease and the violent behavior of the infected.

Prognosis

Though the pandemic claimed the lives of over 10% of the population within a few months, only around 1 in 20 people that contracted the disease actually died of the disease itself. The rest were victims of violence or suicide fueled by regret of their actions during the fever rage. Most who survived the infection recovered fully, though a significant portion, approximately one third, showed long term symptoms of confusion, memory loss, or extended fatigue.

Sequela

Beings with existing breathing difficulties that survived the sickness were, in the main, left all but crippled by the ravages of the disease, never able to recover strong, or even useful, lung capacity, their pre-existing respiratory conditions were exacerbated to the point of being unable to function. Likewise, those with existing mental issues found an acceleration of their memory deficiencies to the point of barely functioning.

Affected Groups

Coven's Rage was an indiscriminate disease, attacking all sentient species with equal devastation.

Hosts & Carriers

Although unseen for four centuries, rumors persist that some of the worms that carried the disease to the population of Valine persist in remote, unexplored areas of Valine, having bred with the natural earthworm population. Such stories were tales of terror in the years immediately following the pandemic, but have faded into folklore and legend which few really believe.

Prevention

The most effective tool against the disease was isolation. Neither conventional nor magical healing proved effective against the disease, so many societies implemented strict isolation with capital punishment enforced against those that broke quarantine.

Epidemiology

Thankfully only one outbreak of Coven's Rage ever occurred and the disease appears to have been eradicated. As a magically engineered disease that has not been seen in four centuries, the hope is that nothing like it shall ever return to Valine.

History

Coven's Rage is one of the best known tragedies of Valinian history, an event that affected practically every culture in the world. It's best known, and most celebrated, effect upon Valine was that Enesis, god of healing was bought into existence to balance against and combat Qyrad, god of disease and bring order and focus to the healing arts and divine healing.

Type

Magical

Origin

Magical

Cycle

Short-term

Rarity

Extremely Rare