Morsanguis

The Scarlet Plague

Morsanguis, or more commonly known The Scarlet Plague is a treatable yet deadly wasting infection that withers the body from within exponentially, starting from mere coughs to debilitating impairments and eventual death. The name came to be from the late signs of the illness where the sick’s coughs became misty and scarlet red, by which point the illness is untreatable.

The disease itself is mostly known as Morsanguis on the eastern continent, especially within the Valkian Empire, the moniker Scarlet Plague only caught on a decade or so after the 1544 outbreak in common-speaking circles. Due to the widespread nature of the disease, it acquired many names across the realms it spread to and still lingers in.

Symptoms & Stages

Initial Symptoms

The initial symptoms of the disease are regarded to be highly deceptive, appearing as mere coughs, chills, lightheadedness and fevers, with the only outliner being the faint bloodshot appearance of the eyes.

How one is to contract the illness often varies, the most commonly agreed upon cause is the inhaling the coughs of the sick, but records of cases where the disease appeared out of thin air exist.

First Stage - ‘The Mumbling Stage’

Progressing from the chills and fevers, the lightheadedness becomes more prevalent, as the infected mind becomes cloudy and sentences start to lag with mumbled words and forgotten points. The white of the eyes gradually become more bloodshot and sickly and their coughs appear guttural and painful, becoming short-breathed and at times wheezing.

In this stage the illness can still be treated with the most effective way being the extensive exposure of the patient to salty air and glimmerroot and drollidae mixtures. However it must be done swiftly before the appearance of the misty coughs, usually progressing in less than a week.

Second Stage - ‘The Scarlet Coughs’

By this point the disease becomes terminal and no treatment will save the infected, as one could only soothe their suffering. The coughs become sickly, casting a red dusty mist with each burst that comes to taint surfaces, constantly with a wheezing and shallow breath. The infected lose their eyesight as their irises run with blood with their tears often appearing bloody too. Painful spasms can be observed in bursts and twitching of limbs, fingers. The most damning of this stage is the length as it isn’t uncommon for the sick to remain in this state for weeks even possibly months if they can ingest their vital needs.

Usually by this stage mercy killing often became a norm, both to lessen the spread of the disease and put the infected out of their misery. Many who befell to this plague often succumbed to it in this stage, as their body grew weak too frail to resist or fight back…

Third Stage - ‘The Burst’

If the infected survives long enough, the symptoms may appear to lessen as the spasms, fevers and lightheadedness subsides. They remain frail and weak but often observed with lucidity, forming sentences, recalling memories and making conversation. However, this is a false hope as within days of this improvement the symptoms return tenfold as excruciating pain overwhelms the sick and their organs collapse, leaving a bloody mess of the infected as they pass away.

(art by Soup with edits)

The Outbreak of 1544

In the early months of 1544 an outbreak of Morsanguis occurred spreading northwards along the Amafells through traders and travelers, crossing the mountains in the midst of summer into the Midlands where it quickly latched onto the trade routes and entrepots. The highly urbanized towns became the prime victims of the plague it spread like wildfire, eventually crossing over to the isles through merchants and refugees. Once it reached the main trading routes, the plague easily spread across the coasts, travelling north and into the Golden Valley.

It took until late 1544 for the early prevention and cure to be found, whereupon serious countermeasures were utilized to stall and halt the spread of the disease, quarantining entire regions to stop its spread.

In 1545 it managed to cross over into Ko’ram, however the early preparations in wake of the news from the east made its spread difficult, limiting the affected greatly.

Whilst latching onto the routes heading to the Ashlands, the plague mostly failed to spread in the lands of the Fireborne.

By 1545-6 the plague mostly died out, with only small pockets remaining around the continents, contained and gradually faded out. However the spread left the disease lingering around the realms as a newfound enemy that may latch onto any unsuspecting soul, requiring serious attention to the symptoms.

However, not all was gloom, as the plague led to serious improvements in medical treatments and plague prevention measures, with trade routes and centers monitored for any up and coming illnesses that could pose a threat. It is unclear how many people the Scarlet Plague claimed, with its most lethal time being the first year of its spread, with many accounts disagreeing on exact numbers.