Plague of Iarae

The Plague of Iarae was an illness that struck the town of Faeveinfall in 2814. Initially presenting as a mild form of influenza or a common cold, it struck the entire town and areas to the northwest with alarming suddenness. Within a day, it became clear that something unusual was going on, as every single person in town was affected all at once, and the condition of the town's children worsened rapidly, until they were bedridden. The plague lasted for a total of three and a half months, until a group of adventurers from Riverborough arrived and investigated. Being new arrivals, they were unaffected by the illness and therefore clear-headed enough to puzzle together the situation.
The plague turned out to be the corrupted work of a notable healing artifact, Iarae's Breath of Life. A dwarven artificer by the name of Addan Bloodkith, a recent arrival to the area, had constructed an apparatus to augment the artifact's healing properties to benefit himself. The BloodKith Apparatus worked brilliantly, making the artificer all but immortal. However it did so at the expense of everyone and everything in a large surrounding area, with the artifact drawing life force from the world around itself and feeding it into the artificer.
This led to two unfortunate side effects; the plague experienced in Faeveinfall, and a spike in sightings of the undead in the surrounding areas. An investigation conducted after the fact by the clergy of the Faeveinfall Temple of Faeya led to the conclusion that the artifact was making people sick while also attempting to fulfill its intended mandate of healing, and that as a result of the great expansion of its range and alteration of its behavior, it began incorrectly reviving corpses in the affected area. The adventurers were able to talk Bloodkith into stopping his work on the apparatus with the promise that the clergy of Faeveinfall and the town's artificer blacksmith would both attempt to help him to achieve his aims safely, without endangering others needlessly.

Transmission & Vectors

Proximity to the active Bloodkith Apparatus was the only known transmission vector for this plague.

Causes

The plague was caused by the shortsighted and selfish work of Addan Bloodkith, dwarven artificer, who twisted the functions of a holy relic of healing.

Symptoms

The plague presented as something akin to a mild influenza but one which persisted for months without end.

Treatment

Clergy in Faeveinfall were unable to treat the illness with any efficacy. Mundane medicines did nothing, and even restoration magics gave the afflicted no more than a few hours of relief.

Prognosis

Sufferers fell victim quickly but stabilized at a constant level of infection for months. It is unknown what might have befallen victims had it not been ended when it did.

Type

Magical

Origin

Magical

Cycle

Chronic, Acquired

Rarity

Unique