Mageplague

From 920 to 1005, death stalked Stildane. A mysterious disease killed troves of Kobold, Human, starspawn, Pearl Pangolin, Cat, Haltia, and Octoperson alike. Its symptoms and vectors actively changed, making its behavior and spread unpredictable. Its carriers could walk for months without showing signs. Magical responses only made the situation worse. The corpses of the dead seemed to remain alive as masses of flesh or crystal unthinking and unmoving. Wherever Ederstone was, the contagion became "smarter" and more adaptable; wherever it was not, the contagion either stopped or killed its victims too quickly to spread.
Known as the Mageplague for the role of magic-users in spreading the contagion throughout Stildane, the disease petered out on its own after a century of terror. More accurately, most of the strains simply became non-lethal and ultimately replaced almost every other kind of disease in Stildane. Some bursts of lethality occured around the fringes, but the worst of them moved on to Dryads and Prisms- mutating into Withering Blight for Dryads in 1003 and the Singing Plague for Prisms in 1150.
When minor strains have become hyper-lethal again, it seems mostly to leave Stildane entirely, such as the Crimson Death of Desmia in 1670- mutating into a final form and then leaving the continent to burn itself out abroad. These strains never survive long, and their mutations and 'strategy' ceases beyond a certain radius of Ederstone.
No one knows how mageplague "acts" the way it does, or why Ederstone is integral to that process.

Transmission & Vectors

Mageplague's active mutations mean that it often shifts vectors. When detached from Ederstone-touched matter, it defaults to limited airborne transmission and magical transmission- if a spell or magical effect touches a victim, it transfers the plague to the caster. Magical transmission is a constant in most forms of mageplague.

Causes

Empowered mage plague is typically very subtle at first, incubating for 1-4 weeks in a mostly benign state. Once the incubation period is over, the bacteria suddenly besiege the body from within, attacking the lymphatic and immune systems first. Parts of the

Symptoms

Most severe strains of Mageplague cause fevers, coughing, dizziness, vomiting, the swelling and hardening of lymph nodes, and a yellow-ish complexion of the skin. Towards the end, the victim's internal organs are transformed into a crystalline or organic mass that often overtakes the body after death and fuses with the environment.

Treatment

Consuming Kilusha  causes rapid deterioration of the bacteria and can quickly destroy the infection if applied early. Use of antibiotic molds and plants can be extremely effective, especially if multiple kinds are applied. Magical treatment is not effective.

Prognosis

Mageplague's most infamous strains- the ones people would call 'mageplague'- are unusually fatal for a disease.

Sequela

Reaching the mid-stages of Mageplague leaves survivors with chronic pain and sometimes significant internal damage.

Prevention

Traditional breathing masks, avoidance of contact, and avoidance of magic can all be used to prevent infection.

History

Mageplague is only one of many Ederstone diseases, but it is the only one to become an epidemic. It emerged from the use of weaponized Kivishta Ederstone on the besieged population of Geerna carrying the Yellow Death (bubonic plague), smallpox, gem plague, and cholera in 920ME. It is unknown what exactly was pulled in, as the Ederstone was found having fused much of the population into a strange mass.

Cultural Reception

Mage plague changed much of the ways Kivishta approaches Ederstone use, leading to far greater caution.

Type

Bacterial

Origin

Magical

Cycle

Short-term

Rarity

Rare