Khlorosian Plague
Where Death returns to the mortal realm
Transmission & Vectors
The Khlorosian Plague spread mostly from people to people, through any manner of contact or being coughed on by someone infected with the pandemic. Originally, rats the colour of the great old God Khloros spread across the Dankatch River westward into the Great Western Empire, which is thought to be how the Empire came into contact with the Plague. While infected people spread the infection like wildfire in settlements, the Great Black Rats were found in merchant ships in places where the plague sprung up out of nowhere, even the southern continent of Sanaros.
Causes
Those who believed in the Survivor Gods understood that the rest of the Gods that had not been slain in the Twilight Cataclysm were trapped in the Void. As the Survivor Gods managed to escape the Void almost two centuries prior, it was believed the ancient god of death, Khloros the Pale Horseman, had managed to pass through onto Terralba also. To mark his return, his servants the Great Black Rats, spread the word of death across the mortal lands.
Sceptics and those faithful to the Order of Saint Vortarius believe it was instead introduced into the GWE through the first major invasion of the lands by Untamed Lands barbarians during the Sacking of Mylrondia, and cultivated in the area before breaking out.
Symptoms
First, the infected person develops a mild fever. Over the next couple days, the fever worsens with chills and headaches. The feeling of fatigue starts to kick in on the third day, alongside muscle aches. On the fourth, black blisters filled with pus develop in the groin, armpits and neck. The fifth day was usually met with death, though some unlucky few would not die and instead grow weak, delirious, and suicidal though not having enough strength to truly kill themselves. Over the course of the fourth and fifth days before death, the tips of fingers and toes would become numb and grow brown and black. If the person survives the fifth day, their fingers and toes would begin to rot away. Seizures when exposed to bright light has also been found in some infected persons.
Treatment
No treatment has ever been found for the Khlorosian Plague, with mercy killings being carried out by those who "survive" past the fifth day. However, some persons have managed to truly survive the pandemic and live on after the outbreaks. The survivors are usually extremely weak for the rest of their lives, but have shown formidable resistance to all other illnesses, with even one recorded full blood Bludalfar who survived the Hadrianic Plague to die of old age without developing Blood Chrysalis.
If someone was to contract the plague in late Spring, they would only suffer from a draining fever but would survive the Summer before the Plague may return in the Winter.
Prevention
The people of large towns and cities believed contracting the Plague came from Khloros when he would appear in someones dreams or in their house as they woke up. Those who saw the God would be granted the Plague. To keep the Khloros out, people started barring their doors, and they stopped allowing visitors into their homes. No one was allowed in, not even other family members. It was the only method anyone knew of to prevent the sickness from coming in and infecting them.
History
First & Second Outbreak
1872-1873EM- Over the next couple decades, the Starpoint Infection breaks out in the nearby area on multiple occasions. There are few fatalities, though it does delay the building of the Great Wall.
Third Outbreak - Khlorosian Plague
2047-2068EMCultural Reception
Because the plague acted so quickly, people started putting on name tags before leaving their homes. Worn on the arm, they were the only way to ensure proper identification if they were struck by the plague and died away from home. The tags would give names to the corpses, and their families would be able to learn of their loved one’s outcome if the worst would happen.
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