Hurons Plague

Transmission & Vectors

The bacteria itself is fairly resistant to most forms of antiseptic. The pathogen came in two forms and airborne form which was milder than the next. And an indirect contact form, as direct contact with people ended up being a safer option than touching something someone else had.

Airborne

This variant of the pathogen was launched into particulate spray as someone spoke, breathed, or sneezed. Anything that had the capability to exit the body in gaseous form from the lungs was capable of spreading the disease. It typically spread through aerosol transmission, and thrived in the humid air around the Capitol of Huron of the same name.

The bacteria needed humid air to stay alive long enough to become infected. So the arid air around the Bhathic Desert region made a phenomenal barrier to the disease. Thus sparing the Rhachian Caliphate from the plague in a large measure. The great plain between Galus and Huron also had a similar effect, the main outbreak was predominantly contained due to the hot summer air over the plains left it dry.

The airborne variant was typically a weaker version only because the amount of bacteria able to enter the system was typically dead on arrival. The few surviving bacteria that managed to lay claim to the victims body, did not have the same potency in all but those with the most compromised immune systems.

Indirect Contact

This variant was, in some cases still, the more sinister variant. While the bodies of all organisms were more or less fully capable of resisting the bacteria on their skin, it couldn't survive very long on the dry dead layer of skin for more than a few minutes. What it thrived off of however, was wicking moisture off of hard surfaces. As many surfaces had the tendency to be cooler than the surrounding air, even this small difference was enough to allow them to survive long enough to infect the next person.

Handles, metal table tops, hardwood tables, doors, armor, weaponry were the main vectors for infection in this many. The Hurionian military hit with the plague first, their armor and weapons being perfect hosts for the bacteria. From there the infection spread rapidly through the populations.

Causes

The Disease is thought to have been spread after a seismic event that cause a small hot spring to bubble up into a pool of water just on the outskirts of the Valley of Mists in the Year 768. Here a Garrison was stationed that sourced their potable water from the pool, and were quickly infected.

How this extremophile bacteria managed to survive outside its original habitat is unknown. As the bacteria has extremely proficient use of thermal regulation and osmosis capabilities, it had no difficult time regulating itself to a change in environment to that degree. What is unknown is why it was dependent on moisture to such a degree. Why it needed moisture to sustain itself the way it did, still remains the medical mystery to this ancient disease.

The hot spring has since closed, the pool dried many decades ago. Though the infection now exists in a few different variants that occasionally make their rounds through the city. Though this infection is typically only spread through children who haven't been inoculated.

Symptoms

• Stage 1:

  Within the first 24 hours, the victim develops an intense fever that typically results in a fever induced coma. Cramps and complaints of hearing noises that aren't there are also typical symptoms.

• Stage 2:

  After the victim has fallen into a coma, their eyes can be seen to dart rapidly beneath their eyelids. Horrible nightmares being the main cause, at least to survivors and those that could remember the details enough to share.

• Stage 3:

  The victim wakes from the coma after a period between 80-100 hours, though the fever is still intense. The fever induces hallucinations of violent nature. Lashing out at threats that aren't there, also seeing anything that moves as a real threat and attacking these hallucinations as will. The victims being particularly violent and difficult to take down.

• Stage 4:

  The fever breaks, but the hallucinations continue. As the bacteria is broken down by the body's immune response, a chemical that is made during the metabolic response to rid the body of the infection induces a severe overdose on an opioid-like chemical. The system being unable to handle the amount of the chemical, it builds up and the hallucinations continue to get worse, and more vivid.

• Stage 5:

  Day 16-20 the body is able to reach a safe level of the built up chemical to return to a sense of lucidity. At this point the fever has wracked the body and left muscle to decay in the intense heat. The protein of the body breaks down, leaving many to become walking shambles of their former selves. The drug induced psychosis also leaves many with a lasting latent penchant for nightmares. As well as taking several weeks to have the brain recover from the prolonged period of heat.

Treatment

The victim is immediately strapped down to anything that isn't going to move and their hands and feet tied, the moment they have fallen into the coma stage of the disease. This being one of the only few safe opportunities to do so, as when the victim wakes from the coma, they are incredibly violent.

At this point the only thing caregivers can do is force copious amounts of clean water into the victim's system. Though this is also mixed with a small amount of alcohol, as at the time, it was thought to help purge the infection. Though for the most part the only treatment is to let it take its course.

entative measures were instituted by the Government at the time. The main one being that anyone found infected were to be taken back to their homes or to the nearest Temple if they were vagabonds or travelers. They would be scrubbed clean in high proof spirits. The infected would be kept just far apart enough to not reach each other and tied down. Though they were looked after and taken care of, the reality of it left a sour taste in many citizens minds.

To become a prisoner, was the colloquialism that sprung up in the time.

Prognosis

The disease is mostly survivable, even by those with weakened constitutions. The main victims were those that weren't tied down. Those that were not, were usually put to death. As the savagery the hallucinations caused, left very little option for those being attacked. Though it was quickly found out that this was the case, all infected were swiftly dealt with.

Prevention

The main prevention is a vaccine given to everyone inside the City of Huron. Including those that are just visiting or passing through. Everyone is required to have the inoculations. This has a nearly 100% reduction in infection. Though it is more virtual than anything else, as the plague still exists. Though the nearly unilateral knowledge of how to deal with the infected has made this more or less a non-issue.

There has also been a cultural shift to cleaning any surface someone has touched on a nearly daily basis. Ironically leading to the CIty of Huron being one of the cleanest settlements on the entire continent. Though gloves became less of a fashion statement and more of a piece of clothing worn out of courtesy. As the gloves keep any potential infection from spreading as quickly.

Cultural Reception

The unfortunate aspect of uncontrollable disease that downs nearly 60% of one's population is this; the City of Huron went through a massive depression and economic slow down. Which had made the lives of those inside the city an extremely uncomfortable place to be. A disease that leaves one in a drastically weakened state for months afterward was also not going to help anything.

This has made a widespread, almost paranoid fear of touching anything someone else has touched. It took decades for the City to recover to the initial outbreak, and the myths and legends that have spawned from the ordeal endure in the cultural nomenclature. If you hand someone else a glass you were holding is going to get you a scolding. If you touch a door without gloves on and someone else has to touch the handle to open it after you may well earn you a beating. It would be considered far more appropriate to hold the door open with your shoulder for another person to pass through.

The Kingdom Of Galus at this time was also extremely hesitant to interact at all with the States of Huron after the plague had made it's rounds. To this day, they find the strange anti touching customs of the Huronians difficult to deal with. Though they are strong military allies, the Citizens don't get along much.

While Huron is left on the frontier of two opposing forces, it has left them a strange place to reside. Ostracized by their allies for the new practices they picked up during their ordeal, they found themselves at odds with the traditional enemy nation of the Caliphate. Many Citizens feeling that they are thankless gateway to the Federation and the Desert.

Type

Bacterial

Origin

Natural

Cycle

Chronic, Acquired

Rarity

Common