The Plague of Reaping

Before the arrival of the devastating plague, Straducan was a kingdom where religion played a modest role in the daily lives of its people. Faith was present but not all-consuming, with the Straducans placing equal value on tradition, commerce, and the pursuit of knowledge. The Sacred Texts were respected, yet they were one of many guides for living. The Plague of Reaping, as it came to be known, was a natural disaster of unprecedented scale. It was a merciless illness that swept through Straducan, sparing neither peasant nor noble, young nor old. Its symptoms were cruel and swift, and the death toll rose with each passing day.
As the plague ravaged the kingdom, the once vibrant streets of Bón Anditali grew silent, the bustling marketplaces became graveyards, and the grand halls of learning stood empty. The Straducans, who had once looked to a multitude of pursuits for fulfilment, now found themselves facing an existential threat that no amount of wisdom or wealth could avert. In the face of such overwhelming despair, the people of Straducan turned to the one constant that remained unshaken, their nascent faith. The temples and shrines, once visited out of tradition, became refuges for the soul. The clergy, previously guides for spiritual matters, became leaders in a fight against an unseen enemy. The Amaranthine King of Justice, witnessing the suffering of his people, called upon the divine for guidance. He led his kingdom in prayer, and slowly, a transformation began. Where once the Straducans had prayed with a sense of routine, they now did so with fervor and desperation.
As the plague finally receded, the survivors emerged into a world irrevocably changed. The collective ordeal had ignited a profound religious awakening across the kingdom. The Straducans attributed their survival to the divine, believing that it was a testament to the gods’ favor and mercy. The aftermath saw a societal shift where religion became the cornerstone of Straducan identity.

Transmission & Vectors

The disease initially spread through the consumption of tainted water. Once the plague reached more densely populated, the spread became rampant as a result of dense living conditions and poor sanitation. Once established in a populated region, the plague became terrifyingly contagious, spreading from person to person through contact with infected individuals and contaminated water.

Causes

The plague originally originated from a natural reservoir of drinking water that became a collection ground for the aftermath of a regional skirmish.

Symptoms

The progression from initial symptoms to death could occur within a matter of days, and the contagion was highly efficient. People who were healthy when they went to bed could be dead by morning.

Initial Symptoms:

• Fever and Chills
• Body Aches and Weakness
• Headaches

Progression:

• Lymph Node Swelling
• Vomiting and Diarrhea
• Respiratory Symptoms

Advanced symptoms:

• Gangrene
• Septicemic Shock

Treatment

The religious leaders of Straducan, guided by the divine edict of The Amaranthine King of Justice decreed that all citizens must be cleansed with holy water as a protective rite against the plague. Unbeknownst to the populace, this holy water was sourced from natural springs known for their purity. As people began to regularly use this cleansed water for drinking and personal hygiene, the rate of infection naturally decreased. The citizens, witnessing the reduction in plague cases, attributed this miraculous recovery to the divine properties of the holy water, bolstering their faith and devotion.

Type

Bacterial