The blood plague is a virulent disease that has brought death and ruin to Penumbra. Within the span of a short year, it has overrun most of the Marshlands, and is pushing northwards into the heart of the Midlands. It is not known how the plague started, only how it ends -- with its victims bleeding from their eyes, mouth and pores until they die in wretched agony.
The plague is extremely communicable, though it does spread more easily through certain means, such as direct contact with the infected.
Search for the Cure
There are two rumored sources for a possible cure or protection against the disease. Ser Wenton’s men distribute vials of thick, black medicine that they claim can save the lives of those who come in contact with the disease if they catch it early enough. And then there are wide whispers that the Murder of Crows at Arckenbury Cathedral have saved many refugees from the plague as well, and may even know of a permanent cure that will save all of Penumbra.
The truth, of course, is far more complicated. The vials distributed by the inner cabal of The One Hundred do sometimes saves those who take it, but at a terrible price: those that imbibe the black medicine and still die of the plague are said to rise from their death beds, returning as a sick parody of their former lives that hunger for the fresh blood of the living. And while the Crows have managed to save some, they do not know a permanent cure for what ails the land … though they may know of another that does.
Secrets of the Plague and its Hounds
A darker conspiracy surrounds the origins of the plague, and the puppet-masters playing for the soul of Penumbra. This adventure will hint at some of the greater story to come, but provides only enough information to play -- avoiding as many spoilers as is possible.
Airborne contact
When a living creature comes within five feet of an infected creature, or comes into contact with inanimate material contaminated by the disease, the creature must succeed on a DC 5 Constitution saving throw or become infected. If they succeed, they are immune to airborne contact with the plague for the next 24 hours.
Direct Contact
When a living creature’s skin comes into contact with an infected creature’s, or ingests food or drink contaminated by the disease, the creature must succeed on a DC 8 Constitution saving throw or become infected. If they succeed, they are immune to direct contact with the plague for the next 24 hours.
Violent Contact
When a living creature is bitten, clawed or scratched by a creature that carries the disease, or first enters into an area of heavy contamination such as a mass grave site, the creature must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or become infected. If they succeed, they have advantage on all violent contact saving throws for the next 24 hours.
Stages of the Plague
It takes 1d4-1 days for the blood plague’s symptoms to start to manifest in an infected creature. Once symptoms manifest, however, the disease can often progress rapidly; every 12 hours, or at the end of a long rest, the infected creature must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw to regress to the previous stage of the plague; if they fail, they instead progress to the next stage. The blood plague cannot be cured by most magical spells; only a wish spell will suffice.
In the first stage of the disease, symptoms include coughing, wheezing, and dizziness, all of which are difficult to distinguish from a seasonal cold. The infected creature suffers one level of exhaustion.
In the second stage of the disease, symptoms are similar to the previous stage, except that the infected creature’s coughing produces blood and they experience an intense tiredness that they struggle to shake. The creature suffers two further levels of exhaustion, and taking a long rest no longer removes a level of exhaustion.
In the third stage of the disease, the infected creature begins to blood from its nose and mouth. Their fever also spikes to a near fatal temperature; few ever recover from the blood plague when it has progresses this far. The infected creature suffers another level of exhaustion. Furthermore, unless the creature imbibes a vial of black medicine, or is lucky enough to be treated by one of the Murder of Crows, they can no longer regress to previous stages of the disease. Instead, when they succeed on a saving throw against the plague, they merely stay at their current stage.
In the fourth stage of the disease, the infected creature begins to bleed from its tear ducts, causing their eyes to painfully burn. The infected creature suffers blindness against anything further away than five feet, and can no longer regain hit points or gain temporary hit points.
In the fifth stage of the disease, the infected creature begins bleeding from every pore and orifice, wracked by unbelievable agony. They do not die immediately, but not even vials of black medicine or Crow healing allows them to regress from this stage; no one has ever recovered once their very pores begin to bleed. The infected creature’s next saving throw against the disease is an automatic failure.
In the final stage of the disease, the infected creature finally, mercifully dies. After 12 hours, if they have imbibed the black medicine, they rise again as a Plague Hound under the Game Master’s control.
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