Abyssal Plague (disease)

The Abyssal Plague was a condition inflicted upon victims who came into contact with the Voidharrow. This disease and its malevolence was divine in nature, and its victims' used symbols and scripts associated with the worship of Tharizdun, an interloper deity from another world. It was usually fatal unless cured or until the victim was transformed into a plague demon.

Acquisition
The primary way to contract this disease was to consume the Voidharrow itself. There was also the possibility of contracting this disease by coming into contact with it or with the blood of another infected creature, or by the attack and death throes of a plague demon. They could develop symptoms of the disease and transformed upon their death. The disease also spread in food and drink.

Effects
Should the infection take root, the victim began to grow dark-red crystalline sores that appeared to be laced with silver and contained flecks of gold. These sores spread across the body, causing the victim to become even more contagious, but they also became more resilient and willful. Infected creatures gained both unnatural strength and a desire to destroy all living creatures. Eventually, the victim would die and their corpse would explode, creating a fully formed plague demon.

Those who survived the plague and were cured said they experienced a vision of an enormously powerful entity trapped in a void of darkness and desolation. They heard the whisper of this entity, who filled them with a desire to destroy every living creature.

Prevention
The simplest way to prevent the abyssal plague was to stay away from the Voidharrow or plague demons. Barring that, using divine magic was the only known way to prevent being infected by the disease.

Curing
They only known way to cure the abyssal plague was exposing the victim to divine magic, but that only worked if the spell was cast before the plague had taken root in the victim's body.

Outbreaks
In 1479 DR, outbreaks of the abyssal plague spread across Akanûl, Luskan, and Easting.