The Abyssal Plague was a disease inflicted upon victims who came into contact with the Voidharrow. This condition 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.[1][2]
Acquisition[]
The primary way to contract this disease was to consume the Voidharrow itself—such as in contaminated food or drink[3]—or by coming into contact with the disease or with the blood of an infected creature, or by the attacks and death throes of a plague demon.[2]
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.[1]
Effects[]
If infection took 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 increasingly contagious, but also 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.[2]
Those who survived the plague or were cured reported that they had 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.[2]
Treatment[]
The 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.[1]
History[]
In 1479 DR, outbreaks of the abyssal plague spread across Akanûl,[4] Luskan,[5] and Easting.[6]
Appendix[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 James Wyatt (2010). The Gates of Madness. (Wizards of the Coast). ISBN 978-0-7869-4406-4.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Michael E. Shea (July 2011). “Creature Incarnations: Abyssal Plague Demons”. In Steve Winter ed. Dungeon #192 (Wizards of the Coast) (192).. Archived from the original on 2016-11-10. Retrieved on 2015-03-29.
- ↑ Pieter Sleijpen and Chris Sims (2012). The Elder Elemental Eye. (Wizards of the Coast).
- ↑ Bruce R. Cordell (April 2011). Sword of the Gods. (Wizards of the Coast), p. ?. ISBN 978-0-7869-5739-2.
- ↑ Erik Scott de Bie (September 2011). Shadowbane. (Wizards of the Coast), p. ?. ISBN 978-0-7869-5855-9.
- ↑ Pieter Sleijpen and Chris Sims (2012). The Elder Elemental Eye. (Wizards of the Coast), p. ?.