The Great Plague of the Inner Sea, also called the Great Inner Sea Plague[3] or the Dragon Plague,[4][5] referred to a 6–7 year period beginning in the Year of the Wandering Wyrm, 1317 DR when at least three separate diseases ravaged the lands around the Sea of Fallen Stars.[1][2]
Location[]
The various diseases of the Great Plague spread across the northern and southern coasts of the Inner Sea, ravaging Aglarond, Chessenta, Impiltur, Unther, The Vast, the Vilhon Reach, and the Wizards' Reach.[1][2] The neighboring realms of Mulhorand and Thay were largely unaffected.[1]
History[]
Beginning in 1317 DR, a dragon known as the Wandering Wyrm appeared in the east of the Inner Sea and spread plagues everywhere it went.[1] It left Aglarond beset by a ravaging disease, and beginning in Impitur, it began spreading an entirely different affliction that first infested the infected with maggots before transforming them into undead horrors. The Wyrm then moved westward, where its disease found its way to Tsurlagol in The Vast and threatened to infect Procampur.[1]
Efforts to fight the Wandering Wyrm were futile, as was demonstrated when it annihilated a legion of pegasus-mounted knights sent by King Rilimbrar of Impiltur. The Wyrm killed them and sent their reanimated corpses to ravage Lyrabar.[1] Fear among the people in cities of The Vast led them to be willing to turn on each other to protect themselves.[1]
Also beginning in 1317 DR, lands on the southern coast of the Inner Sea were ravaged by the Plague of Dragons, most notably Chessenta, Unther, and Turmish (followed soon by the rest of the Vilhon Reach),[2][6] although it was unclear if this was also caused by the Wandering Wyrm[1] or by the reawakening of a deadly disease dating back to the Rotting War from somewhere in the Chondalwood.[7] By 1320 DR, this disease had crossed into the Wizards' Reach, causing great social upheaval and prompting Thay to withdraw from an ongoing occupation of the region to protect itself.[2][3][8] That same year, Queen Ilione Olósynne of Aglarond died of the plague ravaging her land, making her the last Olósynne monarch.[1][9]
While the plagues were said to have ended in most places by the Year of Dreamwebs, 1323 DR,[2][10][11] disease persisted through the following year in Chessenta and Unther.[2]
Outcome[]
The plague took a huge toll in the Old Empires, where Chessenta was decimated and Unther suffered heavily,[1][12][13] and couriers from infected Unthalass were responsible for spreading it even to places like the Citadel of Black Ash.[14][note 1]
Some blamed the Red Wizards of Thay for the plagues while others laid the blame on Talona, the goddess of diseases, who was known to inflict pestilence on Faerûn when she felt that her worship was dwindling.[1][15] Sure enough, veneration of Talona was said to have reached its height by the end of the Great Plague as people flocked to her for forgiveness and protection.[15][16]
In the Wizards' Reach, despite the social unrest caused by the plague, cities like Escalant celebrated their newfound independence following the departure of the Thayans.[8]
Appendix[]
Notes[]
- ↑ In an apparent error or typo, Powers & Pantheons dates the Great Plague of the Inner Sea to 1311 DR.
References[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 Brian R. James, Ed Greenwood (September 2007). The Grand History of the Realms. Edited by Kim Mohan, Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 135. ISBN 978-0-7869-4731-7.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Brian R. James, Ed Greenwood (September 2007). The Grand History of the Realms. Edited by Kim Mohan, Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 134. ISBN 978-0-7869-4731-7.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Richard Baker, Matt Forbeck, Sean K. Reynolds (May 2003). Unapproachable East. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 163. ISBN 0-7869-2881-6.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Steven E. Schend (1999). Sea of Fallen Stars. (TSR, Inc), p. 7. ISBN 0-7869-1393-2.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 171. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.
- ↑ Jim Butler (1996). The Vilhon Reach (Player's Guide). (TSR, Inc), pp. 12–13. ISBN 0-7869-0400-3.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood, Julia Martin, Jeff Grubb (1993). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 2nd edition (revised), A Grand Tour of the Realms. (TSR, Inc), p. 122. ISBN 1-5607-6617-4.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Anthony Pryor (June 1995). “Campaign Guide”. In Michele Carter, Doug Stewart eds. Spellbound (TSR, Inc.), p. 40. ISBN 978-0786901395.
- ↑ Anthony Pryor (June 1995). “Campaign Guide”. In Michele Carter, Doug Stewart eds. Spellbound (TSR, Inc.), p. 48. ISBN 978-0786901395.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood, Julia Martin, Jeff Grubb (1993). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 2nd edition (revised), Running the Realms. (TSR, Inc), p. 17. ISBN 1-5607-6617-4.
- ↑ Anthony Pryor (June 1995). “Campaign Guide”. In Michele Carter, Doug Stewart eds. Spellbound (TSR, Inc.), p. 127. ISBN 978-0786901395.
- ↑ Scott Bennie (February 1990). Old Empires. Edited by Mike Breault. (TSR, Inc.), p. 6. ISBN 978-0880388214.
- ↑ Richard Baker, Ed Bonny, Travis Stout (February 2005). Lost Empires of Faerûn. Edited by Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 62. ISBN 0-7869-3654-1.
- ↑ Eric L. Boyd (September 1997). Powers & Pantheons. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 165. ISBN 978-0786906574.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Julia Martin, Eric L. Boyd (March 1996). Faiths & Avatars. (TSR, Inc.), p. 152. ISBN 978-0786903849.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood, Julia Martin, Jeff Grubb (1993). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 2nd edition (revised), Running the Realms. (TSR, Inc), p. 55. ISBN 1-5607-6617-4.