The Feralheart Plague is an airborne disease which causes patients to become incredibly aggressive. It is best described as a “return to the old, primative days”. Infected beings mentally revert to a primal state, becoming purely predatory and acting as if they are normal animals. In some races, notably Bayvak, their outward appearance also changes, and their armour, bones and teeth become stronger. For most races, infected beings tend to gather in packs, guarding areas they believe to be their territories (often just their homes), and hunting together on a regular basis. The illness is an airborne virus that takes up to 24 hours to completely infect a being. Wearing air masks and avoiding infected areas is the best way to avoid the plague.
First incidents of the Plague were witnessed on Portalia, in De’Larsa, on June 3rd 2016 PDW. The Banikan territories were hot and windy, so the illness quickly spread through the area, blowing south west down to the Bayvak and Cassid territories. Within 24 hours, almost all territories were infected in some way. The Feralheart Plague was carried to other planets mainly via Cassid transport, as Cassids do not display outward effects of the illness. There are also reports from Vrekans and Rethans in outer territories that suggest that canisters were dropped outside of villages around June 3rd, dispersing gas among them. Evidence of these canisters consists mostly of shrapnel and bio-disease dating which matches the spread of the illness.
The plague hit multi-species planets the hardest, with violence erupting among infected populations, often towards uninfected beings, or those who do not display outward effects.
An antidote to the plague was discovered by Vrekan scientists on June 17th, and King Ver personally escorted the scientists to the Rethan planet Threa, where the antidote was refined and mass-produced into a proper cure, with the assistance of Rethan and Vohran scientists.
By June 19th, many infected areas were cured by a gaseous form of the antidote, although some Thanatian, Bayvak and Banikan areas remain infected due to being in remote locations.
Side effects of the Feralheart Plague include increased hunger and thirst, lowered intelligence and hugely increased libido. When patients are cured of the illness, they return to normal within three hours, although the increased hunger and libido will linger for a week or so.
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