The **Corpse Plague** is not a disease in the mortal sense, but a metaphysical infection born from imbalance between the Divine Realm and the mortal world. It manifests wherever large numbers of souls fail to pass on, their lingering essence weakening the Veil until it tears. From this breach, corruption spills outward: corpses rise, the living are infected, and demons find anchor in the material plane.
- **The Veil Strained** – When many souls linger (from war, slaughter, or mass death), they cluster against the Veil.
- **Possession of Corpses** – These trapped spirits gnaw through reality, forcing themselves into corpses. The flesh reacts violently, birthing the first signs of the Plague.
- **Spread to the Living** – The necrotic sickness quickly infects the living. Those of weak will or frail body fall first, their souls consumed and replaced by corruption.
- **Demonic Manifestation** – At outbreak’s peak, the Veil ruptures fully. Demons step through, anchoring themselves in the mortal plane and spreading chaos.
1. **Whispers of the Dead**
- Ghost-lights, faint voices, and unease linger over battlefields or mass graves.
- Animals avoid the area; the air grows cold and heavy.
2. **The First Corpses Rise**
- Fresh dead reanimate, twisted and feral.
- Healers notice strange fevers and blackened veins in survivors.
3. **Plague Among the Living**
- A contagious sickness spreads: fever, delirium, and coughing black bile.
- Victims weaken spiritually; their souls become easier for the Veil to consume.
4. **The Plague Peak**
- Large areas become corrupted zones. Plants wither, water fouls, the sky darkens.
- Revenants and plague beasts roam freely.
5. **Demonic Incursion**
- The Veil collapses at the outbreak’s heart.
- Demons manifest, either in physical bodies of warped flesh or through crystallization into **demon-cores**.
- **The Fall of Gloomdeep (1,000+ years ago)** – The greatest outbreak in recorded history. A goblin metropolis was entirely consumed, becoming a necropolis crawling with revenants and demons.
- **The frontier Plague (past century)** – Smaller outbreaks occur near mass battles outside the Wall, forcing the **Order of Last Light** and **Ashen Vigil** into constant vigilance.
- **Order of Last Light** – Seek to consecrate the dead, guiding souls across the Veil before corruption sets in. Their approach is preventative, not destructive.
- **Ashen Vigil** – Employ scorched-earth tactics, burning bodies, villages, and even survivors if taint is suspected. Their motto: *“Better ash than plague.”*
- **Mage Guild** – Attempts to study outbreaks, often salvaging fragments for rune research or demon-core creation. This makes them both vital and distrusted.
- **Crimson Standard** – Calls upon Last Light or Vigil aid during campaigns; their focus remains on military survival.
- **Fear of Mass Death** – Entire societies dread unburied corpses, as large gatherings of dead risk new outbreaks.
- **Plague Zones** – Old battlefields, ruins, and cursed towns often smolder with lingering traces of the Plague, avoided by all but the desperate.
- **Veil Weakening** – Each outbreak leaves scars upon reality, areas where demons are more likely to intrude in the future.