Plague Rising (IC, Closed)

[Pavonistade]

Ring-a-round the roses,
A pocket full of posies,
Ashes! Ashes!
We all fall down.
- Ring a Ring o' Roses

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Mystery disease blamed for deaths in Ferunce Confederacy Date: July 10, 2019 A growing number of deaths have been attributed to an unknown disease, which has symptoms of a viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF). As an unusual spree of deaths continues in the Ferunce Confederacy, there is growing consensus that an as-yet unknown disease is behind numerous deaths and many more cases. Over the past few weeks, reports emerged of people in the country of 2.3 million succumbing to a condition, which was often described as "being virtually impossible to treat." While the cause of the deaths and infections has yet to be confirmed, blame has recently shifted to a new, possibly-viral disease. Several health experts have noted similarities between the purported disease and existing viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHF). Symptoms such as vomiting and excessive bleeding have been noted in cases in the Ferunce Confederacy. The mysterious disease also manifests in as early as 2 days after potential infection, which is comparable to other diseases like Ebola disease and Toloupum fever. However, a definitive assessment is currently unavailable. Outside observers have become increasingly worried about the situation in the Ferunce Confederacy. The region is noted to have a substandard healthcare system and access to professional medical resources is severely limited. The Pavonistadian Health Minister, Benjamin Shanahan, has declined to comment on any potential intervention or assistance. However, he stated that the Ministry of Health is monitoring the situation closely and stands ready to assist the government of the Ferunce Confederacy. In Other News... Pavonistade | TolouBar re-opens after year-long renovations, receiving public reverence World | How Pavonistade's education system compares with other countries Entertainment | Why Billie Eilish's Bad Guy is a must-listen for pretty much everyone Comments KaylieU137 | LikeDislikeReport | +15 These poor souls, I hope whatever it is will be dealt with soon. CRichardson_5 | LikeDislikeReport | +2 I heard a few Pavonistadians came over to the Ferunce Confederacy a few weeks ago. I wouldn't be surprised if they put a curse on the Ferunce dunces. VaxMaxASDFGHJKL | LikeDislikeReport | -6 Hey y'all, want to help the poor people of the Ferunce Confederacy? Come pay a visit at TolouBar and have a cold drink of premium-quality!

OOC Thread - if you want to participate, let OP (Pavonistade) know in the OOC thread first.

[The Frozen Forest]

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Hundreds Afflicted by Unknown illness in Bevya

Official Report to Mozesk General Hospital from Bevya

The town of Bevya is experiencing a new, never before seen disease within the Ferunce Confederacy. Consisting of nearly 3,000 residents, Bevya has no formal medical facilities to speak of and relies on religious witchdoctors that have no professional schooling. Deaths are on the rise and others are showing strange symptoms-prior reports conclude that the affliction causing the recent deaths in the Confederacy is likely not of native origin and i concur. The aforementioned witchdoctors are wholly unable to deal with the affliction and their efforts to try and ease the symptoms have also failed in all credible cases.

There are also unconfirmed reports of the affliction in the nearby coastal town of Snosk. These aforementioned reports mention only a few cases with early symptoms and no deaths. It is my own personal opinion that the affliction spread to Snosk from Bevya, possibly through traders moving between settlements. Those in Snosk are supposedly not being treated and are left with their families in their communal huts. Witchdoctors are supposedly attempting to treat patients without success, as it is within Bevya.

Authorities within the Capital seem to be unconcerned, as does the rest of the medical staff within the Mozesk General Hospital. Both groups have passed this affliction off as a local problem that can be dealt with by local authorities. No aid has come to Bevya or to Snosk and since usual medical procedures aren't being followed in either town it would be reasonable to assume that this problem may only grow worse in the days to come. I will be returning to Mozesk General Hospital immediately in order to present my findings directly to the hospital staff.

-Suharto Handoko Iskandar, Junior M.D.

[Newark Aristocracy]

Fort Banesburg,Newark Aristocracy.

Sir,we need to-

Ok. Tell Frunze that we are sending aid over there

[Allanea]

Emergency Response Command Headquarters, at the Ministry of War building, Liberty-City, Allanea

Marshal Anatoly Semenovich Murzalov surveyed the table before him. The entire table was an immense screen, on which one could see a map of the Ferunce Confederacy. Bright-red spots seemed to be crawling across the map, an illustration of the spread of the new, terrible disease that was now consuming hundreds of thousands.

– "I would like to have a clear understanding of what we're facing here. Arthur? Give me a run-down."

A young officer, wearing Captain's shoulderboards, looked up at the Marshal. "Anatoly Semenovich, we are like Socrates here. What we know is that we know nothing. We have no diagnosis. Nor does the Ferunce Confederacy, nor do any of its neighbors."

The Marshal shook his head in disbelief: "Are you saying that two million people or more have gotten infected with this fever where blood and bodily fluids spew out of their orifices until they die, and nobody has any idea what it is?"

"That's not exactly true, Anatoly Semenovich. The pointers are that it's one of the hemorrhagic fevers…"

"Yes, I imagined a fever where people bleed out of their nostrils is a hemorrhagic fever, that's a very astute diagnostic observation on their part." – said Murzalov. "Do they have anything else?"

"Suspects appears to be an ebola variant, or possibly a severely mutated touloupum fever."

"What is a touloupum fever?"

"Spread by a virus called toloupumvirus. incubation period two days to two weeks. Ninety percent lethal. Rashes, vomiting, headache, fever, moving to coughing up blood, hemorrhages, diarrhea and abdominal pain. If you're lucky, the fever recedes, and you spend a few days delirious, and then go on to live a regular life. But for most people…. Encephalitis, multiple organ failure, unconsciousness, death."

"Gods. That's one nasty fucker right there. But they're not yet certain that's the right one?"

"Not yet. Although it's being verified."

"How fast can we put a team together?" – the Marshal asked.

"Initial study team can e on the plane by tomorrow."

"And a Field Hospital?"

"By Tuesday morning sir, one of the high-readiness ones."

"Get a team together. Tell them they need to be at LCAX by this evening."

"But Sir, that’s going to be –"

"I don't care."

"But Anatoly Semenovich – "

"I said I do not give a shit, Captain. Call the team members up. Tell them it's an international emergency. Tell them to grab their BOB and get to the airport."

"Yes, Sir."

"Meanwhile, call the Ferunce Confederacy. Ask them if they'll accept our assistance."

"And what if they say no?"

"Well, then call the team again and tell them to cancel their tickets. If the Confederacy is dumb enough to refuse our help at this juncture, it's their mass grave."

[Pavonistade]

Emerson, Pavonistade
July 11, 2019
"Ferunce Confederacy, a vassal of the Frozen Forest..." Calvin Elmore crosses his legs and keeps his telephone to the side of his head. "You say there is a disease, an unknown disease, in the Ferunce Confederacy?"

"Correct," a voice utters from the telephone. The coarseness belongs to Health Minister Benjamin Shanahan, hoping that the President of Pavonistade is paying a little more attention. "There are hundreds of cases in one town, and unconfirmed cases in another nearby town."

"Well, that isn't good," Elmore responds. "What do we know about the disease so far?"

"Likely a viral hemorrhagic fever. From what could be gathered from reports, the disease manifests somewhat quickly. Early symptoms are nausea, headaches, and malaise - a feeling of unpleasantness or discomfort. Then the next stage involves excessive bleeding and many painful symptoms, such as diarrhea. Most people die from the disease, suffering from organ failure and coma beforehand."

"I could just coordinate humanitarian support with the Ferunce Confederacy or the Frozen Forest. It's not that different from Ebola or some other viral disease, is it?"

"Mr. President..." Shanahan pauses before adding, "we might be dealing with Toloupum fever."

For a few seconds, the Health Minister could only hear silence from the Pavonistadian President. "Toloupum fever?" the President asks. "That's impossible."

"The first symptoms appear no more than 18 days after initial infection," Shanahan barrages. "Many victims of the Ferunce disease die earlier than victims of Ebola, or Lassa, or other hemorrhagic fevers. There are also concerns about the water being unfit for use."

"This... is strange. I don't remember the last time a Toloupum fever outbreak happened outside of Pavonistade. Right, because it almost never happened in the past."

"We have yet to know what is really going on, Mr. President. It could be Ebola or another virus, but the indications are pointing towards a Toloupumvirus. Now is the time to pay attention, even without all the details."

Elmore remains on his leather chair, trying to process all that he has heard. The President swirls in disbelief, yet somehow, there is this feeling that calls out to him for action...

OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE FROM THE PAVONISTADIAN PROVINCES MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS To: Government of Ferunce Confederacy From: Calvin Elmore, President of Pavonistade Encryption: Advanced Greetings to the leaders of the Ferunce Confederacy. I am Calvin Elmore, the President of the Pavonistadian Provinces. It has come to my attention that certain regions of the Ferunce Confederacy is affected by an as-yet unknown disease. It is also my understanding that available medical resources may be highly limited. It is possible that unless the disease is properly identified, the potential for additional casualties and devastation will be at a dangerous level. With your government's approval, a team of field epidemiologists will be deployed from Pavonistade to the town of Bevya to assist in disease mitigation efforts. The personnel can help identify the disease with GeneXpert automated tests and support the coordination of the current medical response to the illness. I have high confidence that this select division of Pavonistadian epidemiologists will be a step towards controlling the worsening affliction. On behalf of the government of Pavonistade, I wish your people godspeed in the coming days. Signed, Calvin Elmore President of the Pavonistadian Provinces

[Palmyrion]

Palmyrion Presents...
BAD BLOOD: DEATH VECTOR

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Disease is never gentle...

Disease is a human fact - and a new one seeps its way into Palmyrion's veins...

Royal Citadel, City of Aragon
Buendia Province, Royal Palmyrian Commonwealth
Region of Greater Dienstad
13 July 2019 7:00PM PST

It had only been two weeks since the Royal Commonwealth was shocked by the assassination of their beloved monarch by an assassin from an extremist militant group - and the subsequent killing of nearly 1,295 people in the span of nearly one hour. The new monarch - the late Lakán Alexander II's spouse, Lakambini Elizabeth the Commoner - immediately assumed the position as the monarch and head of state of the Royal Commonwealth, and immediately learned the hard way how stressful it was to be a woman of statecraft, and a head of state at that.

Police raids were being conducted en masse against suspected BLP terrorists and, in some cases, arms caches - and an internal "examination and cleansing" of the ranks of the intelligence community, law enforcement, and military forces aimed against BLP terrorists was being conducted alongside the aggressive, and oftentimes violent, raids, which sometimes included entire city blocks being locked down by the Palmyrian National Police and the Civil Defense Force, with the Army being involved in the worst of cases.

And now this.

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Hemorrhagic Fever Outbreak in Ferunce Confed Town
Evelyn Remaneses | 13 July 2019 4:56PM PST

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• Unconfirmed affliction in nearby coastal town
• Higher severity than related hemorrhagic fever viruses
• Hemorrhagic fever has no available vaccine

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BEVYA, FERUNCE CONFEDERACY | The town of Bevya, in the Ferunce Confederacy, is experiencing a major outbreak of an as-yet unknown disease bearing major symptoms. According to a report by Mozesk General Hospital in Bevya, local witch doctors are unable to cure the illness, and it is also expected that, without any professional medical aid to the town, the situation will worsen.

Meanwhile, medical experts from Pavonistade have pointed out the similarity of the disease's symptoms to that of viral hemorrhagic fevers like the Ebola and Toloupum diseases, with the mysterious illness manifesting as early as two days from potential infection. It has been noted that the Ferunce Confederacy has a substandard medical system, thus potentially exacerbating the gravity of the situation.

The disease has been described to have an incubation period of two days to two weeks, with a lethality of 90%. Symptoms include rashes, vomiting, headache, fever, coughing up blood, hemorrhage, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. Late-stage symptoms include encephalities, multiple organ failure, and unconsciousness, ultimately resulting to the death of the afflicted.

The Department of Healthcare has raised the possibility of the disease reaching Palmyrion, itself home to two hemorrhagic fevers, the Palmyrian Venereal Hemorrhagic Fever (which was a concern back in the 1480s, and is now largely contained) and the Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (itself a concern until now), and mutating after crossing into insects to acquire an insect-borne vector and potentially intermingle with DHF to make a new virus.

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This was concerning, especially now that Palmyrian diplomats to this developing country were directly in the line of fire to the virus. Of all the things she could worry about, this could be yet another one - a new viral outbreak, with no cure, and the potential to cross into an insect-borne vector and intermingle with DHF to form a new virus, would put more strain on a healthcare budget recovering from massive diversions of tax funding to the military, law enforcement, and public infrastructure sectors.

At once she messaged the Vice-Chancellor of Healthcare about the situation.

THE ROYAL THRONE
Royal Citadel, City of Aragon
Buendia Province, Royal Palmyrian Commonwealth

13 July 2019 7:05 PM PST

Vice-Chancellor Hadrian Calanoga
184 Dimasalanta Street, City of Aragon
Buendia Province, Royal Palmyrian Commonwealth

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Dear Vice-Chancellor Calanoga,

Greetings, Vice Chancellor. You may have heard about an outbreak of an unknown illness in a certain country called the Ferunce Confederacy, and how the Department of Healthcare of the Royal Commonwealth has raised the possibility of the virus being brought to Palmyrion and leading to worse consequences.

In light of that, we must step in to help contain the virus. I request that you coordinate with, among others, the DSA's Foreign Affairs Directorate and the Department of National Defense, in addition to some academic institutions, to dispatch an aid team to the Ferunce Confederacy to assist in treating the illness, while possibly obtaining samples of the virus for further study, both in the field and here in the Royal Commonwealth.

Many thanks for your receipt of this letter, and I look forward to any updates and replies regarding the situation.

Sincerely Yours,
[digitally signed]
Lakambini Elizabeth the Commoner
Monarch & Head-of-State, Royal Palmyrian Commonwealth
Office of the Monarch

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Royal Palmyrian Commonwealth Official Standardized Communique v2.0 | Encrypted Using SHA3-512
For Official Government Use Only
Copyright 2018 by the Department of Information and Communications Technology, All Rights Reserved

[Mersdon]

University Medical Center
Benedict-on-Sea, Mersdon
8:15 PM

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"Sir, you have an incoming call from the Ministry of Health." The secretary's words were piped into Dr. Carlo de la Borda's office. The hospital's resident senior pathologist sat in his office chair, heating up some tea from a kettle plugged into his wall as he read over a patient's report, obviously fresh, with its paper still warm from the printer. The doctor shouted an acknowledgement to her, closed the door, picked up the phone, and held it to his ear as he wrote notes over the report in front of him.

"Hello. Is this Dr. de la Borda?" the person on the other end of the line queried.

"Speaking. How may I assist you today?"

The line's static suddenly spiked, but then subsided. "Hello Doctor. My name's Deltrese, and I'm a epidemiologist with the Ministry of Health. I'm calling on behalf of the government to inform you personally that effective immediately, all hospitals and medical institutions are to activate their Class 4 pathogen pandemic protocols. Have you heard of the Toloupoum virus?"
Dr. Carlo was still in shock at what had just been said; but he still made an effort to compose himself (failing miserably with his voice). The questions started streaming out, and didn't stop. "No, I've never heard of this virus. Ma'am, are we to be offered support on this venture? Will the medical reserves be called up? Is there a vaccine or treatment that we can use? Is martial law to be imposed upon the nation? Is the fever already present within our borders?

Is this a drill?"

Deltrese fell silent for a moment. "...no. This isn't a drill. As you may know, the Ferunce Confederacy has been struck with a mystery Ebola/Marburg-like virus, and recently, the military was sent in to evacuate Mersidonian nationals and diplomatic employees from the country. Most of our citizens were safe and sound, if a little bit shaken. However, one itinerant pastor named Jean-Claude Theroux is a probable case. He was medevaced from the Confederacy's capital three hours ago via a special Air Force biohazard protection flight. He had been preaching in the three villages where the outbreak was known to have started, and had been put on a bus to the Confederate capital with 53 other people, all of whom were confirmed infected and/or dead upon the evacuation's completion today. We need you to accommodate him. We will do the best we can to provide support, but at this stage, all we can do is prevent this disease from spreading within our own borders and buy some time for our laboratories and manufacturers to research a cure or antidote for this disease."

Carlo was still in shock. "So you're telling me that we don't know about the structure of this disease, that we most likely don't have a sample to study of it-"
"It's a viral hemorrhagic fever, from what we know. You'll have a patient to study, if you're lucky, and a corpse if you're not." Deltrese said.
Dr. de la Borda continued, now furiously jotting down notes on the legal pad that had somehow materialized on his desk during the call. "-yes, but although you'll probably help us out, will the medical reserves be called up now or later? What measures are being taken to ensure that our borders remain safe?"
The woman on the line sighed. "Yes, we'll help you out; we don't want to have that raging within our borders now, do we? Oh, and yes, we will call up the medical reserves- or at least part of them- and activate our drug laboratories, who will both be working in your hospital. Tomorrow morning, the National Guard will be called up and remain on standby for the remainder of this outbreak. Our border guards have been alerted, refugee and asylum processing has been halted, and fortification work is beginning, courtesy of an emergency appropriations bill from last year. Our diplomatic and backchannel networks are reaching out to the worldwide medical community to coordinate our response. We will take care of the body's disposal, if needed."

Now, the doctor began recovering from his adrenaline high, and thought some more. He hated getting blindsided, especially by news as bad as what he was hearing then. "I'm guessing that the patient must have been in contact, and most likely has been infected with, this virus for a few days? Can you please update me, as the head pathologist here, on the pastor's heath when you can? I don't want to have rearranged the entire infectious disease wing only to find out that the man has exsanguinated in midair."

"Certainly, Dr. de la Borda. The plane lands in five hours, and the patient will most likely arrive in a hazmat ambulance half an hour after that. I apologize for this short notice; the Cabinet has just finished their conference on this and just got royal assent for their plans just now. Please act now, and Godspeed, doctor."
Dr. de la Borda felt slightly curmudgeonly at the moment, and thought about throwing her religious beliefs out the window, but thought about the old adage that there were no atheists in foxholes. "Thank you for your help, Doctor, and God save us all."

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An excerpt from the selected papers of Emperor Willem III of Mersdon, from the Imperial Archives
July 30th, 20XX

THE IMPERIAL PALACE
TOP SECRET CABLE (TRANSCRIBED VERSION)
MERGOVINT EYES ONLY
ESPIONAGE OR LEAKAGE OF THIS MESSAGE IS PUNISHABLE BY DEATH

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OUTBREAK IN FERUNCE CONFED OF VITAL IMPORTANCE STOP EXTREME COUNTERMEASURES NECESSITATED BY INFECTION AND EVACUATION OF IMPERIAL CITIZEN IN CONFED STOP THIS IS AN IMPERIAL ORDER TO ENACT CLASS 4 POTENTIAL WORLD ENDING PANDEMIC ON LEVEL WITH RECENT EBOLA OUTBREAK STOP ROYAL ASSENT GIVEN FOR MOBILIZATION OF MEDICAL RESERVE AND NHS RESOURCES EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY STOP CONTINUITY OF GOVERNMENT DRILL TO BEGIN TOMORROW DUE TO ARRIVAL OF OUTBREAK STOP ROYAL ASSENT GIVEN FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF MARTIAL LAW AND MILITARY CONTROLS/SHOOT TO KILL PROCEDURES AT IMPERIAL FRONTIERS STOP LEGISLATURE TO BE CONFIDENTIALLY INFORMED AND SWORN TO SECRECY STOP MASS MEDIA AND SOCIAL NETWORKS TO BE CENSORED TO PROTECT POPULACE FROM ANARCHY AND TOTAL PANIC STOP SUSPENSION OF THE CONSTITUTION AND BILL OF RIGHTS AUTHORIZED IN EVENT OF ANY SUSTAINED TRANSMISSION OF VIRUS ON IMPERIAL SOIL STOP

GODSPEED STOP
HM WILLEM III EMPEROR OF MERSDON STOP