Plaguelands Equestria (WIP)

Celestia has tasked me with something new. I have taken out a new blank journal to specifically dedicate to this task and all it entails, as it is one of the most important ones Celestia has given me. She suspects a plague is spreading in the south, magical in nature and highly virulent. So far it has only appeared in the “Forbidden” Jungles south of the already distant Badlands. News is sparse from that part of Equestria, Celestia’s letter told me she’d first heard of this two days ago but it could have been spreading in the region for months. Celestia has told me nothing more, as we still have yet to lean more. There is little I can do from here in ponyville. I will be departing by train tomorrow, riding to Dodge City where I’ll meet a hoofful of other ponies Celestia has assigned to help. From there we’ll go by wagon through the Badlands and see what we can find in the jungles. As selfish as it sounds given the gravity of my task, what I’m dreading most right now is wearing a sealed suit in the middle of a rainforest. I might actually drown in my own sweat. At least it isn’t summer yet.

 

18th, Third Moon, 1008

I met up with the team I’ll be working with earlier today. Three Doctors, another mage, and four dayguards. The guards ponies are mostly just here to pull the wagon, it seems. I spent much of the day’s travel talking with Stellar Daze, the other mage. I haven’t seen him since we went to school together. It was fun, I almost was able to forget where we were going. The wagon’s winding down, looks like we’re going to set camp soon. Every time I’m here I’m reminded why the Badlands have their name. Everything is so desolate. Dead.

 

22nd, Third Moon, 1008

We’re at the edge of the Jungle. It’s amazing how lush it is, and how abruptly it simply ends. Whatever blighted the Badlands must have been truly terrible to still cause rifts like this where life just stops. The dayguards want to wait until tomorrow morning before going in, and I am inclined to agree with them. It looks like we might make it to the first village before sunset if we went now, but if we don’t like what we find there we’d be stumbling in the dark to find a new campsite. We’ll go at first light. I finally thought to show off Cadence’s bubble cantrip. I had forgotten to show the others until now. Zephyr Remedy was flying pinwheels when she found out we weren’t going to be trapped in those bulky suits the entire time. We aren’t taking any chances though, the bubbles are fine for passive protection but at the first sign of whatever this plague is I’m breaking out the suits.

 

23rd, Third Moon, 1008

We made contact with the village. Funnily enough, the plague had made them wary of outsiders and they initially tried to chase us out. Eventually I managed to convince them that the “Sun Queen” had sent us to stop the plague, not spread it. The fear of the disease seems to have served the small village well, the elder reported that nopony under his care had fallen ill recently. But it had to have gotten bad out there to make them to act like this. Two of the guards are bringing the rest of the supplies from the wagon, and we’ll be setting up our base camp at the edge of the village. I’ll be conducting some interviews shortly, and by the looks of it Sawbones is already conducting physical examinations. I’m still not sure what to make of him. He’s like Pinkie Pie with a medical degree; all the new faces have him excited. Communication is easy enough, at least. Everypony here speaks a simplified Equish dialect. I’d almost call it a pidgin language, but the only thing it’s mixed with are words they’ve made up themselves.

 

Interview Log, 23rd day of Third Moon, 1008

Interviewer: Twilight Sparkle, Princess of friendship (T)

Interview subject: Stone Hoof, Tribe Chieftain (S)

Interview Location: Chieftain’s longhouse

T: First, I wanted to thank you again for inviting us into your village.

S: Not my choice. Had to. Bitter medicine is better than none.

T: Well, thank you nonetheless. I have some questions for you, I need to know more about what’s going on here.

S: Ask them. Why ask to ask? Just talk.

T: I just needed it on the record. First question, when did you first hear about the sickness?

S: Three moons. Hear stories of strange things happen at Sun’s Ascent.

T: Sun’s Ascent?

S: Big festival for new year. Lots of villages come together.

T: I see, and what did you hear then?

S: One village absent. Not everypony goes, but every village sends at least some ponies. Something bad happen. Ponies talk about it, maybe spirits, maybe war, maybe monsters. One pony even say the river came alive and ate them. Villages all agree to check on missing village. Nearest one send scout. He tell everypony what he find.

T: And what did he find?

S: Bones. Blood. Death. He ran back home, told others, they send news to neighbor. Neighbor send news to neighbor. We not hear story for a half moon. By then it clear first scout brought bad spirits back to his home.

T: The second village was infected?

S: Quiet. No smoke. Nopony wanted to go there to find out, they bring spirits back with them. Spirit come anyway. We not let anypony or anything into village for two moons. Only allow a few ponies out to bring water back. Been eating only yams for two moons. Wait for spirit to pass.

T: That’s smart, it probably saved the village. You’ve done well as a chief. I have one last question. Can you give us a guide to help find the other villages?

S: NO! Nopony leaves. NOPONY goes to the other villages.

T: I’m sorry but that’s why I’m here. I can’t fix this if I can’t see it.

S: Risk self, not us.

T: The, uh, Sun Queen’s niece taught me a spell that keeps spirits from touching ponies. The scout will be safer with us than here.

S: Let me see magic.

T: Okay.

[Cadence’s bubble is cast on Chief Stonehoof]

S: Hmm. Fine, you get one scout. Will send for Bushwhack.

 

24th, Third Moon, 1008

We’ll be moving on to the next village soon. Bushwhack tells us its only about two hours west of here. He’s excited that he can finally leave the village, but I can tell he’s nervous about what we might find. I am too. If we’re lucky everything is fine. But we wouldn’t have been sent here by Celestia if everything was fine, would we? Breakfast was roasted yams. Good, if plain. These ponies must be at wit’s end if that’s all they’ve eaten for two moons. After asking around it seems like that’s the only crop they cultivate. Everything else is normally gathered fresh from the jungle. Its amazing that there’s still whole tribes of ponies that live like this.

 

 

Exploratory Survey notes, 24th day of Third Moon, 1008

Entering from west side of village.

Small village, roughly the same size as home camp.

No visible population

Counted 14 thatch and wood buildings.

7 appear to have suffered structural damage.

3 have completely collapsed.

Everything is stained a murky red-brown.

Walls, ferns, trees, even the dirt.

Looks like putrescence, will not remove helmet to confirm smell.

Entering nearest standing structure.

The inside is caked with the substance.

At least a hoof thick on the floor.

Congealed.

Experiencing extreme nausea.

Would likely vomit without this helmet on.

May still.

Found bones.

Pony.

Scattered oddly.

Limbs displaced, skull separated.

Ribcage opened along the sternum.

No predation marks, animals didn’t move them.

It’s just how they fell.

Evidence supports illness is magical in nature.

Moving on to next structure.

 

Similar interior.

Two skeletons.

Same unusual displacement of bones.

No. One is the same, the other is even more damaged.

Moving to next structure.

Partially damaged.

Wall has fallen to the side of the structure, causing the roof to sag.

Wood supports on fallen wall are splintered.

Same putrescence present.

More bones.

Moving on.

Next structure is intact.

Walls are different.

Redder.

Floor is less congealed.

Fresher.

Walls resemble a freshly painted barn.

Pattern is uneven.

Splattered.

Bones again.

Nothing on them but connective tissue.

Moving on again.

Collapsed structure.

Smaller than the previous ones.

All four walls collapsed outward.

Thatched roof relatively intact, just on the floor.

More staining on the inside of the walls.

Between them, too.

Appears to be one large circular stain, center is somewhere below the roof.

Moving on.

Pathway to yam enclosure has another large stain.

Bones.

Foal.

Taking brief rest.

Unable to continue survey.

No survivors.

No survivors.

 

24th, Third Moon, 1008

We found the village. I wish we hadn’t.

 

25th, Third Moon, 1008

Couldn’t sleep well last night. I kept seeing the village. The bones. Skulls staring at me with silent screams of accusation. Celestia sent me to help these ponies, and they’re all dead. I keep telling myself there’s nothing I could have done. They were gone before I even got the letter. I still feel like I failed them. I think we all do. Stellar Daze hasn’t spoken more than a dozen words since yesterday. He looks haunted. I’m sure I do too. I wish I knew how Melancholy carries on like all this is nothing. Her grim professionalism hasn’t faltered once. I hope its just a mask, I can’t imagine what a pony must have been through to walk through that village unfazed. Breakfast is ready. I’m not hungry, but skipping two meals is a bad idea. I’ll need the energy for today’s hike. Four hours southwest.

 

25th, Third Moon, 1008

The third village was better, but not by much. Our survey only found six dead. The rest were missing, probably fled. Could still be alive out there, it’s hard to starve in a jungle. If they are its best they stay away. Myself and Stellar put up signs leading into the village. We made them from one of the abandoned huts. I’m fairly certain the ponies here are illiterate, but the skull and crossbones in the middle should still get the point across. Zephyr suggested torching it all to prevent them from returning, but we don’t know if the smoke could be a vector yet. We don’t know anything. I don’t know how we are supposed to stop this horror if we don’t even know how it works. Epidemiology is Melancholy’s field, and even she has no suggestions yet. She’s proposed with some twisted hope that it may be too deadly to leave the jungles. That the disease might burn through carriers faster than they can spread it. That may be so, but it won’t help the ponies living here.

 

26th, Third Moon, 1008

Slept poorly again. Nightmares. This time in Ponyville. Luna helped, I think. Its hard to remember clearly. I don’t want to. There’s only one village left within reasonable range for a one day hike. This one is fairly far to the east, about six hours by hoof. I’ve dared to hope that the east is safer than the west. We’ll see.

 

26th, Third Moon, 1008

We found what we needed. I’d call it a stroke of good luck, but that isn’t fair to the ponies here. The disease is still active, but is somewhat contained by the local chieftain. There’s three active cases, isolated from the rest of the village. Two deaths before we arrived. The remains were burned along with their houses, and it seemed to have stopped the spread. I hate that we’re benefiting from ponies’ suffering but we can learn a lot here. Chief Riverbed was less weary of the plague than Stonehoof had been. Less extreme. We’ve instituted a more advanced quarantine procedure for the infected, and both Sawbones and Melancholy will be staying overnight. The rest of us will be heading back to basecamp to pack up tonight and move here tomorrow.

 

26th, Third Moon, 1008

On the way back to camp Bushwhack stopped us with a lot of excitement. It seems he spotted a rare fruit tree along our path. We stopped to gather as much as we could for the village. He called it cherimoya fruit. I’ve never heard of it, but finding a ripe tree is considered good fortune. We brought back as much as we could carry, after a bit of decontamination of course. Everypony at the village was excited to have something other than yams. I have to say, it’s a strange fruit. Thick leathery skin, almost like green dragon scales. The inside is soft and creamy with big black seeds. Truth be told it tasted almost like apple custard with a touch of banana. I’m bringing a bag of the seeds back home. The cherimoya had everypony in good spirits. Stonehoof called it a good omen. Given the village we found today, I can only pray he’s right.

 

27th, Third Moon, 1008

It’s amazing what falling asleep in a positive mood can do. I only woke up once, and actually feel rested for the first time in days. We’re moving on from Stonehoof’s village soon, and everypony is wishing us luck on our quest. I discreetly planted a few of the cherimoya seeds along the outer edge of the village, maybe in a few years it’ll pay off. When all this is over I’d like to pay them a visit again. These ponies are nice. Simple. I’d love to see how vibrant they are in less dire times.

 

27th, Third Moon, 1008

We arrived without incident at the new site. Not much has changed since yesterday afternoon. Sawbones and Melancholy have drafted some preliminary findings about the sick. Worse than I’d hoped, better than I feared. The good news is Melancholy doesn’t think it’s airborne. The three currently sick were the ponies that were tending to the now-deceased. She suspects it’s transmitted by fluid contact, especially considering the final stage of the illness. This disease, like most magical maladies, is bizarre. I’ve copied a rough description and timeline of infection from a mixture of Melancholy’s and Sawbone’s notes.

 

Initial review findings

27th day of Third Moon, 1008

Unknown Contagion, tentatively classified as a unique “tumescent” fever. Illness appears transmittable only through direct contact with infected ponies, or produced fluids. Sweat, saliva, blood, bile, and excrement from the infected should be handled with extreme care, as well as any bodily remains. All potentially infected material should be destroyed by incineration or decontaminated by a trained unicorn as soon as possible.

>Incubation Stage

Infected individuals begin with benign manifestations including lethargy, soreness, coughing, and flu-like symptoms. This persists for between ten (10) and twenty-one (21) days before progressing. If the plague follows traditional guidelines the danger of infection from contact in this stage is low, but still present. It is hypothesized some cases may not progress beyond this stage if the host’s constitution is able to fight off the disease, no evidence supports this postulation yet as sample size is too small.

>Active stage

Once the incubation period has passed, the magical nature of the fever becomes apparent. The bodies of the infected begin overproducing blood, lymph, and fatty tissue at a rate that should be impossible. This results in a swollen appearance, starting in the abdomen but eventually spreading to other areas suited to storing subcutaneous fat. The swelling continues for an in-determinant amount of time before progressing to the next stage. Symptoms manifested in the incubation stage continue to worsen. Within seven (7) days of progressing to active, infected individuals are bedridden as a result of the weight of their new bulk and their worsening health. The active stage persists for an unknown length of time before progressing, as only two of the known infected have passed to the third stage, after nine (9) and twenty-one (21) days. Due to the spontaneous generation of both fat and fluids it has been postulated that individuals in this stage have become self sustaining and are unable to expire from dehydration or starvation even without another pony tending to them.

>Terminal stage

At this point it is unclear what prompts progression from Active to Terminal. It has yet to be directly observed. According to interviews, at some point the infected begin to rapidly accelerate the effects of the Active stage. Over the course of one (1) minute or less the infected individual produces several weeks-worth of Active stage material. This is accompanied by extreme discomfort. Descriptions of the event have the ponies quickly becoming spheroid in shape from the build-up. Eventually the produced material becomes too much for the pony to contain and they rupture violently. Infectious material is flung upwards of twenty yards in every direction, judging by previous surveys of infected areas. It is suspected the actual infective range may be much further due to aerosolized droplets propelled by the blast.

 

27th, Third Moon, 1008

Finding a cure is going to be harder than I thought. We did some preliminary testing, and the results are troubling. My own examination of the infected revealed their magic reservoirs were nearly depleted. None of them had a reading above 0.2 Clovers. Something about the disease is causing them to cannibalize their own magic faster than they can produce it, converting Clovers into excess fat and fluids. I fear this may make a magical cure nearly impossible to pursue. If these ponies really have become thaumophagic any internalized magic will only worsen their symptoms. In light of that I don’t know what to do. An easy way to test the hypothesis would be to just lay a benign spell on one of the three ponies, but if I’m right it could drastically hasten their death. Melancholy tells me I should go through with it. I don’t think she ever expected to save these three. She hasn’t used their names once. I don’t want to believe she’s right.

 

Experiment Log 1

Twilight Sparkle

27th of Third Moon, 1008

HYPOTHESIS TO BE TESTED

Externally introduced sources of magic are also consumed by the infected.

PROCEDURE

Application of a standard cloudwalking charm.

PROPOSED OUTCOME

Spell destabilizes before 12 hour duration expires, with all remaining magic being consumed to accelerate swelling.

SUBJECT

Stage Two patient, approximately three weeks into infection. Earth Pony, 22 years old, Female. Too swollen to move under her own strength. Subject chosen due to being the most advanced case.

CONTROL

Absent.

OBSERVATIONAL NOTES

T=0

Spell applied normally, no immediate reaction.

T=15:30

Spell matrix broke down suddenly over 11 hours early, remaining thaumic charge still internalized.

T=16:00

Remaining charge is depleting, ten minute estimated time to 0 at current speed.

T=17:20

Subject expressing discomfort. Internal gurgling noise heard. Dome shield raised in case subject progresses to Stage Three.

T= 17:50

Subject began swelling at a visible rate.

T=22:00

Discomfort increased, rate of charge depletion unchanged.

T=24:40

Charge depleted. Subject experiencing extreme distress.

T=26:10

Accelerated swelling ceased.

CONCLUSION

Infected ponies are confirmed to be thaumophagic. Spells appear to operate normally for a small window of time before breaking down and becoming fuel for the swelling symptom. Similarities to Terminal Stage’s effects indicate progression to Stage Three may arise from either external introductions of magic to the infected or a total consumption of a reservoir font. Additional experimentation an direct observation of a transition to Terminal Stage is necessary to learn more.

 

*

27th, Third Moon, 1008

We gained a lot today. Our first real insights into this illness. I don’t feel good about it. “Discomfort,” “Distress.” The report sounds so much nicer than reality. Clean and clinical. What I did to Clay Shell was borderline torture. That poor mare is a globe now because of me. We came here to help them and all I did was make it worse. That gurgling is going to haunt my dreams. I know it. Melancholy spoke with me afterward. She’s right, and I hate it. I’m not giving up on saving the three of them, I can’t. But I have to acknowledge that they are walking dead until something changes. Sometimes we just have to force that change.

 

Observational summary for 28th, Third Moon

Subject A

Name: Clay Shell

Age: 22

Sex: F

Tribe: Earth

Magic reservoir: 0.168 Clovers

Barrel circumference: 50.4 hooves

Weight: 893.1 pounds

Clay Shell is estimated to have contracted the fever between twenty (20) and twenty-five (25) days ago. She is currently in the active stage of the disease. Yesterday she was a test subject in Experimental procedure 1, resulting in a significant gain in volume and mass. Clay Shell has become so burdened by bulk that the has taken on a spheroidal appearance. Limbs are only partially visible, and her head’s range of motion has become limited to 60 degrees of lateral and vertical movement. Pre-experiment measurements placed her barrel circumference at 36.6 hooves.

 

Subject B

Name: Canopy Cover

Age: 17

Sex: M

Tribe: Earth

Magic reservoir: 0.108 Clovers

Barrel circumference: 18.7 hooves

Weight: 193.0 pounds

Canopy Cover is the youngest of the three subjects, and appears to be progressing the slowest. Despite being infected an estimated twenty-eight (28) days ago Canopy Cover has seen the least progression of symptoms. He is still mobile under his own strength, unlike the others, and has been growing at a much slower rate. His original weight is estimated to be approximately 120 pounds. He has gained 4.7 pounds since observation began. Most of the accumulated bulk is in his abdominal region, but some is beginning to be visible on the face, neck, back, flank, and upper limbs.

 

Subject C

Name: River Runner

Age: 28

Sex: F

Tribe: Pegasus

Magic Reservoir 0.184 Clovers

Barrel circumference: 28.8 hooves

Weight: 491.2 pounds

River Runner has recently reached the advanced stages of the illness, and is no longer mobile in any significant capacity. She is subject A’s sister, and was exposed to the disease in the same approximate time frame. The distribution of mass is more uneven than the other two observed subjects. By visual inspection, only 30% of the bulk is on her abdomen, with another approximately 20% piled onto her flank and rear haunches. A staggering 40% of her added bulk appears to have grown in her teats. The mean weight of each teat is 75 pounds. Both have been lactating freely since observation began, and measuring the mass of the teats resulted in a forceful expulsion of approximately one (1) gallon of milk from each. It appears that the disease may be capable of overproducing any glandular fluid under certain circumstances. The remaining 10% of bulk is distributed evenly across subject C’s body. River runner was determined to have been in the early stages of pregnancy at the time of her infection, which may be related to her unusual deviance from the other subjects.

 

 

2nd, Fourth Moon, 1008

The five of us have fallen into shifts to watch for changes and keep constant observation. The doctors have it easier, with three of them they can take eight hours each. With Stellar and I being the only two practiced mages half the day is spent on watch. More than that, really. One of us has to be at hoof in case a terminal transition starts. There’s things only one of the two of us could observe. If one of us isn’t present when it starts, it’ll be over before we get there. Melancholy’s plan is to simply wait and watch. We tend to the ill as best we can in the meantime. There hasn’t been much change to anypony’s states since we started strict observation. I’ll compile the highlights later.

 

4th, Fourth Moon, 1008

Normally I’d say the waiting is killing me, but I feel that would be inappropriate given what I’m waiting for. It’s been nearly a week since we started our observations, and they have yielded decent results so far. The non-magical parts of the illness are easy enough to manage. Malaise, weakness, dizziness, and other mundane symptoms are all treatable with good hydration, steady nutrition, and rest. But we’re still without a means to fight the magical portion. Stellar Daze and myself have definitely confirmed that the illness is thaumophagic, sadly. There are only two known precedent thaumophage diseases and both are considered incurable, though only one can be lethal. Magical maladies almost always require magical cures, and if no spell can remain stable while t

EMERGENCY OBSERVATION NOTES

13:31:28

Subject B

Staggered and fell upon entering tent with Sawbones.

Visibly larger than last check.

Much larger.

Rapid swelling.

Confirmed for entering terminal stage.

0.000 Clovers

Subj B magic reservoir depleted.

T+20

Subj B aprox 35 hooves circumference.

Erected shield dome over observers and workstation.

Gurgling and squelching accelerating.

Subj alert / screaming.

Still no traceable source of magic intake.

T+35

Shimmer at haunches.

Cutie mark.

Second flash

Cutie mark gone.

Subj B thrashing harder.

New reading 49.664 Clovers

56.412 Clovers

71.889 Clovers

Internal reservoir overflowing.

Sounds from inside worsening.

Growth rapidly accelerating.

Subj spheroidal.

Hide visibly strained.

Limbs no longer visible.

Face swelling.

Wet tearing noise.

Detonation.

T+48

Shield completely coated in viscera.

hard impact, could have easily resulted in injury without protection.

Lowering shield.

Red.

Entire tent is red.

Several holes in fabric.

Large pile of remains where Subj B fell.

Mostly fatty tissue.

Bones visible.

No identifiable organs, hide, or musculature.

Just bones.

Commencing decontamination.

 

4th, Fourth Moon, 1008

So it finally happened. I knew it was going to. It was the whole point of being there. I just wasn’t prepared for, well, everything. It was so sudden. So horrible. So gruesome. Melancholy told me it’s best to write my thoughts quickly. Get them out of my head and hidden away somewhere else. I still haven’t asked why she knows that. It’s been an hour, now. I guess I had been secretly hoping it would happen on Stellar Daze’s watch. Wishful thinking. For what little it’s worth, Canopy Cover’s death did bring us several very important clues. Clues that might eventually lead to an effective treatment, if not a cure. All five of us had believed Canopy Cover had the least progressed case due to the slow development of his symptoms. In truth, I think it was just that he had a smaller buffer between himself and the terminal stage. All three subjects have had increasingly shrinking magic reservoirs, but Canopy Cover’s was always the smallest. Less fuel for the disease to convert to mass. When it finally ran out it went looking elsewhere. It’s almost unthinkable to grasp that a pony’s own cutie mark could be responsible for killing them. But the evidence is staring me in the face. In the end the magic that binds a cutie mark isn’t so different from a spell matrix. If the disease can break down a spell to get at the magic inside, there’s no reason it couldn’t do the same to a cutie mark. This disease is evil. Evil. To think it can consume not just it’s victim’s life but their very destiny. I have to find a way to stop this. And I will. I do regret not asking Celestia for permission to bring Starlight Glimmer. This didn’t seem like an appropriate opportunity for a friendship lesson, but her experience with cutie mark magic would be invaluable right now. She did teach me some of the basic theories she developed, though. With some experimentation I might be able to recreate her cutie mark removal spell.

 

Revised Review Findings

5th, Fourth Moon, 1008

>Terminal stage addendum

Observation of terminal stage has resulted in additional actionable information. Observer consensus has concluded that the terminal stage begins once an infected individual’s magic reservoir has been near completely depleted. Once this has happened the thaumophagic action turns on any remaining sources of magic available. Inevitably it unravels the binding matrix of the infected pony’s cutie mark. The resultant release of raw magic is rapidly consumed, with explosive results. There are two proposed preliminary treatment suggestions to prevent transition to the terminal stage. The first is to artificially charge the subject’s reservoir. It is expected that this will prevent the transition, but worsen the swelling symptoms associated with the disease. The second is a radical proposal to remove the subject’s cutie mark using experimental magic. Doing so would reduce the natural regeneration of the afflicted’s reservoir to effectively zero, allowing to disease to consume what’s left. After the total consumption of the reservoir, the disease could be treated as a mundane illness and the patient allowed to recover naturally. Once the disease has passed, the cutie mark can be returned and natural regeneration of magic can resume.