Laughing Dog Plague

Excerpt from Diseases, Curses, and Ailments 16th edition revised by Dr Dactud Laryen, imperial cataloger of known afflictions.

Laughing Dog Plague

Classification: Curse

Reason: While acting like a disease that spreads from individual, argonians are able to catch it. Argonians are known to be resistance to all known diseases but aren’t resistance to curses.

Symptoms:

Argonian: Dryness of skin, Cracking of skin, Extreme brittleness to digits and tail, Lack of energy, Lack of color in scales, Bad dreams, Constant twisted facial expressions, Random spurts of laughter, Constant humming of the same tune, Death (Seen in 100% of argonians, death results in a large several hour spurt of laughter with a twisted face, until death from presumable lack of oxygen)

Other Hairy Betmer: None

All others:Rapid growth of hair over body and face, Elongation of of nose and mouth to form a snout, sudden resemblance of werewolf or Lilmothiit, Growth of a tail, Random spurts of laughter, Constant twisted facial expressions, Bad dreams, Tone deafness, Constant humming of the same tune

Cure/Treatment: Unknown

Background:

During 2E 574-576, A bard traveled through several settlements in Argonia. The bard was reported to dress in funny outfits along with whimsical mask, just like a court jester. When the bard was said to leave a settlement, the residents would become sick with the reported symptoms. All Argonians would catch the plague along with most other residents, leaving no Argonian survivors. Settlements would often fall apart do to the low level of settlers left.

The mysterious bard was seen again recently, as well as towns affected by the Laughing Dog Plague. Survivors repeat the same tale of a bard traveling to the town and how the departure would mark the start of the plague. Local argonians became sluggish in movement while any men or mer would begin growing hair. Fingers, toes, horns, and tips of the tail would break off of the argonian body. Anyone affected would have facial spasms resulting in freakish facial expressions, as well as having common random spurts of laughter lasting several minutes. Inflicted would report having terrible dreams, and as a result would often not sleep. As time continues, all afflicted would hum an ominous tune at various times.Finally, as the argonians died off within a week, other afflicted races would grow snouts and tails.

The bard himself would stay in the settlement for a day before embarking on the road again. During the afternoon, the bard would tell jokes, play instruments, sing, and perform tricks. Before the bard would depart, he would take off his mask, revealing a canine like face, and bow to the accumulated audience. He would shortly leave the settlement and move to the next one. The plague was named as a description of the bard and of the afflicted.

Several survivors believe the bard to be a Lilmothiit wanting revenge on the argonians due to the Knahaten flu during 2E 560 that killed many non-argonian residence of blackmarsh. This explanation would make sense as the face reported describes a lilmothiit. The transformation non-argonian afflicted go through would give them the appearance of a Lilmothiit as well. Many believe an argonian sorcerer angry about the enslavement of his ancestors enslavement caused the Knahaten flu, which would explain why the bard would try target argonians.

Cultural Impact:

The Laughing Dog Plague helped introduce terror to the already growing clown epidemic in 2E 574. During that time, clowns were frightening subject due to the fact that there were many reports of clowns assaulting citizens in different cities. There was also the murderous jester from Solitude who killed 36 citizens and was never caught.

Currently, the plague is showing little impact on society. Argonians in blackmarsh are afraid and their cities have increased guards, but there has been no sightings in such large populations. Several argonians in settlements have decided to migrate to the large cities to avoid the fate of other settlement argonians. The Blackmarsh government has advised anyone, Beast folk or other, to be wary of traveling bards and have put a bounty on lilmothiit. Most survivors currently live at Kauxi-Hreel, a camp next to Thorn. All survivors are advised to live there so other citizens don’t mistake them as an actual lilmothiit.

An interesting find about the Laughing Dog Plague is that children born from a mother that caught the plague inherits Lilmothiit traits. Many children were reported to be born lilmothiit when the plague ended in 2E 574 and have spread lilmothiit traits to their own children. Only one lilmothiit infant has been reported during this period and a second is on the way. While survivors haven’t been considered lilmothiit themselves, it is quite obvious they have transformed to have the anatomy and instincts of a natural lilmothiit. It can be inferred that the bard is trying to bring back the lilmothiit race while getting revenge on argonians based on the effects of the plague.