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Line 4: Perhaps a necromancer is summoning dark magic to bring about the [[Zombie Apocalypse]], worshippers of the God of Disease call upon their master to bring vengeance upon their enemies, or a shaman uses a forbidden curse in the vain hopes that it keeps his people from being wiped out. Whatever the reasons behind it, the use of disease-based magic is nearly always seen as an evil act for the sheer amount of suffering it can bring about. ~~[[Mystical Plague\|~~'''Mystical Plagues]]''' need not be limited to just attacking the physical being of those who contract it, and thus are not limited to the standard vectors of transmission of common illnesses. A curse may be designed to infect the spiritual essence of a creature, or even to only [[Mage Killer\|infect other magic users]] as they cast spells of their own. While this versatility may seem to make a magically created plague more reliable than other types, it is still not uncommon for the caster who created it to [[Hoist by His Own Petard\|be killed as well]], either directly by being infected themselves, or in the aftermath that the disease's spread causes. A subtrope of [[The Plague]]. Compare [[Synthetic Plague]], [[The Virus]], and [[Depopulation Bomb]]. Can overlap with [[Fisher King]], in cases where the [['''Mystical Plague]]''' is caused by the actions of a kingdom's ruler. {{examples}} Line 24: * [[J. R. R. Tolkien\|JRR Tolkien]] seems to have liked this trope: ''[[The Silmarillion]]'' mentions a plague apparently sent by Sauron to weaken Gondor so he could regain control of Mordor. {{quote\| "And in the days of Telemnar, the third and twentieth of the line of Meneldil, a plague came upon dark winds out of the east, and it smote the King and his children, and many of the people of Gondor perished. Then the forts on the borders of Mordor were deserted, and Minas Ithil was emptied of its people; and evil entered again into the Black Land secretly, and the ashes of Gorgoroth were stirred as by a cold wind, for dark shapes gathered there."}} A mystical plague is used in the same work to account for the death of Turin Turambar's younger sister Lalaith. * ''[[The Dresden Files]]'' claims that the Black Death was originally created by Fallen Angels through magic. The book ''Death Masks'' centered on Harry recovering a religious artifact before the Fallen could use it to create another plague. Line 43: == Tabletop Games == * ''[[Dungeons ~~and~~& Dragons]]'' The Judges Guild adventure "Verbosh" had a new spell called "Plague" which causes 20-70% of the population in a 1 mile square area to be incapacitated for ~~1-4~~1–4 weeks as well as killing many of them. The 2E supplement ''Tome of Magic''. The 7th level priest spell Breath of Death (reversed Breath of Life) affects an entire community. Anyone who fails a saving throw vs. death magic is infected with a disease that is fatal in ~~1-6~~1–6 weeks. ** [[Forgotten Realms]] has a lot of canon examples. It "helps" that the place got followers of Talona - Goddess of Plague and Poison. Calimshan/Shoon Empire alone had several (not counting seemingly normal diseases): * ''[[Warhammer]]'': Nurgle mages get these kinds of spells, as do the Skaven.▼ # c.-4,900 - The Warriors' Plague: berserk rages and battle madness in afflicted, spread by blood contact; death toll 40% of populace, mostly among military forces. ''[[Warhammer 40000]]'': see Nurgle above, except now the mages can also be seven feet tall and wearing [[Power Armor]].▼ # c.-4,770 - The Plague of Terror: mysteriously affects Calimport alone, driving many mad from imagined spectral foes and other fears. The entire waterfront and other inner parts of the city burn as a few dockworkers imagined great sea monsters attacking the city. Losses unknown, as it was followed by a normal plague, which left very few survivors and scared everyone away for nearly a century. # -599 - The Spider Plagues: sores filled with spider's eggs appear on people, victims consumed by hatching spiders; 41% in Calimport. "Coincidentally", happened while the Drow invaders were pushed out of the city. # 75 - The Fog Fever: clinging night fogs lead to raging fevers and delusions if breathed in; those who die of this fever exhale their last breaths as identical fog; 31% in Calimport. # 320 - The Infernal Death: mild fever and mania, noticeable heightened color in hair, eyes, and skin. Most assumed it was "healthy color" and that victims were in best of health - until sudden collapse and death; bodies combust upon death; 9%, in Calimport 4%, as it was contained, but also 6% in that area died of ensuing fires. # 755 - Crimson Death: magical curse/plague that effectively bleeds victims to death ''and transforms them into crimson deaths'',<ref>humanoid blood-draining mist, not considered undead</ref> which immediately seek to replace all blood lost; 41% total area's people. * 1370 - "Burning Plague" in Almraiven, with mists causing people to sponaneously combust; though it's not clear whether it truly propagated like a plague. ▲* ''[[Warhammer Fantasy Battle]]'': Nurgle mages get these kinds of spells, as do the Skaven. ▲** ''[[Warhammer ~~40000~~40,000]]'': see Nurgle above, except now the mages can also be seven feet tall and wearing [[Power Armor]]. * ''[[Exalted]]'' features, among many others, the Great Contagion. Dug out of a [[Eldritch Location\|dimensional nexus that instills insanity in all those who view it without proper protection]] by one of the Deathlords, it killed about 90% of Creation on the first go. The only thing that stopped it from finishing the job was one of the other Deathlords inviting [[The Fair Folk]] in to finish the job; the chaotic energies of the Wyld that came with the invasion actually ''bolstered'' the immunities of the survivors. ** To clarify; not 90% of Creation's people. 90% of ''everything''. Plants, animals, spirits, gods... anything that could basically constitute "alive" in Creation was fair game. On top of that, the disease was so infectious that ''mystically observing it'' was capable of contracting it. * One rise scenario from zombie game ''All Flesh Must Be Eaten'' has the PHADE virus, which is the zombie plague... as an STD. The whole thing started when a guy was so bereaved about the loss of his girlfriend, he used necromancy to bring her back for [[I Love the Dead\|one last fling]]. And then he decided he wasn't that into her, and slept with someone else, and it just spread from there. * ''[[Ars Magica]]''. The spell "Curse of the Unportended Plague" starts a plague in a city over a period of ~~6-12~~6–12 months. It will kill 10% of the city's population over a period of a few months. Line 68 ⟶ 76: {{reflist}} [[Category:~~Indexitis~~Medical Tropes]] [[Category:Speculative Fiction Tropes]] [[Category:Magic and Powers]] [[Category:~~Mystical~~Apocalyptic ~~Plague~~Index]] [[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]