Great Spring Sickness

Lore & Background

Unlike previous plagues that might linger for years, this disease moved swiftly, often killing its host within days of showing symptoms. It ravaged the Riverlands and the Crownlands most heavily, though no region was entirely spared. The sheer speed of the contagion caused panic to ripple through the Seven Kingdoms, disrupting harvests and leaving manors without masters. As a member of the Kingsguard, he died while attending to his duties during the outbreak, sacrificing himself rather than abandoning the sick or fleeing danger. The disease eventually receded by the following winter, leaving behind a grieving realm and a history written in mourning.

In Their Own Story

The wind howled through the Red Keep's empty corridors, carrying a cloying stench of lye and charred herbs that no amount of incense could mask. The Dragonknight, who had stood unflinching before giants and dragons alike, had been felled by a fever that turned skin to burning iron and breath to a rattling death rattle. Outside, King's Landing bells tolled not for celebration, but for an endless procession of the dead. Ser Duncan the Tall stood guard at the door, his massive hand resting on the hilt of *Lucky* (Longclaw), though no steel in Westeros could cut through this invisible foe. His mind drifted to a small squire lost in a distant village days prior—a boy whose laugh had been silenced by the same plague that now claimed the realm's greatest hero. In that moment, Duncan understood a terrifying truth: in Westeros, even the mightiest were merely waiting for their turn to fall.

Reader's Guide

The Great Spring Sickness stands as one of the most profound non-military catastrophes in Targaryen history, striking during the ostensibly peaceful reign of 'Good King' Daeron II. The plague was infamous for its absolute indifference; it recognized no station, wealth, or martial valor. Within the universe's historical records, scholars remain divided on the disease's origins. Some whisper of Maegor's curse returning, while others point to tainted grain from Essos or a natural mutation of the common cold gone wrong. Yet, consensus agrees on one thing: unlike the Black Death that would plague Europe in our world, this malady burned with terrifying speed and vanished as mysteriously as it arrived, leaving behind only silence and grief.

Did You Know?

• The Great Spring Sickness occurred during the reign of King Daeron II Targaryen.
• The plague killed King Aemon the Dragonknight, a member of the Kingsguard, while he attended to his duties.
• Ser Duncan the Tall's squire was among the notable casualties of the Great Spring Sickness.
• The disease moved swiftly, often killing its host within days of showing symptoms.
• The Great Spring Sickness eventually receded by the following winter.