For thousands of years, the people of Westeros and the Known world, have developed governments
and armies to fight their wars, scurrying to capture resources in an effort to keep
their populations prosperous and safe in an ever violent and uncertain world.
However, where warriors can be trained to protect their people, the nations of the world
have proven near helpless when it comes to disease, which have generated enormous death
tolls, with few able to combat these illnesses, and the best medicine and healers reserved
for the rich elite, leaving the majority of the population to die or else trust low level
healers who often cause more harm than good.
The greatest and most trusted healers in Westeros, are the maesters of the Citidel, men who dedicate
their lives to the pursuit of knowledge, treating the healing arts a science, and are therefore
skeptical of religious and magical remedies.
However access to a Maester is extremely limited for most of the population, instead assigned
to serve the Noble Houses of Westeros, taking residence within the castles of noble lords,
primarily serving the elite of the area.
The small folk then are left to rely on small time travelling healers called Hedge Wizards
who move about from village to village healing minor illnesses with their knowledge of herb
lore, as well as applying magical enchantments and charms to their work.
Although most are capable of some healing, they are nowhere near as reliable or knowledgeable
as Maesters.
Similar to a Hedge Wizard, there is the woods witch, female healers who similiarly apply
herbal remedies in concert with minor magics and rituals.
Although most of these women are simple healers living near villages and towns, some have
been known to have prophetic powers, such as the infamous woods witch, many believe
was the Ghost of High Heart, whose prophecies convinced the future king Jaehaerys II, to
wed his son Aerys to his daughter Rhaella, believing that through their line the legendary
Prince who was Promised would be born.
Other Practioners of the healing arts would be common herb doctors, barber surgeons, bonesetters,
and midwives, commonly used to help deliver children into the world.
Westeros is also home to a culture that has come to specialize in healing and medical
remedies, with the Orphans of the Greenblood.
Descendants of the Rhoynar who migrated West after the fall of their Homeland to Valyrian
conquest.
These people refused to assimilate into Westerosi culuture and instead preserved their ancient
ways as boatman along the river greenblood, known to produce the best mid-wives in Westeros.
Unfortunately, even the best intentioned healers are limited by their resources and the limited
medical knowledge of the time.
The Sores and Open wounds of commoners are often cleaned with boiling wine, while nobles
and those with money tend to use myrish fire or firemilk, special ointments which burn
on contact but sterilize the area well.
Pain is controlled through the use of Milk of the Poppy, poppy Wine, Dreamwine and Willow
bark, which can also put patients to sleep in larger doses.
Maggots can be used to eat away the dead flesh on an injury, while leeches are used to drain
blood when necessary.
Poultices and salves can be created by some to fight off infection, while moon tea is
a well-known remedy for ending unwanted pregnancies.
Yet for every illness that the healers of Westeros can cure, there are countless more
which baffle them still.
Some of the best known diseases of the world, are the
Bloody flux, also known as the Pale Mare and Dysentery, which spreads rapidly in urban
environments causing death through fever and intestinal hemorrhages.
Butterfly fever, an illness from the Isle of Naath which only affect foreigners who
stay too long on the island, causing fever, spasms, blood sweats and skin decay.
Gout which can cause severe pain and cripple those afflicted.
The plague of the Great Spring Sickness of 209 and 210 AC, which devastated Westerosi
cities, with 4 of every 10 residence in King’s landing dying with some dead within a single
day of contracting the disease.
The Grey plague is a fatal illness known to turn flesh into stone, and once spread to
the city of Oldtown, killing half the population.
It is also known to have killed Serra, the wife of Illyrio Mopatis, and the Lands of
Yi Ti are known to be suffering from an outbreak of Grey Plague during the War of the Five
Kings.
A related disease is Greyscale which causes the flesh to turn flaky and grey, spreading
throughout the body and causing blindness, madness and eventually death.
Children are primarily affected by the and while it can disfigure them permanently, some
survive and become immune to the illness for the rest of their lives.
While Greyscale can be fatal, Maesters believe the affects can be slowed through the use
of limes, mustard poultices, and scolding-hot baths.
Then there is Greywater fever, possibly localized in the Neck of Westeros, with Jojen Reed having
contracted the fever as a child, during which he was visited in his dreams by a 3 eyed crow
who granted him the gift of greensight.
The Pox, is a term used to describe venereal diseases often transmitted through prostitution.
While the Red Death was horrible sickness that spread from the slave pens of Gogossos
to the Isle of Tears and the Basilisk isles, killing 9 of every ten, who died screaming
as blood poured from their eyes, mouths and ears and the skin was torn from their bones.
Redspots are a common illness which cause itchy red spots to appear, primarily affecting
children under ten, who once recovered are immune to the disease for life.
There is also the Shaking sickness which causes violent seizures, twitching and trembling
in its victims And Winter Fever, a common disease which spread
during the harsh winter of 130 – 135 Ac, killing many Westerosi including the infamous
Queen Alicent, mother of Aegon II and head of the early Green Faction in the Dance of
the Dragons civil war, who ended her days dying of Winter Fever as a prisoner of King
Aegon III, son of her most hated enemy Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen.
Other diseases for which little is known, are those hailing from the lands of Sothoryos,
such as Bronze Pate, Brown Leg, The Dancing Plague,
Green Fever, Pus Eye, Sailor’s bane, Sweetrot, Wormbone, And Yellowgum
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