Great Spring Sickness
A silent killer that swept the realm, claiming kings and commoners before vanishing into legend.
The Great Spring Sickness was a devastating plague that swept across Westeros during the reign of King Daeron II Targaryen. Emerging in the spring of 209 AC, this mysterious and virulent illness claimed thousands of lives, striking down high lords and smallfolk alike with terrifying speed before vanishing as abruptly as it had arrived.
Though often overshadowed by wars and dragonfire in the annals of history, the Sickness reshaped the realm's demographics and political landscape. It served as a grim reminder that even the mightiest Targaryen dynasty could be humbled not by steel or fire, but by an invisible enemy that respected no walls or bloodlines.
- Era
- Reign of Daeron II
- First Appearance
- Spring of 209 AC
- Primary Location
- Westeros (widespread)
- Notable Casualties
- King Aemon the Dragonknight, Ser Duncan the Tall's squire
- Status
- Extinct
Lore & Background
The Great Spring Sickness arrived without warning in the year 209 AC, bringing a fever that burned through victims with lethal intensity. 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.
Among the most tragic losses was Prince Aemon Targaryen, known as the Dragonknight. 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. His death, alongside that of Ser Duncan the Tall's young squire, marked the Sickness as an event that could topple heroes just as easily as it felled peasants. 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. In the solar, Queen Naerys wept silently as the maester lowered his head, confirming the worst: Aemon was gone. 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. Its sudden eruption in 209 AC shattered the realm's stability, snuffing out pivotal figures whose survival might have altered the course of future conflicts. The plague was infamous for its absolute indifference; it recognized no station, wealth, or martial valor. It claimed Aemon Targaryen, leaving a void in the Kingsguard that would echo for generations.
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 plague claimed the life of Aemon Targaryen, one of the most beloved and skilled knights in history, while he was serving as a Kingsguard.
- Unlike many historical plagues that linger for years, the Great Spring Sickness appeared and disappeared within a single season.
- Ser Duncan the Tall lost his squire to the disease, an event that deeply affected him before his eventual rise to Lord Commander of the Kingsguard.
- The outbreak occurred during a period known as the 'Good King' Daeron II's reign, interrupting a time of relative peace.