So, this is some plot help I need, not name help, so if y’all can’t provide that just let me know and I’ll ask somewhere else. All of this occurs two years before the story starts. There’s a plague going through the capital city of the kingdom of [name_f]Auria[/name_f], and it’s reached the royal family. It’s not a super nasty plague, it’ll kill you dead with very little fanfare, so don’t worry, and it’s called the Three-Day Plague because if your fever doesn’t break within three days, there’s no chance of survival. Spyros, the elder prince and one of my main characters, has just gotten it, and since it’s pretty deadly, he writes a letter to [name_m]Caleb[/name_m], his best friend, to say goodbye. When [name_m]Caleb[/name_m] gets the letter, he immediately goes to [name_f]Auria[/name_f] and ends up attending the Peasants’ Common (long story; they hug and cry and it’s very sweet and kinda depressing). The problem is, I need [name_m]Caleb[/name_m] to receive just[name_f][/name_f] the letter, not[name_f][/name_f] the-plague-in-an-envelope. The entire castle is under quarantine, and I’m not even sure how we’d manage that in the modern day, much less in a kingdom loosely inspired by absolutist [name_f]France[/name_f]. It’s a respiratory illness, so maybe it can only be passed on through the breath? That would make sense. But we still need to get the letter out of the quarantine and to the royal family of a completely different country. Are Aurians just stupid about plague?? Help please lol. I’m sorry if this doesn’t make sense, I don’t know how to phrase it better!
apologies if im misinterpreting something here. the gist of the problem that im getting is that you need to find a way for Spyros to write a letter without getting his plague germs on the letter. is that right?
[name_f][/name_f]personally, unless it’s been established that the plague can pass between people in this way (as in, if someone else has gotten the plague because someone with it wrote them a letter), I dont think I would find this to be a plot hole. according to a google search, the covid virus can’t survive on paper for more than about 30 minutes. so I think unless he’s sending a used tissue or a sample of saliva, I think you’re fine.
[name_f][/name_f]I know the [name_m]Black[/name_m] Death spread through parcels but this was because the parcels themselves were infested with fleas carrying the disease. since this disease is spread through respiratory fluids, this mode of transfer doesn’t really apply.
[name_f][/name_f]if this isn’t the concern and im just way off, would it be possible for Spyros to dictate the letter to someone who isn’t sick? im imagining the contraption used by catholic priests during confession where one can talk through the screen but neither person can see each other.
[name_f][/name_f]and not to be difficult but my confusion was actually sparked by [name_m]Caleb[/name_m] going to see Spyros and hugging him? is he still infected with the plague then? wouldn’t that situation be much more likely to spread the plague than a letter?
Okay, great, this is the information I was looking for
[name_f][/name_f][name_f][/name_f]No, he’s not–the plague only lasts for 3-5 days (which I will have already established) and it takes longer than that to get to [name_f]Auria[/name_f] from Ferria.