The Devil's Sigh

1689, Austria. A mysterious pale crimson mist washed over Austria and most of Europe. Along with the mist came the insanity. Over 35 alone in the town of Enns lost their minds, they tore through flesh like cotton before a hail of lead ripped them to smithereens. The remaining 45 who were affected but didn't loose their reason were heavily discriminated against; men, women, children, all stoned, beaten and hated. A week later the mist returned. Those affected but sane were inspected by a doctor, he identified the cause. An unidetified pathogen, that only spread through the mist, in the orfices of the infected, it distorted their sense of smell, their hearing, their sight and their taste. Those millions of microbes gave the mist its crimson pigment. Both the mist and disease were named 'Seufzer des Teufels' (Sigh of the Devil). The cowardly baron of enns built and hid in a fortress without windows with others who could afford it. A month later over a hundred mothers were ordered into that hellish castle, never to be seen again. The mist kept returning until the very same doctor who identified the pathogen found a way to, if not kill then, drastically slow the infection down, a mass recruitment of Arzt (Doctors) began, women and men alike thought to save lives. Along the arzt another foundation was formed. This time to kill those who lost their reasoning and those who were beyond help, the Jäger (Hunters). Whilst hope flared up when the people saw an arzt in their white robes and bird like mask, horror flashed in their eyes when a jäger in black, rifle flung over his shoulder, walked across the street.