THE CRAWLER'S COMPANIONpatch notes for the apocalypse

The Great Gerbil Black Death Theory

First seen: Book 1, Chapter 45

A real research finding, published in 2015, proposing that Asian great gerbils, not black rats, carried the plague-bearing fleas that drove the Black Death into Europe along the Silk Road.

Real-World Reference

Ralph the Frenzied Gerbil's boss introduction opened with the real research finding as its comic premise, first crediting black rats with spreading the medieval plague before correcting itself to name the actual culprit, then using that correction to justify Ralph's rage: he considered the 200 million deaths credited to gerbils too low a number and meant to triple it.

Book 1, Chapter 45
History by chapter
Book 1
Chapter 45
  • TAG Real-World Reference: The premise behind Ralph the Frenzied Gerbil's boss card