Professor Bernice Summerfield and the Plague Herds of Excelis (audio story)

Professor Bernice Summerfield and the Plague Herds of Excelis, or simply The Plague Herds of Excelis, was the final story in the Excelis Saga; it was not part of the initial run of Big Finish Productions' Bernice Summerfield series. Listed as release 3.0, it is actually set immediately before The Dance of the Dead.

This is the first story to feature Iris Wildthyme portrayed by Katy Manning opposite Lisa Bowerman's Benny. This is also the first story featuring Iris Wildthyme that is not written by her creator Paul Magrs.

Publisher's summary
The once proud city of Excelis is a crumbling ruin in a state of siege, as barbarians catapult pestilent animal corpses into the city to spread disease among those trapped inside.

Excelis is a city clinging to life by a thread. But ancient prophecies foretell a final retribution for the past arrogance of its rulers. When the sun is eaten away from the sky, when the ancient relic of Excelis is taken from its rightful resting-place, and when strangers are discovered among the people, then shall the whole world be doomed to die.

Today, the sun is a moth-eaten shadow. Plans are afoot to steal the relic. And a very tired and very fraught Professor Bernice Summerfield has just stomped into town in the company of a mysterious traveller in space and time known only as Iris Wildthyme. Pitted against a sinister prophet, the machinations of the Imperial court, and hordes of animal undead, Benny finds herself embroiled in the final stages of an aeons-old plan to commit genocide twice over — with no way out.

Plot
The people of Excelis gather and burn the corpses of those killed by a plague whilst Snyper attempts to stop them, preaching that the sickness is only of the soul and predicting that a stranger will arrive and the sun will be eaten.

Needing to get away from Peter, Jason and Adrian, Benny takes Braxiatel's shuttle to the Artaris System and, upon becoming aware of a space fleet, she lands on the ruined Artaris and meets Iris Wildthyme. Iris takes her to watch Empress Vitutia's trial, at which Vitutia is charged by Representative Aragon with failing to keep her people safe from barbarians, but the assembly vote not to execute her. Afterwards, Iris tells Benny that she plans on stealing the Relic to wear with a new outfit and they go for a drink.

to be completed

Cast

 * Bernice Summerfield - Lisa Bowerman
 * Iris Wildthyme - Katy Manning
 * Snyper - Trevor Littledale
 * Empress Vitutia - Kate Brown
 * Aragon - Stewart Alexander

Continuity

 * Benny says that Peter and "everyone else" keep screaming. (AUDIO: Professor Bernice Summerfield and the Green-Eyed Monsters)
 * When an unidentified ship appears, Benny asks if it is part of Fifth Axis forces, as she doesn't fancy being in a fight. (PROSE: The Doomsday Manuscript, The Glass Prison)
 * The chameleon circuit was also referred to as a cloaking device in TV: Doctor Who.