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

 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. It is in fact the first story to feature both characters together. 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
to be added

Cast

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

TARDIS

 * Iris' TARDIS has a cloaking device.

Continuity

 * 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 and PROSE: The Glass Prison)