Plague of the 5th Century

The Plague of the 5th Century is the deadliest pandemic recorded in Arlecian history. The Hilan Plague resulted in the deaths of up to millions in South-East Arlec alone and millions more outside of the region. It lasted a total of 5 years.

## Previous Plague Epidemic

*See: Hilan Plague*

There have been two previously recorded Hilan Plague outbreaks, one was the original case in **231PR** when an unknown citizen of Gonarundu contracted the disease and killed most of his direct family.

The second is known as the First Pandemic, which occurred entirely within the nation of Gonarundu in the 3rd century. After killing thousands of Gonarunduns, the health experts were able to discover that isolating the infected was the best prevention method. Still, the plague killed around 10,000 Gonarunduns before the spread stopped.

## Pandemic

### Causes

The direct cause of the outbreak in the 5th Century is unknown but is widely believed to be similar to what happened when it first broke out. Someone eating one of the infected animals and contracting the virus themselves. Without any knowledge that they had the virus, they proceeded to infect more people and so on.

At one point it infected an Awakened person who had magical capabilities, enhancing the virus beyond its normal capability and evolving the disease so it could spread through mere touch.

### Transmission

Originally starting in Ilaka in **501PR**, the Hilan Plague spread through both land and maritime trade routes from the nation. After Ilaka, it spread to Gonarundu, the Nirvan Republic and Uhek, spreading further into the Carto Empire, Hashin, Tamwull, Trosstin and the nations outside of South-East Arlec.

The only nations in the region that avoided the plague was Aren, who quickly shut down their borders and Vosqis, which was still a relatively unknown nation due to their strict border control.

When the climates of the different nations reached the hotter times, the plague spread faster and quicker.

In **507PR** the spread of the plague was effectively stopped, isolating any infected and enacting policies to stop transmission.

### Signs and Symptoms

The most well-known and visible symptoms of the Hilan Plague are Black veins and bleeding from the eye sockets. Other symptoms include:

* Chills
* Coughing
* High Fever
* Seizures
* Vomiting Blood

After 3 days of symptoms, the infection spreads to the organs of the individual, causing mass failure and the death of the host.

### Consequences

#### Deaths

While there are no exact figures for the death toll across all nations in South-East Arlec it is estimated that around 5-6 million were killed.

Most nations were heavily affected by the virus, however it was Hashin that suffered the worst. Accounting for at least 2 million of the deaths, the nation had yet to increase their general level of hygiene and sanitation, causing the virus to be even more deadly and infectious. Some cities and towns in Hashin lost 50% of their population.

The nation that suffered the least was Gonarundu, who had dealt with the plague before and had a culture of cleanliness. They accounted for less than 100,000 of the deaths, mostly occurring in towns and villages where they did not have access to high levels of sanitation.

#### Economic

The plague caused an economic disaster in the world, losing so many people. For places like Hashin, the high loss cost a lot of their labour force. It would take 50 years for the nation to recover, leaving them vulnerable the entire time.

Places like the Nirvan Republic and Tamwull were able to bounce back with specific legislation that allowed for an economic boom, while nations such as the Carto Empire struggled.

#### Social

After the plague, most cultures became much more aware of their sanitation policies, becoming an important point in most debates. Their own hygiene standards would also increase and physical touch in cultures would not return for some time.