Chapter Eleven: The Plague (331-360 WhC)
The citizens of Gilguron looked to the skies at the start of a seemingly usual planting season, and noticed something unusual. The clouds were very heavy, heavier than they have ever been. For years, it rained twice the amount that Gilgurs were accustomed to, and it was great for their growing season. Agriculturally, Gilguron prospered, with yields able to support a growing population. However, the clouds kept getting heavier by the year, and eventually the banks of the Gulgat river were swampy and the one fertile silt became thick mud. It became home to insect carrying disease, and the densely populated region quickly fell apart when the disease, called the Plague of Gulgat, spread rapidly. Gilguron lost territory to some of its neighbors and two subsections of Gilguron, Zaragun and Salama, seceded themselves into quarantine, cutting off their trade.
The Plague spread quickly to other empires, and contributed to nearly half the casualties in the Zeitic-Murrunechian war which unfolded over coastal control disputes. Two great trading empires, Negat and Crodila, found themselves in trouble when they were invaded by Lushyaz and Barbathar respectively. The Plague created political chaos to the point that the army could barely be organized for conflict.
The Trymos region, although not heavily affected by altered weather patterns, but the imported crops caused The Plague to work its way through the area. Paschim Ghati, Holigra, Suppa, Drubela, and Phocesian Trymos were all heavily afflicted with The Plague, and trade was derailed. Paschim Ghat timber and stone trade was temporarily slowed to crawl by the trade disruption, and mass numbers of workers rioting brought Paschim Ghati into total chaos. In an attempt to counter Buk's attack from earlier years, Paschim Ghati attacked the small coastal strip, reclaiming their fishing villages and marching onward toward the main section of Buk. However, they were thwarted by Uaral, who held a grudge over a political dispute pertaining to the threat of Utugia. They stopped warriors from advancing, sparing Buk, who underwent a civil war between Tsang Chiep followers and Metozoanists.
Drubela, although brought into a mass of problems by The Plague, managed to launch an attack on Keshbar, who was suffering even more due to their location by the Gulgat river. They fought over the remains of the now ancient Segashtan empire, Drubela desiring it for its mines, which could be used to free ailing craftsmen from the shackles of Paschim Ghat stone traders.
Rasire was devoid of The Plague, but it was swallowed by religious conflict. Buk was knee deep in bloodshed, with the leader being mortally wounded by a radical Tsang Chiep follower part of a mass movement to overthrow all members of political importance and replace them with dedicated Tsang Chiep followers who would rule by the proper code of Bieng-khuan Hua-lo, a Tsang Chiep text with occult origins. Dah Djiom, not adherent to either religion, continued their perpetual war with Meto, a key Metozoanist empire. Meto was utterly obliterated, with only the extreme east remaining under Metozoanist dominance, known as the Zoan strip. Bargon, on the other hand, wrought havoc on a Tsang Chiep state, Battai. Desiring their lands for many years, they launched an invasion on Battai, claiming the outer regions of their state as theirs. Tsui Ngap officially became a part of Khay Lat, claiming that they wanted direct protection from the hostile neighbors. On the thin southwestern peninsula, two small states, Ibak and Thin Sap, were created. Ok-Sai was rumored to have set up a small network of informants strategically placed in different parts of Fipan. A small barbarian tribe, Yuhrug, allied itself with other local tribes and power was centralized as it declared itself an empire.
In Empreca, things were calm in comparison to the rest of the world. Except for small battles between Pyrem and Andorat over territory bordering the Wisay, there was almost no fighting. Past the central plains and desert of Empreca, the Bambari river became home to three new states, Mbaragam, Imimbi, and Amu Daria. The last one, Amu Daria, was created when King Sadok united several small city states in a dramatic situation involving sieges and elephants.
Haredicumia was once again entrenched in brutal warfare. Alexaendros conspired with Ithociny and Garussa to execute a three pronged attack against Ecta, but the plan was largely a failure. Alexaendros did achieve several victories in the mountainous north, capturing several stone forts and Garussa also captured some territory. Ecta made a quick and early move to seize the Alexaendrosi isthmus, cutting the empire in two. Alexaendros was in luck, because they had many boats nearby which were intended for a blockade against Sinopa, but the plan was scrapped in order to help transport warriors and supplies up north to the main conflict areas. Ecta displayed its might by effectively squashing the Ithocine military and pushing them to the mountains. Ecta managed to garner support from Nactrabia and Terantia, who offered supplies and gold to assist in accounting for expenditures. Although the war was in Ecta's favor, there was still battles to be fought, as neither side showed signs of giving up.
Phoces, too, was enveloped in a war of their own, with Sinopa. Following the Phocesian sack of Uldothar, Sinopa grew very distrustful of Phoces and eventually severed all trade, and small disputes over the mouth of the Trymos grew into a massacre on the docks one evening, prompting a declaration of war. Phoces easily subdued the Sinopan lands by the Trymos and proceeded to maraud the coasts of the main part of Sinopa. Sinopa held key positions in mountain areas and put a stop to several attempts, but Phoces came out with nearly all of the coast under their control. They were easily able to land warriors and garrison them to defend their newly earned land. In addition to the Sinopan land, Phoces also regained the land taken from then by Mephata, settled in a diplomatic effort involving threats and tension. The seizure of northern Mephata and the invasion on Sinopa caused Drop to revolt. The insurrection was aimed at isolating Drop from Phoces because of dissatisfaction due to aggression to Sinopa, who was culturally similar to Drop, and had a majority of their population claim to be ancestrally linked to Drop.
Elaria was wiped out of existence when all of its neighbors invaded it simultaneously, each gaining small bits of land and gold. In northern Oroca, Sephariden and Arceles were founded. Southeastern Oroca became a war scene when Lycia made an alliance with Concha and Izul, intending to destroy Dromiera and Soterno. Soterno was entirely defeated, but the Dromieran leadership managed to escape to a settlement of their located in northeastern Empreca, in close proximity to Lycia's southern island possessions. Izul came into a bit of a problem by entering war against Soterno, because many citizens wanted only to fight Barco, and when war was declared, many Izuli were ashamed and scornful towards their government for allegedly serving Lycia out of fear for their own safety. As a result, western Izul became its own state, named Giustaios.
Extal was beginning to become similar to the other continents with conflict becoming more and more common. Razzar continued its invasion of Tlaah, seizing more coastal lands and triggering a civil war in Tlaah. The central tribe leader was accused of counting money before coordinating military retaliation, and Tlaah split into three, two states being Nejhe and Tlopagan, the last one remaining as Tlaah. Chempe was cornered into the mountains by Hekkai, and lost their northern possessions to Garetikoo and Balak, two empires that could not resist the territory that was basically free. Cayan became an established state, located west of Taxmatal. Perhaps the most interesting was the establishment of two small empires, Ciliia and Xeocan, on the island of Pak'Liees, west of Extal's mainland.
By the end of the period, The Plague began to settle down a bit, but the casualties did not go unnoticed. Gilguron and Keshbar, easily the two most devastated empires were due for a rocky recovery after they finished digging mass graves for all of the skeletons waiting to get buried. Some, however were washed into the river, or rotted away on the banks. What a comical situation it would be when the younger generation farms with soil containing the bones of their ancestors.
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