The Plague Years

During the First unification war a plague were raging across the population of the Kingdom of Dercia and the surrounding regions. The devastation of the plague lasted for over two decades and have been credited with significantly altering the course of the war and forever changing the political landscape of the continent.  

The Outbreak and Spread

The plague first appeared in the bustling trade city of Velmaris in 380, a hub of commerce in the kingdom's eastern regions. Merchants, soldiers, and travellers passing through its gates carried the disease across the ever-growing Dercian kingdom and the surrounding nations, spreading the plague to distant regions, ensuring that none would be spared from its touch. For a while, the plague was thought of as a regular seasonal sickness but as the illness began to spread fast and the death toll began to follow, it soon became clear that this was something far worse.   The plague, named "The Blue Rot" would cause fevers, vomiting, and painful boils that would harden into a blueish colour, giving the plague its name. Cities were decimated within weeks of the first victim showing symptoms and entire villages would turn into ghost towns when the population either tried to flee the plague, in turn just helping it spread or succumbing to the sickness.   The larger settlements where the population were both high and dense were particularly hard hit, Pearlhal the capital of the Dercian Kingdom lost close to a third of its population during the worst years of the plague. While the city had slightly better odds compared to some of the other cities, due to its resources and high level of organization, it still saw mass funeral pyres constructed on the outskirts of the city. Some scholars have said that it was during the Plague years when The Astalles dynasty were closest to losing their control and that it was only due to them being public in their attempts to help the common people and even banishing nobles that didn't that they stayed in power.   Velmaris were turned into a ghost town and became known as the "City of Death." Despite its wealth and power, it was placed under a quarantine, which was quickly lifted as it soon became clear that the plague had already spread far and wide, even today the city has never recovered, neither financially nor population-wise.   Many of the clergy and scholars declared it to be divine in origin and that the gods were angry for the unending wars some scholars even compared it to the beginning of the end times for the Ancient Empire that fell after centuries of war and plagues had ravaged them.  

Impact on the Unification War

The War, which had already dragged on for centuries, was significantly affected by the Plague Years. Both Dercia and the coalitions of city-states found themselves unable to sustain the same level of military engagement as before. The plague tore through armies, killing as many soldiers as any battlefield could. Campaigns ground to a halt, and many generals—on both sides—were forced to retreat into defensive positions, unable to maintain control over their conquered territories.  

Military Stagnation (380–385)

With the spreading of the plague, the front lines of the war began to crumble as armies from both sides refused to march into territories that were hit by the plague and fortresses were left empty, either by the garrison fleeing or the garrison being claimed by the plague. In many regions the war simply froze in place, with both sides being unable to launch large offensives. While peace were never officially declared, the war did enter a period of uneasy ceasefire, the city-states using the peace to fortify their positions to the best of their ability as they assumed that once the plague waned, the war would pick up again.  

Economic Collapse

With the economy already stressed by the constant war, collapsed once the plague hit as fields were left untended and trade routes became blocked due to quarantine measures, the farmers, craftsmen and merchants either succumbed to the plague or fled the densely populated areas. As a result, the ability of waging war were weakening on both sides of the conflict.  

Recruitment issues

The death toll of the plague significantly reduced the number of available soldiers for both Dercia and the coalitions. Dercian conscription efforts became increasingly desperate, pulling younger and older recruits than would typically be allowed. Dercia also more actively began to recruit from its non-citizen population to fill out the ranks. Veterans of the war who survived the plague were left leading armies filled with inexperienced soldiers, leading to a notable decline in military effectiveness.  

Political Instability

Within the Kingdom of Dercia King Marcellus was faced with significant unrest and as the plague continued and the economy collapsed, dissent against the crown began to rise with some regions threatening secession and some minor uprisings appearing in several cities.  

Diplomatic Stalemate

For a time, the plague opened the door to diplomacy. Desperate to stop the spread of death, various city-states and Dercian officials held discussions about potential ceasefires. The coalitions, who had previously been fierce enemies of Dercia, also experienced internal chaos, with their leaders either falling to the plague or becoming overwhelmed by internal revolts.  

The Rebuilding and the End of the Plague

By 395, the plague began to wane. New methods of quarantining, improved sanitation efforts, and general immunity among the surviving populations began to curb the spread of the disease. Slowly, life began to return to normal.  

Political Reformation

As the plague receded King Marcellus worked to consolidate her authority over the surviving regions of Dercia. He undertook a series of political reforms, centralizing power and reasserting royal control over the nobles and military. The monarchy emerged stronger than ever, partly because many of the rebellious nobles had perished or lost power during the plague. Some scholars have argued that it was during this time that the senate who had held a significant amount of power since the founding of the city, lost its hold of the power and that the monarches of Pearlhal was now close to absolute power.  

Economic Recovery

Pearlhal, now a shadow of its former self, saw large-scale public works projects initiated to employ the surviving population and rebuild its shattered infrastructure. Trade routes were reopened, and incentives were offered to merchants to restore Dercia's once-powerful economy. The monarchy ensured that food production became a priority, leading to the reestablishment of agricultural centres across the empire.  

Military Revival

Once the plague had subsided, the Dercian army began to recruit again, though it would take another decade before they regained their former strength. However, the lessons learned during the Plague Years—such as the importance of medical aid for soldiers and improved sanitation in military camps—were integrated into the military structure. Dercia’s forces became more disciplined, resilient, and adaptive as a result.