Chapter 30

Chapter 30 - 1309 to 1315: Black Death

The aftermath of the Crusade for Sicily was a mess. As the war ended, 12 thousand Britannic troops were in Sicily. The Empire lacked funds to transport the troops home, so they were left to find passage for themselves. As a result, thousands never made it back to the Empire. As Emperor Ecgberht arrives back in 1309, he sets about planning the next stage of the conquest of Britannia.

2 years of peace and quiet pass. In March of 1311, Scipion reaches majority. He is a skilled tactician, recognized as a capable leader and warrior. However, equally recognized is his love of the same sex.

In the summer of 1311, rumors reach Norfolk of a deadly plague, a scourge of the earth, a sickness that destroys entire societies, leaving carnage in is wake. Then again, they are only rumors.

In October, a ship pulls into the harbor of Aberdeen, Buchan. Its origin was Norge. The cargo is unloaded and, as the last of the crates are placed upon the ground, a few rats scurry off of the ship. Little do the people of Buchan know that the Black Death, scourge of the lands, has arrived.

The plague quickly spreads throughout Buchan, eventually reaching Gowrie. By 1312, most of Scotland is suffering under the weight of the Black Death. Thousands perish, and entire villages are left empty, their inhabitants dying or leaving. Soon, Lincoln, Northampton, Suffolk, and Sussex also contract the plague. As conditions worsen, the people of Britannia, especially the vassals, point their fingers at Ecgberht. This is, obviously, the wrath of the unhappy, vengeful God. They claim that Ecgberht's abandonment of the armies in Sicily has brought death and destruction upon the Empire. Britannia is in chaos.

Vassal after vassal contracts the plague. Ecgberht's family is no exception, and his brother Inwær is soon covered in plague boils. Æthelhild, daughter of Loup, dies in March. Soon after, Scipion is also ill.

By April, nearly the entire Empire is affected. On the 19th, Ecgberht comes across an empty village (not uncommon these days) in Norfolk. He and his men investigate, hoping to find some clue to how to put an end to the Empire's suffering.

Britannia is not alone; all throughout the known world, counties, duchies, kingdoms, and empires are in turmoil because of the destruction of the plague. Millions lie dead, and hundreds of thousands of others raise arms against their rulers.

In May, while Ecgberht is bathing, he notices a mark on his upper thigh. It is the plague... At the same time, his daughter Necro Creature also contracts the plague.

Ecgberht dies of the dreaded plague on May 24th, 1312. He lasted barely 2 weeks. Emperor Loup inherits an Empire deep in the throes of chaos.

In July, thousands of peasants revolt around the Empire. Loup raises what troops he can muster, but more peasants revolt every month.

In 1303, the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire dies of the Black Death, leaving behind no sons, only 2 daughters. The empire of Byzantium is given to the youngest of the two, splitting apart Rome once again.

In the middle of the chaos, Loup and his wife have another daughter. She is named Jerkera. In 1314 She gives birth to yet another daughter. This time, they name her Idhredura.

In October of 1314, as the Peasant Wars rage on, Empress Alberade dies.

The revolts are finally put down in January of 1315. It seems that, for now, the Plague has left Britannica.

Of his family, Loup lost his father and daughter to the plague, as well as his Uncle Dom Martin. Other than that, dozens of vassals and courtiers also died. After the death of Dom Martin, the Duchy of Meath went to his eldest son, Eadræd. However, he too died and the Duchy went to Dom Martin's second son, Wihtræd. In Gwynedd, the line of DKM comes to a halt. Although DKM III survived the plague, his sons both died, neither leaving behind any children, and DKM is unlikely to sire any more at his age of 48.

It was the most devastating plague in history, causing the deaths of over a million Brits, either from plague or war, and tens of millions in the rest of the world.