Burning Plague

An illustration of victims of the plague and their plight.

The Burning Plague (also known as the Great Dying) was a pandemic that broke out within the Makedonian Empire beginning in 825 CE. One of the deadliest outbreaks of diesease in all of Tyran's history, the Burning Plague is believed to have resulted in the death of nearly 15-25% of the Empire's population, with the hardest hit areas in Syara. The plague recieved its name due to the Makedonian response of burning the bodies of victims.

The Burning Plague was most likely a variant of the Bubonic Plague. It's origin is unknown; the first reported incidents annotated in the historical record occured in Scitaria, suggesting it was brought in by merchant ships or travellers arriving to the Syaran coast. Within two years it had spread across Syara and beyond, although the extent of the plague has never been fully determined. Syara was the hardest hit, killing almost 25% of the population, while the impact on other regions of the Empire is less certain. Most fatalities were among the elderly or the young. The rapid expansion, coupled with the massive mortality rate, meant the actual duration of the plague was short, likely dying out around 827-828 CE as the plague exhausted the populations of north-west Siduri but was unable to expand beyond the Arkoennite Steppe or the Badiyat al-Hawram plateaus.

The Burning Plague was a catastrophe for the Makedonian Empire and is widely seen as marking the beginning of the end for Makedon. The loss of nearly an entire generation crippled Makedon's financial and military infrastructure leaving it unable to effectively manage its extensive territory. Within a few decades the growing weakness of the Empire became apparent with the failed but costly Tieu Sisters' Rebellion in Quenmin from 850-856 CE. Makedon never fully recovered, losing territory and control of eastern Siduri to the Early Hoạn Dynasty and the Kingdom of Chamia in the late 11th Century and the Rideva Empire in the 12th Century followed by losses to the emerging Arkoennite Empire and Rawwadid Sultanate between the 12th and 14th Centuries. The Burning Plague also contributed heavily to the decline of slavery in the Empire due to the increased scarcity of labor. The Burning Plague is today considered a seminal event in the history of Syara and often serves as a major point of reference to historians.