Pale Death

Synopsis
The Pale Death was a plague that swept through the Emerald Highlands about fifty years ago, causing a tremendous amount of hardship and loss of life, especially in agriculture.

Effects
The Pale Death's primary effect was on agriculture. It primarily affected plant life, and had a devastating impact on agriculture, as vast swaths of plagued land would produce crops that were devoid of nutrients.

Less commonly, but still often enough to become a major issue, the plague would infect livestock and beasts. This infection manifested in newborns, transmitted from an infected parent. Infant animals would be born sickly, pale, and weak, and would rarely survive more than a few weeks.

In uncommon cases, the Pale Death would similarly effect newborn humanoids. This was not seen often, but still affected hundreds of children over the course of the plague years.

Political Ramifications
It was during the trying years of the Pale Death that the Emerald Highlands joined the Alviren Empire, in an agreement based on relief for the Highlands from the imperial capitol.