Ephesus Plague

The Ephesus Plague was a rapidly spreading and highly contageous pandemic of mass proportions that occured in 4E 221, twelve years after the Dragon Crisis. Historical documents state that the Plague perished more than half of High Rock, claiming the lives of several thousand people of Hammerfell and western Skyrim as well. It received its name from the city of Ephesus in High Rock, where the pandemic was said to originate.

History
The first documented case of Ephesus Plague dates back to 4E 218. After the Northpoint Peace Treaty of 217, Illesan Realm would establish trade with Hammerfell's coastal cities and settlements. A Redguard-Bretonic sage, Trayvond Moor, was researching the atra mors bacteria, the infection of which claimed the life of his father. Some accounts state that Trayvond created the virus artificially in order to kill him.

After Eltheric War I and the disbanding of Bjoulsae Pact, High Rock entered a period of stagnation and could not afford any advanced research of imported goods. The virus was not recognised as a major threat and was considered to be a form of Blood Lung at that time. However, when the first serious case of the virus was documented in Ephesus in 4E 220, precautions were taken in order to limit the import of crops from Stros M'Kai, as the Bretons believed that the virus contained within might be deadly. By 4E 221, it was discovered that due to the infection's high contagion rate, two-thirds of the population got infected and wiped out, starting mass hysteria and riots both among the survivors and the infected. After the government representatives escaped from the city the same year, its denizens set many of the buildings on fire in hopes to stop or slow the Plague down to no avail. After wiping out the almost entire population of Ephesus, the virus spread to the cities of Wayrest, Evermor and Camlorn. While the latter's mortality rate was not as obnoxious, claiming roughly half of the city's populace, Wayrest and Evermor were completely wiped out.

Illesan Realm's ruler, Frieda Maulhand, blamed the King of Hammerfell, Haldyn al-Hegathe, for importing the infected crops in order to further cripple the already weakened High Rock. The latter stated that the import of infected goods was illegal and executed without governmental supervision. This led Frieda Maulhand to besiege the city of Sentinel, officially starting Eltheric War II in 4E 222.

Symptoms
While it was difficult to fully document the virus' development due to its high mortality and contagion rates, the documented symptoms are divided into three stages that included:
 * Fever, coughing and weight loss along with occasional strikes of hysteria (as shown in the events that happened in Ephesus during the first year of the outbreak). The victim experiences frequent headaches and is prone to dismay and sleepwalking.
 * Constant headaches, coughing of blood; the victim loses one-third of their weight and experiences weakness and the feeling of fragility. Limbs become weak and shaky, and the skin is covered in black sickly spots and gangrenes, usually starting from fingertips.
 * Severe coughing of blood, black spots on the skin ache upon contact, occasionally ooze black pus and bleed if opened. Coughed blood appears blackish-red, whereas blood from the spots or wounds is sickly black. This stage is fatal; reaching it might take as short as four-five days but might last weeks and, in some rare cases, even months.

Notable infected

 * Owyn Moor
 * Trayvind Moor (Possibly)
 * Aelwin Hawksly

Appearances

 * Epoch of Murk: Part I (Indirect; Aelwin Hawksly is the carrier)