The Undead Cataclysm

Era beginning/end

The Undead Cataclysm was a period when undead hordes overwhelmed Isolde, spreading like a virus, and nearly annihilating the world's population.

Undead have existed for many aeons. Kur, Bringer of Darkness, created the first undead when he made a deal with a mortal to stave off death. Kur corrupted the mortal’s body and soul, keeping the mortal in a state between life and death, who became a vampire. Pleased with himself, he experimented with other corruptions of the body and soul in various states of life and death, disrupting the natural life cycle enough that the undead could self-propagate. In time, a few mages discovered ways to replicate some of Kur’s experiments, learning how to animate corpses to do their bidding. Some even went so far as to manipulate their own bodies to prolong life indefinitely.   Those corruptions lead to a deeper connection with the Shadowfell, a land of despair, weakening the veil between the Shadowfell and Isolde, especially in areas where there is a lot of death and despair, such as graveyards and battlefields. While it’s possible for most to enter through tears in the veil, the undead, those struck with grief, and those who are frequently surrounded by death, are more easily able to cross over. This has always allowed the undead to cross over into Isolde.   The Undead Cataclysm was different because there was a new type of zombie, which created other undead through disease instead of the arcane. Only humanoids and beasts can continue to spread the zombie disease, but the disease still turns infected living creatures undead. The diseased undead spread quickly, becoming too numerous to quickly wipe out before the people of Isolde were aware of the size and nature of the threat.   The dragonborn of Raixora and Xispora, who were the first to recognize the existential threat, entered into a détente and quickly negotiated a strategic alliance to fight back against the undead hordes. The Drakewardens were immediately deployed across Isolde while the two nations began coordinating their efforts. Raixora and Xispora formed mixed legions, with equal distribution of chromatic and metallic dragonborn, as a means of ensuring that neither nation would have the power to undercut the other.   While the mixed legions took some time to be able to work cohesively, as they marched on the other nations of Isolde the sight became a sign of peaceful intent. Other nations contributed forces, forging bonds between people across Isolde, and making coordinating armies easier to handle.   Unfortunately, despite an eventual Aros-wide response, the undead hordes continued to spread quickly. The amassed armies were better able to deflect hordes from civilian populations, but ultimately continued to add the number of undead. All was looking lost until some orcs from the Wandering Wastes proposed a solution: contain the undead hordes instead of confronting them. They proposed that the nations of Aros offer refuge and semi-autonomy for the orcs, giving them areas of land in exchange for surrendering their homes. The already difficult to traverse deserts and badlands would act as natural barriers that would be nearly impossible for the undead to navigate. All parties agreed quickly.   The Wandering Wastes were evacuated and the denizens were relocated across Aros, maintaining tribes and cultural connections as best as was possible. Entire towns and villages were lost during the cataclysm, making placement morbidly easy. Orcish nobility was honored where appropriate, and great efforts were made to integrate the orcs into their new homes. Most people of Aros were quite happy to welcome their new neighbors, and aid them as much as they could, understanding not only the sacrifice the orcs made but also how much ended up being left behind during the rapid exodus.   A new plan didn’t mean an easy fight, especially for forces that had dwindled from years of conflict, but it did mean a new hope, which meant a greater resolve and reinforced morale. After several months of leading the larger hordes into the heart of the Wandering Wastes, dealing with the remaining undead was much more manageable. Efforts were taken to clear out the bulk of the rest of the undead across Aros.   The undead will never be fully eradicated. The hordes continue to exist in the Wandering Wastes. Their numbers are frequently added to by scavengers hoping to loot the lost orcish cities. The Undead Badlands, as they have come to be called, are not an impenetrable barrier, and zombies do sometimes escape. The tears in the veil between Isolde and the Shadowfell never fully healed, allowing some pockets of undead to still exist, who naturally form into hordes. The undead are a constant, but rarely active, threat that is just a part of life in Isolde.