The Plague-Death

The Plague-Death is a condition affecting a large portion of The New World's native Human inhabitants, causing them to rise as undead Monsters after death. As observed in the Second Battle of Horde Hill, natives of The Old World may be similarly afflicted if they come into contact with the undead, as can non-humanoid animals like Dogs and Horses. Notably, destroying an afflicted corpse does not purge the Plague-Death from it, as this merely causes it to become an incorporeal undead, such as a Shadow or Specter.

As of yet, the Plague-Death's source is unknown, though scholars have speculated that it could be caused by a disease or a magical curse. Some New World natives, including many of the undead themselves, believe it to be a divine punishment from the god Zarus. The Plague-Death was responsible for the Archaean Empire's collapse, though it took many years to spread throughout the Empire. Archaea was overrun by the undead in approximately 194 AD, but the fortress city of Gordion is known to have held out until 211 AD and a population of survivors, the Legio Milles still persists in the nearby Red Mountains.