Blight of Parasix

A bizarre disease that swept through the elven population around the years 300 to 450. The diseases symptoms included bloodshot eyes, rapid heartbeat and shortness of breath. None of these, however, were particularly deadly. The true danger of the disease was also what made it uniquely dangerous to elves. The disease prevented an Elf from achieving their trance state. While any other race that contracted the blight could use magic or, if that was unavailable, drugs to rest until the disease passed, Elves could not. Deprived of rest, elves dropped dead from exhaustion. The plague began in a small village outside Lagura and grew to the point where every elven settlement east of the Skyreach Mountains was abandoned. The plague is estimated to have killed 130,000 elves, including Empress Firwyn Ilentis sister, Ayedya. The Empress ordered a complete withdrawal from all elven cities and towns east of the mountains. This included the cities of Lagura and Moreau and the entire Northwestern third of Tellmir. To this day, Evestia has not attempted to reclaim these lands as they are now part of human kingdoms and empires.

The last recorded case of the blight was a Half-Elf mage who was quarantined in Maratrina after returning from Darkwater for a boat to Ilden in 573. He died of the disease but did not pass it on. An investigation was made into the regions he had visited but no other cases were found. The blights root cause (Viral, bacterial, parasitic) was never confirmed and with no living cases, it is impossible to study. The common belief is that the blight is dead and shall never be seen again but there are some who believe that the root cause was something different, possibly magical, and it will one day return and Evestia will fall. Of course these prophets are ususally raving lunatics so take these predictions with a grain of salt.