Alexandrian Flu

The Alexandrian flu, also known as the Flu Pandemic of 1651 and the Nameless Plague, was an exceptionally virulent influenza pandemic that ravaged Micras from late 1650 AN to early 1652 AN. Originating in Hamland during the Hammish Civil War, the disease was notorious for its devastating impact on the Empire of the Alexandrians, one of the largest empires of its time, and its significant role in the collapse of Hamland, leading to the rise of Caputia. Conservative estimates place the number of infected at 690 million, other estimates place the number of infected closer to 850 million. The plague affected predominantly the Alexandrian and Hammish (Caputian) populations, with many others around the world succumbing to the plague but not to the same levels as Alexandria or Hamland, its epicenter. With a death toll ranging from 500 to 700 million, the Alexandrian flu stands as one of the deadliest epidemics in Micras's history, leading to the total disintegration of Alexandria.

Background

A precursor event of profound significance, which fundamentally altered Alexandria's resilience to biological threats, was Operation Eternal Steel. Taking place in 1641 AN, this military conflict saw the Alexandrian armed forces combat the resurgence of the Falange para la Liberacion Indigena (FLI), a terrorist group intent on the liberation and independence of indigenous peoples in Tapfer. Amidst a climate of political turmoil and biological terror, the FLI executed a large-scale biological attack on major urban centers, including Geneva, Edgardia, and Rennes, utilizing deadly pathogens like ebola, anthrax, and the Marburg virus. The attack, which took place on 1641 AN, preceded the Alexandrian flu pandemic by a decade and resulted in over 100,000 immediate infections and thousands of deaths within the first week. This event had profound repercussions on the empire's public health, security posture, and societal fabric.

The biological attack launched by the FLI not only inflicted immediate casualties and chaos but also exposed and severely tested the Alexandrian healthcare infrastructure. Hospitals and medical facilities were overwhelmed, with reported cases of ebola, anthrax, and Marburg virus infection surging by 300% in the affected cities within the first month. The subsequent strain on medical facilities, coupled with the tragic loss of life, including the suicide of Minister of Health Jacques Germaux, signaled a critical vulnerability within Alexandria's societal and governmental frameworks. The government's slow and inadequate response to the crisis highlighted systemic weaknesses that, unbeknownst to many at the time, would later exacerbate the impact of the Alexandrian flu.

Hammish Civil War

The origins of the Alexandrian flu can be traced back to a covert biological warfare program spearheaded by General Augustus Eliphas in Hamland. At the heart of this program was the Bureau of Research and Defense Technology, located within the heavily fortified Iron Point Base. This base, under the guise of a mundane military installation, concealed a vast underground complex dedicated to the development of unconventional weaponry, including biological and chemical agents. A clandestine meeting between General Eliphas and an enigmatic figure known only as "the Nameless" culminated in the creation of a formidable biological weapon intended to decisively end the Hammish Civil War in Eliphas's favor.

However, fate had other plans. The weapon, which Eliphas had hoped would secure his victory, instead became an uncontrolled scourge upon the people of Hamland. As his government fell to the international coalition assembled against it by Shireroth and Natopia, the containment measures at Iron Point Base failed. The virus quickly spread among the local population. Initial estimates suggesting that up to 12% of Hamland's population was infected in the first month. The situation deteriorated when returning Alexandrian peacekeepers, unwitting carriers of the newly developed pathogen, made their way home from the war-torn lands of Hamland after the Geneva Peace Agreement ended the Hammish Civil War They inadvertently introduced the virus to Alexandria, where it spread quickly due to the empire's still-recovering healthcare system and the dense urban populations of the empire's large urban centers, cities like Geneva and Edgardia.

Unprepared for a threat of this magnitude, and still reeling from the vulnerabilities exposed by Operation Eternal Steel, Alexandria was ill-equipped to manage the outbreak. The rapid spread of the virus among the Alexandrian population laid bare the empire's unresolved issues in public health and emergency preparedness, culminating in a pandemic that would irrevocably change the course of Alexandrian history. The Alexandrian flu, with a fatality rate exceeding 50% in densely populated urban areas, led to unprecedented levels of mortality and societal disruption that resulted in the collapse of the Empire of the Alexandrians.

Society and culture

Survivalist cultural ethos

• Seen in Wechua, Alexandrians - part of the national cultures in Nouvelle Alexandrie, Natopia, Constancia, Oportia.

Aftermath and Legacy

In the pandemic's wake, Consul for Defense Jaime Augustin Joaquin Primo de Aguilar attempted to establish a government-in-exile at the Palais de Saint Louis le Protecteur in Haraldsborg, Stormark, following The Regency Act of 2014. However, the disease's virulence left the remaining Alexandrian government unable to respond effectively. Notable officials, including Third Consul Juana Beazcoetxea Hernández and Rear Admiral Helena Chevalier, sought refuge in Natopia and Shireroth, respectively, while Primo de Aguilar escaped to Constancia.

The Bovic Empire of the Natopian Nation unanimously passed a resolution to grant Natopian citizenship to Alexandrian refugees seeking asylum, leading to a significant influx of Alexandrians (approximately 36,000,000, or 10% of the empire's population) into Natopia, with the majority settling in the demesne of Thalassa.

Research

Given the flu's confined impact to Hamland and Alexandria, various research entities, including Jingdao's Unit 666 and Shireroth's Ordo Imperiale Decimae, expressed interest in acquiring virus samples for further study, indicating the pandemic's significance in global health research.

See also

• La Légende de Norodom