Plutos Wrath

Bacteria

Achilles report
It appears the plague arround the start of Justin II stems from a mutated bubonic plague. It seemed some child of Pluto experimented with these bacteria and unleashed it on the world. It spread through trade and conquest decimating milions of lives in the proces.

_{-Achilles Hypocrates}

Introduction into the empire 

Report small village near Petra

Acting on a messengers report about unknown deaths near the Arabic border we patrolled the villages near the border. Most were fine with life going as it should but one seemed odd. We smelled its stench a mile before we reached the village. The streets were empty except for the occasionaly rotten corpse and wandering vermin. Houses were empty with cold food on the diningtables and valuables still present. The inhabitants must have fled somewhere.
The accompagning doctors I brought to identify the caue of death examined the corpses. They were blackended and dried out like they were carbonized but nothing indicated a fire. They must have been burned somewhere and dumped here. I request military assistance to strenghten the border and locate the missing villagers.

_{-Legate Brutus of the Third Legion}

Five years after the death of Justinian the Great and Theodora the Great reports of a decimated small village spread through the palace. Many thought the Sassanids were responsible. Emperor Justin II dispatched multiple legions from other frontiers to face the looming Sassanid threat. After multiple delegations never returned it was decided for an invasion. Six legions under command of Theodosius, son of great general Belisarius, crossed the Hadrian river into Sassanid territory. That's equivalent to 30.000 legionnaires.

Scout report

There has been no sign of any army. The villages are quiet and have a sinister aura around them. I strongly advise to halt this invasion

_{-Scout leader Marcus Julia Servilia advising Theodosius two days into the invasion}

Two weeks into the invasion it became apparent that the entire Mari region had been abandoned because of a plague. Legionnaires succomed en masse. Theodosius called off the invasion and ordered an immediate retreat bringing the disease into the empire.