Blizzard
A winter nightmare. Destroys crops in the field and makes movement difficult. Low visibility and extreme cold make the conduct of battle operations almost impossible. Those in the wilderness be it humans or animals with no shelter will freeze to death.
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Epidemic
A deadly form of epidemic that hardly has any cures. The best alternative once a plague is found to be infecting the surrounding people is to get out of the infected area immediately while taking the nesscessary precautions to prevent being infected. Despite advances in modern medicine, epidemics still exists in the form of AIDS, Malaria etc.. which infect millions around the world.
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Flood
Of the rivers, the Yellow River and the Yangtze River pose the most threat to people living on its enbankments and flood plains. Lost of lives, property, crops and farm animals such as pigs and chickens are inevitable when the river unleash its mighty fury. However floods also brings along its advantages cause it enriches the soil with fertile deposits which facilitates the growing of crops. Secondly, the river itself is a source of food and offers transportation to other places upstream or downstream. Because of these reasons many people choose to live beside the river despite the dangers posed by the floods.
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Famine Mainly the byproduct of a locust swarm and to another extent the insufficent production of grain from the farms. The devastation of the farmland leads to a food shortage. The rich are able to get by since they can afford to purchase food at blackmarket prices or they themselves have enough stockpile to last them through the famine. Wise warlords would stockpile enough to keep their army adequately fed so as to prevent a mutiny during these hard times. |
Locust
The sight of a locust swarm is the start of a series of disasters. These pests devour whatever crops in its path wrecking the livinghood of farmers. Devastation of the crops could potentially lead to famine whereby the poor die of starvation or malnutrition.
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Peasant Revolt
There are several causes that can provoke the mass lower/working class against the governor or warlord. Lack of food, low popular from the masses and harsh measures such as high taxes, forced drafting of girls into the palace to serve as concubines or maids and blantant pillaging incur the wrath of the common folks. Some of the factors mentioned led to the birth of the Yellow Scarves Rebellion led by Zhang Jiao against the Han Dynasty. Dynasties can be built on the support of the people and its downfall depended much on whether the court's policies can win the hearts of the people.
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Typhoon
A natural disaster that hits coastal areas. A wake of destruction follows the trail of a typhoon. As they move further inland typhoons lose most of their destructive powers. As with other natural disasters, the lost of lives, damage to property and the "defacing" of the landscape such as the uprooting of trees is inevitable.
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