Plague Reign
One of two sociological theories concerning the Viral Wilds that exist in the Regency (See Turk Reign). This theory proposes that the situation in the Wilds is similiar to that which existed on Terra's European continent following the Black Death pandemic.
Virus, like the Black Death, wiped out a good portion of the preexisting sentient population. In this case about 99.7 percent of all life. The majority of survivors are to be found upon more habitable worlds, generally T-Norms and T-Primes, where less reliance upon advanced technology allowed for most of their populations to survive the viral onslaught. Nonetheless the near destruction of the world that these survivors once knew has had a pronounced effect upon their worldview, beliefs and ideologies. The old Imperial system has been destroyed, and a social evolution is underway that is attempting to replace the old ways with customs and ideas more suitable for local circumstances.
The massive die off makes skilled labor both rare and extremely precious. Even where worlds have suffered only minor casualties, there exists great need for people with the technological and professional skills required for reconstruction. As with post-Black Death Europe, such skilled workers are likely to be the main economic commodity, both within their communities and wherever interstellar travel has been preserved. Aggressive behavior by local warlords is likely to be more restrained in hopes of attracting and retaining the services of such journeymen. Where local circumstances are favorable, such workers may even pool their resources and begin the instruction of new workers, allowing for an extension of the total knowledge base for an accelerated recovery and the wider benefits of educational advancement and enfranchisement.