Something strange happened in Aardwolf in the year 2021. A mysterious and unnamed affliction spread across the lands—not through any coded mechanics, mind you, but through sheer paranoia. Seemingly overnight, adventurers who once charged fearlessly into battle against dragons, liches, and horrors beyond mortal comprehension suddenly developed an overwhelming fear of... each other.

Rooms that were once bustling hubs of activity became barren wastelands. Should an unsuspecting adventurer wander too close to another, they were met with one of two reactions: immediate, panicked flight, or sudden, unprovoked violence. "SOCIAL DISTANCE!" was the battle cry of the day, as players refused to acknowledge any interaction closer than a full room's length away.

Group sizes plummeted. It became common knowledge that any party with more than three members was a breeding ground for disease. Superhero groups, once regarded as "SOCIAL DISTANCE!"the pride of the realm, became terrifying stampedes of pestilence, barreling through zones while terrified onlookers fled for their virtual lives. Some claimed that certain areas had become "hotspots"—not for danger, not for experience, but for the invisible menace lurking in the shadows.

Guild halls implemented new policies, encouraging members to meet only in sparsely populated rooms. The auction house saw an increase in items labeled as "certified clean." Even the Innkeepers, who had seen every kind of adventurer walk through their doors, started asking if players had been anywhere "questionable" before allowing them a night's rest.

Though the plague itself was never confirmed, the fear remained. And so, Aardwolf changed forever. Whether for better or worse, only time will tell—but for now, it seems that even in a world of magic and monsters, the scariest thing of all... is other people.