Editing Primordial Evolution Game/Western Legends (section)

==The Tuft Hoppa Plague==
[[Image:Nad'lun ShamanAttackFair.jpg|thumb|The Shaman's violent outburst]]
The time is right for the decision, as a mysterious malady strikes the herds of Tuft Hoppas. The infected Hoppas lose most of their leg strength in just three days after the initial symptoms of getting purple rashes on their body, and soon afterwards die. Most of the tribe's herds were decimated, with only a tenth of the Tuft Hoppas resilient enough to survive the plague.

In the meantime, the Hrass grows plenty on the valley, and distraught herders begin to think about changing their lifestyle.

After the first outbreak of the Spotted Plague, scouts were sent to determine the cause of it, as well as looking for wild Tuft Hoppas to domesticate. It seems that there's been an anomalous wind pattern coming from the marshes, depositing fine dust all over the eastern river plains around the time the Spotted Plague happened.

It is not known why only Tuft Hoppas were affected.

This disastrous event causes strife amongst the Nad'luns. The traditionalists, the shaman especially saw the plague as a sign and a punishment from the ancestral spirits for the abandonment of the traditional lifestyle.

The farmers on the other hand claim that by farming hrass, they saved themselves from total disaster, as without an ample amount of tuft hoppas, the tribe would be in serious trouble if they still were nomads.

Overall, the split within the tribe is stronger than ever, but the circumstances themselves prevent an overall collapse. The traditionalists can't abandon the valley and adopt the herding life again, as there aren't enough hoppas to be herded. The two opposing factions work together for now, to ensure their common survival.

They send out multiple scouts, some to locate more tuft hoppas and others to investigate the marshes. The farmers start planting new crops to alleviate the looming food shortage, and also to give the now aimless herders something to do. The Shaman also attempts to search answers from the Soul Wind.

Scouts have managed to find that wild Tuft Hoppas have less casualties than domesticated ones, and they soon find some groups of wild Tuft Hoppas.

The investigation team went to the marshes, and saw that the marsh had suffered a minor drought, which caused some soil to dry up. Comparing the dried marsh soil to the fine dust matches them; the dust had indeed come from the marshes. Exactly why does this cause the plague was not yet known.

There were large amount of dried-out purple-leaved Yantar on the dried-out patch of soil.

Little does the investigative team know that every move they make is observed carefully by hundreds of tiny sensors. Sensors belonging to the Glud.

Meanwhile, the Shaman receives a sizable aura of sickness from the Soul Wind. Understandable, since the herds are still recovering, but the Shaman can pick up small clues such as 'purple?', '!marsh-smell' and '!bad smart Hoppa'. He thinks this plague may be caused by the trickster entity from the marshes.

Meanwhile the Shaman is dismayed by his visions, and curses the trickster spirit An'zutha. The fellowship's encounter with it has brought nothing but harm in his eyes. First the floods, then the abhorrent farming and abandonment of the ways of O'nulaa and now the plague. The trickster has to be behind all of this! It squirmed its way to the tribe through its agent, the fair maiden, who poisoned the minds of the young!

The Shaman storms from his tent, and heads straight to the Hrass fields. There he encounters the fair maiden, whom he immediately charges and bashes with his staff. Before he is able to harm her any further, he is fortunately restrained by the other farmers.

"This foul wench has brought ruination to our people! Her ways are corrupting us and bringing the wrath of O'nulaa upon us! She must go!"

The violent outburst of their leader has left the majority of the tribe in a state of discomfiture, some of them might agree with him on some level, but this kind of an unwarranted attack on a young maiden is unheard of.

Tensions rise. Some of the older Nad'Lun agrees with the Shaman, but far more thinks the Shaman's getting too old and is losing its mind. For now, no open hostilities ensue, but the Shaman is slowly losing control.

Fortunately the conflict subsides without any blows, but the inner tensions of the tribe are still extremely strong. It seems that the farmers have the upper hand though, as the violent outburst of the shaman only served to alienate him from the majority of the tribe.

He is still respected for the wisdom and guidance he has provided to the tribe in the past, but some think that these current struggles are taking their toll on him.

The maid is tended by her followers, some of which are infuriated by the shaman's actions. The maiden however advise against this, and begs her followers to bear no ill will towards the traditionalists, as they too are doing what they think is best for the tribe.

When the scouts return with the tuft hoppas they found, some of the tensions are alleviated. The familiar sounds and scent of the tuft hoppas eases the minds of the traditionalist herders, who can once again, return to their former occupations, and even the shaman seems to be rather relieved.

The herd is still far from its former glory, but it has begun to recover.