The Hoardling invasion of the village was a silent assault. They used the night as their shield and their promises and pacts to gain entrance into the village. The horde crept into the stands of tightly knit homes, corrupting the most vulnerable first. Next they turned their attention to those who were impervious to the infection. They suffered the most. The Hoardlings had turned a great wizard and he cast a mighty spell that made those resistant to the infection unable to communicate with the other villagers. Most people didn't notice what was happening nearly soon enough. Within no time the people of the village were completely overwhelmed: sick, hungry, living in poverty, and enslaved. Some of those not infected banded together with those that could not be infected and sought to find the magical Pearls of Wisdom and Justice hidden throughout the village.


Each pearl could undo some of the damage that the Hoardlings created with their never ending desires. When they found the pearls, they used them, but at a high cost. To use the power of the pearl, the person that holds it must give it the time and energy the pearl needs to repair the damages caused by Hoardling contamination. Some had to hold their pearl for a lifetime. As the pearls worked the Hoardlings would lie, plead, and cry for them to stop; they were hurting them. They would say anything to stop the use of the pearls. Often they played themselves off to be like the people they once were and appealed to the villagers for mercy and help. Often they simply used the opportunity to buy time while they continued to collect more for themselves.


It is said that to this day the villagers wage battle with the Hoardlings trying to push back the dark nature of their corrupted citizens. Many years they beat back the Hoardlings, only to have them come back just as strong. Many people get tired, stop fighting, and give in to the horde. Some lose people they love and cannot bear it; apathy sets in and they change, lured by their loved one's greed. Worst of all, many of those not infected have to devote their lives to holding pearls, effectively sacrificing their talents, time, and energy to ward off Hoardlings, instead of investing those efforts to build a more fair, diverse, educated, and cultured society. Luckily, with each generation, their are a few who seek to rid the village of Hoardlings and make it a community as happy and prosperous as anyone could imagine.



*Though Hoardlings sound like a mythical creature, they are not; their true nature is much more perverse. Hoardlings were once like any other person in existence. They were human, but were infected with a sickness that caused them to want well beyond that which sustains them. The infection starts off slowly, but eventually consumes them. They loose the ability to think collectively and that in turn hampers their ability to collaborate and act as part of the community or society. The greed and malevolence that infected them grows, until they hardly resemble their former selves. Those who have encountered Hoardlings say they seem to be beautiful, happy, and fun, but that vision is a lure. It hides the ugliness underneath.They make promises and pacts and once they hold you in their grasp it is too late. There is no cure for a Hoardling and the only known ward is a combination of preventatives that must be given early in life. You must be smart, you must be worldly, and you must learn to care. Hoardlings are normally rare, but with the prosperity that the village enjoyed, they were a target too large to not be found.