River Blight

The river blight is a disease that has started apearing on along the banks of the God's Gift river in the Murgoth Desert. It started in the far south near the river's source and worked it's way north slowly through the years. Crops have been destroyed and entire villages starved, leading to the expansion of tragic traditions from the oases. Food shortages have become increasingly common in these small communities, leading to a increased importance of the riverboats to them.
The Murgothi Confederacy has been slow to address the issue; the leading families have not yet felt the effects of the blight directly. A surplus of foodstuffs coming out of the trade ports of Tor Volare have allowed the Confederacy as a whole to maintain stability even their ability to produce food lessens. It's unclear how much longer this can be maintianed.

Manifestation

Initially, the effects of the blight are hidden below ground. A white mold begins growing on the roots eating away at them. As the root begin to decay, insects arive to feast on them, slowly working their way up the entire plant. Brown and black splotches appear on the stem and leaves at this point. By the time this happens, it is usually too late to save the crop and it must be burned in its entirety to prevent further spread.

Localization

The oasis of the desert have been mercifully spared from this disease. They have enough trouble maintaining the health of the crops. Should the blight somehow jump the dunes, these communities likely won't be able to survive.

Type

Natural

Search for the Source

Over the past few years, several expeditions have been sent south along the Gods' Gift all the way to the Ruptureed Caldera in search of the plague's origin. They have all concluded that it is a naturally occuring disease, but have offered no cures or solutions.