Welcome to the Jungle
Something was amiss.
Mraxin, the Perihelion of the Dawnburst Druids, had not returned for months, years even. It was Turiki, the Guardian of the Aphelion, who took it upon herself to venture from her post to see if any one within the Basin of Life had heard from him. In Glomdoring, she attempted to get her message out, only to be caught in the middle of a brawl between Issey Ysav’rai and Yium; then in New Celest and Magnagora, she was met with only a mixture of confusion and distrust; it was only in Serenwilde that she had any luck, but by then her temper was short.
As the days passed to turn Roarkian to Estar, she returned to Sidwesh before she made another round. Malarious found them both, and it was him that warned Gaudiguch, and the search began anew. Synkarin and Talan Ysav’rai tore through the land as Turiki returned to Glomdoring, Serenwilde, and Magnagora. It was only then did more of the Basin’s inhabitants flock to meet both her and Sidwesh to learn about Mraxin’s disappearance. Conversing with Xenthos An’Ryshe, it was thought that he had been taken by the Goldenclaw Coven, and after a lengthy debate (which included a speculation of a potential attack by Sun and the possibility of the Dawnbursts visiting the Basin’s Elder Gods), did the two remaining Dawnbursts decide to return to Jojobo. If Mraxin was truly captured, they alone had the authority to lead the Dawnbursts against the Goldenclaw’s treachery in their distant war.
And in their disappearance, a terror fell upon the Basin. However, this time, it was not Father Sun that bore down upon the world, but instead, the Great Lion Himself. Unleashing a mighty roar, the spirit summoned all his strength and infested the Basin of Life with the supreme power of the jungle. The mountain ranges and roads shuddered and the ground broke with the wild, sweaty profusion of humidity and vegetation. Insects aplenty appeared from the woodwork, ants, centipedes, and insects, but none were as treacherous as the meager jungle grubs that grew to their most dangerous form – the shadegeist mosquito. As the inhabitants of the Basin questioned one another about what was happened, many fought against these vermin, only to find themselves afflicted with a disease familiar to many: skinrot.
Quickly, Falmiis Shevat and Zyphora Windwhisper flew to Cankermore, and using their elemental magics, they blew down the door that protected the infamous Gnafia machine that cured skinrot in ages past. However, much to their chagrin, the machine did not work. Others, such as Talan and Arix Carthan, tried the machine in the gnomish aethership, the Starhopper, only to learn that this one failed as well. When asked, Gargle von Fixit explained that the machine did, in fact, work but its calibrations were focused on the original strain. So the pursuit for the cure began, causing all within the Basin of Life to scour for leads and clues.
It was Malorne of Serenwilde who started it all. Visiting Doctor Creshok zi’Prouep of Hallifax, he gave the good doctor a vial of his blood to analyse, for she was one of the few who recalled the original outbreak. Not too long after, Junior Fellow Tamashi of Hallifax inquired for any updates, but learned little. In the meantime, Lylith of Celest prayed to the Elder God Weiwae on behalf of Falmiis, who sought His healing knowledge for a cure, and the Golden Heart was discovered in Celest, by a cadre of Hallifaxian and Celestians. Weiwae suggested that by observing the origin of the disease at a healing mound, a healer could perhaps shed light on a possible cure, and Tamashi took on the challenge. Bleuu Hartfire and others attempted to find the late Eventru’s healing mound in Celestia, but it was Falmiis that suggested finding one on more neutral soil. After failing to find one in Faethorn, Arian of Serenwilde and Maligorn Shevat lead the wayward group to Mornhai. There, Tamashi used his healing magic to manipulate the auras of slain mosquitoes, and upon further investigation, was able to extract a substance with Calor Hartfire to deliver to Creshok.
While helpful, Creshok explained that the skinrot produced by the mosquitoes was highly mutagenic, and perhaps a fleshshaper of Gaudiguch would be useful for creating a vaccine. Tamashi took it upon himself to venture to Gaudiguch, parlaying with Synkarin for aid. Terms were set and agreed to, but soon enough, Synkarin was guided to the crystalline city. Aided by Tamashi, Synkarin, and Ileein Shevat, the good doctor was able to manipulate the substance drawn from 100 slain mosquitoes into a semblance of a vaccine. And with Synkarin as its first test subject, it was discovered to work. Creshok went to mass produce at once, and now it seems that a cure to skinrot will return once again to the Basin of Life.
But the question remains: why has Lion brought the jungle here? Indeed, it seems that there are more mysteries to solve. And if the whispers coming from Serenwilde seem to be true, a curse is afoot, and no one knows what may happen if it remains.
