It was early Tzarin, 181CE when some members of New Celest encountered
an ill mugwump who was lost in Verasavir Valley, and became the first
victims to an unidentified plague. Soon realising the danger that this
strange disease represented, New Celest called for quarantine of the
infected and the mugwump was locked down by two guards, while others who
were uninfected were sent to investigate where the stranger came from,
reportedly to be in the Balach Swamp. Unfortunately, the ill mugwump
whose name was Boljo escaped the quarantine and unintentionally infected
many others before finally sequestered in the privacy of a manse. But it
was too little, too late, as the plague began spreading throughout the
Basin of Life.

It was discovered that Boljo was part of a research outpost consisting
of a small party of mugwumps. One of the mugwumps insisted this was
nothing but a small case of swamp fever, and asked help from others to
create a simple cure for Boljo from the frogs of the swamp. However,
while this may have cured Boljo of swamp fever, the plague was much more
and beyond the ability of any healer or mugwump to even see, much less
cure. The healers hypothesized that this was no physical ailment but one
of the spirit or aura. Straingely enough, most of those in Magnagora
were immune from the plague.

It was finally Boljo himself who designed a machine to penetrate this
auric illness. Demanding iron to create a set of metallic rings, and
filling them with incredibly magnetic lodestones, the machine was
acivated and the minds of mortals were suddenly cleared enough to detect
the disease, an ailment that warped their very auras. However, the
machine did nothing to cure the auras.

Growing ever more frustrated, the healers investigated their own
histories and knowledge, seeking out advise from the Supernals, Mother
Night, and Queen Maeve. Slowly, knowledge spread that past plagues such
as these had once afflicted the lands, and cures were found through the
immense ancient healing artifact known as the Well of Souls. Slowly the
pieces of information came together, and the healers unlocked the
answers of how the artifact was used in the past. They first needed to
drain power from themselves into the Well of Souls.

When the Well of Souls was finally filled, its energies poured into the
Prime Plane. It spread silently and quickly, diminishing the effects of
the plague until a great monstrosity was aroused into wakening. A being
known as the Dread Lord of Contagion made himself known, summoning
undead to his side and rallying them. Though he was hunted down and
killed by the combined efforts of the communes and New Celest, the Dread
Lord refused to know defeat and returned from oblivion many times,
though always to falling once more. At last, the Well of Souls surged
and banished his plagued presence. But before he was completely
banished, he shouted out, "You may have vanquished me for now, but the
plague continues on. Know that the third tribe has awakened and is
watching. Yes, we are watching very closely!" What these enigmatic words
meant, no one knew.

Refusing to tire, the healers continued to pour great amounts of energy
into the Well, finally bringing it to critical mass. Ite erupted in a
final surge of healing energy, which was successful in greatly
diminishing the effects of the disease. It was at this time that
Ayridion, who had been watching the pandemic closely, made His presence
known and summoned all healers to His Fulcrux. Encouraging them to
develop their knowledge with the empathic arts, He watched with interest
as each began to find their minds receptive to new powers, drawing on
their experiences to conjure auras of health and vitality around
themselves and others, alongside the ability to reproduce, in miniature,
the effects of the auric plague.

And so arrives a new time for Healers, blessed by the newfound knowledge
of mortal auras, their knowledge of healing has ever expanded. Though,
in some, the deepseated memory of the Dread Lord of Contagion's ominous
final words is not something that will quickly fade.

Penned by My hand on the 25th of Juliary, in the year 181 CE.