Work Text:
Long before the mages existed, the forces of life and death, of light and dark, were in accord. A careful dance, eternally circling each other in a constant, perpetual balance.
And then, as humans became more and more prominent, these forces shifted further and further out of balance. Life became stronger with each new human born, and for a while, Death took its due. As technology advanced, however, and humans learned how to live longer, stronger, even, Death started losing ground. Life was overpowering Death, but with it came the corruption, the blinding, of the Light. Morality and ethics were at an all time low, and selfish behaviors were the new norm.
Something needed to change.
Life and Death created champions, those who would keep the peace within the world. The Life mages, and the Death mages were the first to show in the Awakening. Other forces, such as Fate, Luck, and the Elements all made their champions, though these came later.
Unfortunately, all peace comes with a price. In the case of the Life and Death mages, this price came in the form of a curse. If a Life mage and a Death mage were ever to touch, their skin would burn and blister until the contact had been removed. Life mages were strong empaths, constantly bathing in the positive emotions of their fellows. Death mages, too, were empaths, though they got the misfortune of having to bear the negativity of the world.
Death mages, too, have a curse of their own. Not only are they forced to feel the negativity of their peers, they were forced to absorb it. They needed to release it in time, however, or they themselves would become one of the corrupted—one of the Wraiths.
There was no way to lift this curse. This is the way it is, and the way it will be, until the end of time itself.