Oasis

Long before Vintage and Martyr met, there was a sect of the Arcane that studied particularly rare gems of the swamps along the far eastern edge of the territory of the scarred wasteland. These gems were said to have the ability to enhance plant life and perhaps even reanimated fauna and flora. When several of this sect began to find evidence in their experiments that would suggest this tall tale was true, the plague lands inhabitants were non to kind about the findings.
Several of the arcane herbalists and others interested in the use of these stones were attacked and sent back to Arcane as a warning. Only after it was clear the Arcanites would not let their discoveries go unstudied, did an ambassador come from the plaguelands. He was a shaman, a mirror of great prestige in the plague land. His eyes red and his feet leaving a trail of red mud through the arcane tower, he came to were the dragons had gathered as many of the gems as they could find, and demanded them back.
He explained there was a fine line between plague's life and natures, the balance of which was not to be messed with. Much more was said and not recorded for it's secrecy was meant for those only in that sect. With his telling of the secrets, the dragons decided it would be best to give back the power of the gems.
Only two did not, an imperial and a skydancer, both tucked the gems away and decided to keep studying them in secret. It was not long until the skydancer realized that she was not aging, and she always began to notice the lack of age upon the imperial she knew well, she confronted him and he admitted to also having a stone.
They decided together to destroy the stones.
On a full moon they met in secret and smashed the stones, only in doing so, they found, to their great horror, that the stones dust clung to them and the swampy green stained their skin and wings.
The skydancer's forehead, the gem she so prized, changed colours and matched the color of the gem, the imerpials skin changed and glistened until he himself looked like the gem.
It was this that led Martyr and Vintage to eachother, and to their new home in Arcane away from the sect.
Only their swamp laden children a reminder of the curse they had put upon their blood.
And oh what a curse it was...