“The Blindness” was an epic, worldwide event that occurred on 29 October (Creation Day) 1131.

At around 6 pm that evening, some kind of magical wave swept the world and made everybody “blind” for about ten minutes. Most people shook this off and now pretend it never happened. But a small percentage of the population was affected, sometimes in profound ways.

Some went insane. But a very few were “gifted” (or “cursed”) with seemingly random magical abilities (mostly involving sight). Most churches preach that this was an ordinary natural event, and that the gods shielded their flocks from even worse consequences. But many people are suspicious of that explanation.

The most fervent of these skeptics have formed a small cult called “The Yellow Witnesses” (or simply “The Witnesses”). They are concentrated in the region of Cheraî on the Main Continent, but seem to be spreading. However, as their main slogan is “The gods are lying to you”, they are slow to gain new converts and are generally considered fringe lunatics.