Arcana's Deal With Lúthil

Arcane and druidic spells have been around since the Dawn Era and possibly even before.  When the gods left Bal-Kriav and the Prime Material Plane for the Outer Planes, they left caches of magic items, tomes, scrolls and other relics in secret vaults or hidden away in some out of the way place.

As a result, mortals had to re-discover many of the spells that were in common use during the Dawn War.

start of the Verdigris Tsunami spell

The god Arcana helped this "re-disovery" along when he made a deal with the eladrin of Lúthil.  This deal led to the advancement of both arcane and drudic magic.   This agreement between Ioun and the people of Lúthil became known as the Lúthil Ioun Deal.

When at times they seemed to be on the brink of defeat, a break-through would occur in halls of Guinedhel, a new spell would be learned from some ancient text or created by one Guinedhel's researchers.  This new spell would either halt the advance or turn back the assault of their enemies.  The spells that came out of Guinedhel forestalled the advance of Saer Erkjorg for nearly three decades.  When the Thraedli turned to toxic gases and disease for breakthroughs, the arcane and druidic spells of Guinedhel were not what was needed.  The defenders of Lúthil needed potent healing magic.  The sort of healing spells they needed were not available to them because of a deal they made with Ioun. 

In exchange for hints of the whereabouts of ancient caches of magic from the Dawn Era and God Era, they would have to give up their most potent healing magic.  The things explorers found in the hidden caches were scrolls, tomes, and magic items left over from before the Lith-Crillion Era - magic that had not been forgotten, only kept out of mortal hands until it was found.  Ioun speeded up the access to such magic with the Lúthil Ioun Deal.  When the 20 year pact ended between Ioun and the people of Lúthil, the healing arts above the Fifth Echelon were returned, but by then the giant hordes of Saer Erkjorg were catapulting and hurling pots of foul ichor, disease-ridden corpses, and other toxic projectiles into the city.

Lúthil fell, the eladrin fled south, Saer Erkjorg were entering a decline, and arcane and druidic magic were greatly advanced, all because of this deal between mortals and the god Ioun.  We can only speculate as to what Ioun got out of this deal.

- Eingoth Ramdûr, of the Neetch Institute, - "Lúthil Ioun Deal"