Jitter Plague

The Jitter Plague
Once there was a bard, known throughout the land. Their skill was such that few could compare, and none could resist the urge to dance when they began to play. Unfortunately, they were mortal, and as all mortals, they craved immortality. The bard had sung of such futile hopes in the past and sought to sidestep the hubris that struck individuals like them. And so they sought immortality not through ever-lasting life, but through a legacy that would survive the passage of eons. They accomplished this by making a deal with a powerful entity of unknown origin. Amplifying their ability to the height of a god, they traveled the land, playing constantly, pausing not for rest nor sustenance. It was as if their music sustained them, giving them the strength to continue for ten years and ten days. When finally they breathed their last they had crossed the whole of Yaroth, and returned home, finishing their decade-long dance at the foot of their grave, falling into the open pit they had dug so long ago.
Dead before they even hit the ground, the bard would not hear that their song continued on without the player, no longer requiring the bard. All who crossed paths with this strange song found themselves unable to resist its call, dancing along with it no matter how busy they were. On and on the song continued, gathering dancers and replacing those that had dropped dead from exhaustion. The lucky ones fell unconscious and fell outside the influence of the song. Though these survivors would indeed live, they would find that for the rest of their lives, hearing music brought them intense pain. The song continued on despite the losses, occasionally leading its dancers off cliffs, through dangerous wilderness, or through deserts. Whole towns were swept away by the song, their citizens carried into the wilderness, never to be seen again.
In time efforts were launched to dispel the song, or destroy it though all efforts were in vain. The only thing that could be done when the song was sighted was to evacuate, fleeing the area until long after it had departed. This continued for some time, though the exact number of years is not known. Towns, even whole cities fled whenever the song was detected, leaving the song without listeners save for the animals it crossed though they could not appreciate it. This changed after the song had gone over a year and a day without a listener, sparking a change in it. Where before it was only a shapeless mass of shifting sound, now it was visible.

A mass of faint blue wisps gathered at the center of the song, dancing along to its tune, and enticing in those curious of the lights. With the new listeners acquired the song expanded, and soon ghostly dancers began to appear amidst the captivated audience. The song was growing, adapting, and becoming a greater threat. Mages were called on, and bounties were placed but again none could stop it. That was until a young apprentice who had lost their mentor to the song, did battle with the wayward creation. In the end the mage disappeared, but the song was stopped and soon the people forgot about them, both the song, and their savior.
Willo The Bard Five years later, a bard going by the name of Willo would appear, bearing a striking resemblance to the lost mage. This bard was captivating, but their ghostly blue appearance and numerous layers of clothing limited their performance. They didn't seem to mind however, and continued to travel, becoming just another odd traveler walking the forgotten roads of Yaroth.