The Pardoners say that they have always been together, in one form or another. In ancient times they were gentle healers who learned the arts of Castigation, and sought to teach them to other lost souls such as themselves. Some eventually went on to the Underworld, as they grew weary of their task, but many chose to remain behind so that others might benefit from their ways.

But being gentle and kind to their charges created too many mistakes. The numbers of the Damned grew too large to be managed, or repelled. Worse still, Emperor Charun - not a God, but a Wraith {some say the first} - became horribly Lost over the ages. None of his healers dared brave his wrath by forcing him to abandon things that placed him in spiritual jeopardy, and they could only salve his soul's wounds and hope he came around.

The result was the Sundering. One horrible day, Charun became Damned, and the hordes of Charontes and Dark Walkers he now commanded were sent aloft to rape the worlds of the Living and the Dead. Thankfully, some of the true Gods took pity upon the world, and placed the Barrier there to prevent the disaster from growing any worse.

But the Wraiths would not believe that their Emperor - their God - was now the enemy. When the Ferrymen {now corrupted Dark Walkers} broke through the Barrier and announced The Concord, the healers opposed them. But the newly-corrupted creatures declared them Anathema, and banished them from the cities. And those who would not willingly leave were rent limb from limb by the monsters, as an example to others.

In the wilderness, the healers were forced to see their failure, and put aside the path of mercy for one of war. They became the army in opposition: warning Wraiths of dangers that the "Ferrymen" represented, and defying their rule at every opportunity. And they learned the secret names of the Dark Walkers, so that the creatures dared not attack them directly, for they could send them back to Hell at any moment.

When The Concord was put to an end by the true Gods, the Pardoners cheered the end of the false Ferrymen's rule. However, they cheered alone, for the Wraiths they had helped "liberate" still refused to believe that Charun was corrupt, and were still enraptured by the lies of the Dark Walkers.

The Pardoners offered their help to the fledgling Order, in the hopes of working hand-in-hand to create a new society. But The Order rebuffed them, and paid more attention to the Dark Walkers - now forced into "advisory" positions by the Gods - than the warriors of the soul. In spite of all the Pardoners had to offer, they were turned away.

The Pardoners became enraged at his betrayal, and pledged that they would do what needed to be done in spite of this "Order," rather than with or alongside it. Ever since then, the Pardoners have walked their path alone. None dare make demands of them, nor stand in their way.

And those who have cause to defy them soon learn the folly of it.