Broken Mind

You haven't known true terror until you've seen the effects of Broken Mind. The soulless eyes staring back at you, hungering for yours. The Sinister grin. Oh that horrible grin! It won't stop, it won't go away. But worse are the laughs. The soulless, mirthless, evil laughter that emanates from those afflicted with this condition do not come from anything of this earth! It is the laughter of something dark and malevolent, waiting to rip the life out of everything in this world. I dare not go near the patients when they are like this.....I know of none who will.

Rapharius, healer and physician

Causes

Broken Mind appears to be caused by a number of things. Regularly eating spoiled meat, long term exposure to dark magics, and even spending too much time alone in the dark have all been known to cause it. But the most ordinary cause of it unfortunately appears to be Fireweed, an herb used to bring patients back from even the very brink of death. No one understands how or why Fireweed works the way it does, some say it is magic, some that it keeps the heart going, others that Reapers are allergic to it. However it works, occasionally it seems to bring the patient's body back without their soul.

Symptoms

Those afflicted with Broken Mind have lifeless eyes and a jaw locked in a twisted, terrifying grin that some refer to as evil. They are unresponsive to anything or anyone around them, and do not seem to comprehend what is going on. They sit staring at the wall for hours on end, occasionally breaking out in loud cackles or fits of laughter that those around them find incredibly disturbing and uncomfortable. They do not eat unless they are force fed, nor sleep unless under the influence of the strongest drugs. Sometimes, for no apparent reason, a patient will become violent, lashing out at others nearby, attempting to claw, bite, and rip them to death, killing them in violent and gruesome ways.

Treatment

There is no real treatment for this affliction. Even Greater Restoration only works some of the time. Most patients are simply admitted into asylums and cared for as best they can.

Prognosis

No one has ever naturally recovered from a case of Broken Mind. If Greater Restoration does not work, they are likely doomed to remain like this for the rest of their life, which will likely be short due to the effects of malnutrition, or the possibility of them being put down to save the lives of those attempting to care for them.

Sequela

Malnutrition, and the wasting away of muscles from disuse is common among those afflicted with Broken Mind. Heart rates and blood pressure also tend to rise due to the lack of sleep. Some wonder if this is what eventually causes them to lash out.

Prevention

Avoiding rotten meats, dark magic, or becoming lost in the underdark are all great preventative measures. Unfortunately, there is no known way to keep a patient who is administered Fireweed from befalling this condition.

Type

Mental

Cycle

Chronic, Acquired

Rarity

Rare