Smiler

Turn away my dear. You can't...You...can't help her anymore. That smile, it's all she is now. Empty...thoughtless...only smiling.

— A family member of a Smiler Victim

A smile, something many would call beautiful despite the face it might appear in. Something humans generally use during moments of satisfaction or happiness. But what if it was all you could do? What if it took you over? Consumed you till all that made you, memories, feelings and thoughts are gone? You don't have to imagine it. It is a reality. It is Smiler.

Symptoms

Like most mental afflictions, Smiler makes no difference between classes, races, age or gender. Everyone can get it at any time, however, most reported cases are either children under the age of 12 or adults over the age of 60. It usually appears in one of three variants:

Kind Smiler

A variant mostly affecting children from the ages of 12 till 15. Often also described as "Unnatural Giddiness", it usually results in hyperactivity and an overly positive disposition, even in the face of severe personal tragedies.

Long Smiler

Affecting adults in their mid-20s, this variant is more severe than its predecessor. Phases of inactivity, sometimes reaching lengths of over 1 hour are the most common symptom. The Kind Smile can evolve into this stage (1 in 10 cases)

Eternal Smiler

The most infamous manifestation of the disease. Complete consumption of anything that is part of the afflicted personality. 1 in a 1000 cases of Kind Smile and 1in 500 cases of Long Smile can evolve into this stage.

As the most infamous and best-documented manifestation we will consider a case of Eternal Smiler to demonstrate the course of the disease:

• Stage 1: Periods of increased happiness. Faster recovery from setbacks and tragedies. Duration estimated between one and five years.

• Stage 2: Patient experiences a continuing good mood. Emotions like sadness, slowly reduced over Stage 1, disappear completely. Onset about one week after Stage 1 ends.

• Stage 3: About one year after onset of Stage 2, affected individual falls into repeated states of inactivity. No reaction to any outside stimulus. Only emotion shown is a widening grin on the patient's face. Onset one week after Stage 2 ends.

• Stage 4: Five months after initiation of Stage 3, patients lapses of inactivity have taken over half the day. Grin has widened to a wide smile. During "wake" moments afflicted note memory loss. Often don't recognize lovers or family members anymore. Any other form of emotion aside from happiness has seized.

• Stage 5: Final Stage. Patient remains in a constant state of inactivity. No reaction to any outside stimuli. Face shows no emotion outside an earsplitting grin. Afflicted will still take in food and water on their own. They remain so until the end of their life. Begin about three months after onset of Stage 4.

!Note! The above is taken from the records of the Medical Archive of Rhomeia. Pictured is the most common variant of the affliction. While slight variations exist, these appear only in 1 out 5000 cases.
During the reign of the Third Tarquinnian Hegemony, measures were introduced to count and classify the number of mentally afflicted. Every six months, the heads of the so-called mental wards are obligated to submit a report, detailing the current number of patients sorted by affliction, number of new cases as well as deaths caused by illness. The most recent census (3324 DA) noted over 7500 cases of Smiler within the Hegemonies borders.

Type

Mental

Origin

Natural

Rarity

Rare

Mental Afflictions in Vardania
There are a variety of mental afflictions known to the people of Vardania. From the harmless and often seen as hilarious Loudmouth and its many colourful insults to the utter insanity that is Manyface.
While Ferans either ignore most of them or declare them some form of insanity and lock the ill away, Vardanians have actively taken to studying them. Large Hospitare or Houses of the Ill have dedicated parts for the treatment and study of those unfortunate enough to be afflicted.

And to anyone claiming that the gods are merciful. Take a look into one of those tracts for the mentally ill. If you still hang on your beliefs after that, your either a fanatic or absolute fool. Not that there's much difference anyway.

— Anti-Religious Activist