Mage's Plague

The Mage's Plague is a magical disease that most strongly affects those with magical powers. It is most well-known for the breakout of this disease in Atarin in 2900.

Transmission & Vectors

The disease is transmitted via arcane means, so those who use magic to attempt to cure someone already affected by the disease can often contract the disease themselves by doing so.

Symptoms

Mage's Plague begins with a loss of arcane spellcasting abilities. At first, those affected by it may lose spells they have prepared without having cast them, take longer to prepare spells, and eventually become unable to cast spells in general. Mages lose their abilities beginning with the most powerful ones, and eventually find themselves unable to perform even cantrips.

After feeding on his spells, the disease begins to feed on the victim's mind. He goes slowly insane, and then his physical body begins to deteriorate.

Treatment

The only known method of treating Mage's Plague is by arcane means, which usually ends up infecting the mage performing the treatment. Unfortunately, unlike mundane diseases, it is possible to catch Mage's Plague again after being treated for it. This results in a cycle in which a mage cured by another mage ends up infecting his friend, then in curing his friend he becomes once again infected himself. Many tales of the outbreak of 2900 in Pyrermos tell of one wizard who survived only by passing his now augmented infection to his healer and causing her swift death.

Prognosis

Without treatment, the course of the disease ends in death, and this end comes more quickly for those with more powerful arcane abilities. The disease gains power by feeding on the arcane energy of its victims, and therefore can drain the victim's life more quickly if it has more food.

History

The largest and most well-known outbreak of Mage's Plague was during the early 2900s in Atarin. In originated in Pyrermos at Elqor University, where many of the wizards of the university contracted it by using arcane means to study it and search for a cure.

Type

Magical

Origin

Magical