The Gloom

Imagine a sadness so deep, so pervasive, that it seems to sink into your very bones. It feasts on your hopes and dreams until it consumes them until you're left with naught but the deepest melancholy in your soul. The Gloom strikes seldom, but when it does, it strikes hard. Pray that none you love face this fate, for no one has ever been known to recover.
-Orbri Cobbleshort, gnomish sage

Causes

No one seems to know why The Gloom strikes some and not others, but many believe that it has to do with the extraplanar blood that flows through the veins of most people on Bastarre. Between that and the utter hopelessness that many feel about the world ever getting better, it's no wonder that some succumb to this malady.

Symptoms

It starts mildly enough, usually not long after the onset of adulthood, although occasionally it will strike someone younger. It starts with occasional nightmares, not an unusual part of life on Bastarre, but those who have them describe them as seeming very real, with an omnipresent "something" lurking nearby. The nightmares do not come frequently at first, leaving many to brush them off after awhile.
A few months, or sometimes even a few years, before the nightmares start, those cursed with The Gloom begin to feel as if they're being watched, bringing to their minds the lurking presence in the nightmares. Some say they can see something out of the corner of their eye, but it eludes them when they turn to try and face it.
Once this symptom appears, the nightmares come more frequently, and a deep feeling of sadness and depression sets in. This is sometimes accompanied by paranoia, but this is not always the case. The sadness continues to deepen, with little respite, and the nightmares bring a deep desire to avoid sleeping at all costs. The exhaustion that comes from this exacerbates the other feelings, making a vicious circle that most never recover from. Those without loved ones to care for them usually wander, trying to find a place where The Gloom is not,. Self-care becomes unimportant, and most of these isolated souls eventually die from lack of sustenance or from wandering into danger.

Treatment

This condition is difficult to treat. Even divine magic does not guarantee recovery, although from time to time it has helped. Rarely has there been a case of someone overcoming The Gloom, but a small number of victims have managed it somehow.

Cultural Reception

Most people avoid those who have been affected by this condition. While it's never been shown to be contagious, most would rather avoid taking the chance. Most people also do not want to be around people in this condition since such people make life even less joyful than it already is.

Type

Mental

Rarity

Rare