Oracle's Curse

"Seeing the future, the past and what lies far away can strain and warp the minds of any mortal. Seeing the lives of long dead heroes or those that have not yet been born can leave a divination wizard wondering which memories are even their own." ~Levoith Silverscribe, Head Researcher of the Authenian Archives.

Transmission & Vectors

The Oracle's Curse is a condition that only affects divination wizards that spend long periods of time looking into the lives of those in either the future or past. By spending long periods of time absorbed in the life of another, they risk losing themselves.

Causes

Divination wizards that spend long periods of time using magic to see into the lives and minds of others sometimes have a mark left on their own psyche. They take in too much of the other person's thoughts, which can have permanent consequences on their own sense of self.

Symptoms

By spending so much time engrossed in the mind of another, some divination wizards risk losing the ability to be able to discern their memories from the person they are observing.
This leads to some divination wizards adopting personality traits belonging to the other person, believing the some of the other person's memories to be their own or even thinking that they are the person they were studying.
Those that lose their own identity often only respond to the subject of their observation's name, start to dress and act like them and even take on that person's motivations. Those that suffer from this kind of the condition often ignore any major bodily differences between them and the person that they are imitating, believing themselves to be of the gender of the person they are imitating, ignoring any scars on their body that shouldn't be there and not caring about the colour of their hair and eyes.

"If you've ever seen a redheaded high elf running around the archives telling people that she's actually King Odysseus, then you know exactly how dangerous Oracle's Curse can be." ~Levoith Silverscribe, Head Researcher of the Authenian Archives.

Treatment

"If memories make us who we are, then those who suffer from Oracle's Curse are no longer who they once were, and nothing can change that fact."~ Archimedes Church, Director of the Authenian Arcane Committee.

There is no known way to treat those with Oracle's Curse. They are defiant and stubborn to any attempts to convince them that they are not who they believe they are.

Affected Groups

Divination wizards who spend long periods of time watching the actions or reading the minds of others are the only people at risk of developing this strange mental illness. The more powerful the spell they are casting, the more likely they are to develop this.

Prevention

The Authenian Arcane Committee has started using warforged as divination wizards, as they seem to be immune to Oracle's Curse. Levoith Silverscribe himself was constructed as a divination wizard so that no mage would be driven to madness.

Type

Mental

Origin

Magical

Cycle

Chronic, Acquired

Rarity

Uncommon