The Quickening
The inconsistent aging process of Gnomes that they accidentally cursed themselves with.
Causes
Gnomes are born with the Quickening, a result of their ancestors experimentation with Magic.
Symptoms
The Quickening results in Gnomes ceasing to age for random periods of time, followed by a period of time of rapid aging. the result is Gnomes who are ancient appearing young and vibrant, and Gnomes who are young appearing weathered and frail. the results are unpredictable.
Treatment
The only treatment that has proven to have any kind of success is the Transmutation that some Gnomes underwent to become Goblins. The spells that once allowed Gnomes to escape in this way if they chose are now lost and considered Dead Magic.
Prognosis
The Quickening is considered the 'natural' death of most Gnomes who don't die to sickness or violence. Even Gnome remains are afflicted by the Quickening, decaying at random intervals.
History
During the ancient war with the Dragons, Gnomes began to tap into the Ley Lines that the Dragons used to cast their magics. Gnomes developed the school of wizardry, experimenting with various sounds, materials, and gestures to invoke the power of the Arcane. during their attempts to study and master the Ley Lines, they began to develop spells which were precursors to spells known to this day such as Haste and Time Stop. The first attempts by the Gnomes to manipulate the Ley Lines in this manner however, backfired and caused them to undergo a series of random chronological shifts as they call it.
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