Infixial Schisming: A Medical Report

By Matryoshka

Infixial Schisms

The scholarly among you will recognize the term "infixial schism" as what happens when Amastya of opposing varieties are present in the same section of the same system. The Amastya clashes, causing ambient Entropy or Change Amastya is introduced into the system, altering or breaking it in some way. This phenomenon has caused many a roadblock in the fields of both engineering and practical magic; problems that have yet to be circumvented to this day.

 

There is, however, a third field that has been ravaged by this phenomenon. Medicine. Though it is not common on other Segments so far as we have observed, citizens of Veilee that spend too much time in diametrically opposed environments [such as Amahitza and Carnoj] and become highly infixed by two opposing varieties of Amastya suffer the same effects as other systems: they break. Although this phenomenon doesn't often occur without extended periods of time in opposing environments, it is nonetheless a serious threat, especially now that the Pathways have opened.

Why I Write This

Our sample size for this illness has, blessedly, been quite small. Only two or three instances have been discovered in each generation, with most being rather mild and reversible. With that said, I currently have in my care a patient that has undergone severe schisms multiple times over the course of his life. He is so highly infixed with both Emotion and Mind that he has begun to attract large quantities of both, creating an ongoing schism that has been threatening his life for some time now.

A scholarly reader may note that Emotion is not guaranteed to schism against anything - it is one of the most fickle of the sixteen, with each of its subvariants having different reactions depending on a myriad of other parameters. This is true, but it does not paint the full picture.

 

My patient originates from Amahitza, where all actions are carefully weighed before taken. He then spent a significant amount of time in Carnoj, where emotions rule, consequences be damned. This difference in complete rationality and unfettered irrationality has caused all subvariants of Emotion Amastya to schism against Mind Amastya. His happiness has become manic episodes, his sadness a deep depression, his fear has become utter panic, and so on. Because the Mind processes and imprints Emotion, and my patient's Mind Amastya has been conditioned to restrict the influence of Emotion on their Intention, this wild, uncontrollable Emotion produces strain and a schism is triggered.

This patient has been in my care for two years now, and I have yet to find any treatment method that assists him. I have attempted to keep him isolated from things that would cause emotional or mental distress, I have tried to keep him sedated, I have tried to set up a bounded field around his room so that no ambient Amastya may infix him, and I have placed several wells for Entropy and Change around the room to mitigate the intensity of the schisms. Nothing has worked - even with a full bounded field, Entropy and Change somehow find their way to him by a method I can only guess at.

So, I write this article detailing the symptoms this illness in the hopes that someone may come to me with a solution that I have not tried. I will forewarn you: this is not for the faint of heart. If you are easily disturbed by descriptions of wounds or other physical injury, read this document at your own risk.

The Effects of Biological Schisms

Unlike in most other circumstances, biological schisms are localized reactions. Often times, an object that has been forced to undergo a schism is totally affected by it; if one section of the object turns to stone, so does the rest of it. This is, I think, because Amastya inside of objects is moving as much as Amastya inside of biologically active systems - people. In a flat, stable environment, the Entropy or Change Amastya that is introduced into the system spreads out rapidly and without much resistance, covering the entirety of the affected system. People, however, have very active "tidal" forces in their Amastya. Everything, from breathing to reading to thinking causes disruptions in the "atmosphere" of a persons inculated Amastya. This tumultuous environment is much more difficult for invasive Amastya to travel through, and so it is burned up before it spreads out evenly.

It is for this reason that people afflicted with this illness do not instantly perish during their first schism. The effects of infixial schisms can be difficult to predict. There is some evidence showing that the circumstances surrounding the schism, including the component Amastya's variant and quantity can change the type of Amastya that is introduced by the schism, and even the actual effect of Change Amastya, should it be the variant that is introduced. This evidence, however, is not well understood, and there is no easy equation that we have found to produce a prediction for the result of schisms. I have compiled a list of effects that I have seen take in my patient, but I was not able to get an accurate read on the state of his internal Amastya at the time of schisming, so this should not be taken as evidence to support any equation-builders, only as a laundry list of potential ailments this phenomenon can cause.

• Entropy Amastya introduced. Lacerations across the arm and lower torso; minor disintegration around the edges of the wounds. Potentially fatal. Treatable.
• Change Amastya introduced. Partial petrification. Some only skin-deep, some reaching all the way to the bone. Potentially fatal. Non-treatable.
• Body Amastya introduced. Several growths akin to ulcers appeared across various internal tissues. Treatable.
• Change Amastya introduced. Ocular organs dangerously altered - specifics not fully understood, only that the patient lost his sight. Apparently permeant. Non-treatable.
• Motion Amastya introduced. Something akin to electricity discharged through the skin. Severe burns. Treatable.
• Entropy Amastya introduced. Total amputation of left leg. Potentially fatal. Non-treatable.
• Stability Amastya introduced. Left side of face too stiff to move. Non-treatable.
• Change Amastya introduced. Coloration of left hand shifted. Harmless? Non-treatable.

It should be specified that when I denote a symptom as "non-treatable," I mean that I have yet to find a way. Should anyone have any ideas on further treatment, please contact me. My office is at 10 Foundling Street, Port of Stories, Veilee.

Type

Supernatural