Arcane Insanity

Dubbed "Mage Madness" by some.

There's a reason some things remain undiscovered.

Transmission & Vectors

Arcane Insanity does not spread on its own like a traditional affliction, but can easily spread on a more metaphysical level by the ones already afflicted sharing their knowledge and forming cults surrounding their findings.

Causes

Arcane Insanity manifests when researchers, usually wizards or other studiers of magic, delve far too deep into their studies and uncover long lost arts and magic that was buried ages ago for a reason.

Symptoms

The mental affliction begins with psychotic and obsessive traits, the afflicted researcher locking themselves away or acting particularly unhinged about their work and research, often foregoing basic needs such as food and water to continue their studies.

Their personality slowly drains from them is replaced with obsession, admiration or hatred for whatever, or whoever, they discovered to spiral them into such madness as it becomes their very being and personality, slowly becoming nothing but an acolyte in worship of this ancient magic.

Treatment

While there have been attempts to treat those afflicted, the minds of novice spellcasters and researches proved to be too weak for these discoveries, their mental being completely warped and shattered.

There have been advancements in attempts to treat it however, while not fully treatable as of yet some sympotms can be reduced with heavy therapy and soothing, mind numbing drugs.

Prognosis

The condition is not fatal, yet those afflicted with Arcane Insanity essentially suffer the death of their former self, becoming a whole new person solely focused on this new obsession.

Sequela

A very roundabout and not recommended way of treating various mental disorders, but Arcane Insanity has been seen to actually rid the afflicted of any previous mental ailments they have had prior as the obsession practically takes over the brain.

It has been observed to completely get rid of onset depression, paranoia, PTSD and various others, even making the afflicted immune to their previous habits involving these.

Affected Groups

The most likely to contract the madness are researchers who specifically delve into ancient ruins and study ancient magic and civilizations.

Prevention

There is no known prevention of Arcane Insanity if one still wishes to research topics best left buried, as simply not pursuing forbidden knowledge is the only known prevention.

History

The first recorded case of Arcane Insanity was written about back during the Grey Age. During the first rise of Lord Chaffinch, a wandering arcanist sought to take matters into his own hands and find a way to stop the skeleton lord of misery from terrorizing the nomadic population of Osteodor, so he ventured into the ancient ruins of the Mirai and sought out their ancient arts.

Nobody truly knows what happened to the arcanist, but he supposedly retained enough of himself to write of the affliction, and vaguely about his discoveries.

His journals and notes were discovered deep within Osteodor caves but the arcanist, or even a body, was never found.

Cultural Reception

Those afflicted with Arcane Insanity are seen as dangerous, potentially spreading their forbidden knowledge to the masses or, depending on what they've uncovered, attempting to bring harm, kidnap, or experiment on others in the name of their new obsession. For this reason, many tend to stay away from mages who exhibit symptoms of the madness, but usually due to their new self destructive and possessive tendencies over their new work and obsession, they do this themselves and tend to stray away from civilization or social contact.

Type

Mental

Origin

Magical

Cycle

Chronic, Acquired

Rarity

Rare