Tidal Mind

An rare ailment it was most commonly seen among sailors who deal with the strange and unusual it has become increasingly more common to others with the discovery of Forbuho. Those afflicted will have various mood swings and suffer other afflictions at random intervals with no known consistency. Due to the strange nature and common affliction of sailors the affliction has gained the name tidal mind for the effects of ones sanity flowing in and out with the tide. Seen as a debilitating and often fatal affliction those who are cursed with tidal mind are seen as unreliable and pitiable.

Transmission & Vectors

Transmission is often through cursed objects that were once used as a focus for greater undead spirits.

Causes

Those afflicted by tidal mind suffer from two major issues, the afflicted becomes a beacon unto ghosts, phantoms, and other such undead The second issue is the afflicted's body becomes a spiritual quagmire that absorbs the spirits drawn to them, forcing the ghosts within the body.

Symptoms

Those with tidal mind might hear, see, smell, or feel things no one else does often described as a number of people all trying to tell the victim something at the same time. Because of this sensory onslaught many afflicted have a hard time organizing their thoughts. They might not be able to follow conversations and when they talk, their words can come out jumbled and not make sense.

Treatment

There is no known treatment to heal the condition. The only available treatment to subdue the symptoms is regular use of divine magic to supress their condition or frequent ritual exorcism.

History

When the Blood King overthrew the Undying Ghost Queen and her Court of Breath to prevent the court from ever regaining their strength a number of traps were laid to remove supporters and the spirits themselves.
While the spirits of the dead used precious objects known as fetters to keep their spirits bound to the material plane if they were destroyed the spirits had a much harder time interacting with the world. Some objects were powerful enough that their destruction would lead to greater troubles and thus were instead cursed to afflict any who dared touch the fetter with the necromantic curse that became known as the tidal mind. The objects were then sent to the furthest reaches of the the Svartálfar Courts of the Dead only to have been lost to time along side the Svartálfar themselves. Occasionally a seaman or unlucky beachcomber will find an artifact washed ashore only to trigger the curse and become afflicted with a tidal mind themselves.

Cultural Reception

Seen mostly among sailors it was originally misdiagnosed as possession, cabin fever, and other similar ailments before a witch doctor was able to diagnose the true condition. Regardless of the nature the afflicted were seen as poor souls to be pitied and offered a injury compensation from most ships. Several ports have collected the afflicted in asylums where the compensation is used to treat and care for those who, when gripped with the affliction at it's worst times, are unable to care for themselves.

Type

Mental

Origin

Magical

Cycle

Chronic, Acquired

Rarity

Rare