Aether Sickness: Magical Radiation Poisoning

Such a thing as too much Magic

Created by C.A. DuChane Social Zombii Games

Caylan cursed his luck that somehow the crash had not killed him...
If not for his unpleasant encounter with a Melicanti raiding ship he would be home know, but with his ship distoryed, and his personal Null gear about to fail him he feared the worst. He swolled hard as a lump formed in the back of his throat.
He could remember his fathers tales of how the aether, the very power of magic that allow the trained to reshape world, could in high doses chaotic reshape ones own form at the cellular level. It would be a painful process, that would would involve the tearing and reformation of muscel, fleash, and bones. Best case his organs would fail him quickly and while painful it was no where near as bad as turning into a writhing mass of pain overgrown in strange and painful ways with tumors and endless hunger like the "Levi".
Too unbearable to picture Caylan new that he really only had two options start hiking in hopes of find shelter with one of the races that has survived the surface...a very rare occurrence or end it all quickly with his side arm. A braver or dumber man would have searched for help, but alas Caylan knew the odds, and in taking the easy option available to him that is how his story ended.

Transmission & Vectors

It is best described as Magic Radiation Poisoning. Could be considered to be an environmental hazard. The patient themselves becomes a vector once they have absorbed enough Aether to then be a hazardous Aether Radiation source, how ever this is rare, as most patients die long before this is an issue.

Causes

It is a environmental hazard. It is caused by spending too much time in Crystal Mines, exposed to damaged Aether Engins, or unprotected on the surface of the Sorti itself.

Symptoms

Nausea, Vomiting, Boils, Lesions, Abnormal Mental conditions (including: Rage, Confusion, and Lose of Identity), and Tumor like growths.

Treatment

The only treatment for Aether Sickness long is to remove infected from the environmental cause as soon as possible. Then patient must then be placed is isolation in a null magic chamber (NRC), as specialist use the patient as a kind of magical battery of sorts to draw the excess magical power out of the patients body. Once the magic is removed, and not before, then healing magic maybe applied to heal the damaged body. Through out the process the patient maybe treated with anti-inflammatory medication, pain medication, IV, nausea medication, blood transfusion, and preferably be sedated.
In many cases surgery is required to remove tumors, and infected/damage organs/body parts.

Prognosis

Conditions starts with headaches, lethargy, extreme nausea, unexplained pain, and quickly proceeds to later stages which include cell mutation, becoming a carer, tumors, and organ failure. If patient is removed from hazard early the condition can be halted. If the condition is left untreated then it results in death 98% of the time. In the other 2% of cases the patient becomes a mutated monster known as a "Levi".

Affected Groups

Any my become infection, but the condition progresses fastest in the young, old, and those with compromised health.

Prevention

Prevention includes staying out of hazardous areas, and always using Null Aether Protective Gear or Amulets when enter hazardous areas.

Epidemiology

The condition can spread from late stage carrier but only to one generation. Second generation of infected will not be able to spread the infection further due to a lack of residual Aether required to spread the illness further. The exception to this is if the they are additionally exposed to an additional Aether Hazard.

History

First recorded case happened during the Wrath when an unknown event cause Aether begin to spread out and damage the whole of Sorti in 12570CR.

Cultural Reception

Current Infected are treated with an odd mix of sympathy, revulsion (depending on state of mutation of cells) and fear. Survivors are revered for the ordeal they have overcome, and depending on the case may even be treated as folk heroes of sorts.

Type

Magical

Origin

Natural

Cycle

Short-term

Rarity

Unique