Shardmind

He had changed. I wasn't sure at first but then he started speaking fluent Minhon. If that were not unusual enough, he started collecting metal goblets when before he only would drink out of ceramic or wooden. When Tiom broke a goblet and the blood was all over the room, I had to attest to the officials that he had gone mad. The clerics said he had the shardmind and there was nothing to be done. I know he is in there, but what can I do?

Transmission & Vectors

It is typically acquired when a creature comes into contact with restless spirit fragments during an auric or aetheric event.

Causes

A fragment of a spirit's soul gets lodged into the mind of another creature. This bonds with the creature and can in some cases contain memories, but always manifests emotions.

Symptoms

Symptoms include; headaches, nausea, acquiring of new phobias and fascinations. Emotional shifts and behavioral shifts also occur, but are at times indistinguishable from post traumatic stress disorder.

Treatment

The treatment can be as bad as the condition. It requires psychic surgery, which in many cases removes portions of the recipients own personality. In the worst cases leaves them a living, breathing doll unable to survive on their own. The most recommended course of treatment is extensive therapy in the hopes that the soul fragment can be integrated safely into the parent personality and mind.

Prevention

In addition to protecting the bodies clerics often tend graveyards to prevent restless souls from getting out and about. This limits the potential exposure to other spirits and the likelihood of this condition developing. It has been proposed that their might be a way of limiting Auric events, but as most are precipitated by stellar phenomenon, no foolproof method has been developed to fully mitigate this part of the condition.

Cultural Reception

About half with the condition can go on to lead productive lives, the other half typically end up with ruined lives and must be incarcerated or contained. Any Shardmind exhibiting violent tendencies is subjected to psychic surgery or sentenced to death as such a condition is extremely feared.

Type

Magical