Dimensional Corruption

Day 1 of observation of (Redacted): Patient has been shivering ever since returning from xer mission, but very personable and talkative. That said, we are keeping a very close eye on xem, as this could be a particularly rare form of Dimensional Corruption in its early stages.

— Patient file from a staff member at the Filarwo Hospital

Magic is commonly a potent mixture of the energy from various dimensions. It is very difficult, although not impossible, to tease out the origins of all the magical energy in a given place. The worry is that if one kind of energy begins to dominate in a spot, it can start to warp any objects near it. The umbrella term for the effect this has on creatures and objects is known as Dimensional Corruption.

Effects on Objects

Day 15 of observation of (Redacted): We continue to watch as xe still refuses to drink any water or get up from xer bed. In fact, an orderly who tried to give xem some water to drink witnessed a strange event: the water suddenly darkened in colour and gave off a strong smell similar to seawater. We are now treating this as a case of Dimensional Corruption, possibly from The Labyrinthine Depths and quarantining xem accordingly.

Dimensional Corruption tends to mostly be seen in objects, as they are often stationary in areas heavily bombarded by dimensional energy while creatures tend to move in and out of the energy's area of effect. The vast majority of these objects will lose those properties once they leave the area of effect, so the best way to fix any perceived Corruption is to simply remove the object from the zone or remove the source of the energy.
As anyone can attest to, the actual effect of the Corruption will depend on the dimension of the energy's origin. For example:

• Liquids that aren't oil or pastes will spontaneously dry in areas affected by energy from the Tortuous Fire;
• Wooden objects in areas affected by the energy of Faerie will grow mold or grass over time, possibly even small plants; and
• Digital or magnetic devices - notably compasses - will spin and short-circuit if left near rifts leading to the Aberrant Realm 

Effects on People

Day 18 of observation of (Redacted): We don't know where xe went or what happened to xem, but an orderly went to bring xem food and could only hear a very loud slapping sound and a melodious singing voice in an untranslatable tongue. Orderly left xer food in the slot and steadfastly refused to return to the room.

This condition is most terrifying in its effects on people. It's one thing to watch unworldly fire consume a prized possession; it's entirely another to watch as someone's skin begins to bake and crack under the invisible heat of some terrible extradimensional malice. 
The first few symptoms and the ensuing condition are dependent, as with objects, on the dimension from which the energy takes its source, as illustrated by the following examples:

• For those suffering from Dimensional Corruption due to exposure to the Unending Abyss, items they are around begin to give in to natural entropy at an accelerated rate. Eventually, they begin to watch as their own body withers away as entropy claims it, too.
• People afflicted by an overabundance of Enigma Poisoning will slowly be claimed by the world of their dreams until their brains melt and they die.

Day 19 of observation of (Redacted): This will be the final report for (Redacted), as when another orderly went to check on xem last night, they entered the room to find it flooded many feet deep with seawater. It appears that the Corruption caused the room to fill up until the patient drowned, xer body wrapped to the bed with large twisting strands of summoned seaweed. 

Type

Supernatural

Children

• Enigma Poisoning

Origin

Magical

Cycle

Short-term

Rarity

Extremely Rare

Similarities to the Change 

The study of cases of Dimensional Corruption in sophonts has led to a better developed understanding of how the Change operates. Some even put forth the theory that the Change is a very unspecific or generalized form of Dimensional Corruption, although this is still heavily disputed. There simply aren't enough specific studies into Dimensional Corruption cases while the afflicted were still alive to fully confirm or deny the hypothesis. There would also need to be a way to carefully catalogue the energy received by a sophont before the Change occurred, which is extremely difficult to predict and even harder to measure accurately. 

Symptom of Dimensional Boons

Some mages gain their abilities through a connection to a specific energy source from a certain dimension. This is the only known way that someone could purposefully give themself Dimensional Corruption. A condition like this is particularly common with Fire demons and Fay, as they often use sophonts as pawns in their larger schemes, but other kinds of demons can do this as well depending on their personality and goals.
Many people who have received magical abilities in this way feel a sense of obligation to the demon giving this power. In the case of Fire demons and Fay, there is often a bargain or deal that has been made to obtain these abilities that necessitates servitude in some way. In addition, these "warlocks" also often have a certain amount of control over the physical and mental transformations caused by this pact, being able to appear perfectly normal or betraying the full depths of their Corruption when angered.

Divine "Corruption"

Many researchers theorize that divine magic can infuse objects and people in the exact same way. Some even go so far as to say that the bright light of the Court of Angels is the origin point for religious energy, and that it is simply a respected form of Dimensional Corruption. This idea is still hotly debated.