Nicodème's disease
Welcome to the Magical University of Lille! Best university in France, its lecturers wage a fierce competition for promotions. The recent arrival of the Chosen One thrust lecturer Adélaïde into the high-stake politics she has tried so hard to avoid. Soon, both the king and the Dark Lord take interest in her... Come read about her struggle and the world in which she lives!
Introduction to the story | The University of Lille | Novel upcoming
Introduction to the story | The University of Lille | Novel upcoming
Table of Contents
What's wrong with Nicodème?
Clues
First observations
Further examinations
The violence of the magic currents inside his body is immediately apparent under my fingers.
My magic tendril was violently rejected and thrown back at me by his own magic.
They form no patterns, with parts of his body not irrigated & other having too much magic.
Hypotheses
Magical channels: they are conduits that transport our magic through our body where it is needed for basic biological function but also for active use in spell casting and other magical acts. In most humans, the magic currents roughly follow the main blood vessels, although there are a few that wanders around, forming false turns and dead ends that lower the efficiency of magic transport. Better channels: In humans with heightened magic sensibility like me, magic currents can be consciously shaped to follow more closely artery and veins, with extra currents added in for efficiency. This allows for a better control and use of magic. Bad channels: Alternatively, magical channels can be deformed, stunted or destroyed. This prevents the magic from flowing properly, creating both empty areas and "knots" where the magic gathers, both damaging the body. This causes terrible pain and long term consequences on health, notably a considerably reduced lifespan. There are few causes that can mess up the pattern of magic currents:
Treatments
What didn't work
Cause: A number of bacteria, viruses and parasites can trigger a redeployment of the magic channels, sometimes resulting in a complete mess like in Nicodème's case if the situation runs uncheck for too long. Treatment: Finding the organism responsible for this and destroying it. A classic series of medical enchanted infusions should draw them out. Results: Nothing happened. It could be some as-yet undiscovered organisms, but we haven't even been able to detect any foreign organisms in his body that shouldn't be there.
Cause: A curse or magical attack from an enemy, aimed directly at Nicodème or the him being a collateral damage in a public fight. This level of magical channel mess is bad enough to be the result of a deliberate action. Treatment: Nothing can be healed without dismantling the remaining inimical magic first. We borrowed from the University of Lille some expensive artefacts to assist us in this. Results: The artefacts were not able to catch on any foreign magic to drag it out of Nicodème. It could nevertheless be some newly developed magic that has not yet been countered before.
Cause: Poisoning are current for people working in manufactures. Despite recent laws, pollution rejects by such companies also still occur from times to times in town. In addition, the Lefebvres working in a forge could have exposed Nicodème to toxic fumes. The last but unlikeliest poisoning cause would be one of the poisons developed by military engineers that could have been used by a soldier to hurt the Lefebvres. Treatment: Nicodème was given charcoal to swallow so that it could absorb all the bad molecules in his body. This was done both using normal charcoal as well as charcoal enchanted to gather more esoteric poisons. Results: This had no visible effects apart from reduced iron and calcium levels that forced him to take supplements.
Cause: Birth defects are rare, especially as babies with them don't survive more than a few days after birth once they're cut-off from their mother's protective magic. However, it could be a very mild defects that would have gone unnoticed at birth but would get worse as Nicodème's grow and his magic levels increased is possible. Treatment: The doctors have tried to place him on a metallic tables covered with runic designs that would allow them to project their magic inside Nicodème's body with a great level of control so that they could manually reshape his magic currents. Results: They were successful at the surface of his body, however the changes did not last. They also failed to make their magic penetrate deep enough to reach the areas where the most important currents should be anchored.
What worked
But he needed so much that they regularly stop working and the dose has to be constantly increased. Soon he'll die from the toxicity of the dose or they won't just have any effect at all
Magicked to stay cool, help make the fever more bearable but doesn't reduce it
Alternative hypothesis
Possible cause
Nicodème has some form of latent magic immunity. This could explain why magic cannot penetrate deep inside his body, rather than it being the results of a curse. Magic immunity is rare but not unheard of, and none of the individuals with it had such problems. However, if he had an immunity and another trigger, it could be the specific combination that's extremely dangerous.Possible cures
What: If he's got a magical immunity, then nothing other than a ritual is going to be able to make magic penetrate deep enough in his body, and they're illegal in France. Requirement: Lots of political clout at the royal court to be able to request permission to consult foreign doctors. Plan:
1) I be successful with my research presentation to the Chinese envoys,
2) to use my relationship with de Toulouse to get in his Royal Advisor mother's good graces.
What: Teach him how to project excessive magic outside of his body in a constant way and in a way that is safe for the people and building around him. Requirement: Getting Nicodème's awake and aware enough to listen to me and focus on this, and with enough energy to be able to control some of his magic. Plan: First find a way to reduce his pain, then revisit this option.
What: An artefact able to absorb his excess of magic. Something based on artefacts that absorb the magic of the environment? It would have to also be able to redirect it inside his body. Magic absorption is a topic too close to rituals for me to be able to research them in France. Requirement: Find an alternative source of information. Plan: Ask Herr Hugues Streiff if he knows about this and if he would be willing to help me design such an artefact.
I'm in love with everything in this article. The design, the super clear structure, all the little tidbits and informations about the condition - I love them all. Only thing I've left is: I hope Nicodème finds a cure.
Sit down, my friend, and let me tell you of Aran'sha . A world where the sands shift and the stars sing, where the wind carries secrets and the twin moons keep silent vigil over it all.
Thank you! <3 Poor Nicodème's not going to get better any time soon, with the king's ban on rituals all over France -_- But Adélaïde's determined and is not going to let him or the Dark Lord stop her!