Mageburn

Mageburn, also known as "Samar's curse", is a dreaded and rare, magical disease that can leave flesh stiff and dead, and the skin cracked and crystal-like to the touch. Those that manage to survive a bout with the illness will be immune from ever contracting it again, but the flesh damaged by the ravages of the disease will never heal fully, and they will be scarred for life.

Transmission & Vectors

The primary way to contract this disease was to be direct physical contact with a charged khardialite crystal.

Symptoms

Any one who were afflicted with mageburn was immune to the effect of healing spells, even when using resurrection spells, and caused creatures that had contracted the disease to slowly wither and die.

Treatment

Maesters say mageburn's progress can be stayed by limes, mustard poultices, and scalding-hot baths. Certain priests insist that prayer, sacrifice, and fasting are the cure. It is also colloquially believed that severing any affected appendages may stop the disease from spreading, but this treatment is not always effective. Some say that washing a person with troll's blood helps prevent mageburn from spreading.
Traveling to another plane of existence or planet did nothing to halt the wasting effect once it began.

Prognosis

The mortal form of mageburn begins by affecting the extremities, noticeable only by a blackened fingertip or loss of sensation and muscle power. As numbness creeps up a person's arms or legs, the flesh stiffens and grows cold, and the victim's skin will turn black, resembling discharged Khardialite crystal. It is also possible for someone to petrify from the inside out, starting with their heart and lungs, with no visible symptoms on the extremities. Blindness is common when the crystal reaches the face. The tongue and lips also turn to crystal, causing difficulties with breathing. In the final stages, the curse turns inward, affecting muscles, bones, and inner organs. Although the disease is supposedly not painful, near the end, all victims go mad.

Prevention

The simplest way to prevent mageburn is to stay away from Khardialite crystals.

History

Zragar Maccal, the Fleet Admiral of the Tymerian royal navy is afflicted with mageburn. He has suffered its effects for several months and is currently and very close to death.

Type

Magical

Origin

Magical

Cycle

Chronic, Acquired

Rarity

Extremely Rare