Mage's Consumption

-On the other hand, Mage's Consumption isn't something that many of you will have to be concerned about during your careers, but if a case should crop up, you should know how to treat it.
The best piece of advice I can give you is to pray that your quartermaster has connections that would make a politician blush, or that you're stationed near a town with a particularly skill apothecary. Being a magic-born disease, Mage's Consumption is difficult to treat, so difficult that it's only current treatment is an Elixir made from Magic Poppies and the Fairy Cup which you'll all know isn't as common as it once was.
Not to mention the fact that a book keeper, quarter master, and 95% of officers are not going to stomach the necessary expense to cure one soldier of a disease that can't spread on it's own. It best, they'd prefer to simply discharge the soldier and let them fend for themselves, unless they're a high ranking caster who's death would be noticed.

-Doctor Comfort Armstrong, Medicae General of the Union of Leebarallia

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Mage's Consumption is a slow-acting disease with a mysterious origin and cause, but only one symptom. The leaking of Aether from the body.

At first, vaguely arcane markings appear on the body in such a way that it's not uncommon for outside observers to believe them to be part of spell systems painted or tattooed on to the infected victim. Of course, the infected will know that is not the case, but those markings are really the only outward sign of infection for the first several months that it goes undiagnosed.
These marks are a sort of Aetherlogical lesion that forms on the skin in response to the Aether channels of the body being opened wider than normal by the large amount of magical energy being forced through as the disease progresses. That's it. That is the only symptom.
The body's Aether becomes unmoored, slowly leaking away back into the ambient environment.
Given time, this symptom will kill the patient if they do nothing. As there is no cure to the disease, those suffering from it must quickly learn the symptoms of Aether deficiency (not a subtle feeling, luckily) and establish a habbit of condensing Aether regularly to counteract the loss. If they can't manage the first, then they'll likely keel over before they even know they've fallen sick. If they can't manage the second, they'll wake up a statue before long.

Type

Magical

Origin

Magical

Cycle

Chronic, Acquired

Rarity

Extremely Rare

Unfortunately, Mage's Consumption can only be treated, not cured, and only by a specific Elixir made from fairly rare and expensive ingredients. This Elixir only minimizes the symptoms, slowing the rate of Aether loss. It does not stop it.
Infected individuals will have to live with these symptoms for the rest of their life.