Soul Blight

Emotionless eyes stare out from the body of a farmer. Locked in his routine he takes no notice of the outside world. Merely a shell, the Soul blight has reduced him to an empty husk.

Causes

No one knows what causes the Soul Blight. It strikes at seemingly at random although newborns are the most susceptible. Many people claim the loss of the gods presence as the source of the blight. Others claim that the gods are punishing them.

Symptoms

Someone who has the Soul Blight will quickly deteriorate in health. They begin to lose all sensation of the world around them until they merely repeat a habitual routine day after day. Scholars believe this to be caused by the soul leaving the body. people often don't know they have the Soul Blight. The loss of sensation is so subtle that a person could wake up one morning and be completely gone. Only one written account has been found of a person who realized they were falling away and they wrote, I woke today and only barely noticed that it was quiet. this is remarkable as I live and work in a rookery. My days are filled with the laughing and cawing of birds so I was surprised to find that there was no sound. Once my brain realized this I could hear the sounds of birds as if from far away. the next morning the color left from my vision. I fear I shall soon become one of the souless."

Treatment

There is no known cure for the Soul Blight. Many rely on divine magics to heal the blight but as of yet none have been effective. If caught early enough use of high level resurrection magic can be use to transfer the soul to a new vessel creating a Soul Forged

Affected Groups

The majority of cases are in babies, small children and the elderly although it can afflict adults too.

History

The first recorded case of Soul Blight occurred after during the reign of King Damian II of the The Westreach Federation . A baby was born to a noble house who made no sound, nor showed any emotion. Though after this many people believed the affliction predates this case.

Cultural Reception

People who have been affected by the Soul Blight are called the Souless. in most regions they are pitied and taken care of as best as they can. Some regions however view they taking of the soul as the work of demons and thus those afflicted with the Sou Blight are killed.

Type

Divine

Affected Species

• Aavvir
• Forest Elves
• Anthosaurs
• Grey Dwarves
• Loxodon
• Mountain Elves
• Ahkelivir
• Snow Dwarves
• Aouli
• Coastal Dwarves
• Humans
• Corvir
• Sea Elves
• Leontari