The Fade

That old absent minded hermit who lives in the woods? He's not crazy! -well he might be- He's just got the Fade.

Causes

Old age is the only cause of Fading. While some spells can amplify this disease, it occurs after a soul has been too long on the material plane. All souls go through a cycle in Eorde. they are born into the material plane and when they die they spend time in the Realm of the Dead. Eventually these souls are reincarnated back into the material plane and the cycle begins anew. Fading is caused when a soul remains on the material plane for too great a time. As such the only people really afflicted with this disease are wizards and magi of great power and the more recent race of Soul Forged. Mages have developed spells to enhance their life and keep them from dying. The Soul Forged, being without physical bodies can seemingly live forever but Fading is a guaranteed part of their existence. There is no set amount of time that a soul will remain on the material plane before fading. Each race is different and each person s different as well. Most scholars have found that the first signs of fading usually appear at 1.5 times the normal life expectancy for a particular race.

Symptoms

When a person begins to Fade, their bodies may remain intact and normal but their soul begins to tear and leave their body. This disease is considered quite terrible as a soul that tears and leaves the body when a person is still alive is very traumatic and these souls often have great difficulty finding their way into the The Realm of the Dead. These tears in the soul are seen as gaps in memory and ability. After a tear, a person with this disease might suddenly not be able to speak, or they might forget how to do a certain task. These gaps start small but as the soul tears apart it escalates quite quickly. Eventually the person resembles one who has the Soul Blight. Their physical body remains alive in an almost zombified state while their soul has departed. Eventually the body too will die has it has no consciousness to dictate its actions.

Treatment

There is no treatment for this disease. There are spells that can prolong and mend one's soul but they cannot stop the Fading and can only put it off for a time. Eventually the tears and fading get so strong that not even magic can keep one's soul connected to the body.

Type

Magical