Ethereal Fever
The Ethereal Fever is a disease that infected millions of people during the First Great War Great War. Near the end of the Mages' Battle, Merlin Etherium managed to turn the tide of a nearly lost battle by collapsing the flow of Ether, which was already quite disturbed, causing the Ancient Plateau to explode, killing thousands of elves and miraculously managing to transport the retreating humans at the same time. This feat not only cost him his life, but the Ether Burst it caused was so massive that its echo resonated throughout the continent.
The Ether across the continent was slightly affected, creating a mild fever that only Mages could suffer from. There were very few fatalities due to the fever that appeared days after the creation of the Etherio's Scar. The phenomenon lasted barely two weeks, and since then, ethereal fever has only been observed on rare occasions. We know all this because it is extensively documented due to the uproar it caused.
The symptoms that distinguish it from a normal fever are as follows:
The sequelae are minimal; after a week of rest, the symptoms begin to diminish. Recovery is slower, however, if the sick are gathered together, as happened in several cities. Then the recovery time doubles, although the abnormal symptoms of this fever always disappear after seven days. Then their body temperature rises, and the associated symptoms of this return.
Before ethereal fever appeared, it was believed that the Mage condition was hereditary and that it was very unusual for mages to be born into families without a background. What was discovered with the disease was that all this was false; apparently, the condition is completely random. This caused a collapse in many families and clans that maintained their power by being able to sire Mages. As if that weren't enough, the very relatives who had been relegated to a secondary or tertiary status for not "possessing the gift of magic" rebelled, in many cases bloodily, greatly diminishing the military power of humanity.
Historians believe that this revelation, along with the disappearance and presumed death of Merlin Etherium, prevented humanity from taking the lead gained in the Mages' Battle to emerge victorious in the First Great War. Curiously, the Elves also suffered from the fever, which led them to regard the magical anomaly of the Etherio's Scar as a greater threat. Both sides eventually set aside the conflict for fear of what this catastrophe could cause.
Who would have thought that this disease would save millions of lives in this way... We must not underestimate the designs of the gods | A scholar.
The Ether across the continent was slightly affected, creating a mild fever that only Mages could suffer from. There were very few fatalities due to the fever that appeared days after the creation of the Etherio's Scar. The phenomenon lasted barely two weeks, and since then, ethereal fever has only been observed on rare occasions. We know all this because it is extensively documented due to the uproar it caused.
Symptoms and Sequelae
The symptoms that distinguish it from a normal fever are as follows:
- The person's temperature drops instead of rising, but the body reacts as if it were rising: sweating, skin discoloration, and slight tremors.
- The victim suffers from extended perception, being able to "see," "hear," "smell," and "feel" things they would not normally perceive. The range varies according to sensitivity to ether.
- It causes hallucinations in Mages who are not affected by the fever.
The sequelae are minimal; after a week of rest, the symptoms begin to diminish. Recovery is slower, however, if the sick are gathered together, as happened in several cities. Then the recovery time doubles, although the abnormal symptoms of this fever always disappear after seven days. Then their body temperature rises, and the associated symptoms of this return.
The Discovery of the Century
Before ethereal fever appeared, it was believed that the Mage condition was hereditary and that it was very unusual for mages to be born into families without a background. What was discovered with the disease was that all this was false; apparently, the condition is completely random. This caused a collapse in many families and clans that maintained their power by being able to sire Mages. As if that weren't enough, the very relatives who had been relegated to a secondary or tertiary status for not "possessing the gift of magic" rebelled, in many cases bloodily, greatly diminishing the military power of humanity.
Historians believe that this revelation, along with the disappearance and presumed death of Merlin Etherium, prevented humanity from taking the lead gained in the Mages' Battle to emerge victorious in the First Great War. Curiously, the Elves also suffered from the fever, which led them to regard the magical anomaly of the Etherio's Scar as a greater threat. Both sides eventually set aside the conflict for fear of what this catastrophe could cause.
Who would have thought that this disease would save millions of lives in this way... We must not underestimate the designs of the gods | A scholar.
I found the symptoms of the fever to be curious and amusing, making the body's temperature drop yet still have the effects of a fever as if it were high was quite a clever idea.