Muddleminded

"He has been getting worse, comrades. The Czar's mind is muddled and it is time we come to terms with it. There is little we can do for him now save for wiping the dribble off of his chin. It pains me to say this, but we need to consider his replacement soon. However, I could shoulder this burden myself, with your blessing of course." - Miroslav Chekoy, Arch Bishop of Nechestivy

Many Magis have now discovered that the repeated and prolonged use of Magickal Apparatus and other enchanted gear can lead to an unnaturally long life. However, reckless engagement with such tools could end with unfortunate side effects. The mind begins to slow, affecting intelligence and greater motor functions. The affected individual will start to show signs such as slurred speech and loss of feeling in their extremities. They become further muddled to the point at which their mind is more similar to a small toddler, hardly able to process or communicate other than gurgling and wide-eyed observation in disorderly confusion. Eventually their mind goes from muddled to mud as they enter an unresponsive state of vegetation, wasting away until death.
For a long time, being Muddleminded was an unknown condition amongst the Risen. It was often confused with the slowing of the mind that comes naturally with old age until it began to notice amongst younger subjects. The children of rulers who would be showered with Magickal gifts in their youth would begin to display the same signs before developing into the further stages of being Muddleminded. Those Risen who were more mundane with their Magick are more likely to be affected. Magi and others with potent Magick in their body seemed to be more resistant to the effects, able to use Magickal items frequently without any long-term trouble. This has only further widened the gap between the gifted and the mundane, with many calling to ban the use of Magickal Apparatus outside of those able to prove their proficiency in dealing with them.