Dysubilysis

The Anti-Mana Disease

"He was always like that. Never interested in the other kids or toys we bought him, never smiling or crying no matter what happened to him. I also thought that being a new parent was just taxing, but it turned out he had that Dys- whatever that disease is called. We're going to have to find a new place to live."

Dysubilysis (DI) is a genetic disorder in which the body is unable to properly synthesize and store mana. As a result, the body creates a neutralizing agent to protect itself called Anam (AM). AM creates a of sort of vacuum where regular mana tries to fill the void but cannot stay -- It is like oil where regular mana is water.

The body is at odds with itself, and since it feels as though the body is starving of mana, it attempts to take any from any nearby source including from other beings, thus some people have described feeling depressed and emotionally tired when around these people. Since many emotions are tied to the colors of mana, those suffering from DI appear to be mostly apathetic at best in their daily lives.

AM is the way the body protects itself from mana. Without it, the individual's body would kill itself in an Autoimmune-like way. AM is a form of metaphysical energy and can be used like regular mana, but because of it's neutralizing affect on mana, casting spells is next to impossible. AM simply cannot harness the flows of regular mana within the world to amplify the spell in any significant way. Likewise, many spells do not affect individuals with DI, such as enhancements or curses. Magic that produces physical things like fire, can still harm the person. Items with enhancements slowly lose their magical properties when wielded or worn, but will regain them after time away from the individual.

Anam is not the same as colorless mana. Colorless has no allegiance to a single color, but colorless beings still have the possibility of using mana and magic.

People with DI have been the targets of nefarious beings who look to exploit the condition to create Mana Bombs.

Signs and Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of Dysubilysis may include:
• An extreme sense of apathy towards everything
• An inability to cast even the most simple of spells
• Skin that is painfully sensitive to heavy concentrations of mana (laylines)
• The immediate rejection of all beneficial and detrimental magical enhancements and effects
• Random occurrences of the sclera turning black
• Friends and family that feel emotionally drained when around the individual

Treatment

There is no cure for the disorder; all treatments is symptomatic or preventative. Symptoms can be controlled by avoiding exposure to laylines and large crowds of people.

Prognosis

The average life expectancy of an individual with DI is approximately 30-40 years. While the disease itself does not necessarily kill, but the extreme sense of apathy and depression leads many people to the unfortunate conclusion of suicide. It is possible for an individual to live a full life, but these people are often seen as social outcasts and are normally shunned from society because their condition does have an effect on other people.

Culture

Because people with DI are driven to live a life of solitude, either by social demands or the pain caused from crowds or laylines, you may find them living in abandoned areas of Ravnica or within mana "dead zones." They have been called mana vampires, living mage bane, and soulless ghouls. These terms can be considered derogatory.

Some have formed communities of people who suffer from DI. These small pockets of communities live in isolation from the world and laylaines where they can live in relative peace. Some are even able to find hints of happiness within these protected communities.

Type

Genetic

DI's effect on the sclera

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Affects about 1 in 100,000 people