Candle Ghosts

Warning: The following article discusses suicide, contains graphic descriptions of self-mutilation, and touches on matters of existential dread. Please proceed with caution.

2.1.1.4.140.30 NL
Maybe in our yester-years, this kind of obstinance could have been understandable. We have been enlightened to the existence of the Shardscape for nearly six decades, now, and yet my colleagues continue to ask the inane question of whether my time would be better spent studying other aspects of the cosmos. As though there were any other avenue that proffers insight into the very heart of science. As though there were some other window through which the questions of philosophy we have grappled with for as long as civilization has existed could be glimpsed. It is intolerable, the way that they sneer at what they believe to be mere superstition despite the quantifiable proof in front of their baffled, slack-jawed faces that anything believed in hard enough could be made manifest in the world through this vehicle.
Yesterday, a woman came to me with her son. She claimed that he had seen a res iter. I loathe the fact that I had thought it mere paranoia at first. It is a sign, a reminder that I am not as open-minded as I would like to be. My biases still cloud my judgment. Still... I do not think that anyone could blame me. A candle ghost...
It is hard to believe such a thing could exist and be so dangerous. But I saw the state of her son. Outwardly he displayed the hallmark signs of depression, as we understand it, and nothing else, but I couldn't help but feel in my gut that there was something else more insidious afoot. His eyes were more hollow than they should have been, like a void had been cored out of the centre of his soul. Needless to say, candle ghost or not, I vowed to keep an eye on him, if only to slake my professional curiosity.
I doubt that he has encountered such a being as they say among the dunes, though if he has, I doubt that it is as bad as the rumours make it out to be.
However, what sort of scholar would I be if I allowed my doubts to hinder my study of this fine specimen before me?

Named for their appearance which evokes the trail of smoke that rises from the wick of a snuffed candle, candle ghosts (Res Iterem in Arventiri) often appear innocuous enough. Since their first reported sighting in 139.30 NL, they have ostensibly been responsible for a minor but nonetheless dramatic rise in the rate of gruesome self-mutilations in the Pāll-tanír. Most of these incidents are attributed to individuals, particularly those living in rural communities, who are alleged to have come into contact with these strange and ephemeral beings.

Basic Information

Anatomy

So. My friends and I, right? We was new to this fuck-big desert place. We thought it'd be a good idea to camp out in these hills they called Eeefalta or some shit. And jus as the sun was settin', I saw this real pretty lady, right? Real pretty, y'know? But she was smokin' — and like I don't mean she was hot or anythin'. But she was totally made of smoke. Anyway, it was so weird, y'know? Cus the wind was blowin', right? But like, the smoke wasn't blowin' with it. Totally freaked me out so I got my mate to look, and the fucker damn near pist himself.
So I wasn't going to stay, y'know? Braem here wanted to touch the thing, though. But it was a fuckin' ghost, man. Don't fuckin' touch it! Right? It was pretty, yeah, but scared the shit outta me, too. Din't learn 'til later what it was. Thank the fuckin' gods I had the boys pack up and get the fuck outta there, y'know? Din't wanna end up like one of them poor dead-eye bastards in those 'facilities.'
Ever been to one of them, man? Fuckin' torture's what it is, right? They're all in there jus screamin' and wailin' and wantin' to die and they can't do nuthin' 'bout it. Fuckin' terrifyin', y'know?

— Aellir, Wood Elf Adventurer
Drunkenly recounting his encounter with a candle ghost.

As transient as the rippling sheets of smoke their appearance eerily imitates, candle ghosts are ever-changing. They flow from one form one moment, to another in the next. The glimpses caught by those fortunate enough to only see these elusive creatures, as well as the babbling of those driven mad by their touch, agree that candle ghosts often take on a humanoid shape, the tendrils of translucent smoke that comprise their shifting bodies said to form into faint shapes reminiscent of a head, a torso, two arms, and two legs.

Physical Appearance

As their name suggests, candle ghosts are possessed of an ethereal appearance. Their bodies are made of curling wisps, tendrils, and sheets of translucent white smoke. Despite their tenuous appearance, they do not appear to be affected by the motion of the air around them. Instead, the curls and eddies of their bodies seem to follow the currents of imperceptible winds. Even in the middle of a sandstorm, candle ghosts glide through the air, their bodies unsettlingly languid in the face of the whipping gale. This lends them a strange, unearthly grace to their ephemeral forms and makes it indisputable that they do not belong in the material world.
The understated elegance of their translucent form is enhanced during the evenings. The same ethereal appearance that makes them so beautiful makes them difficult to see in any sort of harsh brightness — particularly during the day. When night falls, however, candle ghosts almost seem to glow with whatever little ambient light there is. This is most notable during nights when the moons are high and bright in the sky, where they not only appear to glow but also shimmer beautifully. This, however, is when they are at their most dangerous. Their spellbinding appearance lures in the vulnerable, and all it takes is the briefest moment of contact before it is too late.

Genetics and Reproduction

Candle ghosts can appear harmless and even beautiful at times, but approaching one means inviting a painful drawn-out death

In recent years, rumors have spread that candle ghosts draw the souls of their victims from the bloodied sockets of their hollowed-out eyes to create new candle ghosts. There is no conclusive evidence that candle ghosts can manipulate souls to begin with, much less that this is the means by which they reproduce.
Remarkably little is known about the creatures. Most scholars believe that, like many other begotten species, candle ghosts proliferate by spontaneous psychogenesis in the Shardscape wilds. The hypothesis is supported by an account found in the bloodstained journal of a spelunker who reportedly bore witness to a candle ghost emerging from a small rift into the Shardscape before ostensibly succumbing to the madness of exposure to the creature.

Ecology and Habitats

Although candle ghosts have left victims in most regions of the known world, they appear to favor manifesting in the Pāll-tanír. Locals attribute this to the desert continent's large swathes of empty, unlivable land. Some smaller communities believe that the candle ghosts are answering the melancholy call of the spirit of the desert, often portrayed as lonely and disconsolate soul by the traditional belief systems still followed in these most rural of settlements.
Scholars, however, contend that since candle ghost are drawn to forgotten places, the Pāll-tanír, as a matter of statistics, with its disproportionate amount of abandoned townships and villages and crumbling ancient ruins is simply the most likely place for these creatures to manifest. This is the most widely accepted explanation for the distribution of candle ghost encounters in recent history, but there is no conclusive evidence that this is, indeed, the case.

Dietary Needs and Habits

It is widely believed that candle ghosts feed on the blood of their victims, but there is no scientific evidence to support any such claim

No specimen has ever been seen to partake in traditional sustenance of any kind. The few specimens that have been studied have shown no need for food or water. Whether they require some unorthodox or abstract substance to sustain themselves is an open question. Some academics conjecture that it is possible they feed on negative emotion, with a particular preference for nihilistic thoughts.
Popular belief stands in stark contrast with scholarly opinion. Isolated, rural communities, in particular, believe that candle ghosts feed on anything from blood, to the eyes of their victims, to people's very souls. Often, parents will scare their children into doing hard work or being kinder by telling them that candle ghosts will come after them if they fail to make anything of their lives. The practice is largely prevalent in rural communities but has started gaining traction in even urban ones.
One account (ca. 240.30 NL) seems to corroborate the popular belief. An explorer, who decided to temporarily part ways with his companion to look around a new ruin to the north of Tan'Ayya, alleges that upon his arrival at the agreed-upon rendezvous point, he found his friend clawing at her eyes. The account continues on, describing the way that the candle ghost seemed to loom over the thrashing, screaming, babbling victim, the wispy tendrils of its ethereal form turning crimson as it drained the woman's blood.
Those who believe that candle ghosts are malicious point to this account as proof of their position. However, it is often discounted in academic discussions as it stands in contrast with centuries' worth of other accounts. Furthermore, there is no record of the explorer having suffered any psychological damage, which would have been a near-certainty if he had, indeed, observed the "attack" for as long as the account implies. Most scholars and academics believe that this particular account is nothing but a tall tale.

Biological Cycle

Candle ghosts appear to be transient creatures, but their true lifespan remains an open question due to the difficulty of observing them. Though due diligence on the part of researchers demands that they investigate the location of the encounter whenever one is reported, often they arrive too late and the candle ghost is long gone, by then. Whether this means that the candle ghost has ceased to be or has simply moved on elsewhere is unknown.
Thanks to a few brave souls, who have knowingly observed a candle ghost for as long as they could, it is known that candle ghosts can persist for many hours before disapeparing with no trace. The accounts suggest that no appreciable change, apart from the candle ghosts flowing from one form to the next, transpires over the course of their lives. They further indicate that there seems to be no way to predict how long a candle ghost will manifest as they disappear with as little warning as they appear.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Without eyes, noses, ears, or any sensory apparatuses to speak of, it is unknown whether candle ghosts possess any ability to perceive the world around them. Most scholars familiar with the creatures believe that if they have any ability to perceive the world, it is through a means beyond the understanding of modern science.
Candle ghosts are often spotted aimlessly wandering around empty houses in rural areas. In at least one case, they have been found roaming the streets of dusty ruins uncovered by harsh desert winds. Some believe that they are drawn to the lonely and the morose, somehow able to perceive the miserable, especially the ones that suffer alone, and seek them out.

Origins

Impersonal gravesites such as these appear to attract candle ghosts to them. As such, travelers are often advised to approach them with caution as candle ghosts are nearly invisible in broad daylight

The exact nature and origin of candle ghosts is unknown. The first reported sighting can only be traced back to 139.30 NL in a small, now-abandoned village near the border of the Ayyanesha Caliphate with the Republic of Sibor. The report was made by a close relative of one of the instructors at the Al Zeresh academy. Whether this was the first instance of a candle ghost appearing in the material realm or simply the first reported case is, perhaps, unknowable.
A report (ca. 103.30 NL) penned by Ranil a'Sayrë, a fane assigned to the city of Siq'Ar, in the course of his duties of preparing bodies of the deceased for funerary rites, describes a body bearing wounds consistent with the signs of candle ghost influence. As the report attests that the body was found in the desert some hours outside the walls of the city, and because the evidence is circumstantial in nature, scholars hesitate to make any definite pronouncements as to whether this was the first recorded instance of a candle ghost.
Two facts are known for certain: that candle ghosts do not originate from the material world and that they are not, as their name and appearance might suggest, souls of the departed made manifest. Instead, it has long been posited that candle ghosts originate from the Shardscape. Recent evidence, gathered from the testimony of magically-inclined begotten citizens of the Dominion, supports this hypothesis.

Ruins such as this one often find themselves home to one or two candle ghosts at any given time. Mulrakhan ruins, particularly, appear to play host to these creatures more than any other civilization's ruins

Due to their nature, and their penchant for congregating in forgotten places like ruins, abandoned homes, deserted villages, unmarked graves, and even neglected gravesites, it is believed that candle ghosts are born from society's collective dread as regards being forgotten. In short, they are an existential fear made manifest.
Disturbingly, the record suggests that candle ghosts are attracted to the solitary and the beleaguered. It is believed that this has to do with how people under extraordinary duress tend to seek means of escaping their troubles, often manifesting in a desire to forget them. Furthermore, loneliness, depression, and helplessness are linked with an increased focus on existential questions such as whether life has any meaning, which seems to align with what the candle ghosts represent.
Some reject this notion, however, as there exists no sound evidence for causation. Opponents argue that it is just as likely that the seeming bias of cases toward the solitary and beleaguered is the result of solitary and beleaguered individuals being more likely to seek out solitude, therefore making these individuals more likely to encounter candle ghosts in the first place. The matter remains up for debate, proving how difficult the creatures are to study.

Effects of Exposure

For reasons that are yet to be understood, but have been attributed to magic, the eldritch nature of the Shardscape, or simply a "glitch" in the mortal mind, prolonged exposure to the mere presence of candle ghosts has proven to be catastrophic to sapient creatures. Not even shardborn are exempt from this effect. Even certain individuals who are either possessed of copious amounts of willpower, or have honed their minds to repel outside influence, can nonetheless fall victim to the insidious thoughts that candle ghosts can plant in the minds of their victims.
To date there has been only one comprehensive study on the effects of exposure to candle ghosts. Often, this is attributed to a lack of resources, viable test subjects, specimens, or any number of details both major and minor, but many in the academic community are convinced that what would otherwise be an unconscionable lack of action and desire to study a new and relatively unknown phenomenon is the result of a lack of courage. Although useful data was collected during the first comprehensive direct study, it came at the unfortunate cost of the academy of Al Zeresh losing one of its best and brightest.
Further studies have been restricted to the first two stages of physical exposure, as well as visual exposure. Originally, it was thought that studying the third stage was safe, but it was a coin flip risk at best, with some researchers developing symptoms of their own after performing the studies. So, general policies were changed to restrict direct research to the first two stages.
What other research has been accomplished in the years since has been largely based on bloodsworn written and spoken accounts. Although bloodsworn testimony lends a level of credence to the knowledge gathered in this manner, it suffers from all the normal pitfalls of anecdotal evidence, in that while bloodsworn testimonies are known to be true as far as the sworn is aware, there are no direct means by which to ascertain that they in fact bore witness to what they claimed to, or merely misapprehended their circumstances.

Visual Exposure

3.1.1.4.140.30 NL
The subject continues to be unresponsive. More and more I begin to think that there is something to the story that this boy was exposed to a res iter, but so far the subject has failed to display the erratic behavior reported in the rumors.
I spoke with one of my colleagues from outside Al Zeresh, as I had become aware he had compiled accounts from the last year with regard to the res iter. He says that the first day is the most important, in case of actual exposure, as apparently most symptoms associated with visual exposure passed within 24 hours.
I unfortunately failed to confirm with the subject's mother that the boy merely saw a res iter and did not, in fact, come into physical contact with it. If the latter is the case, and my colleague is correct, then I'm afraid there might be nothing I can do.

The effect of visual exposure to candle ghosts has been found to range between utterly benign to moderately harmful. Rarely does visual exposure lead to the same destructive impulses that accompany phsyical contact, but depending on the length of exposure, it can lead to permanent psychological harm. Even though visual exposure does not lead to self-destructive behavior, it can still lead to death as the psychological effects are detrimental to important cognitive functions such as self-preservation, critical thinking, and inhibition. Individuals suffering from advanced cases of visual exposure demonstrate an utter apathy toward their own lives and are unlikely to recognize dangerous situations, much less feel the need to avoid major threats to their well-being.
To a reasonable degree of confidence, scholars have established that the ultimate effects of visual exposure to the candle ghost comes down to four factors:

• Length of Exposure. The longer one looks at a candle ghost, the more severe the outcome.
• Proximity to Candle Ghost. The closer one is to a candle ghost, the more severe the outcome.
• Number of Companions. Larger groups of people suffer less severe effects than small groups of people.
• Proximity to Companions. Groups of people close together suffer less severe effects than groups that are further apart.

As such, observing a candle ghost for a long time from relatively nearby whilst alone leads to the most grievous effects.
In the best case, visual exposure causes individuals to enter an involuntary state of torpor for anywhere from 8–24 hours an hour or two after initial exposure. While mostly benign and fortunately temporary, this effect can nevertheless prove fatal, especially in volatile situations or when situations that require active participation arise. After the first 2–3 hours, lucidity returns in intermittent, momentary bursts, but rarely does it result in anything productive.
In the worst case, prolonged visual exposure to candle ghosts can cause intense, intermittent bouts of depression interspersed with periods of total apathy. In other cases, prolonged visual exposure has led to sudden death and inescapable panic attacks as a result of unwanted existential thoughts.
It is thought that long-term visual exposure (e.g. observing a candle ghost for multiple hours) might trigger the same effects as physical exposure. This has been proved true in a handful of cases resulting from reckless researchers, but there are also cases where the same amount of exposure has ended in survival. Whether any external factors were involved in the survival of those who did is not yet known, but the matter is under investigation.

Physical Exposure

5.1.1.4.140.30 NL
The subject remains despondent. While it may be too early to rule out an acute depressive episode, it is unlikely that this is the case. I conferred with the subject's mother yesterday after my classes, and it appears that she found the boy standing two feet from a fading candle ghost. I'm afraid she is in denial and kept asking me if there was a chance that he had not touched it or had been touched by it. Unfortunately, my knowledge is limited in that case, and I could not give her a conclusive answer in good conscience.
7.1.1.4.140.30 NL
Yesterday saw a marked improvement in the boy's state. The mother showed up and the two had a tearful reunion. He seemed fine, as though the previous three days had not transpired. She wanted to take him home, but I insisted that he remain for continued observation. My colleague had warned me that in the accounts, often, following the first three days, victims appeared to return to some semblance of normalcy.
I was told to keep an eye out for any complaints, and just as my assistant and I were helping the boy to dinner, he expressed that he was feeling quite fatigued. I had hoped that everything was alright, but it was just as my colleague said.
It remains to be seen whether boredom becomes an issue, but I'm afraid that the boy has indeed come into physical contact. My friend tells me that there is no cure, but clearly this affliction has not felt the weight of my scrutiny yet. I might yet save the boy, but I must prepare for the worst.

The record shows that physical contact with candle ghosts has a near-100% mortality rate, with only individuals of extraordinary willpower or preternatural constitution, like the founding members of the Wardens of the Wayward being able to survive the encounter. Creatures of forgotten places and unremembered people, candle ghosts represent the desire for escapism, especially in the face of overwhelming ods or a world that seems frightfully unfair, taken to the extreme.
They spark a desire in their victims to not only forget, but be forgotten. This desire is so insidious and all-consuming that it results in the victim ultimately wishing to forget themselves and fade from history. So far, for most people, this desire has proven impossible to stop.

Initial Exposure

After coming into physical contact with a candle ghost, the symptoms are remarkably similar to effects experienced through long-term visual exposure and seem to closely follow the same progression, at least for the first three days. Unlike in the case of visual exposure, where lucidity returns intermittently some hours after initial exposure, physical contact leads to three days of continuous torpor.
The difference between the two types of exposure becomes more prominent once the initial symptom, torpor, fades. Whereas those who suffer visual exposure to candle ghosts continue to experience chronic psychological effects after recovering from torpor, for those who suffer physical exposure, symptoms seem to disappear entirely. This recovery is a false one and typically leads to denial about one's condition and refusal of help. Almost invariably, however, other symptoms begin to manifest soon after.
It is believed that the first three days are highly indicative of the severity and speed of progression of symptoms following initial exposure. The case record shows that a relatively quick recovery from torpor is linked to a long, drawn-out period of suffering, while failing to recover until the third day most often results in a rapid deterioration.

Semi-Functional Stage

After the first three days, the victim appears to resume some semblance of normality. During this period, they are able to carry out intelligent conversations. Most of the time, but not always, victims suffer from fatigue following moderate physical activity. In some cases, patients reported feeling fatigued after pacing. In a minority of cases, victims report lethargy and a general lack of motivation or increased levels of energy and heightened emotional sensitivity.

Anxious Stage

Over the next few days, the victim will gradually become more and more anxious. In many cases, this results in increasingly frenetic, repetitive, or compulsive behaviors unless the victims are provided with a means to keep themselves occupied. Mental puzzles have been found to help, but any mindless, repetitive activity seems sufficient to alleviate symptoms.
At this stage, some victims are still capable of conversation. In many cases, they report that the anxiety stems from a strange buzzing in the backs of their minds. Most victims emphasize that this buzzing is not an auditory hallucination, but rather something inside their head. Regardless of how much work is given to the victim, the condition progresses until the compulsive, anxious behaviors return. In the later parts of this stage, only a minority of victims are able to converse intelligently. Those who do report that the buzzing has been replaced with one or more intrusive thoughts that refuse to go away.
Once these intrusive thoughts begin, observation becomes critical as progression to the next stage can come rapidly and without warning.

9.1.1.4.140.30 NL
The subject has progressed to scratching. He does it when he thinks that no one is looking, or he does it absentmindedly, often when he is reading one of the books that I have provided him for entertainment. Though he comes from a poor family, it is testament to the Dominion's ability to educate the next generation that he is actually quite a proficient reader. I enjoy our conversations, but more and more he is becoming distracted, his eyes scrunching up as though remembering something in his past.
I informed both the subject and his mother earlier as to what is in store. The boy appeared to take it in stride, but he was visibly perturbed. The mother, however, was inconsolable. She wanted to take him home, but I told her to say her goodbyes. For her sake and the boy's, I convinced her that she would not want to bear witness to what happened next if I was right. I could tell that the subject was relieved, as well. She complained at the unfairness of the whole thing, that a mother should outlive her only son.
The real tragedy is that such a nice young man has to suffer this. It would be more merciful to put him out of his misery now, but I cannot do that in good conscience. Not when there is a chance that I might still find a cure for his condition. I can only hope that I find it quickly. From what I understand, he is on borrowed time.

The Scratching Stage

This stage of progression is marked by the victim scratching themselves compulsively, starting with the arms. This scratching is a response to intrusive memories resurfacing in the victim's psyche. Some victims report that during this time, the tactile aspects of these memories are heightened, which is believed to lead to the scratching as they attempt to rid themselves of the sensation.
Victims are typically still functional at this point but suffer from momentary lapses of concentration and are liable to forget trains of thought. During this time, short-term memory becomes unreliable, with victims often forgetting what they are doing halfway through activities. It is not uncommon for victims to start over in the middle of sentences or forget to end sentences entirely, often launching into another topic after some discussion. Though the victims seem lucid, it becomes difficult to hold intelligible conversations.

Insomniac Stage

As the affliction progresses, victims find their sleep disrupted. When they are able to sleep, they are plagued with nightmares as the unwanted memories that surface in their minds become darker, filled with anger and fear. It is not uncommon during this stage for victims to wake up in a cold sweat multiple times in a night. What little sleep that they do manage is fitful and restless.
This lack of rest compounds the already-great strain on their minds. Anxiety peaks at this stage, while lapses in memory and concentration continue to worsen. Fortunately, mornings bring brief respite from the nightmares and victims' moods markedly improve as the sun climbs into the sky.

Self-Mutilation Stage

The first waking nightmare signals the beginning of the penultimate stage of the affliction. This is sometimes presaged by uncharacteristic agitation on the part of the victim, often following a few entirely sleepless nights in a row.
It is not uncommon for victims to experience this first waking nightmare in the middle of doing something, typically something that reminds them of a bad experience in the past, especially when it involves a tactile sensation. Little is known about this nightmare, only that it is quite severe, often leading to screaming during the episode, and catatonia in the aftermath. It is nigh-impossible to speak intelligibly with the victim even after they recover from the episode.
Soon after the first nightmare, the scratching becomes even more compulsive and desperate. Some victims may experience a limited degree of functionality, especially ones with strong willpower. Interviews with these rare cases indicate that at this point, touch of any sort, even the lightest tactile sensation like the brushing of clothes against skin, triggers traumatic or otherwise repressed memories. It is also here where victims first express that they wish to forget, often babbling such while scratching themselves. More disturbingly, more lucid victims report a strong desire to drown out the unpleasant memories with pain because it is the only thing that works.
Left to their own devices, victims will leave deep gashes on any section of skin they can reach. Arms are the first target, then the legs, followed by the stomach, chest, neck, and face, usually in that order. Restraining victims at this point is an option to minimize damage, but this usually leads to even more aggression. Unless gagged as well, victims that are restrained will chew on the insides of their cheeks, but even gagged victims are somehow able to hurt themselves by biting down so hard on the gag that they break their teeth or their jaws, ultimately rendering the effort futile.
At this stage, it is recommended that treatment focus on preventing the infection of opened wounds. As long as the pain persists, the afflicted will not open new wounds. It should be noted, however, that this is a stopgap measure at this point as the affliction will only accelerate in its progression.

4.2.1.4.140.30 NL
There is no question. The symptoms are unmistakable. The subject is progressing faster than I expected, and I feel in my gut that I will not find the cure soon enough. There is blood. So much of it. The smell is nauseating, the sensation of it on my skin revolting. But I must be strong. Despite everything I am still a scholar and I must record my observations for posterity.

Terminal Stage

Once the victim starts self-harm they will not stop. The relief that they feel from tearing into their own skin is short-lived, lasting a few days at best. Over the course of the following sleepless nights and days filled with waking nightmares, the need to scratch subsides but the victims only become more agitated. In most cases, trying to speak to the victims leads to distress. Common phrases such as "Hi", "Hello", "How are you?", and "Good Morning" become linked to dark and terrible memories in the same way that touch was during the previous stage of the affliction. Whether these memories are still real at this point or whether the victim's tormented mind starts concocting these horrors to haunt themselves is unknown.
All cases proceed to babbling. At first, victims do so quietly but with increasing volume. In an attempt to drown out the memories, they scream. If there are any objects that fit in their ears nearby and they are not restrained, they will stab themselves in the ears until their hearing is damaged beyond repair. If this is not feasible, they will bang their heads against the wall or against a corner until they are unable to hear anything.
Relief from the auditory terrors is brief. Some hours later, the same process begins but with vision. Anything and everything they see reminds them of something dark and horrific. They continue to scream frantically and claw at their eyes in a bid to escape the memories. They become so desperate to forget that they are willing to destroy the sense that is causing them to remember. In some cases, they rip their eyes out of their sockets. If they are unable to do so, they merely claw at their eyes until they go blind.
It takes less than an hour for victims to take out their tongues. It is likely that the taste of their own moouth somehow triggers memories. If they have a knife, they will use it to do so. If not, they will tear their tongue out of their mouths using their own hands.
Minutes after, they start smashing their faces against the wall, or beating themselves with their fists as smell begins to take over as the trigger. Once they are satisfied that they can't smell anything, they lay motionless, alone in the dark but for excruciating agony. At this stage, victims seem to achieve a strange sort of peace.

5.2.1.4.140.30 NL
I've closed the door to the subject's room. I check on him every now and again, but I forget on occasion. There is just so much to do. So much to write down. The search for a cure continues. I might be too late to save him, but I might be able to help someone else. It's hard to work here. Between the incessant wailing and all the work that has piled on me over the course of this study, I can't concentrate on what I need to do.

They know that their suffering is at an end, that they can be forgotten soon.
That they can forget soon.
For good.
As they lay there dying, alone in the dark and in excruciating agony, peace seems to settle on them. They know that their suffering is at an end. They can be forgotten soon. They can forget soon. For good.

6.2.1.4.140.30 NL
The screaming has stopped. But the subject is still alive. He gurgles now. I don't dare look. But the smell of blood is overpowering. I'm afraid that this might spread. Like a contagion, the idea spreads. Wanting to forget. Be forgotten. I have already watched my assistant absently scratching her arm. I need to take precautions. She can't possibly mind staying for a few days in a room just in case. And I need to inform the administration.

7.2.1.4.140.30 NL
I think... I think I might have found what I was looking for... But I can't remember what it was... At least the screaming's stopped. But it smells like blood. It's revolting. The pounding's stopped, too. Finally some peace of mind. But I need to keep working. I can't stop working. Right. I was looking for a cure. I think I found it. But what if the cure doesn't work? I need to make sure it's right. I can't afford to stop now. I don't want to stop now.

6.2.1.4.140.30 NL
I can't believe what I just did. I barged into a meeting with the headmaster. What is going on with me? Couldn't I have waited for them to finish? No. This needed to be done. If this can spread, I need to make sure that no one gets into this place. I feel like I'm forgetting something, but I can't remember. My head is pounding. It sounds like someone's banging on a door. But I can't afford to think about that right now. I need to find a cure. I need to maintain this quarantine.

8.2.1.4.140.30 NL
I can't do this. I can't stop thinking about barging in on the headmaster. It was so embarrassing. It was humiliating! I can't work like this. I can't look for a cure like this. Why can't I get why can't I get it out of my head? It was so embarrassing! It was humiliating! I can't work like this! I can't look for a cure.
I need to remember to feed my assistant. But where did I put her again? Last I saw her, it was before I went to see the headmaster. Oh gods I barged in on the headmaster. Oh gods I barged in on the headmaster. Why can't I stop thinking about the headmaster? I just need some peace. Gods please. I need peace. I don't want to keep remembering this embarrassment.
I just need to forget!

Glossary of Terms

Al Zeresh

A renowned academic institution based in the city of Tan'Ayya

Arventiri

Lingua franca of the Pāll-tanír

Ayyaneshi Caliphate

The biggest, most prosperous kingdom in the Western Ward of the Pāll-tanír. Also known colloquially as Tan'Ayya

Dominion, the

The greatest empire in the history of the world, having survived thirty millennia and holding dominion over the vast majority of the known world

NA

Nalve Allanakhë, the Age of the Dominion

Republic of Sibor, the

A democratic state border the southern edge of the Ayyaneshi Caliphate

Shardborn

Creatures that are born from the eldritch energies of the shardscape

Shardscape, the

A cognitive realm where myth can become reality

Tan'Ayya

The crown jewel of the Ayyaneshi Caliphate, a center of commerce as well as the administrative capital of the western region of the Pāll-tanír

Haariyya... Even writing your name hurts. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry...
Ever since I lost you I've blamed myself. They say that they come for lonely people... Was I not enough? Should I have been there more? I held you in my arms and I'll never forget the way your blood trickled from your eyes.
Every day I remember how your cold body felt against my skin... How your last breath ghosted across my cheek... How your warm blood trickled over my fingers... How I screamed my throat raw calling for help... Gods. It hurts. It hurts so much. I don't want to remember anymore. I just want to forget. I need to forget.
Don't worry. I'll be with you soon. They came for me, too... Soon I'm going to fade like you. I'm going to forget. And then maybe we'll be together again.