Magic Sickness
Magic Sickness is a condition that occurs when an individual has been exposed to too much raw, ambient magic.
Transmission & Vectors
Airborne, skin contact
Causes
Throughout the world, there are areas where the raw magic in the air is incredibly dense and suffocating. Magic sickness is caused almost as soon as an individual enters these areas unprotected, and the condition will only worsen the longer they stay there.
Symptoms
Anxiety, dizziness, fatigue, feeling of something "crawling" under the skin, headaches, irrational fear, lightheadedness, migraines, nausea, panic, paranoia, ringing in the ears, slurred speech, uneven walking or movement, vomiting
Treatment
The first, and most important action to treat someone experiencing magic sickness, is to remove them from the magic-dense area as soon as possible. Once removed from the area, it is important to note how long they spent in the affected area, and how severe their symptoms are; this will determine the level of required treatment.
Depending on which stage of magic sickness the patient is experiencing, the treatment may be benign, or it may be highly invasive. Low-level cases will simply require rest and "flushing" of the raw magic from the patient's body, usually by a magical healer. Late-stage cases will require an invasive magical healing procedure that forcibly and violently ejects the raw magic from the person's body through any orifices available. This process is imprecise, but will keep the individual alive. However, it may result in the permanent loss of the ability to perform magic in the individual (where applicable).
Depending on which stage of magic sickness the patient is experiencing, the treatment may be benign, or it may be highly invasive. Low-level cases will simply require rest and "flushing" of the raw magic from the patient's body, usually by a magical healer. Late-stage cases will require an invasive magical healing procedure that forcibly and violently ejects the raw magic from the person's body through any orifices available. This process is imprecise, but will keep the individual alive. However, it may result in the permanent loss of the ability to perform magic in the individual (where applicable).
Prognosis
Stage 1: This is the earliest stage of magic sickness. The symptoms at this point are relatively benign and the survival rate is 100% if proper action is taken. Symptoms include fatigue, headaches, and dizziness.
Stage 2: The second stage of magic sickness is slightly more severe, and along with first-stage symptoms, nausea, vomiting, migraines, ringing in the ears, and a feeling of something "crawling" under the skin are all common. Once again, if properly removed from the magic-rich environment, the survival rate is 100%.
Stage 3: Beyond stage two, magic sickness can become life-threatening. Paranoia, anxiety, irrational fear, and panic are common. When removed from the magic-dense area, survival rate is largely dependent on speed; however, the average is still 80%.
Stage 4: Stage four is the most lethal stage of magic sickness, and can potentially result in death if action is not taken immediately. In stage four, the affected person(s)' speech will be slurred, their visual acuity is greatly diminished, they will have difficulty walking, and will have a hard time understanding others' speech. Treatment of individuals with fourth-stage magic sickness is highly invasive, and painful if not done under anesthetics. Survival rate, based on exposure time, is anywhere from 25-60%.
Stage 5: Stage five is an "unofficial" stage, and occurs after someone with magical sickness, who has not been treated, dies. When the affected individual dies, their corpse will start adversely affecting the surrounding environment and exhibit unusual and bizarre effects upon it, as well as any other individuals who happen to be nearby (even if the person in question is normally immune to magic sickness). This stage is not well documented due to the risk that being in such a magic-dense area carries.
Sequela
Due to the imprecise and desperate method of curing fourth-stage magic sickness, it is highly likely that the user's "natural" magic pool will be flushed out along with the raw magic. This will consistently and inevitably result in the loss of magical ability within the individual. Other than the slow recovery process, the psychological pain inflicted by a patient losing their magical ability will take time to recover from.
Affected Groups
Magic sickness affects arch imps, carbuncles, centaur, driders, dark elves, dwarves, elves , gargoyles, genies, goblins, griffins, hellhounds, humans, imps, lamia, lepidoptids, lilim/luciem, merfolk, naga, phoenixes, satyr, thunderbirds, and vespidians.
Species that are immune to magic sickness are: alraune, amaroks, angels, basilisks, cerberus, all fully-evolved devils, dipsa, all types of dragons, dryads, all types of fairies, grims, hydra, naiads, nightmares, pegasi, all types of pixies, sandworms, slimes of all types, sprites of all types, unicorns, wyrms, and wyverns.
Prevention
Areas with high magic density are well documented and mapped, and very rarely do new ones appar. So long as an individual stays away from these areas, they will not contract magic sickness. If performing activities in a magic-dense area is required, clothes, helmets and masks with anti-magic spells must be worn. Humans, due to the plastic-metal alloy in their power armor that repels and nullifies all magic, may traverse freely in these areas, so long as the power armor is not compromised.
Cultural Reception
Magic sickness is seen as a common illness, and holds no particular stigma.
