Mana Blight

Transmission & Vectors

The condition occurs rarely at random to any species in the Realms, including Gods. Once the blight has reached its final stage, making the sufferer a Mana Voidling, the blight can be transmitted by bite.

Causes

The true cause of Mana Blight is being touched through the Manasphere by a mote of Entropic Void. However once infected the infected can spread it.

Symptoms

Mana Blight eats at ones ability to process and channel mana. For many this goes unnoticed as their body starts to show symptoms of fatigue all the time. If the creature has magical ability, this tends to be the first symptom they notice. As it progresses however this symptom reverses itself and causes the creature to absorb more and more mana from the Manasphere. As this hapens the creature will swell in size, its skin will bloat and then with time tear as it can not handle the quickness by which the creature bloats. The process is very painful. Still there are further stages, assuming the creature survives that second stage, which is far more likely than it would seem as the blight keeps its victim's system running despite shock and blood loss. In the third stage the creatures blood will have left the body due to open sores and rips in the flesh. Replacing it will be a substance known as Entropic Mana, which is tainted by the Entropic energies of the Void and comes in a liquid form. It starts to flow from the creatures wounds dripping out of it in a sickly blue color, and leaving glowing trails of liquid where ever the creature goes. The fourth stage is what most fear the most about Mana Blight, as the body starts to further detierate, the mind of the creature is assaulted driving them to seek more of their kind. The soul at this stage is also afflicted by the Blight and is slowly consumed by the blight. The final stage the blight sees the creatures flesh falling from its bones which stay animate in a coating of Blight Ooze. Driven by the need to infect others the infected at this point are little more than mindless machines running around causing what ever wounds it can which if come in contact with the Blight Ooze will infect a new victim with stage two Mana Blight.

Treatment

If caught in stage one or very early in stage two the Blight can be cured. This is through and extensive soak in mana, which may feel slightly counter intuitive however if the mana is attuned to the the Realm of Truth this will purge the Entropic Energies in the creature and spare them from a grisely fate. This process is not without its own problems, as this will cause extensive mana scaring, scars which are magical in nature and shall never leave the bearer even past death and can cause them to have issues with over absorption of mana, and a bleeching of all color from the patient. They become deathly white.
If a patient is found too late into Stage two the only real option is to kill them then. This spares the soul from consumption and allows the victim to pass on to their next life. It is considered by most to be preferable to the fate that awaits them if the blight takes its course.

Prognosis

If treated most survive the encounter with Mana Blight. If left to its course there is only true death that waits, and the zombification afterwards.

Sequela

If treated and cured, the remnants of the Entropic Energies which can never be fully purged remain. This makes any future infections faster but more commonly awakes magical potential in a blight victim. Some have been known to go as far as to be intentionally infected so as to be cured and awoken. This is considered deprived by most though. On less pleasant notes though the creature develops a need to consume meat, and if an omnivore already becomes dependent on meat only. This is thought to be the need for life energies that can only be found in meat, fresh or not. This is why the blight is so feared on the Realm of Omega, as the center planet is populated primarily by vegetarian creatures. Further the treatment leaves the creature drained of all color, which to many species can make them look sick or dead. The Blight also leaves this mark on the soul of the treated subject who will carry this form of albinism to the next life.

Type

Magical