Noumenatism (Noo-men-uh-tism)

Excerpts from the Drunan Journal of Necromantic Arts, 10th Edition

Post-reanimation noumenatism, or simply noumatism for short, is a rare affliction in which a wayward soul enters and inhabits a Freesoul, thus causing a myriad of psychological, medical, and magical issues in the Freesoul.
Noumenatism is related to possession. However, where possession is of supernatural or divine origin, noumatism cases are of a magical nature. The condition is relatively new, so little is known about it, but the information that experts have gathered thus far provides certain cause for concern for the deathlihood of Freesouls, and therefore, the necromantic way of life.
The Freesouls themselves do not fear this condition, for they -- prior to infection -- are incapable of fear in the traditional sense. The true concern lies with necromancers. The condition, if allowed to run its course, has undesirable repercussions. At the smallest scale, a necrolord may lose its Freesoul to a "reawakening" of consciousness. At the largest scale, the necromantic society, its primary workforce, and its myriad of inventions would fall into disarray.
This is not to mention the many unknowns of the condition, such as its communicability between Freesoul populations, or whether it affects Soulcages as well. Not enough tracking has been done to determine whether a Freesoul with regained consciousness would also regain mortality in the sense of bodily decomposition, and if so, at what rate. Much is left to be researched, but the Necromancy Chapter of the Drunan Magical Society continues to research this affliction with fervor.

Transmission & Vectors

As current experts understand it, transmission is primarily airborne, although there is no peer-reviewed proof that roots out droplet transmission. Uncaptured soul particulates can persist in the air and travel along the wind for an indeterminate amount of time, as the studies on the lifespan of a soul outside of a body have been ongoing for centuries, and it can be difficult to capture and tag a soul if it is not extracted immediately after a living host has expired.
In any way that it travels, the afflicted is always a Freesoul, the semi-sentient species engineered and innovated upon by necromancers.

Causes

Due to the low prevalence of the condition, not much is known for certain as to the cause of post-reanimation noumenatism. However, of the cases known and studied by the Necromancy Chapter of the Drunan Magical Society, there is a curious pattern observed across the patients.

• The necromantic reanimation rituals were improperly performed, such that the transitioning Soulcage-to-Freesoul patient had not been entirely sealed and stitched to prevent unwanted cross-contamination of transitory matter.
• The patients were present in areas undergoing elemental phenomena classified as psychic storms. Typically, these storms are well sought after by necromancers and other magical scholars, as they are fonts of energy and magical material. However, the presence of an improperly sutured Freesoul in a psychic storm seems to raise its chances of contracting a free-floating soul.
• Finally, the free-floating soul enters the Freesoul body and remains dormant until an event that triggers the reset of a Freesoul's consciousness, such as the transfer of ownership from one necrolord to another, the mandatory induction of comatose and reanimation of a Freesoul (as part of a medical procedure, for example), or the death of the Freesoul's necrolord.

Symptoms

The combination of aforementioned unfortunate circumstances may culminate in the "reawakening" of a Freesoul's consciousness. With the understanding that the Freesoul, when afflicted with noumenatism, is harboring a wayward soul, one can expect to see several psychological and physiological changes. A non-exhaustive list of symptoms is as follows:

• Change in speech pattern, accent, speed, vocabulary, grammar, and/or enunciation
• Change in physical movement speed, gait, or articulation of limbs/phalanges
• Reluctance or outright refusal to perform assigned duties
• Emotional responses where previously unprogrammed or nonexistent, such as the sensation of fear of the Freesoul's surroundings, where most Freesouls are not granted the ability to process fear stimuli
• Development and expression of unwarranted or unexpected ideas, desires, wants, and wishes that are unrelated to the necrolord's programming or the Freesoul's previous life

The symptoms presented above can occur episodically, in short bursts, or present themselves over a length of time. It is to be reiterated that the symptoms presented herein are not exhaustive, as the matter is still being researched, and the patient population is insufficient to provide true certainty.

Treatment

There is currently no known cure for post-reanimation noumenatism.
The first and foremost recommendation is to treat the symptoms. Some treatments include:

• Psychological reevaluation, in which the presiding necrolord reassesses the Freesoul for their current cognitive abilities, behaviors, and personality. Becoming reacquainted with a Freesoul can help both the necrolord and the patient alleviate the shock from the onset of the condition
• Enchantment therapy
• Hospitalization
• For alchemy enthusiasts, some alchemical remedies may assist with soothing the emotional uprisings that may occur with noumenatism. We recommend consulting with your family alchemist for locally available concoctions.

Finally, there are experimental treatments that are intended to slow down the symptoms or attempt to eradicate them altogether. However, not enough research has been performed to determine the efficacy of such practices. We list them below for educational purposes only.

• Live soul extraction
• Evocative electrotherapy
• Divine intervention

Prognosis

At the time of this journal's publication the likely course of the condition is inconclusive. The condition has only been documented on less than 0.5% of the Freesoul population. Of that number, 75% have evaded tracking after an initial evaluation. The remaining 25% have varied outcomes, including re-assimilation in the general population, continuing Freesoul employment under their necrolord, or death by various causes. These varied outcomes usually occur within a five year period.
Our studies have determined two stages currently known in the development of the condition.

• Incubation, in which the Freesoul is harboring a wayward soul unbeknownst to either party
• Reawakening, in which the Freesoul's consciousness is reset or triggered (see Causes) and the dormant soul activates

Other stages are theorized but not yet verified, and they include

• Insanity, in which the psyche is unstable or mismatched with the host Freesoul
• Bodily deterioration, in which the activation of the dormant soul breaks down necromantic bindings that would normally prevent the rotting of flesh or dusting of bone
• Death, which could occur in a standalone event or as a subsequent stage of bodily deterioration

Prevention

The only prevention that is presently agreed upon by researchers is the proper suturing when initially performing a soul extraction, prior to reanimating a corpse or a body part.

Type

Magical

Origin

Magical

Cycle

Chronic, Acquired

Rarity

Rare

Affected Species

• Freesoul