Musical Stupor

Too much of a good thing

I spent nearly a year aboard the Wandering Symphony Hall. It was incredible, and I don't regret it. But when I went home, everything felt lesser. Like I had fallen out into a world devoid of color somewhere on the shipride home.

— Sornatia Verres

Named after a state of mind experienced by many who listened to too many performances by Songbloods, musical stupor, or more commonly, emotional stupor, actually describes two different mental changes that can be caused by sorcery. Though caused by two different sorceries, they are still clearly two sides of the same coin of affliction.

The Illness

Song-Induced

Storm-Induced

Symptoms

Afflicted individuals feel emotions a lot less strongly, resulting in a dull world that is often described as 'lacking color'. The individual often retreats into their home, and stops participating in thier work, hobbies, or other activities.

Afflicted individuals feel emotions a lot more strongly. They often flip between extreme joy and energy to extreme anger and sadness. Individuals often take large risks, do things without thinking of the consequences, and 'feel invincible'.

Causes

When exposed to too much Songblood magic, the mind seems to respond by forming a resistance to emotion. Similar to an alcohol tolerance, too much emotional manipulation will cause the mind to dampen all emotions, including natural ones.

When exposed to too much Stormblood magic, the mind seems to start to prioritize 'irrational' or 'chaotic' impulses. Every emotion, every thought, is vitally important, and deserves every drop of focus, especially if they are wild or 'raw'.

Treatment

Until recently, stupor did not have a real cure. The effects could be lessened, with regular treatments from a Lightblood sorceror, but this would slowly induce Reliquation, and so many opted to just live with it. With the advent of Gem technology, a large amount of Lightblood magic can be condensed into a small container, and released all at once, permanently curing the condition. Because of the intensity of the magic used, this cure can only be used once before Reliquation sets it, but it is far better than before.

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