ллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллл л л л A Handbook of Sorcerous Maladies л л л л Compiled by л л л л Sammy T. Healer, M.D., Ph.D., M:TG л л л л Edited by Theslin л л л л Lat-Nam Press, Dominia, 1322 л л л ллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллл Editor's Note: This represents a collection of the life's work of Sammy, professional healer. It has been poorly translated into modern English, a language which cannot do justice to High Dominian, but Sammy's English grammer and spelling are atrocious. I was busy trying to correct his punctuation, and have not yet had an opportunity to check his magic theory with the Sages of Leng. Blame Sammy, not me. --Theslin-- Introduction Many are the ailments that may befall a practicioner of the Arts of magic! The Master Wizards are constantly striving to outdo each other in their crafts, and eagerly destroy any young Sorcerers or Apprentices who might someday usurp their power. Through years of training I have become adept at the recognition and treatment of the many diseases and disorders which may be called down upon a Sorcerer and his created or summoned subjects. Summoned creatures are linked with an unbreakable "silver cord" to their plane of origin, and may draw upon the power of their home plane to heal their wounds, but few creatures may do this in the heat of battle. My earliest experiences were with broken bones, bleeding and burns that would have killed their sufferer, but it is often beyond my training to heal the damage inflicted on the masters of Magic, the Sorcerer-kings of Dominia. These powerful Wizards lack the elemental link posessed by their minions, and cannot heal damage without access to elemental gates and Spells of healing, Spells of a magnitude I am not privy to. Enclosed in this tome are many of the baleful Spells which may be cast upon a Wizard, listed with symptom, name and method of cure. Also you may find spells that are used to destroy Summoned minions, powerful and lasting effects which cannot be shrugged off by the creature's innate healing powers. The last spells and effects I shall detail are certainly the most dangerous, for they focus on the psyche of their victim, and have many terrible effects. Ailments of the Body anemia Thaumaturge "anemia Thaumaturge," a name I have coined for a malady found among Green Mages, is a phenomenon that is rarely brought before the Samite Healers. The affliction is strictly voluntary and cannot be cured by our magic. Causes: The Green Adept is often a master of the forces of Life. He has a bond to the earth, and to the planes of Nature and vital energy from which he gets his power. In some cases anemia Thaumaturge is brought on by a reluctance to pull energy from the precious resources of the Wizard's realms, but more frequently the Mage was unable to draw power from his elemental gates quickly enough, and chose to pull his power from other sources. In either event, the malady is self-inflicted, and is brought into being as the Mage channels energy from his body and spirit to power his mighty Spells. Few Wizards have the magical knowledge (or the bravery) to use this sorcery. Symptoms: Victims of anemia Thaumaturge are generally weakened by their experience. Their bodies are withered, and sometimes scarred by the tide of magical energy pulled from within. No student of Green Magic would use their mystical channels without reason, so a healer's best diagnostic tool is the device of questioning the Wizard. Cures: Sorcerers weakened by anemia Thaumaturge cannot be "cured" of their condition. Instead, the sorcerer himself, or a trusted ally, must use healing magics such as Life's Stream to replace the vital energy drawn from the Mage. anemia Yfel A magical effect created by Black Mages, which they casually refer to as "weakness." The spell may only affect a Wizard's summoned familiars and warriors, and is rarely fatal. Causes: To create the magical effect of anemia Yfel, a Black Sorcerer must briefly expose a creature to the dark energies from which he draws his power. Such an experience invariably leaves the striken creature feeble, or at the very least much less vigorous than when he first was summoned. Symptoms: A profound weakness, accompanied by a lack of energy and vitality. In creatures that cannot ordinarily heal themselves of great amounts of damage, any exposure to the Black Mage's elemental forces--no matter how brief--will result in death. A quick demise without visible source is a strong indication that a student of the Dark forces is in the vicinity, and is not cheerful. Cures: Should a creature survive his initial exposure, his master may be able to remove the baleful enchantment from the creature's body. If not, than the entity's low level of natural energy may be augmented by the blessings of the White Mages and the life-granting spells of the school of Natural Wizardry. However, anemia Yfel will never drop away of its own accord. Arabian Unstable Mutation A great blessing and a powerful curse, the Unstable Mutation, first created by the Blue Enchantresses of Arabia, often destroys a Blue Wizard's own creatures. Causes: The Unstable Mutation charges a creature with the emanations of the Blue mage's elemental planes. As long as the Unstable Mutation exists, the creature gains a surge of strength and fortitude, but the enchantment can slowly consume the affected creature from the inside out. Not long after the enchantment's casting, the targeted creature, who once may have been a powerful warrior, is a tortured creature, hardly a shell of his former self. Symptoms: A brief and powerful increase in a creature's strength is the first indication that he has been affected by the Arabian Unstable Mutation. The problem--if it could be called a problem--seems to fade away, but after scant hours, the afflicted creature will suffer mild discomfort, as of a case of heartburn. This burning increases exponentially until the creature's death. Cures: None. Once the spell has been cast, the enchanted creature will begin to be injured by the effect almost immediately. Only quick action can break the enchantment before permenant damage is done. Once the creature is seriously weakened by the Blue emanations, only applications of protective magics, the blessings of the White Mages for instance, can only hold off the creature's inevitable death. The Blue Mage's quick method of preventing the Unstable Mutation's burning illness is often a recasting of the Unstable Mutation. The Blue Wizards are categorically an uncaring lot, and this is a very temporary solution. The Black Plague As a Dark Mage battles, he never leaves the land as it was. While this could be said of all Wizards, the Black Sorcerer in particular destroys the world around him while destroying his opponent. Causes: The Black Plague is not spawned by any parasite or bad humours in the air. Rather, this pestilence is created by a massive intrusion of the planes of Dark magic on the surface of Dominia. A Black Mage may create the Plague with ease, only needing to open a large and controllable gate to his dark sources of magic. Once this gate is opened, the Mage may create the Plague at his whim, releasing dark energies upon the ground as he sees fit. No living creature in the surrounding lands is exempt from the Plague--Wizards, even the Dark Mage who opened the gate, suffer along with their creatures. Symptoms: In a manner analogous to a miner's songbird, the quickest method of determining that the Plague has been released is to watch the weakest creatures on Dominia's surface. They will die first, skin falling from bone in a most terrifying manner. As the Negative energies are released creatures who are not killed outright will be weakened by the gate, and I have heard that the Plague gives the feeling of "one's insides being gnawed away by rats." I have yet to experience this, but believe that it would not be an enjoyable event. Cures: A Wizard must quickly shut off the Black Mage's gate before he and all his familiars die. Failing this, only a being posessed of great faith and strength of will, such as the great champions of the White Mages, may survive the Black Mage's assaults. Dark Paralysis Named "Dark" to distinguish this ailment from the ordinary sort of paralysis, which may be quickly healed by any creature with ties to the other planes, Dark Paralysis is another baneful effect wrought by the Black Mages. Causes: A Black Mage may generate the Dark Paralysis by siphoning off a creature's vital energies into his source of Dark magic. There is no other way to initiate this mystical effect. Symptoms: A Wizard can detect the Dark Paralysis by observing his armies. Creatures who are afflicted by a terrible listlessness, unable to move for lack of energy, are surely victims of this dark maladiction. Cures: As is often the case, a Wizard may break the Dark Paralysis by severing the Dark Mage's tie to the afflicted creature. This may not be possible, but the Dark Paralysis may be abated by channelling Elemental energy into the paralyzed creature. This is, of course, costly in the sparse energies which may be drawn from a Mage's dimensional gates. Some spells, many of which may be cast by the student of Green magic, open free-standing gates which may bring a creature almost limitless energy--a creature bolstered by these gates ordinarily would never need to relax as long as it exists, but if it falls victim to the Dark Paralysis this energy would only replace that stolen by the Black Spell. Mana Burn Sometimes, a Mage draws more energy than he can effectively utilize. This is very dangerous. All too often, the Mage dies of the experience. Most do not make this mistake again. Causes: A mage may only draw from a very few gates before running out of uses for his siphoned energy. Only a stupid Wizard will channel gates without a use for the energy, but when the Green enchantments of Wild Growth are active, or when the Red Mage opens the elemental taps to full blast by use of Mana Flare, it often becomes impossible to prevent a mild case of Mana Burn. Symptoms: A painful burning prickle in the fingers and toes is the only sign of a mild case of Mana Burn. Sevear episodes of this disorder sometimes result in the ignition of body hair, and extream cases often result in a spectacular death by spontaneous combustion. Cures: Prevention is the only sure guard against Mana Burn, and the most effective. Do not channel more than you can use. Another option is the use of talismans which can contain great amounts of magic without ill effect, such as Mana Batteries, Celestial Prisms and the Dragon Engines of Antiquity. Sorcerous Amnesia The direct opposite of Mana Burn, Sorcerous Amnesia is a plague of terrible proportions that strikes all over-ambitious Wizards. Causes: Any mage who attempts to memorize more spells than he can normally store is asking for a case of Sorcerous Amnesia. A large selection of magical effects can "clutter" a Wizard's mind, and make Spells impossible to access. Symptoms: Most obviously, the Mage afflicted will be unable to bring to memory the simplest spells. In collecting a large store of Spells for every occasion, the Mage has compromised his effectiveness. In other cases, the Mage will be unable to open the Gates he desperately needs to cast his spells. A Wizard rarely lives through this experience. Cures: AVOID AMBITION! Reduce the size of your vast magical library, and don't try to produce effects against all known circumstances. Some Black Mages call on powerful demonic assistance to re-teach forgotten spells, but this can further clutter the situation. As always, prevention is the only cure, but at times even the most well-organized Mage can suffer from this malady. Disorders of the Spirit Demonic Binding As all Black Wizards know, their summoned minions often exact a high price from their summoner. Let the buyer beware. Causes: Psychic attacks by a tightly controlled creature. Some creatures posess very strong wills, and their controlling Mages must pay a high price, either in life energies or in the power drawn from elemental gates, to maintain their control. Black Wizards are not the only Mages tormented by Demonic Bindings, as Blue and even Green Mages may conjure powerful creatures with heavy costs. Symptoms: Most obviously, the Mage affected by Demonic binding will have a great and powerful creature, usually a Djinn or Efreet, under his control. He will also suffer greatly from the creature's psychic warring or mystical draining, and may die. Cures: Don't conjure such a powerful creature. In the unlikely event that you can convince a Blue Mage to take control of your creature, you're in luck. If not, disintergration or certain Black Spells are your only protection against your own rash action. Psychic Venom A powerful magical effect of the Blue School, Psychic Venom sets up a mental block against the use of a particular elemental gate. Causes: A Blue Enchanter may create this magical effect, setting up a repulsive mental field that bars the use of a Mage's sources of magical energy. A Mage may force his way through the magical barricade, but only at the cost of grevious damage to his psyche. Symptoms: A Mage afflicted by the Venom will certainly know this. Drawing energy from his elemental gates will feel like a knife being driven into his head, and even _thinking_ of the sources of his magic is like feeling a decaying tooth with the tongue. Cures: White benadictions may protect against the pain of Psychic Venom, purging the mental block from the afflicted Sorcerer. The only other way to prevent the Venom's pain is to open other gates, but the powerful spells of the Blue School can easily force even a careful Wizard into burning himself with his own elemental gates. Wanderlust A Green Mage may instill in any controlled creature a lust for free life. Until that creature's death, its controller must deal with attacks by her subversive charge. Causes: Suggestions and charms made by a Green Enchanter are the only known cause of the sudden streak of rebellion known as Wanderlust. Symptoms: Withdrawal, depression, and eventually lightning-quick attacks on the part of the enchanted creature. Cure: Swift and final destruction is the best cure for a small, easily summoned creature. The aid of White Magic may be sought for more valuable familiars.