Arcane Fluidic Surge Syndrome

Arcane Resonance: Victims may experience disorienting flashes of raw magical essence, hearing and seeing bursts of arcane "colours" that correspond to the essence levels within the core. This can lead to intense migraines, hallucinations, and moments of lost time or memory.

Energetic Flux: The affected individual may feel fluctuating bursts of raw magical essence coursing through their body, causing involuntary tremors, erratic movements, or spasms. In extreme cases, these can manifest as full-on magical outbursts, where the affected person briefly channels uncontrolled essence, usually resulting in nearby machinery malfunctioning or minor explosions.

Fluidic Poisoning: If the core fluid comes into contact with the skin, it can seep into the bloodstream. Symptoms may include nausea, fever, and an intense burning sensation, followed by a gradual breakdown of the person’s physical strength. In some cases, prolonged exposure causes magical atrophy, where the body begins to reject the arcane essence, leaving the person unable to properly use magic or even suffer an arcane immunity, where their body is no longer able to properly interact with magical essence anymore.

Aura Disruption: The person’s magical aura may become unstable, causing them to lose control of their magical abilities or even be temporarily "unplugged" from the arcane field. They may find their magic won’t work or comes out wrong, which can be particularly dangerous for spellcasters.

Crystal Burns: Contact with the fluid can cause a unique kind of burn, which is not physical but rather energetic. The skin becomes marked with glowing, geometric burn patterns that persist for a long time. These burns are impervious to typical healing magic and require specialized techniques to cure.

Long-term Effects

Arcane Sensitivity: People who recover from AFSS may become hyper-sensitive to nearby magical essence, even experiencing pain from close contact with enchanted objects or other arcane-powered devices.

Magical Instability: In some cases, a person who has had a serious exposure might find that their own magic becomes unstable, with spells causing unpredictable results or fizzling out entirely. They may also have a tendency to attract raw arcane essence, making them a walking lightning rod for magical mishaps.

Energetic Purging: A rare and costly magical treatment where the affected individual is immersed in a magical ritual involving arcane purifiers, cleansing the body of the lingering unstable energies.

Arcane Balm: Special ointments and tinctures are often used to soothe the pain and reduce some of the symptoms, but these do little to prevent the long-term effects.

Crystal Binding: In extreme cases, an artificer may use a rare, purified arcane crystal to “bind” the excess magical essence, creating a symbiotic relationship where the crystal stabilizes the affected person’s aura. This is a dangerous procedure that may or may not work, and the person may become permanently reliant on the crystal.