Magebane
“They say the Arcane gives freely. That’s a lie. It lends. And when the interest comes due, it collects in bone and soul alike.”
Magebane is not an illness. It is a sentence. A warning scrawled into the skin of those who forget that power has weight, and magick is no ally to the impatient. Unlike diseases born of foul air or rot, Magebane is inflicted only by the self, by hands too eager, minds too sure, hearts too hungry. When a spellcaster draws more Arcane than their body can bind, the power does not obey. It rebels. It burns through sinew and soul alike, leaving blistered wreckage and cursed husks where once stood proud wielders of the unseen. It is said the first death by Magebane came not from battle, but from desperation, a healer who reached too far in grief, trying to bring her brother back from the brink. Her hands caught fire before her cry finished. Her lungs bloomed with light. Since then, hundreds more have followed, young and old, from back-alley hedge witches to court-appointed war mages. They learn too late: the Arcane is no river. It is a furnace, and the body, its kindling. In Everwealth, folk tell their children to listen for the crackling breath, to watch for blackened veins in the hands of the arrogant. It is whispered that the most gifted are the most at risk, for they never learn to fear the limit until it wraps around their throat. Magebane is the quiet reaper of magickal excess, the final breath behind the chant, the last twitch of fingers before they burst like overripe fruit. There is no cure, only caution. And those who survive wear their scars not as badges, but as reminders that the gods do not forgive those who set fire to their own soul.
Transmission & Vectors
Magebane is not infectious but entirely self-induced. It cannot be caught, only earned, through recklessness, overambition, or ignorance.
Causes
Magebane is caused by overexposure to raw magickal energy pulled directly from the Arcane. When a spellcaster channels more power than their body can safely endure, the flow burns through the flesh, nerves, and even soul, like a lightning rod too thin to ground a storm.
While experienced mages may slowly acclimate to higher arcane volumes over time, novice casters or arrogant prodigies often attempt spells far beyond their body's resonance threshold. This overload results in arcane backlash, either immediate, catastrophic injury or a slow deterioration of bodily functions from within.
The affliction can be triggered by:
- Casting spells too far above one’s attunement level.
- Channeling without proper foci, runes, or rituals.
- Prolonged exposure to unstable ley sources.
- Magick surges during celestial events (e.g., eclipses, Arcane Rises).
- Mishandled forbidden magicks (e.g., blood rituals, planar warping).
Symptoms
Symptoms vary wildly based on exposure severity. Early-stage Magebane may seem innocuous, but without intervention, it can escalate to fatal or even soul-erasing consequences.
Mild Symptoms (early warning signs):
- Dizziness or blurred vision after casting.
- Ringing ears, migraines, nosebleeds.
- Itching rashes or flickering lights behind the eyes.
- Temporary loss of feeling in extremities.
- Arcane blisters along veins or casting hands.
- Patches of necrosis, often starting at fingertips or the mouth.
- Black tears, bleeding from orifices.
- The taste of iron or ozone in the mouth.
- Flesh crystallizing or liquefying mid-cast.
- Spontaneous combustion of the casting limb.
- Arcane lesions or sigils burning into skin.
- Soul severance: an irreversible condition where the caster’s soul is disintegrated during the backlash, leaving an empty, mindless husk, or simply nothing.
Treatment
Magebane is notoriously difficult to treat once fully manifested.
Early Stages:
- Rest, hydration, Arcane-binding salves, and diluted healing potions.
- Herbal dampeners (like Saltroot or Dreamspike) to flush residual Arcane energy.
- Amputation of affected limbs.
- Surgical scraping of necrotized magickal tissue.
- Use of Magebane Lattice Powder to absorb residual spellflux.
- Alchemical soul-binding rituals (rare, expensive, ethically dubious).
Prognosis
If identified early and properly treated, recovery is possible, though permanent nerve or magickal damage is likely. Repeated exposure increases long-term risk of chronic arcane instability, causing the body to reject further spellcasting altogether. Severe cases almost always result in permanent disability, disfigurement, or death. In rare cases, Magebane has caused Arcane Echo Syndrome, where fragments of failed spells erupt randomly from the body, months or years after the original incident.
Sequela
Permanent loss of limb or vocal capability (for verbal casters)
- Arcane burn scars that glow intermittently.
- Decreased casting efficiency or complete magickal impotence.
- Mental degradation, arcane tremors, or psychotic episodes.
- Spiritual scarring: diminished afterlife potential due to fractured soul structure.
Affected Groups
- Untrained hedge mages.
- Young or reckless students.
- War-casters in active magical combat.
- Experimental arcanists and blood mages.
- Sorcerers overreaching during emotional extremes.
Hosts & Carriers
None. Magebane is not contagious. However, exposure to improperly trained casters may increase the risk of collateral damage via uncontrolled Arcane surges.
Prevention
- Meticulous training under licensed arcanists.
- Daily resonance exercises to increase channeling tolerance.
- Avoidance of ley-line interference or raw Arcane wells.
- Use of runes, staves, and catalysts to safely distribute spell energy.
- Limiting casting during stress, fatigue, or emotional trauma.
- Veterans often follow the maxim: “If your fingertips tingle, the spell’s too big.”
Epidemiology
Most common among unlicensed hedge-mages, battlefield casters, and arrogant apprentices. Magebane rates spike during times of war or catastrophe, when magical output exceeds safety norms. Celestial alignments can unpredictably amplify ambient Arcane, making even routine spells fatal.
The affliction has led to widespread superstition in rural areas, with mages viewed as ticking time-bombs. Some settlements have banned open casting altogether after public displays of spontaneous spellburn.
History
Magebane has existed since the first mortal dared to channel the Arcane. The Fall and subsequent Schism increased cases dramatically, as institutional safeguards collapsed and rogue casters flourished.
Notable cases include:
- High-Pyromancer Fael Turren, who incinerated half a citadel when his body ruptured mid-cast.
- The Ash Choir of Virell, a cabal who all succumbed to Magebane while chanting a synchronized summoning.
- Ellis Rourke, a young prodigy whose death by soul-tear led to the Rourke Edict requiring arcane licenses across Everwealth.
Cultural Reception
Feared, pitied, and occasionally revered. Survivors with Magebane scars are viewed as warnings or martyrs of arcane excess. Folk tales warn children that “casting without caution cooks your bones.” In rural Everwealth, some believe Magebane is divine punishment for arrogance, calling it “God’s backlash” or “Soulflame.” Many veteran casters wear their scars with pride, while others retire in shame or silence.
Type
Magical
Origin
Magical
Cycle
Short-term
Rarity
Uncommon
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