Overview
Umbracake is something I really do not recommend that you seek out or consume unless its for a very good reason. Generally, umbracake is used for funeral rites but is never really eaten. If it is eaten, it's in very small quantities. It is made of compressed shadowstuff, dreammilk and flickerflour. The taste of the cake is said to be somewhat akin to bittersweet oblivion wrapped in velvet night.
I have tried a bit of this cake and can confirm the flavour. Although, if you're reading this i am assuming you aren't reading this to know what flavour umbracake has.
How to Obtain It
Obtaining Umbracake Syndrome is actually quite easy, depending on how much umbracake you consume. The more you consume the more likely it is to get it.
Note: Shadowveil Cakes are an imitation of Umbracakes and are completely safe to eat. In fact, they nailed the taste so well, it's almost indistinguishable from one another. Highly recommend you check the ingredient list though before consuming anything that looks or smells like umbracake.
Progression
Stage I
(First two hours): They eyes of the user become silvered, shadows elongate in their presence and shadowed laughter and cacophonies of euphoria appear in their mind.
Stage II
(Hours 2-6): The skintone of the user pales, and dims, some of the afflicted are said to be able to see tears in the shadow plane.
Stage III
(Hours 6-12): The user's reflection vanishes as if it were never there in the first place. The user's shadow also fails to appear. Some have been known to see and respond to events that happen in the shadow plane rather than our own.
Stage IV
(12+ Hours): The afflicted begins phasing in and out of our reality and the shadow plane. Long periods of existence in our reality becomes painful for them and they begin to stay in the shadow plane more often than not. If left untreated, they simply cease to exist on theis plane.
Cure
Cure I
(If caught early): Mirrorwater infusion into the blood stream. This is sort of a delicate process and has to be done by those well versed in arcane alchemy and medicine.
Cure II
Getting an Umbraward made for the afflicted to bind their sould to this realm and also placate their shadow.
Umbracake Syndrome sounds like something that starts as a joke and ends with a very serious medical bill. The name is hilarious, but the condition itself seems like a nightmare. I can imagine a character trying to laugh it off until the symptoms hit. Great mix of humor and horror.