Balderdash

Boulderberries are a staple of cuisine all around Nascindor thanks to their pleasing taste and aroma but the berries contain a compound that, when consumed in excess, scrambles the speech center of the brain, causing the stricken individual to produce slurred gibberish when attempting to talk.
  This pesky but fortunately temporary condition is called Balderdash.
 

Transmission

Balderdash is caused by a specific type of glycoside present in boulderberries that, when metabolized, passes through the brain-blood barrier and gathers in the Broca's area of the human brain.
  Once there, these glycosides bond with the neural cells present and, in sufficient dosages, disrupt their cell-to-cell recognition capabilities. In other words, the cells will no longer correctly identify their surrounding cells, which causes a cascading failure of phonetic ability.
 

Symptoms

Immediate onset (within 15–30 minutes of ingesting an excessive amount of boulderberries)  

• Incoherent speech: Words are garbled, syllables rearranged or substituted nonsensically
 
• Comprehension impairment: Inability to understand spoken or written language
 
• Cognitive dissonance: Patients often appear bewildered, distressed, or mildly amused
 
• Mild aphasia-like presentation: Occasional improper laughter or frustration

  Some cases include;  

• Echolalia: Repeating words or sounds
 
• Neologism production: Inventing new words to replace ones that cannot be produced
 
• Pantomime: Using gestures to communicate, or some other form of alternative communication

 

Symptoms in Arachnitha

The glycoside responsible for the symptoms of Balderdash has a more generalized effect on the Arachnithan nervous system, seemingly scrambling most of their neural activity.
 

• Disrupted limb signaling: Erratic tapping, missing or faulty capability to correctly interpret vibrations, conflicting cues
 
• Incorrect pheromone output: Day to day pheromone signals misinterpreted as aggression or mating invitation
 
• Disorientation: Web-weaving mistakes and inability to interpret tactile stimuli
 
• Behavioral mimicry loops: The affected Arachnitha involuntarily copies others' movements in jittery repetition

 

Duration and Recovery

Symptoms usually peak within 30 minutes and fade after 1–2 hours as the compound is broken down by cerebral enzymes and reabsorbed, with no lasting damage to the brain. Hydration and rest can assist recovery, and those present during an episode of balderdash should try to keep the afflicted calm and assure them that the condition will pass.  

Note

Those who are magically attuned may experience involuntary projection, further compounding their confusion.
 

Notable cases

 

The Vos Blunder

Nelen Vos, a respected stateswoman and lady of House Vos of Glarithia, was scheduled to deliver a crucial address at a diplomatic summit held in Telothia, intended to foster peaceful relations between the human city-states and the S'aue Empire.
  She had enjoyed a lavish breakfast at a local establishment, including a large bowl of syrup-soaked boulderberries, which Nelen ate in its entirety.   When the time came for her to speak, Vos stepped up to the dais and, with solemn gravitas, opened her mouth and proclaimed:   "Glep-hava the treenoodles."   The summit devolved into confusion and laughter, and the S'aue walked out in outrage. Though an agreement was eventually brokered weeks later, the term “treenoodles” is still used in political slang to refer to a diplomatic blunder.

 

The sermon of Father Halmin

A well-loved but absentminded priest of the Resounding Truth, Father Halmin once delivered an entire morning sermon under the influence of mild Balderdash.
  Having eaten several slices of boulderberry tart, he climbed the pulpit and began his sermon;   “And verily, the truth shall wobble! It shall flop... a-and flopeth it must! For the untruth wears a hat, and it is... not polite.”   Too proud to stop after he had gotten started, the befuddled priest delivered a full 15-minute sermon consisting of utter gibberish before finally stepping down and hurrying into his chambers to avoid having to answer questions.
  Parishioners reported that the sermon was profoundly confusing yet oddly invigorating, no doubt due to Father Halmin's passionate oration. The event is still commemorated in his chapel with an annual “Wobblefast” feast during which, among the other lavish offerings, boulderberry tart is served.