Nimean Induced Shadow Sickness

A nimean is a citrus that grows in dark places with a lack of light magic. They are soaked with shadow magic. The fruit itself is sweet with a tart aftertaste and its juice is pitch black. To those who have an affinity with shadow magic, this is a refreshing snack or beverage that replenishes their magic and can even temporarily make them stronger.

However, those that do not have an affinity with shadow magic or even have a weakness to it are affected differently. At first it can be enjoyed as a pleasant treat, but if too much of a nimean is consumed by those without shadow magic, they can be afflicted with shadow sickness. Shadow sickness is divided into different stages. At the beginning it is simply feeling woozy, dizzy, or nauseous, especially for those who are not used to shadow magic. If one has these initial symptoms of shadow sickness and continues to eat nimeans or shadow walk, they may experience more severe variations of the initial symptoms as well as a sense of cold they may not be able to shake, which is considered the second stage of shadow sickness.

The third stage of shadow sickness is when the person becomes unable to stop shivering and they begin to have symptoms similar to frostbite. Once someone reaches this stage, they must immediately be treated with a light magic healer to offset the cold shadow magic they unintentionally absorbed by eating the nimeans.

Of course susceptibility to shadow sickness varies according to the magical affinities a person holds. Those who have shadow magic affinities are not affected by shadow sickness as their bodies and magic are naturally adapted to it. Those who have light magic affinities are generally protected by their magic. Those with a fire affinity are usually rather tolerant to the shadow sickness due to their magic naturally keeping them warm. Those with water or air magic are more susceptible to shadow sickness since their magics typically flow with or accept whatever magic is around them. In the case of someone with an earth affinity, typically their constitution helps wave off the effects of shadow sickness but if they are unable to tolerate it then it may hit them all at once.