The Vale and Valetouched
A magical mist causes mental hallucinations and anomalies, even stealing away memories. Meanwhile, supernatural spores throughout the Vale in Eren can corrupt the form of sapient beings over a long period of exposure, leading to their body becoming inexorably changed and made "part of the Vale."
Within Eren dwells a cursed forest called the Vale. It is saturated with a strange supernatural miasma that physically, mentally, and even spiritually corrupts living things who dwell inside of it. Sapient people seem to suffer the worst of this, suffering hallucinations, phantom sensations, and eventually insanity and a physical malady that renders their bodies sickly. But there have been instances throughout history where individuals have managed to persist despite these maladies, becoming lost within the Vale's influence. After an unknown amount of time, they might find that the Vale’s influence goes much deeper in ways few could imagine living through. Yet, for the creatures that call the Vale home… and the unfortunate few who find themselves lost within its depths but aren’t granted the mercy of a way out, the curse becomes more ingrained within them.
Should this begin to occur within something or someone, the symptoms can manifest in several ways depending on the individual and the duration that such effects go unnoticed or untreated, for it varies from creature to creature. Some more common effects, however, are as follows:
Degradation of sanity as the spores and mists integrate with the consciousness of the victim
Violent behavior toward others, particularly aimed at those who are not suffering any afflictions associated with the Vale
A gradual conversion of body portions from flesh and bone to plant-like forms, typically in the extremities and moving inward. This can resemble roots, vines, moss, etc., depending on the original physiology of the subject.
A growing tolerance toward the disorienting effects of the Vale’s mists, finding navigation easier… if one’s cognition is still intact.
It should be noted, however, that these effects take a long while to “naturally” begin to take effect over the typical psychosomatic effects of the mists, especially when precautions are taken against them. Those who possess physiology hostile to the survival of the spores within the body are also protected in this manner.
Make no mistake, for if the Vale so deeply influenced a sentient being that they became Vale-touched and warped by the forests, they would be likely very dangerous and lacking any semblance of the sentience they once held. They would be more monsters than men, a living part of the Vale itself, accepted by the cursed lands as one of its own. For one to maintain their sanity and hold over their humanity through such transformation of the self would be a miracle in itself…
Within Eren dwells a cursed forest called the Vale. It is saturated with a strange supernatural miasma that physically, mentally, and even spiritually corrupts living things who dwell inside of it. Sapient people seem to suffer the worst of this, suffering hallucinations, phantom sensations, and eventually insanity and a physical malady that renders their bodies sickly. But there have been instances throughout history where individuals have managed to persist despite these maladies, becoming lost within the Vale's influence. After an unknown amount of time, they might find that the Vale’s influence goes much deeper in ways few could imagine living through. Yet, for the creatures that call the Vale home… and the unfortunate few who find themselves lost within its depths but aren’t granted the mercy of a way out, the curse becomes more ingrained within them.
Should this begin to occur within something or someone, the symptoms can manifest in several ways depending on the individual and the duration that such effects go unnoticed or untreated, for it varies from creature to creature. Some more common effects, however, are as follows:
It should be noted, however, that these effects take a long while to “naturally” begin to take effect over the typical psychosomatic effects of the mists, especially when precautions are taken against them. Those who possess physiology hostile to the survival of the spores within the body are also protected in this manner.
Make no mistake, for if the Vale so deeply influenced a sentient being that they became Vale-touched and warped by the forests, they would be likely very dangerous and lacking any semblance of the sentience they once held. They would be more monsters than men, a living part of the Vale itself, accepted by the cursed lands as one of its own. For one to maintain their sanity and hold over their humanity through such transformation of the self would be a miracle in itself…
