The World of Mirnos (Lore #2)

A introduction guide to Mages - By Hoffspoke Brum (1161)

Chapter 2

'The true depths of magic remain deeper than any Ocean known to Man...Yet we were only ever meant to paddle in the shallow end' - High Mage Westerlands (circa. 642)

Young and old students of Magecraft often make the mistake of striving themselves to go not only as far as their abilities allow, but press on beyond even that, seeing their personal limits as nothing more than another barrier that needs tearing down in their pursuit of self interest. Suffice to say, a mage's appetitite for knowledge and power can be a terribly consuming thing.

But, the course of nature dictates that men, elves, and other beings of Mirnos are still bound by the rules of flesh, their bodies eventually are unable to handle becoming too much of a vessel for so much energy, and begin to break down.

 A mage who pushes too far and too fast, can quickly find themselves driven to insanity, often refered to as 'The Mages plague' by alchemists and by more educated kin, while crudely, it is often refered to as 'Divine madness' by commoners, A mage afflicted with it can experience:

-Severe Hallucinations

-Often violent outbursts attacking those on sight 

-A loss of awareness of their surroundings or some type of cognative dissonance

-Often inane ramblings, usually the result of having stared too long into some void of magecraft and been driven mad by it.

While there are some cases of those able to come back from 'The Mages Plague,' usually through months of restraint and the aid of colleagues, most cases end tragically.

The most dangerous case of 'Divine Madness' occured in 942, when a group of Disciples of Skorn in secret attempted to conjour up dark spirits to share with them elemental knowledge far surpassing what their minds and bodies could ever hope to control.

After ambushing one of their teachers and throwing his charred body from the tower of Skorn onto the streets below, the dozen of them began a horrific rampage, eviserating the young and old on sight, resulting in the death of over seventy-four people as they muttered over and over again 'The snake eats itself' before the Alderian army and inquisitors finally intervened and bought about a swift end to their rampage.

Let this serve as a forewarning to any students of Magecraft with dreams of grandeur, your power is a gift, but it can quickly become the curse which strangles you. Patience is key when it comes to learning Magecraft...There is no shortcut.

As a full disclaimer under the order of Head inquisitor Marion Valdes, any notion of 'Black Mages' being able to resist 'The Mages Plague' easier due to to their foul magic is a complete misrepresentation, as all Dark Mages are inherently driven mad and must be wiped out immediately.