Devouring

The Devouring is a rare condition that afflicts commoners.

It is caused by the rare occurrence of a commoner being born with mana. Unlike nobles, whose bodies are naturally suited to possessing excessive amounts of mana, a commoner's body cannot handle holding mana. The mana continues growing inside the body of the victim, and since commoners are not allowed to learn magic, they are left with no channel to release the mana, resulting in the excess mana bringing harm to the body. The fever/mana continually grows until finally overwhelming and consuming the victim, which is why this condition is referred to as the "Devouring".

Symptoms of the Devouring are:
 * Stunted growth
 * High fever
 * Sensitivity to changes in temperature
 * Poor stamina

The Devouring can only be stopped if the victim regularly releases the excess mana. This is normally done by channeling the mana into magical items. Magical items are expensive, so only those with money and connections with nobles have the means to live, either by contract or buying broken magical tools.

One can also get the Devouring under control by keeping their emotions in check, striving towards their goal and not letting despair take root.

Background
Nobles look at commoners born with mana with distaste, as they want to monopolize mana for themselves, so Devouring victims who made a contract with nobles to survive are not treated well in most cases. It's also extremely difficult for them to get a contract with nobles without money and connections.

This changes when a mana shortage happens due to political upheaval in the country, when devouring-afflicted children are seen as a new source of mana.

Known People Affected

 * Main
 * Freida
 * Dirk