Devouring

The Devouring is a condition where a person's mana overflows within them.

Unlike nobles, who are raised wearing magic tools that drain the excess mana they are born with, or priests who offer their excess mana to fill divine instruments, a commoner has no way of managing the excessive amounts of mana. As the person grows, the mana continues growing alongside it. Commoners have 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 from the inside, which is why this condition is referred to as the "Devouring". Because of that, commoners suffering from the Devouring, normally die before their baptism.

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 magic tools. Magical tools 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 slow the speed of the Devouring 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, making no distinction between them and other commoners, so Devouring victims who made a contract with nobles to survive are often (but not always) mistreated. It's also extremely difficult for them to get a contract with nobles without money and connections.

This changed when a mana shortage became a problem due to the purge. Now, devouring-afflicted commoners are seen as a new source of mana but are still treated as commoners in most cases.

Known People Affected

 * Myne
 * Freida
 * Dirk
 * Liz