Devouring

The Devouring is a rare condition that afflicts commoners.

It is caused by the rare occurrence of a commoner being born with a significant amount of mana.

Unlike nobles, who are raised wearing magic tools that drain the mana they are born with, a commoner has no way of managing the excessive amounts of mana. As the person grows, the mana continues growing alongside it. Since commoners aren't given magic tools, 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 from the inside, 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 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 children are seen as a new source of mana but are still treated as commoners in most cases.

Known People Affected

 * Myne
 * Freida
 * Dirk