Æther Sickness
Every sentient being born from a Symbiont Crystal is subject to Æther Sickness, which is the starvation and eventual death of the Symbiont within it's host. This crystalline entity requires a steady influx of compatible souls as sustenance in order to survive. Absorption of the soul occurs when someone willingly kills and takes in another's life essence, or when a Mek'Vatir perishes within three centimeters of the skin. Stealing the soul of another Cerolian upon their death is one of the greatest taboos in all nations throughout the world. For this reason, the one-centimeter tall Mek'Vatir are often bred and kept in pouches to be harvested when necessary.
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The passive death of a Mek within three centimeters of the skin will absorb its soul, but unless it's near a Pure Gathering Point, the energy is mostly lost. Most commonly, the small creatures are discarded into footwear and forgotten throughout an individual's day or used as seasoning on meals in mass. However, many people have their own personal rituals for dispatching these small forsaken souls. Two Mek'Vatir are required to sate this appetite per day at minimum, though there are no consequences for over-indulgence. By contrast, the soul of a fellow Cerolian can sustain an individual for multiple weeks before feeling any ill effects of Æther Sickness.
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Utilizing Magic and the Symbiont's attunement abilities will drain this energy reserve as well, which will increase the speed at which one advances through the various stages of Æther Sickness. This is also true if one utilizes Æthertech that relies on their reserves.
Pure Gathering Points
Palms of the Hands
Soles of the Feet
Interior of the Mouth
Lining of the Stomach
The Progression of Æther Sickness
Stage 1
20 - 28 Hours
This stage is simply a biological warning from the Symbiont that it is hungry, and it is starting to take control of the Host’s mind. Someone in this stage can expect mild to severe nausea and headaches as well as potential vomiting. Symptoms are akin to withdrawal.
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Treatment: Immediate reversal of symptoms by absorbing the soul of a Mek.
Stage 2
34 - 48 Hours
This stage is more advanced, in which the Symbiont has become famished. It forces the host’s adrenal glands to overproduce epinephrine and norepinephrine. Other symptoms involve a sharp increase in blood pressure and heart rate, profuse sweating, irritability, and dilated pupils.
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Treatment: Immediate reversal of symptoms by absorbing the soul of a Mek.
Stage 3
51 - 62 Hours
At this stage, the Symbiont is becoming desperate for sustenance and begins to alter the brain’s chemistry in an attempt to force the host to kill. The specific chemicals are unknown, though it forces the host into a psychotic state. Individuals at this stage have vivid hallucinations coupled with extreme sensations of anger.
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Caretakers turn into fiendish monsters, sound haunts the host’s mind, and visions of physical objects that are not there (Ghosts of fallen loved ones, children, animals, swarming insects) are all reported hallucinations at this stage. Hallucinations target repressed memories or childhood fears. At this point, symptoms have progressed to the point where memory loss can occur. Some hosts claw at their own skin and are prone to attacking others no matter their moral compass.
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Treatment: Re-Introduction Therapy, 1 to 2 Weeks.
Stage 4
70 - 82 Hours
In this stage, the host’s mind attempts to reset itself while the Symbiont resorts to feeding on the host’s soul. This causes severe pain and the inability to complete coherent sentences. Those at this stage are considered feral, and will always cause some form of amnesia. Any mental process that is not important to the immediate task of killing and devouring souls is shut down, and in extreme cases a host may be left in a permanent peaceful feral state.
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Treatment: Re-Introduction Therapy. 4 Months - Lifetime.
Stage 5
84 - 100 Hours
At any point between 84 to 100 hours of starvation, the Symbiont will lose the ability to absorb spiritual energy. Damage done to the brain cannot be reversed, leaving the host in a ravenous feral state. Hosts produce a distinctive, breathy, death howl and are considered elevated grave threats to all life around them.
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Increased strength paired with a lack of reaction to pain allow them to push through more than any normal Cerolian could bear. Individuals who fall to this stage have been recorded attempting to mimic the voices of those around them as a lure. They are hunger incarnate, insatiable, and will always hunt four the souls of the living.
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There have been no recorded cases of recovery from Stage 5 Æther Sickness, as the Symbiont has essentially perished.
Treatment: Terminal