MAGICAL FAILURE STATES are divided into two separate types: 'disconnected' and 'corrupted'.

Disconnected is usually considered the less severe state, but is still devastating. Both states manifest differently for each magical subtype. Disconnection involves a complete or partial cessation in the ability to use a magical type usually caused by severe magical errors or when an outside force that is providing power ceases to do so. Corruption involves the backfiring of magic that harms and sometimes transforms its user.

———— ARCANE ————

Corrupted: The most common Arcane Corrupted state is Riven. The Riven are individuals who attempted to channel too much Arcane power for their skill level. This state is sometimes reversible, but its severity depends on the amount of energy channeled and the skill of the caster. The Riven usually are partially or, in extreme cases, completely comprised of unstable magical energy. Most instances of becoming Riven result in the loss of limbs or even entire parts of the body as they are transmuted into magical energy, but sometimes these parts can be restored with the right metamagic powers. Depending on the stability of the caster and whether or not they're given the opportunity to rest, a Riven individual's magical parts can usually survive between 24 and 48 hours before decaying and being lost permanently.

Disconnected: Arcane disconnection is the rarest of all, mainly because Arcane energy requires no connection to any outside force. Many who suffer brain damage or other forms of intellectual decay are considered Disconnected if it hinders their ability to cast spells, and likewise, those who become mute may no longer use verbal spells, and are therefore considered Disconnected if these spells are the majority of the ones they were able to cast.

———— DIVINE ————

Corrupted: Divine Corruption is one of the most common types of corruption. This manifests in one of two ways; a deliberate punishment on the part of the God, or an overzealous or depersonalizing connection to a God that results in a person's spirit starting to atrophy as the God takes over. The highest Divine casters can become so entwined with their God that they eventually cease to be, an event that usually ends in the devout's death or the complete possession of their form. Few Gods do this intentionally, but those Gods like Nailaxkha who have no concern for their subjects may take the opportunity to infest the minds of those who open themselves up most. Gods may also choose to revoke or turn their magic on their own devout who commit serious wrongs, acting as a sort of ironic punishment; for instance, a priest of Fanekh who takes advantage of the ill may themselves become extremely sick, developing tumors and growths and losing their magic.

Disconnected: The Divine Disconnected state is fairly common and straightforward. Those who lose connection to their God, either because the God in question dies or wanes in power, or because they have strayed from the God's path and have been deliberately cut off or lost their relationship to that God, are considered Disconnected.

———— NATURE ————

Corrupted: Those who become Corrupted by Nature magic are split into two categories: Feral and Elementals. Elementals are people who have become so consumed by their element that it infests their soul, and may slowly transform them into beings of pure elemental power, with often negative or strange personality shifts and increasing wanderlust that draws them to sources of their element, such as a Lightning elemental's desire to live among the clouds. Though Elementals gain immense power, they deal with many behavioral changes and the constant threat of the element overwhelming their soul if not properly managed. Unlike most Corrupt states, being an Elemental is not always a bad thing. Feral individuals are those whose connection to Nature became so deep that they began to lose their humanity; this state is one of great shame, mainly because it represents a misunderstanding of or fetishization of Nature. Feral people are aggressive hunters or reclusive creatures, acting as if they were predators or prey in the wild. Those most likely to become Feral are people who engage in Nature magic with their heart in a fundamentally wrong place: the worship and idealization of nature to the point of misanthropy and rejection of civilization. Both states are curable; Elementals may cure it themselves by distancing themselves from their element, or Spiritualists may be able to disconnect the element from their soul, but this runs the risk of completely destroying their magic as well. Feral individuals can be rehabilitated with therapy.

Disconnected: Disconnection from Nature magic is not uncommon. There are a few ways. Some become disconnected from Nature magic if they become disconnected from nature itself; living in highly industrialized environments away from the wilderness can do this. Others may become disconnected from their element if their personality undergoes a heavy shift. Severe emotional traumas related to the wilderness may warp one's connection with nature, either making it impossible to connect, or spiraling the individual towards becoming Feral instead. Unlike other magical types, though, disconnection from nature magic is almost never permanent, and may be remedied either with therapy or simply exposing oneself to and connecting with Nature once again.

———— ICHOR ————

Corrupted: Those corrupted by Ichor are split into two categories as well: the Melded, and the Interstitials. The Melded are those whose minds have been eroded by the infinite mutability of Ichor, to the point where they obsess over it. Some individuals can be broken from this obsession, but those who are not often join with the Ichor Sea, binding their soul to it so that they may sink into its waves and permanently express their dominion over Ichor, making anything their mind can imagine into temporary forms, sometimes even creating alternate realities in the Ichor. Some Melded have become extraordinarily dangerous, raising armies from the seas or forming kingdoms beneath the ocean. Others are content to summon anything their heart desires, living out the rest of their lives in a state of quasi-godhood in their own little bubble. Interstitials are more straightforward, a result of a more practical magical failure: the mishandling of Ichor. Damage to the body by Ichor may cause one to turn into an Interstitial, a being whose body has begun to decay into Ichor. These beings are immortal and immune to physical damage, but often have grotesque forms, and may quickly completely lose their minds if they have taken too much damage from the destabilizing Ichor. They must consume souls to keep their form intact, or else they will decay further and further.  This form is thought to be irreversible.

Disconnected: Disconnection from Ichor magic is caused by one of three things: loss of creative drive, intellectual decay, or a phenomenon referred to as Rejection. The first is common, and may be remedied in any number of ways, but outright artistic block can be severe enough to completely stop an Ichor mage from using their powers. Intellectual decay is a factor similar to Arcane magic, as the loss of creative faculties caused by brain damage, advancing age, or any number of other things can end an Ichor mage's career, unlike the more innate and emotional Nature and Divine magics.

Rejection is rare, but the most devastating of all forms; it is irreversible, and completely negates all of an Ichor mage's training. Rejection seems to occur with no clear catalyst, and causes an Ichor mage to be entirely incapable of manipulating any form of Ichor. Some view this as the Ichor rejecting the 'unworthy', while other theories suggest that it is a result of some kind of malady on the caster's part. The leading theory suggests that it relates to changes in spiritual state that result in an individual becoming 'invisible' or incompatible with the Ichor. Some people are never able to manipulate Ichor no matter how hard they try; this is especially common in sociopaths and individuals with absolutely no theory of mind or empathy, as the ability to see outside of oneself seems to be important for Ichor magic.

———— SPIRIT ————

Corrupted: All manner of corruptions can occur to spirit mages, but those most commonly associated with the use of spirit magic itself are Astral Blindness, Forbidden Sight, Spiritual Collapse and Astral Disconnection. Astral Blindness is the propensity for Astralists to become so enamored with the workings of higher planes that their actual ability to see in the mortal plane begins to atrophy. In these cases, either an individual becomes increasingly scatterbrained and vacant as they gaze into the next planes on a constant basis, or they maintain a degree of awareness, but become blind to the Mortal plane and only capable of sight in higher planes. Forbidden Sight is a consequence of seeing deeper into the Higher Planes than is safe for one's level of power, and has results ranging from mental trauma, to complete sensory deprivation, to death, to the soul merely winking out of existence in the most extreme cases.

Spiritual Collapse is the primary malady associated with self-spiritualists, and is a result of one becoming so obsessed with the knowledge of their own soul that it causes them to unravel. This can manifest as an individual becoming so enamored with strengthening their soul that they become self-obsessed, egotistical, or isolated, which backfires and weakens the soul, causing distress that can lead to a cycle. Or, it can be caused by acute and overwhelming awareness of one's own flaws or frailty, which might cause such severe distress as to vastly worsen these effects. Astral Disconnection is associated with necromancers and other individuals who draw from the power of their souls. These people project their souls into other vessels, or draw on it as a source of magical power; when one overextends themselves, it may cause them to become permanently or temporarily fragmented across many vessels, or the use of the soul as a power source damages it potentially irreparably.

Disconnected: It is not difficult to become Disconnected as a Spirit mage. Isolation, becoming highly self-centered, or the loss of empathy all make it difficult or impossible to see the things one needs to see. The inability to self reflect or accept one's flaws can, likewise, make it impossible to engage in spirit Spirit related to the self. Overall, Spirit magic requires a kind of keen awareness that can be lost if not maintained or through damage or disability. Connections are critical to Spirit magic, and anything that disrupts the ability to form them will disrupt the mage themselves, whether it's connections with the self, connections to others, or cultivated relationships with the Higher Planes that eventually unfold into understanding and comprehension.