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  1. MIDGARD
  3. Lore

The Crimson Eye Disease

LORE ENTRY

The Crimson Eye Disease is a term used to describe a mortal who has formed a connection with the Watchers. Its most recognizable sign is the crimson discoloration of the eyes, a visible mark of that unnatural bond.

In the majority of cases, this condition means the individual is being influenced or slowly possessed by the Watchers, their will no longer fully their own. Because of this, the disease is greatly feared, and those who display its signs are almost immediately assumed to be under Watcher control.

However, this is not always true. Some afflicted retain their free will, but the distinction is rarely trusted, as even a single link to the Watchers is considered too dangerous to ignore.

MECHANIC PROFILE

NATURE

  • A mortal condition formed when a connection with the Watchers takes root in the soul. It is not a sickness of the body but of the bond — the mark of a mind that has, in some measure, touched what should not be touched.

SIGNS

  • Visible Mark: A crimson discoloration of the eyes, ranging from a faint redness to a deep, unnatural glow. It cannot be hidden for long and worsens as the bond deepens.

  • Behavioral Shifts: Those further along may show subtle changes — moments of stillness, words spoken that are not their own, dreams shared with others who bear the same mark.

RULES

  • The Bond is Real: Every afflicted carries a link to the Watchers, however faint. There is no false positive — if the eyes are crimson, the bond exists.

  • Possession is Not Inevitable: Most who bear the mark are slowly being claimed, their will eroded. Yet some retain themselves entirely, the bond present but dormant. The two cannot be told apart by sight.

  • No Known Cure: Once the bond is formed, it cannot be severed by any known means. Whispered tales speak of a few who somehow broke free, their eyes returning to mortal color — but such stories are rare, scattered, and never the same twice told.

CONSEQUENCES

  • To Society: Those who bear the mark are almost universally assumed to be lost. Most factions kill, exile, or imprison the afflicted on sight, judging the risk of corruption too great to weigh innocence.

  • To the Afflicted: The bond grows. Visions, voices, and impulses not their own become more frequent. Those who resist do so alone — for the world will not extend mercy to a face it cannot trust.