Curse

(WIP)

'Curse' is a very broad term. It generally applies to a magic curse of some kind. Curses vary in nature and can be put upon someone by demons, powerful witches and warlocks, artifacts, the gods, and other sources, some of which may remain unknown.

Nature

The nature of curses is impossible to state concisely or to fully understand. Generally speaking, a curse is considered negative in nature. Curses are generally some form of punishment, often wrought by the gods themselves or brought about by a demon. A curse can bring with it virtually endless possibilities of punishment, such as pain, disfigurement, compulsions, disease, starvation, transformation, death, or undeath, as well as other forms of punishment, such as binding to a particular object or location in some way.

Some Known Curses

There are far too many curses to truly 'know' them, and indeed, all curses are unpredictable and strange. No curse, they say, is quite like another. Even individual cases of curses such as lycanthropy and vampirism vary wildly, and no two victims are exactly the same. Likewise, there are countless curses, some incredibly ancient and others newly created by demons and powerful practitioners of dark magic. Some curses may be as simple as an inconvenience, and curses are often blamed for something as commonplace as bad luck. However, most true curses are far more dire.

Lycanthropy

For more information, see the Werewolf article.

Vampirism

For more information, see the Vampire article.

Plagues

Plague curses have been suggested throughout history, but

There have been several plague curses across the histories of various lands, including those inflicted by Ankhu in Kemhet, and potentially others that went unrecognized or unrecorded.

Geas

Geasa, or geases, are sometimes considered a form of curse, though to obey a geas may also bring one great power. Geasa are usually equated with a compulsion placed upon an individual that, if not followed, will result in magical punishment ranging from pain to even death. These compulsions are often very specific. Some geasa will bring about some form of blessing if they are followed, though this is not often the case. A geas is similar in nature to, but not the same as, a rune of binding. A geas may be placed by a powerful magic-wielder. They are usually arcane in nature, though some may also be demonic or even divine.