Malady - Schoolyard Disease

Schoolyard Disease (Traumatized Building, Bad Place)

Original Location: School for Disadvantaged Children

Type: Spiritual

Signs and Symptoms

Early Symptoms of Schoolyard disease include

Unexplained noises occurring in the building at night
Doors or windows opening or closing by themselves at night
Hot or cold spots in the building at night
General feelings of anxiety in individuals when alone in the building at night

Later Symptoms of Schoolyard disease include

Unexplained voices in the building occurring day or night
Unexplained physical phenomena in the building occurring day or night
General feelings of anxiety in individuals or groups in the building, day or night

Advanced Symptoms of Schoolyard disease include

Deactivation of all surveillance magic and technology within the building
Inability of individuals to leave the building
Inevitable death or tragic outcome for each individual in the building

History

Its name stems from the original tragedy, which took place at the School for Disadvantaged Children. It was a new school house, public, built for parents who could not afford to send their children to a private school. The faculty was employed, and children were enrolled. The first day of the school's operation was its last. When the children did not return home when the final school bell rang, concerned parents searched the building and found the faculty dead, cause unknown. Of the children they found no trace. Authorities closed the school, and the building was abandoned. Rumors of noises coming from the schoolhouse at night and other ghostly phenomena occurring within it began almost immediately afterward. Convinced the school house was haunted, a group of ghost hunters entered the building in order to document their findings. When they did not emerge the next day, authorities searched the building. The ghost hunters were found dead in the same way the original faculty was found dead, cause still unknown.

Diagnosis

Schoolyard disease is found only in buildings where a great tragedy has taken place. If a building has experienced such an event, and paranormal activity is taking place inside it, a skilled and reputable psychic medium should be employed to investigate.

If the medium is able to detect ghosts, then the building is merely haunted.

If the medium is not able to detect ghosts, then Schoolyard disease is highly likely. The building should be immediately evacuated and permanently sealed off.

Transmission

Schoolyard disease does not disappear when the original, afflicted building is demolished. If a new building is constructed in the old building's place, the new building will acquire the original Schoolyard Disease, often in a more aggressive manner.

Risk of Exposure

Any individual entering an afflicted building is at risk of succumbing to whatever tragedy which caused Schoolyard disease to manifest itself within the building in the first place.

Any building constructed to replace an afflicted building is at risk of contracting the afflicted building's Schoolyard disease.

Prevention

For an individual, simply not entering the building is sufficient enough to prevent falling victim to a tragedy. If the individual is a ghost hunter or part of a group of ghost hunters wishing to investigate paranormal activity in a building, they should first employ a psychic medium to investigate it beforehand. If the medium can detect ghosts, the ghost hunters can proceed without worry. The presence of ghosts is a surefire sign that the building does not have Schoolyard disease.

For new construction, research of the land's history is vital. If any kind of tragedy or traumatic incident has taken place on or near the proposed construction site, a psychic medium should be employed. If they detect an aura of malaise, but no ghosts to go with it, Schoolyard disease is present and the construction site should be moved elsewhere.

Treatment

No known effective treatment for Schoolyard disease currently exists, although research is being conducted by highly spiritual Althar priests. As there are no ghosts in afflicted buildings, traditional exorcisms and purification rites have no effect. Althar priests believe that the memory of the original tragedy must be taken care of in order to remove Schoolyard disease, but how this can be done is currently unknown.

Prognosis

Schoolyard disease has an eventual 100% recurrence rate. That is, if an individual remains in an afflicted building long enough, they will always fall victim to whatever tragedy that caused Schoolyard disease to manifest itself in the first place. This may not happen during a single overnight stay. It may take weeks, months, or even a year for the tragedy to recur. This is the same for any building having taken the original afflicted building's place. Keep the early symptoms of Schoolyard disease in mind, and watch out for any newly-constructed building displaying them.

See also