Long story short I feel like i need to establish more 'negative' magic in my system. So even if you have links, advice, or even just random ones I could attempt to build off of that would be absolutely fantastic. My only rule is that curses should always have 'stages' for how much it effects its victim with the last stage leaving them in intense pain. On that note curses should be very intense, as they are always direct punishments from immortals/deities so lots of suffering!
Hopefully this all makes sense and if you need to ask me more questions then go for it!
Maybe the most punishing curse for an immortal or deity would be one that makes them feel mortal, or strips their powers - psychological or emotional pain. Does an immortal or deity in your universe ever feel fear - if not, that would be quite a punishment, and it could still go through stages.
a curse in which you dont know you have it until days or weeks after; if there is magic in your world it would be like every time you use magic it makes the result worse, but the result or symptoms dont happen until a few days after. the symptoms would be intense fatigue which would probably come with some kind of common ailment, so that it makes it harder to spot. the identifying feature would be the loss of color in the eyes.
a curse in which you dont know you have it until days or weeks after; if there is magic in your world it would be like every time you use magic it makes the result worse, but the result or symptoms dont happen until a few days after. the symptoms would be intense fatigue which would probably come with some kind of common ailment, so that it makes it harder to spot. the identifying feature would be the loss of color in the eyes.
oops sorry didnt see the stages thing- im guessing the first, say, four days is the stage where nothing really visible happens; the second is a sudden loss in magic/power and slight fatigue, third is intense fatigue and a near inability to use any magic at all, topped off with aching and fourth is aching that would be extremely dehabilitating
Maybe the curse could be something a corruption? Like, the more a person (mage? witch? idk) uses magic in a harmful way or a way they're not supposed to, the more effects it could have on them? For example (I'm not sure what magic is in your world but), if someone was to use black magic on their enemies too much, their first phase could be little to no effect, the second could be an addiction to the magic, the third could be a dependency on the magic, and the fourth could be them losing themself entirely to it? And the pain could be them stuck in their mind forever? Sorry if this is confusing or whatever…
A few thoughts of what I might do to help jog the creative juices:
-
Research existing mythologies and folklore that have a strong tradition of curses and hexes. Many cultures have their own beliefs and practices surrounding curses, and you might find inspiration from these.
-
Consider the source and nature of the magic that is used to cast the curses. Are they divine in origin, or do they come from a particular type of magic user? How is this magic obtained and wielded?
-
Think about the different stages of the curse you want to create. How does the curse progress over time, and what are the different levels of suffering that the victim experiences? How can the curse be lifted or countered? Does that change in any stages?
-
Consider the consequences of using such powerful magic. Is there a price to be paid for casting curses, and what is it? Are there any limitations or restrictions on who can use this magic and under what circumstances? How do the resources/requirements for casting a curse relate to the strength of it overall or each of its stages?
