In 1348 Europe is hit by a tremendous outbreak of magic. The results are horrific.

In 1348 Europe is hit by a tremendous outbreak of magic. The results are horrific.<br><br>Magic, for the most part, manifests as the physical alteration of ones body into various things associated with their occupation.<br><br>Farmers, shepherds, and the like develop fur, claws, and teeth, and eventually act like beasts, attacking surrounding villages. Blacksmiths develop bodies made of iron; some develop molten lava inside them, killing them, others develop scabbing on the outside of their bodies that eventually crack and spill liquid metal. Tanners develop dark, leathery skin that cracks and weakens in the rain. Scribes develop inky skin and quill-like protrusions from their fingertips. Soldiers develop bodies made of wood, and begin to rot in the rain.<br><br>The Christian church is left reeling as the deformities spread. They begin to develop their own set of rules for deciding whether a person who develops magical symptoms is still human and worthy of Christian funeral rites.<br><br>Meanwhile, a monk begins traveling the countryside, collecting information on the way magic affects different people. In a decade, he's going to write a massive book on the subject. But for now, he's still collecting data, visiting the few cities that are still standing and talking to the few people who are still human.<br><br>What does he see along the way?