The ritual causes the memories of a target living being to be pulled forth from their recollection. Like a cancer excised, it leaves raw holes and the ritual’s outcome can be apparent for those who know what to look for.
This is sometimes confused with Worms of Memory (Wyld Rite).
The memories cannot ever be recovered, essentially they are “dead”.
In tales, the dissolution of memories like this has been frequently used by the agents of the Lich Lords – to remove knowledge for their own intelligence gathering, and to disrupt the plans of those set against them.
Though it is rumored that lost memories can fill these voids if taken from others with the same knowledge. Ancient practices by the followers of Balthazaar were said to be able to reveal and partially restore these shadowed holes in the memories of beings. But also to disturb and attract the attention of the denizens of the Shadowlands nearby.