[st.patrik]

as far as items which prevent afflictions, there is a ring of regeneration which you should be able to make if you have skill in nature, and the proper research done [it IS available in the demo]

the bad news is that once you have an affliction there's no easy way to get rid of it. There's some stuff which isn't available in the demo, or you could just kill off your pretender - when it comes back it ought to have a clean slate when it comes to afflictions (at least so the theory goes - I've never actually tried it). The downside is you lose one level in each school of magic.

The Last option is not to use your pretender for combat, but for forging, searching, rituals etc. only.