Malediction

 Malediction is a marriage of medicine and Metaphor; wielding them together, Maltricians may heal the injured, treat the sick, and sculpt the body. Malediction does not require a Minor Merit to pursue.

Malediction

History Malediction is an old thing, born from the minds of curious Fae who wished to warp their bodies to suit their whimsy. Even though many of their number possessed Draoidh or Nymhea, even Seeming or Crest, to heal their wounds, to invigorate and stylize their bodies, such things were not universal– and further, none of them alone could provide the flexibility or accessibility many of their hearts desired. And thus, it was that desire which fueled their experimentations with Saol incantations that eventually lead to the creation of Vitalis. Vitalis being the key discovery, existing tools and medical techniques were adapted to working with this wondrous substance. And over time, entirely new tools and techniques were formed, together shaping what Malediction has become in the modern era. For the majority of current day Antarokian societies, it is generally considered to be integral. Still, there are a few who shun it, seeing its ability to modify the body as sacrilegious. It wasn’t until after the practice spilled over into Antarok that Mortis, Vitalis’ Miasmatic mirror, was created and more widely utilized, initially– and still primarily– by the undead denizens of Slahane, as well as being popular with Nekron. However, when compared to Vitalis, Mortis and working with the undead is often shunned in other parts of the world.

Concepts Brionics: - The craft of altering and adjusting flesh for the cleansing of diseases and mending biology’s frailties. Vitalis: - A vibrant, clear, scarlet substance used to alter the bodies of the living. Utilizes the Life Force of Saol, and its use may result in depression within the patient. Mortis: - An iridescent, clear, grayish oil used to alter the bodies of the dead. Utilizes the Humors of Miasmata, and its use may result in fraying sanity within the patient. Emotives: - How a patient’s emotions are impacted by Malediction, their will to live through an operation, and the process of adapting to a new body thereafter. Flesh Rites: - Defined rituals for manipulating Vitalis & Mortis. Tools In addition to the litany of tools utilized by a mundane chirurgeon, there are several implements specific to Malediction. These lists are for the standard tools provided in the toolkit, with both the mundane and Malediction-specific tools included. Because of how cumbersome carrying all of these things around often is, most Maltricians operate out of static offices. Many Maltricians might have any number of their mundane tools Aligned or Exalted in order to customize or enhance them as they see fit. Creative Maltricians may combine their other skills and ingenuity to devise their own devices, or draft designs and present them to other craftsmen as commissions. Questions about technology level? Ask the setting’s Storyteller what tools your PC may have access to. Malediction’s Tools These tools are manufactured from one of two methods. The first type is Aligned with a Saolite or Miasmite Nexus, and most are made such that their Nexii may be swapped out as appropriate. Higher-end Aligned tools may also have both installed, with the Maltrician able to utilize a switch to shift Metaphors. The second option is to have Exalted implements, though this route is much more expensive. Generally, a Maltrician only opts for this method if they want to customize the tool beyond its intended purpose or are crafting it themselves. Brionic Vessel: - The name for various glass containers for Vitalis, Mortis, and enervated tissues, including organs and limbs. Mind Needles: - A pair of needles, typically carved of bone, for tattooing a mind with Vitails or Mortis, adjusting emotion and desire. Essence Carvers: - Sharp-pointed tongs with syringes and retractable, replaceable hypodermic needles in the handles for introducing substances to and carving into flesh and bone. Essence Shapers: - Rather than one tool, Essence Shapers come in sets resembling sculpting tools; they are designed to sculpt flesh and bone. Most sets include several sizes of modeling tools, wire ended tools, chisels, and gouges. Shaper’s Torch: - A device resembling a welder’s torch with a swappable brionic vessel cartridge as its handle. Each torch is designed to slot in two cartridges into the handle at once and possesses a switch that will rotate between them. When loaded with either Vitalis or Mortis respectively, It produces an eerie, crimson or gray ‘flame’ from burning each substance. This flame does not burn the patient, rather, it makes any tissue it comes into contact with softer and more malleable (less prone to breaking/tearing) for the purpose of manipulation via other tools. For every second tissue is exposed to the flame, the effect gains one minute duration. Veingrips: - A set of small clamps carved from bone, etched with Glyphics relating to the concept of blood flow– both staunching it and encouraging it. These are utilized in facilitating hemostatics. Latherer: - A sponge-tipped tool resembling an airbrush gun with a swappable brionic vessel cartridge as its handle; used for painting Vitalis or Mortis upon an organ or buffering down skin imperfections such as scars. Maltrician's Dirk: - A tool used to extract Vitalis or Mortis into a vessel or to extrude them as foam. May be affixed with a hose hooking from the handle into any compatible brionic vessel. It resembles a dirk with a large, blunted hypodermic needle in place of the blade. Malvac: - The general name for a type of machine which provides suction in a medical setting. The key attributes all malvacs share are motors to create suction, a storage space for the vacuumed substances, and connecting tubes with a pen-like device at the end for the Maltrician to wield. These devices usually come with a few different tips for the suction pen of varying shapes and sizes. Mundane Surgical, Triage, & Treatment Tools Scalpel: - Used for incisions and cutting tissue. Several different types of blades exist for a multitude of purposes, and for this reason chirurgeons often keep several on hand. Scissors: - Used for cutting tissue, sutures, or for dissection. Scissors may be straight or curved, with heavier or finer blades for myriad tissue types– for this reason, chirurgeons often keep several on hand. Retractors: - In varying forms, retractors are used to hold an incision open or keep tissues (or other objects) held back in order to keep the surgical field clear. Forceps: - Use for grasping tissue or objects. Toothed and non-toothed forceps exist, as well as different sizes– again, chirurgeons keep several types on hand. Clamps: - Used to hold tissues or objects, or to provide hemostasis– the latter function is used less often by Maltricians, as they have more efficient methods with which to accomplish hemostasis. Can be traumatic or atraumatic. Needles & Sutures: - Both needles and sutures come in a variety of different types. Needles have varying shapes and cutting edges. Sutures used by Maltricians are always composed of organic sinew, the source of which varies– both mortal and animal sinews may be used. Syringes: - A device used to inject fluids into or withdraw fluids from the body. It consists of a hollow needle attached to a tube with a plunger. By pulling back or pushing the plunger, fluids can be drawn into or expelled from the syringe. Staplers & Clips: - Used for reanastomosis of viscera, vessel ligation, and excision of specimens. Can be one-time use, reloadable, manual, or Nexus-powered as with Aligned tools. Can come in different shapes and sizes. Tape: - Varying types of surgical tape exist depending on your play setting. Options range from rudimentary, relatively ineffective tapes all the way to those synthesized by Alchemistry that both hold well and eventually dissolve into the patient’s flesh. Gauze & Bandaging: - Cloth gauze & other bandages used to absorb excess bodily fluids, cover, or pack wounds during or after a procedure. Gauze that is treated with Vitalis or Mortis may be sutured into the body as dissolvable, internal bandages. Mundane Examination Tools Pen Light: - A pen-like device with a small, concentrated piece of Luxiite integrated into the tip designed to provide a thin, focused beam of light to illuminate body cavities. Stethoscope: - A device used to listen to internal sounds of the body, such as the heartbeat and lung sounds. It consists of a chest piece with a diaphragm and/or bell, connected by tubes to earpieces. Otoscope: - A medical instrument used to examine the ear canal and eardrum. It features a light (similar in design to the pen light) and a magnifying lens to help visualize the inner ear. Thermometer: - A device used to measure body temperature via a sliver of Ardorite. It can be placed in various locations, such as under the tongue, in the ear, under the arm, or rectally. It provides a temperature reading that helps assess whether a person has a fever, hypothermia, or is within the normal temperature range. Sphygmomanometer: - A device used to measure blood pressure. It typically consists of an inflatable cuff that is wrapped around the upper arm, a bulb for inflating the cuff, and a gauge that shows the pressure reading. The device measures the pressure of the blood in the arteries, which is recorded as two numbers: systolic (pressure when the heart beats) and diastolic (pressure when the heart rests between beats). Reflex Hammers: - Tools used to test reflexes by tapping specific areas of the body. They typically have a handle and a head with a rubbery, softer surface to deliver a controlled tap, assessing nerve function and reactions. Monofilaments: - Diagnostic tools used to assess sensory nerve function. They consist of a single, thin, flexible filament that, when pressed against the skin, helps detect loss of sensation or neuropathy. Tuning Fork: - Used to test hearing and vibratory sensation. They produce a specific pitch when struck, which helps assess auditory function and the ability to feel vibrations in various parts of the body. Furnishings & Other Tools Listed below are other devices not tied directly to Malediction or larger furnishings that a Maltrician might invest in that don’t come with the standard toolkit. Custom, player created tools will also be featured here. Please submit custom designs to the Support Forum and they will be added once approved. Other Tools Mortescope: - An Aligned instrument used to magnify small objects or details that are too tiny to be seen with the naked eye. It uses Luxiite lenses to bend light and enlarge the image of the specimen, allowing for detailed observation and analysis. The most common magnification specifications are 4x, 10x, 40x and 100x, though specialized devices may be more powerful. Embalmer’s Maw: - An Aligned machine used by Maltricians to replace blood with other fluids, either entirely or partially. This is done to both purge or purify maladies from the body as well as to embalm a corpse. Key components of an Embalmer’s Maw include a reservoir for holding the alternate fluid, a pressure gauge and regulator to control the flow of the fluid, tubing for injection, and often a pump mechanism to ensure consistent pressure. Modern embalming machines may also have adjustable settings to customize the flow rate and pressure depending on the needs of the embalming process. The machinery is all powered by an Aerisite Nexus. Furnishings Forming Bench: - A large rotating bench for a Maltrician's Workshop, complete with straps, detachable panels for accessing the spine, limb clamps, suspension chains, and flesh hooks. May be adjusted to bend the patient into needed positions. IV Drip: - A furnishing consisting of a fluid bag, a cannula, and a needle devised to deliver nutrients into patients. Gurney: - A bed with wheels and restraints designed to keep injured or unruly patients as still as possible whilst they are being transported. Vitals Monitor: - Vitals monitors are Aligned systems only available in advanced tech play settings, such as Dullahan. They can hook up to the patient in a few different ways, typically patches on the skin, and connect to a machine which may or may not have rudimentary displays that record the fluctuations in a patient’s vitals through colors, symbols, etc. In other cases, they’re designed to chirp or make specific sound patterns if anything is amiss. Flesh Rites Rite of Growth A rite done to tissue samples within a brionic vessel in order to multiply, or grow more of, the sample or structure housed within. This is achieved by the Maltrician canting words of Saol (for Vitalis) or Miasmata (for Mortis) relating to growth, maturation, development, and ripening over a brionic vessel containing the tissue sample. Rite of Enervation The way in which a Maltrician makes flesh more lively and durable. It may also be used to preserve limbs and organs for later use. The process is identical to the Rite of Growth, though the words canted ought to relate to enervation, preservation, livelihood, durability, endurance and so on instead. Rite of Repose Repose has two purposes, the first being to impose a comatose state onto a patient. Glyphics meaning sleep, rest, and the duration of their rest are drawn onto the patient’s body with a latherer. Then, the Maltrician verbalizes these Glyphics with words infused with Saol or Miasmata to activate them. The second purpose of Repose is to create Draugr. The process is similar to regular repose, only the meaning of the Glyphics involved is modified. Their inscriptions must be carved onto a recently deceased cadavar, and they must be painted over the entire body before the Maltrician then moves to reciting them. Channeling enough Miasmata to complete this rite is often physically draining, making it so this process cannot be repeated more than once a week. Hemostasis Hemostatics is the process of stabilizing wounds or incisions, and blocking or encouraging the flow of blood. Utilizing hemostatics requires the use of veingrips. Prior to a procedure, the Maltrician will soak their veingrips in a brionic vessel filled with Vitalis or Mortis (whichever fits their patient) for an hour beforehand. During the procedure, they will cant ‘cease’ or ‘flow’ after clamping the relevant tissue to stop or encourage bleeding. They are then free to remove the clamps to free up their surgical site, and may reverse whatever effect they chose by replacing the clamps and canting the opposite phrase. Neurostasis Neurostatics is the artform of manipulating the mind of a victim through Brionic brain tattoos, encouraging or suppressing desires, specific emotions, and creating servants of ceaseless drive or outright dominating Draugr into loyal Ghouls. This art is conducted using the latherer or mind needles, painting or etching glyphics (using brionics as an ink) into the brain. Glyphics etched with mind needles are semi-permanent; they last until altered. Glyphics painted by the latherer fade after a few weeks. Once the Glyphics are applied, words of Saol or Miasmata are canted to activate them. Mending & Shaping The Body Shaping Shaping is the art of using the shaper’s torch in combination with Malediction’s other tools to mold existing flesh into whatever the chirurgeon– or patient– desires. More often than not, shaping is used in conjunction with other techniques rather than by itself. It is typically the first Malediction technique a novice practitioner will learn. The process of shaping is as follows: the Maltrician must first ‘burn’ the tissue they intend to work on with the shaper’s torch. They may then sculpt the affected tissues as they see fit, though it should be noted that bone requires twice as much exposure to the torch’s flame for the same effect as on other tissues. It is incredibly important that the patient not be permitted to move and/or touch the affected tissues until the effects of the torch have worn all the way off. If the patient must be unconscious for a procedure, it is safest to not rouse them at all until this happens. If a Maltrician needs to treat a wound and does not have access to tissues compatible with their patients, they may utilize a Maltrician’s Dirk and extrude brionic foam over the affected area in order to ‘fill in the gaps’, so to speak. The foam will adapt to the tissues around it, though somewhat haphazardly– the result is often misshapen and lumpy in texture, requiring the Maltrician to either use a latherer or essence shapers in order to sculpt their desired result. A Maltrician’s ability to shape successfully is dependent on the following skills: Malediction, Sculpting, and Medicine. Stitching Stitching refers to the process by which a Maltrician integrates or reintegrates briomantic matter, living or dead, into their patients. Experienced chirurgeons learning Malediction may be taught Stitching early on, though those with little medical experience at the incipience of their Maltrician training will likely have to wait a while until they gain enough medical expertise in order to perform proper surgeries. If a Maltrician has access to tissue samples, organs or body structures compatible with their patient, they may stitch the relevant structures into place using organic sutures soaked in brionics or foamed brionics extruded via a Maltricia’s dirk. If using sutures, they will melt into the flesh over the span of a few days for a seamless result. Foamed brionics must be shaped to look natural, but they are more customizable than sutures. The complexity of stitching procedures a Maltrician may successfully perform is dependent on the following skills: Malediction, Medicine. Fleshcraft Fleshcraft is the art of weaving together substances treated by brionics in order to create functional biological entities, ranging from grafts to entire appendages. A Maltrician typically utilizes a variety of tools and materials in order to create complex structures such as organs or limbs. The first step of the process, then, is to acquire their materials. For example, a Maltrician who wishes to create a functioning arm would be required to source all applicable tissue samples: connective tissue, epithelial tissue, nervous tissue and muscle tissue. They may gather their initial samples from live hosts or cadavers (which must be enervated when working with the living), though they only need to source a small amount of each type– the Rite of Growth can then be used to grow more of their samples until they acquire the desired amount. With their materials acquired, the Maltrician may then start the arduous process of composing their fleshcraft. Even at higher levels of mastery, this can be time consuming depending on the structure’s complexity. They must also pay particular attention to the anatomy of whatever they are crafting, especially if they wish to create something true-to-life. For example, paying proper attention to where nerves or sensitive tissues (like sweat glands) are placed– if they do not, their carelessness will be reflected in the function of their creations. For this reason, fleshcrafts are most often created using one or more models and/or following anatomical guides. Fleshcrafting in combination with stitching and shaping can be utilized to create a massive variety of results, and may even be used to integrate aspects of other species into a patient– the only limitations in scope, really, are skill and creativity. The complexity of fleshcrafts a Maltrician may sculpt is dependent upon the following skills: Malediction, Medicine, Sculpting. Artificial Integration The process of integrating artifacts with a body to grant spell-like abilities or a union of flesh and non-briomantic materials. The mechanics of artificial integration are not that different from stitching, however, integrating non-briomantic materials successfully requires additional training and knowledge to do successfully. Additionally, the artificial materials must be crafted with such an integration in mind. This means that they need to have ports, catheters, etc. which can be utilized by the Maltrician to connect blood vessels, nerves, etc. to the artifact (or other structure). Further, the implant structure must have spent at least 24 hours soaking in brionics before the procedure. In order to provide a seamless artificial integration, a Maltrician requires the following skills: Malediction, Medicine, Engineering Emotives A patient’s Emotives are affected during any procedure involving brionics. Generally, it follows that the higher volume of brionics used in completing the procedure, the greater the impact– however, it does vary based on each patient’s anatomy and mental fortitude. These symptoms are temporary, though they may impact a patient’s life significantly for days, weeks, or even months afterwards. For operations conducted on the living, Vitalis may result in depression, melancholy, apathy, anhedonia and in extreme cases, a loss of one’s will to live or survival instinct. For operations conducted on the dead, Mortis may result in fraying sanity, hallucinations, delusions, and in extreme cases, severe psychosis. Post-Operative Living The impact of a procedure scales directly with its complexity. Simple things like the suturing of a knife wound would likely have little to no discernible impact, whereas an organ transplant might leave a living person in a malaise of melancholy for up to a week afterwards. The patients impacted the most after operations are individuals who have large grafts, implants, or new bodily structures installed, whether brionic or not. No matter what, learning to live with a new body part takes time. The brain must adapt to controlling the new structure in the case of appendages, and this can be difficult as well as confusing, often requiring the assistance of physical therapy. Simultaneously, the patient must also recover from the impacts of brionics on their mental state– both of these things combined can prove to be especially taxing on those with weaker minds. Because of this, many patients receiving such procedures are not released from the hospital until both their minds and their bodies are deemed stable. Maltricians without ethics may simply dump their patients as soon as the operation is finished, but this is ill advised if one is seeking optimal patient outcomes.

Skill Tiers

Novice A Novice has learned about Repose and Hemostatics. Apprentice An Apprentice has begun to experiment with Enervation. Journeyman A Journeyman can Shape and Adhere, and often seeks out a workshop. Expert An Expert has begun to experiment with Neurostasis, and they can make Draugr. Master A Master is capable of Integration, and altering Draugr into Ghouls. Sovereign A Sovereign of Malediction is the Atropian.

Articles on Practices