// An Extremely Brief Guide to Arcoszard Cloning and Venom Handling //

Discussion in 'Nexus Net' started by Exon, Mar 23, 2021.

  1. Exon

    Exon Galactic Enforcer

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    // A paper begins to circulate on the Nexus, published on various open medical forums and similar sites by an account by the name of 'Basilisk'. It gains minimal traction. //
    An Extremely Brief Guide to Arcoszard Cloning and Venom Handling
    By Kyriaki Arcos Kalat’shal​

    As a… small handful of readers may know, the Arcoszard (as we are colloquially known offworld) are a species of reptilian humanoids possessed of one major unique attribute: our venom symbiotes. Enclosed in a hidden cavity in the base of every of my species’ tails is a small culture of one of several fungal organisms native to our planet; these fungi produce specific chemicals, which are “milked” by our bodies and channeled into our fangs. Culturally, we use this as a rite of passage, and physiologically, it grants us immunity to our particular strain, as well as granting us the ability to deliver a venomous bite.

    Cloning an Arcoszard, of any breed, is rather standard; we largely share our body plan, organ placement and organ functions with many other modern humanoid species. For all intents and purposes, cloning an Arcoszard is rather standard - until the venom symbiote comes into play. An Arcoszard should not be awakened venomless, unless they died venomless; instead, a sample of the venom symbiote should be obtained from the original body and implanted into the recipient clone. Given a day or two to fester, the original body is ripe for the harvesting of the fungal matter; simply take a sample, make an incision in the cloned individual’s tail-sac and introduce the fungal sample into the cavity. It will naturally spread, take up its surfaces and settle fully over the course of three days; do not implant it into an unfinished Arcoszard body, as the cloned body will have a high chance of rejection, and do not awaken the patient until the three days have passed following implantation; this is especially crucial in Zy’leth or Shu’leth patients, whose relatively delicate, immediate post-cloning minds may be damaged by the psychological stress of the venom orientation period.

    Handle a venom symbiote sample with care; the venom is produced as an excretion, which coats the surface of the symbiote, and can even give off chemical fumes which subject any who inhale them to the effects of the symbiote. As a former Leth’kalar worker, and given my species’ lack of respirators and similar equipment, I was subjected to the effects of all three venom types; Zy’leth during my adolescence following implantation, and Shu’leth and Ka’leth during my work. Effects of each are as follows.

    An individual under the effects of Zy’leth in injected form will experience excruciating pain throughout the affected area until the venom’s effect passes; a Zy’leth carrier during venom orientation experiences a blinding, torturous pain for several days, which can cause… psychological damage, particularly to non-Szard carriers. Inhaled Zy’leth causes a stinging sensation in the lungs and extremities until it passes.

    Under the effects of injected Ka’leth, one is subjected to total paralysis of the extremities, starting around the injection site and spreading from there. Ka’leth is the only one of the three known to kill by method other than rejection; it is rare, but individuals with respiratory or cardiac issues have been known to suffocate or suffer cardiac arrest as a result of the venom spreading to their vital organs. Under orientation, a Ka’leth carrier will be unable to move, and will need life support systems to survive. Inhaled, Ka’leth causes stiffness of movement and nothing more; paradoxically, for being the most dangerous of the strains to be injected with, it is arguably the least severe for inhalation.

    Finally, under the effects of Shu’leth, the afflicted will experience a dream-like state; this is consistent across all methods of use, though the severity and duration varies. An injected sample will cause an intense dream-like hallucination state which lasts several hours, with echoing effects throughout several days following; it may take up to several weeks for a Shu’leth carrier to recover from orientation, and an inhalation will only last a few hours.

    Take care when working with any venom type; wear respirators and medical gloves, and only take a small sample from the festering corpse. If you are unable to recover a venom sample, that is the only circumstance during which it is recommended to awaken an Arcoszard without their venom. Take care when awakening someone venomless; the individual will likely be distraught, especially if traditionalist in nature, and will want to seek out a source to recover their lost venom as soon as is possible.

    My hope with this paper is to better inform the galactic community as a whole as to the proper procedures surrounding my species and how we should be cloned; due to our physiology's slightly askew nature, there are certain things that must be done to prepare one of my people for cloning, and I hope I have done that. Take care.