Research

There was still plenty of time before sunrise, several hours in fact, and Dr. Ith Lazarus fully intended on making use of them. At the far end of his wing, near his office, was a small surgical laboratory that was used ages ago before the mental health community had realized there were better treatment methods than lobotomies. Dr. Lazarus, however, had kept the room in pristine condition, never letting it fall into disrepair, and always keeping it freshly stocked with new equipment that managed to "go missing" elsewhere in the asylum.

There were two surgical tables in the room, each one stainless steel with a pillow at the top and five steel restraints, one for the neck, both arms, and two legs. Right now, however, there was no need to restrain the two individuals on the tables -- these two subjects were already dead. These were the ghouls that Lazarus had kept for over a decade, the ones who had served him loyally and protected his wing from visitors ranging from inmates' loved ones to government inspections. He was almost sad to no longer have them in his service.

Their deaths will serve a greater purpose now.

Unzipping the first Ghoul's bodybag, Robert Bridgewater, Dr. Lazarus began his study by activating his Heightened Senses and taking a close look at the outside appearance of the ghoul's body. To further assist the outer body observations, Lazarus pulls down a suspended surgical light from over the table, equipped with a enhanced viewing lens. Remembering fully what Robert looked like when he was among the 'living' ((Eidetic Memory)), Lazarus looked now for outer changes in appearance no matter how small or large...

Narration:

The first things Dr. Lazarus notes are a variety of gross changes to the body's appearance. In life, Robert Bridgewater had been a solidly-muscled guy with a fair bit of body fat atop his slabs of muscle, but now his body looks shrunken and emaciated, with even the eyeballs shrunken into the sockets. The corpse's skin appears dry and flaky, and it is cracked in many places. Looking closer, Lazarus can see that in some spots the cracks extend deeper than the skin, revealing dried-out and torn flesh underneath. The overall effect is one not unlike mummification, suggesting a loss of most of the liquid that would normally be found in a body. Interestingly, Dr. Lazarus doesn't note any telltale signs of the sort of intense, dry heat that would normally be required to so quickly dry out human flesh without burning it.

The doctor also notices the presence of small, lumpy masses at several spots on the body: the abdomen, neck, pectoral muscles, the biceps, thighs and groin. They are subcutaneous, and not much can be determined about them without opening up the body or dissecting the masses themselves.



((ST Note: Go ahead and describe Dr Lazarus' next step, and make Medicine (Autopsy) rolls as before, with the same bonuses and no negative modifiers at this point))

After the full outer-body examination, Dr. Lazarus walks from the surgical table and over to a supply desk where a clipboard and notepad are sitting. Each observed change had to be noted no matter how small, it was imperative to not miss anything. Once sufficient data was gathered, copies of these notes would be made and given to the Prince and other high members of the court -- perhaps this would even gain him a potential seat in the city's kindred political system.

Subject 1: Robert Bridgewater (Ghoul)
Extreme dessication without signs of sudden heat.
Skin damaged with cracks from dessication.
Cracked skin appears to run deeper than the epidermis.
Eyeballs similarly dessicated.
Atrophy of mussel apparent, almost complete loss of muscle mass.
Beneath epidermis small masses seem to have made an appearance near areas of high muscular density.


The doctor moved to a stainless steel tray near the table and took out a scalpel which appeared to have never been used. With skill that had come from years of use with such a precise blade, Lazarus began by slicing into the corpse from the chin down to the collar bone, opening it to reveal the dry tissue which used to be Bridgewater's neck. A few of the lumpy masses were evident there, now clearly visible with the outer skin removed. Slicing two of them off, Lazarus collected them and brought both to a smaller examination table with equipment to carefully scrutinize smaller specimens.

Slicing the first mass in half to observe the innards of it, Lazarus moved it under a microscope and began to look if this affliction appeared to be biological or chemical in nature...

Spoiler:

Narration:

After nearly two hours of careful study, Dr. Lazarus notes the following in regard to the lumpy masses:
1) They are composed of muscle tissue, somehow misshapen by whatever happened.
2) He finds deposits of some reddish-black, crystalline substance within the masses.
3) He finds microtears in the blood vessels and muscle tissue making up the tissue masses.
4) The microtearing is most prominent around larger deposits of the crystalline substance, which makes sense, as the presence of these crystals would by necessity damage the surrounding tissues.
5) There is no apparent entry for the crystaline substance, and the direction of the microtears suggests in many cases they were the result of the development of the crystals. The most obvious conclusion is that the crystals formed within the tissues, damaging surrounding tissues in the process.
6) Consistent with the general dessication of the body, the Doctor observes very little in the way of internal fluid within the masses. Most cell membranes within the masses have ruptured.
7) Dr. Lazarus notices no liquid or coagulated blood within the masses, which is very unusual.
Strangest of all, he notices that there are small areas of emptiness within the masses. Tissues almost never have empty space, due to biological homeostasis; if internal tissue is displaced or destroyed, it quickly fills in with fluids. The empty areas are very small - he only noticed these because he examined tissue samples under a microscope - but this was a consistent finding, observed across multiple cross-sections of different masses.

((ST Note: Due to exceptional success on the Science skill roll, for the remainder of this scene Dr. Lazarus will receive a +1 bonus to all Science rolls, and will gain 1 extra roll [Skill dots + 1] on extended Science or Medicine skill checks.))

This all was fascinating to Dr. Lazarus, never before has he seen a single affliction do this much cellular damage in such a short time. Beneath the table is where Lazarus kept the bonesaw, his bonesaw, the one he personally brought in for personal use. Covered in rust and with a motor that would deafen most, the saw easily cut off the lower right leg of the specimen; the only thing missing was the screams that usually accompanied its use. Carefully flaying the leg open and collecting most, if not all, of the crystalline substance within into a beaker, Lazarus was now ready to see its effects. Some testing is in order...

Moments after Harold Smith, head of security at Amber Hill, receives a phone call coming from Dr. Ith Lazarus' office. To be honest, the ghoul was slightly surprised -- the doctor had instructed him that interruptions would not be tolerated and to not disturb him. The raspy voice on the other end of the line was all too familiar, "Order your staff to bring me a patient from solitary confinement. I want him restrained and gagged. You are to report to my surgical room." Without waiting for a reply Lazarus hung up the phone.

Roughly fifteen minutes later Harold arrived with two other guards, clad in white coats, who were wheeling in a man strapped into a straightjacket. The man was in a state of obvious panic and terror; he had heard the whispers of the other inmates concerning the "good" doctor. Now here he was, face to mask with him. Harold nodded to his two subordinates, and they turned and left the room with a speed suggesting that they too were terrified of Lazarus. Revving up his saw, Lazarus walked up to the restrained patient and let it run for a second just a fraction of an inch next to his ear. "Do not fret child; if you don't resist you won't run the risk of causing me to slip."

The next moment was horrifying as Lazarus ran the rotary blade down the poor soul's inner leg from the kneecap up to the buttocks. With a fresh flow of blood streaming downward, Lazarus pressed a vile to the crimson river and collected enough to fill it. He wasn't an entirely cruel individual though, if left to bleed the man would die, and then the state and perhaps family would come asking questions -- he couldn't have that. So, Lazarus spent a few minutes tying the wound off and applying antiseptic. When Lazarus was done with this evening's experiments, the man would spend the next few weeks of solitary under Lazarus' care.

The doctor placed the vile of living human blood next to another vile of thicker blood, more specifically his own blood. Then, bonesaw still in hand, Lazarus turned to Harold. "You will fill a vile of your blood, or I will fill a vile of your blood." The ghoul didn't have much choice, and fearing the doctor's hands more than his own, Harold obliged. A minute later another vile of ghoul blood had been set into the rack containing the other two samples. Lazarus took a moment to instruct Harold to label each vile, "Vampire Blood, "Ghoul Blood", "Human Blood".

Harold was dismissed to take the unwilling human donor to a more "comfortable" cell, their work here was done. There was only one more thing to do before the test; Dr. Lazarus pulled a small camcorder from a nearby storage closet and set it up pointing at the viles. Lazarus picked up the dish of the collected red/black crystalline substance and sprinkled an amount into each of the three blood samples and then observed the effects...

Narration:

After an hour, the doctor doesn't observe any visible changes in any of the blood samples. The crystaline substance appears to partially dissolve, albeit very slowly.

((ST Note: To thoroughly analyze the samples, Dr. Lazarus needs to roll Int + Science, as discussed above and with listed bonuses. Keep in mind that when doing extended skill rolls, each failed roll applies a cumulative -1 to the subsequent ones.

Also, while the Dr. Lazarus' methodology in collecting blood samples doesn't *quite* reach the level of callous/casual crime necessary for a degeneration roll vs. Humanity 2 (torture), it does nonetheless demonstrate a disregard for human suffering that necessitates a degeneration check at his current Humanity level. Roll 3 dice (Humanity 5 threshold). No Willpower can be used on degeneration checks.))

After an hour of waiting and careful observation Dr. Lazarus notices no obvious change to the appearance of the samples. He decides to spend the remainder of the night analyzing the crystals themselves and the three blood samples with the dissolved crystals. Each sample undergoes rigorous analysis, chemical composition checks, comparison studies to a control sample, and many other tests.

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Narration:

The doctor's analysis of the samples is inconclusive - he doesn't notice any change in the blood samples - but takes enough time that he has to put off analysis of the crystals until the next evening.

((ST Note: We'll use the rolls above for the analysis of the blood samples, and the next night (i.e., later in the thread) he can roll to analyze the crystals. ))

The next evening Lazarus rises inside the false wall that he has hidden in his office. The previous night, dangerously close to sunrise, he had sent the required requests out to not be disturbed on grounds of personal research. The same requests had also claimed that his patients were already arranged to be taken care of; it was a lie of course, but they could go another night without fresh clothes, being bathed, or food if it meant the doctor would not be disturbed. Reentering his personal surgical room, Lazarus goes directly to the study of the blood crystals.

Scattered all around a mobile supply-tray are chemistry and biology books for quick reference. Dr. Lazarus begins to examine one of the larger crystals beneath a microscope with the added help of his heightened senses hoping to figure out the basic chemical structure/composition of this odd crystal...

Spoiler:

Narration:

The basic chemical composition of the crystals isn't anything unusual.... carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, iron. some trace amounts of other elements. What's interesting is the structure. Experiments with how the substance interacts with other substances confirms that the compound is, at its core, an organic one, and most likely one resulting from biological processes.

Dr. Lazarus has no luck finding the specific compound in any of his reference books.

A crystalline structure of such complexity was something amazing to behold, especially because of the fact that it was apparently produced by one or more biological processes. Leaving the small worktable with the blood samples on it, Dr. Lazarus returned to the autopsy table to examine the already open deceased ghoul. The crystalline substance, being an organic compound, had to have been produced by an organic compound. The fact that the muscles and other tissue of the ghoul had microtears only served to tell the doctor that the biological processes that produced it happened within the ghoul in reaction to something inside the ghoul's biological makeup.

So what was the catalyst which spurred on a reaction of primarily carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen into a crystalline compound?

Lazarus reached near the corpse's side and picked his scalpel back up. Briefly seeing his distorted reflection in the polished steel, he plunged the blade back into the body, carefully flaying open each layer of tissue with the surgical skill of a professional. Using his acute senses, amplified by auspex, he carefully examined each new area this time looking for anything which would hint as to the catalyst, or how it was introduced into the body.

Spoiler:

Narration:

As Dr. Lazarus examines the body carefully, he quickly realizes that in addition to the occasional deposits of the crystaline substance, the veins and arteries and the heart are literally full of the stuff.

He also realizes he's finding no sign at all of liquid or congealed blood.

Suddenly Lazarus' mind clicked into a different thought pattern. Perhaps this affliction is deeper seated in the occult than in the areas of man's sciences. Expertly wielding the small scalpel, Dr. Lazarus severs the heart and a few inches of the connecting arteries and veins from the ghoul's breast. With the heart in one hand, the doctor begins to examine the organ under the careful scrutiny of his medicine, science, and perhaps most importantly occult knowledge.

Spoiler:

Narrative:

The doctor's continued work finds the folowing facts:

The heart itself, like everywhere else he's looked so far, contains no sign of liquid or congealed blood.

The heart has a lot of the crystal substance in it - the largest deposits he's seen so far, in fact. Not surprisingly, it also shows a lot of the microdamage - and more widescale damage, in some areas - associated with the crystals.

There internal surface of the heart includes some of the tissue masses just like the ones he observed earlier. Dissection of these finds them to have essentially the same features as the others, save for characteristics distinct to cardiac muscle.

There are very small, thin empty spaces betwen some bits of thes larger crystal deposits in the heart.

There are also some very, very small holes at several places within the heart muscle, in some cases piercing it. They are about the size of what might be left by a very fine hypodermic needle, but they are not straight like needle tracks.

The Doctor also realizes that since all available evidence suggests that only Kindred and ghouls were affected by this affliction, Kindred vitae must be the common denominator. However, he also knows that under scientific scrutiny, Vitae looks like normal blood, though ofen of mixed or indeterminate type. The Ordo Dracul, the Circle of the Crone and the Lancea Sanctum all agree that the special properties of Vitae are not biological or chemical, but rather spiritual or mystical in nature. Thus, something specifically targeting kinderd blood would almost have to fall within the realm of the Occult.

The damage to the heart was astonishing. Out of all the examined tissues and organs this vital organ appeared to be, by far, the most affected. The interesting question, however, was how could a substance affect only kindred vitae while leaving mortal blood unscathed? The catalyst was obviously kindred blood, that much was for sure. But how? Surely the answers lied in the blood crystals, they appeared to be the finished product of whatever was used upon the Kindred and their servants.

Dr. Lazarus spent a period of time collecting the crystals from the heart into a glass beaker. Once enough were removed, the doctor sat at his work table and began to examine the crystals in close detail with his heightened senses hoping for some sort of indicating clue as to how this substance was mystically affecting only kindred vitae. This is where the doctor's years of occult study, especially in the field of vampiric metaphysics, would come in handy. If anyone could figure this mystery out, it would be him -- he was damn sure of that. He'd spend all night on figuring this out if he had to...

Spoiler:

Narration:
Try as he might, Doctor Lazarus is unable to determine any occult significance to the crystal's structure. The one conclusion he can firmly make after several hours study is that while occult factors clearly play a role in this strange affliction, so far science and medicine have provided him with more firm data.

With few hours remaining before daylight, Dr. Ith Lazarus concludes that perhaps such extensive occult research is premature. The remainder of the evening would be done examining the amputated heart and surrounding arteries/veins for any more medical or scientific data. He returns to the surgical table with the dessicated heart in hand. The eariler observation of the heart's irregular, misshapen, needle-like holes were a point of interest now.

What would cause such small precise holes?

And so the final tests of the night begin. Biopsies of the heart muscle are examined under powerful microscopes with the additional help of heightened senses. Furthermore, a handful of other forensic-style medical procedures were preformed; dye tests, chemical reactivity, and so on. Specifically Lazarus was looking for a medical or scientific answer to the riddle of what caused these holes, or better yet what caused such complex compounds to form -- but at this point any enlightening discovery was welcome.

Spoiler:

Narration:

Examination of the holes under a microscope and with Dr. Lazarus' own enhanced senses shows they are not even in width and don't show the degree of smoothness one would expect of a needle or other instrument. In fact, they are so uneven as to suggest they were formed not by one action, but rather by small bits of tissue being damaged or removed bit by bit.

Turning back to the chemical compound, Dr. Lazarus continues to have no luck identifying the specific compound, but he does find something similar enough to suggest some interesting, if unexpected, possibilities.

Structurally, the closest compounds Lazarus can find to the crystals he's found in the ghoul cadaver are those sometimes found in, of all things, urine - both human and animal - and kidney stones. Reading, Lazarus recalls that humans sometimes expel excess minerals or impurities as crystals within urine, and that sometimes these crystals build up in large deposits, forming kidney stones. Reading further, he reads about how some desert animals - gerbils, as just one example - expel very little in the way of liquid urine, and how as a result their urine deposits tend to be crystaline.

Neither of these examples precisely matches the unusual crystals, but it is nonetheless interesting that the thing he's so far identified which most closely matches this strange substance is the result of not just biological processes, but eliminative ones. This suggests the crystals may not be the result of something acting directly upon the bodies of the affected ghouls and vampires, but rather something produced by some other organism within said bodies.