Court of the Fallen
[PQ] Discovering Diseases - Printable Version

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Discovering Diseases - Phoebe - 07-07-2019

After collecting the samples in the Greatwood with Amalia, Phoebe had been quick to gather her very members of her Medical College. If anyone had the knowledge to help her deduce the cause and figure out a cure for this blight it was them. Amalia was honorary Medical College member for the day, having more contextual knowledge from the gods and the Fae, to help them understand what exactly was going on here.

The gathered members would assemble in the main research lab which housed the micro-lens. On the wooden work desk next to it were four vials, carefully labelled: Fern - Unblighted, Fern - Blighted, Moss - Unblighted, Moss - Blighted. Even without the labels though, from appearance alone it would be clear which was which, but Phoebe clearly was taking no chances. There was also a small stack of paper and pencils with colored lead. As they arrived, she would hand out thin, leather work gloves to keep them all safe. [say]"Thank you for coming on such short notice. You may have heard about the blight that is affecting the Greatwood. The gods believe this is caused by us, due to the fall of the barrier, and the god Frey has asked me to research it to find the cause in hopes of developing an antidote to make the Greatwood resistant to the blight. This micro-lens allows us to see the basic structure of life, things that usually only the gods themselves can see. I've started calling these structures cells."[/say] she explained.

[say]"Amalia helped me collect these samples, two specimens are healthy, and two are blighted for comparison's sake. The Fae informed Amalia that it is very easily spread from one living thing to another, so please make sure you do not touch anything with your bare skin. First we will examine the two healthy samples to give us a basic example to work from. Then we will look at the two blighted samples. For expediency sake, I will look through the micro lens and draw a picture of what is there so we can all look at them at the same time. From there, we need to figure out what the issue is, and how we can cure it. While I am making the images, please feel free to examine what can be seen without the lens."[/say]

It sounded simple, but Phoebe knew it wouldn't be so easy. If it was, the gods or the Fae would have figured it out by now.

Jumping right in, Phoebe took out the two Unblighted samples, placing first the fern under the lens. She worked quickly but carefully, drawing the shapes of the cells she could see beneath the lens, coloring in areas that had discernable color. After a few minutes, the image of the fern was complete. The moss took less time, as it was surprisingly similar in structure despite its visible differences. With the images complete, she replaced the samples on the desk, and hung the two pictures on the wall. Both had little oblong circles, pressed together, with smaller, green circles filling each one. [say]"So these are the cells...I am not sure what these little green things are but...this is at least what these should look like..."[/say] Phoebe said, pointing out the different parts to the group.



This is a Medical College (plus Amalia!) PQ only. There is no post order. Please feel free to have your character act, surmise, question, or examine as you will!

Amalia
Vervain
Nate


RE: Discovering Diseases - Vervain - 07-07-2019

[say]"Cells? How dry. Why not houses, or cottages?"[/say] Vai's tone was warm and curious, the witch having come at Phoebe's request for this little experiment. As well as that, after the events that had transpired at the Spire, she was feeling as though she really ought to give back a little.

Taking a seat and listening intently as Phoebe explained, showed them the samples and began to sketch, Vai tucked a lock of dark hair behind her ear and frowned a touch. She wasn't schooled in this sort of research, more a creature of the wilderness... but that didn't mean she didn't think she could contribute.

[say]"So that is what these samples are meant to look like... alright. So what is the difference with the blighted plants?"[/say]


RE: Discovering Diseases - Amalia - 07-07-2019

Amalia wants very much to look through the micro lens, but somehow managed to hold herself back. She does not belong here- she is the opposite of medically inclined, having rejected science and healthcare early on in life. They are a guild, and she is a girl, a baker displaced because of her knowledge of a blight upon the woods.

A little uncomfortable, she sits to the side, glancing sidelong at Vai and the stranger as Phoebe speaks and draws. Do they understand this, these circles and cells? Vervain, at least, seems to, jumping in with intelligent questions while the girl can only watch. She nods her agreement with the inquiry, also curious to know the differences between pure and blight.

Mostly, though, she wants to look through the lens.


RE: Discovering Diseases - Nate - 07-08-2019

Nate hadn’t been sure what to expect walking into the college, but anything was better than drinking himself deeper into an early grave, or spending time in a now empty house. His hands itches with the urge to do somehing, and this seemed as good a thing as any. When Phoebe pulled out plant samples, he was more than a little surprised, but sits quietly and patiently as she worked on her diagrams.

[say]”The little green things are probably...”[/say] Nate flicked his fingers as he reached for the word, thinking back on his schooling. [say]”Chlorophyll? Chloro...plasts? They help the plant turn light into food.”[/say] He sounded confident enough as he said it, and even if he was wrong it wasn’t like anyone gathered would be able to call him out. [say]”If this blight is a sickness, it should show up in the same place as those.”[/say] Wirh his piece said, he fell silent again, waiting for Phoebe to put up the comparisons.


RE: Discovering Diseases - Phoebe - 07-08-2019

Phoebe grinned at Vai's first questions [say]"Well...because they are really small...like jail cells."[/say] she said with a light laugh. It was a bit morbid perhaps but true enough. [say]"I'm not certain yet, but here is the blighted fern and unblighted fern."[/say] handing the vials to the healer to examine. [say]"Perhaps you could examine just the outside, and compare it to that herbology book I have there from the atheneum to see if you can find anything that matches the description?"[/say] Vervain was a woman who appreciated nature and lived off the land as well. She likely had some experience in identifying plantlife and the differences to help her with this task.

As she turned back to the other two she noticed Amalia glancing at the micro-lens. [say]"You can look into it if you want. And you can look at the next sample with me too."[/say] Phoebe offered her. She had helped her get the samples after all.

But it was Nate's comments that took her off guard. She stared at him wide eyed for a moment. [say]"Klore-oh-plasts?"[/say] she said, trying to repeat his word. [say]"Did you know about cells in your world, Nate?"[/say] If that was the case she would have to resist the urge to pick his brain about everything. But he seemed sure the blighted part of the cell would be in the green circle Klory-thingies. So once Amalia had her chance to peer at the healthy moss sample, she put it away, carefully placing the blighted moss on the viewing plate to examine. She made her diagram, frowning as she hung it up, leaving the sample for Amalia to see.



Vervain the sample you're looking at looks like this! Please try and match it with plant diseases in the book.

Amalia you have permission to view through the lens, yay!

Nate you have been asked to explain plant cells!

The diagram Phoebe has drawn (and what Amalia will see) of the blighted plant is this! Please try to figure out what is wrong and how it can be helped!


RE: Discovering Diseases - Nate - 07-12-2019

[say]”Yea, we know what cells are.”[/say] Nate said with a laugh, keeping himself from tacking obviously to the end of it. It wasn’t as if Phoebe, or anyone else here, had come from the same thing places as him. He’d had more than his share of misunderstandings going the other way. And it wasn’t exactly like he was an expert either.

Nate, unfortunately, was struggling to both recall what he knew about plant cells, and to apply it to what he knew about diseases. [say]”The uh... the chloroplasts make energy for the plant, any kind of disease would probably attack those.”[/say] He paused while Phoebe worked on the second diagram, looking it over for anything familiar. With a frown, he moved to look at the blighted sample Vervain held in her hands before speaking again, more confidence in his voice.

[say]”I don’t think this is a disease.”[/say] He reached out to tap Phoebes diagram. [say]”But there’s... something there.”[/say] It was clear to see, the little things exploding out above the moss. He just wasn’t sure what they are.


RE: Discovering Diseases - Vervain - 07-12-2019

Vervain listened quietly and intently to the discussion going on around them. She might be the oldest there, but by no means was she slow, and like a sponge she was still eager to soak in new information. And so as she was offered a blighted sample and a book to compare it to, she nodded her acceptance and sank down to sit and work. With the book propped on her knee and the sample in hand, she fell silent as they spoke so she could examine what was in front of her.

[say]"It seems... parasitic,"[/say] she said slowly. [say]"This is something foreign that is taking over the plant and making it sick... Maybe it's targeting those chloro... things that you mentioned? Which is why the plants are rotting?"[/say]


RE: Discovering Diseases - Amalia - 07-13-2019

Amalia, too, listens intently to the discussion, though she has very little to contribute or add. It makes her feel a little stupid, woefully out of place. Here in this hall of science and medicine the baker is far outside her depth, and she sits in silence until Phoebe invites her to look through the strange lens. Still a bit anxious, the girl cannot give up a chance to actually see these cells, and she smiles her appreciation before pressing her eye to the glass.

The thing she sees is... strange, but not unlike Phoebe's drawing. Frowning a little, the girl looks closer, trying to make sense of how different the thing is from her concept of a plant. Pulling back, she looks up at the other scholars before returning to her seat. A parasite sounds likely enough, and perhaps...

Biting her lip, the girl finally speaks. [say]"Does... does it look like something that might have come from the Spire? From the Voice?"[/say]


RE: Discovering Diseases - Phoebe - 07-14-2019

Phoebe listened with amazement to Nate as he spoke. There were worlds and realms where people knew and understood cells already? She might've been jealous under other circumstances, but for now it gave her hope. These cells that Frey revealed to her were not beyond human comprehension, simply beyond the technology that had been available up to this point. [say]"What's the difference between a Chloroplast and Chlorophyll?"[/say] Phoebe asked Nate, managing to pronouncing correctly because her omnipresent narrator did not have the brain capacity to come up with something more creative.

The Dean listened quietly to what everyone had to say, gently tapping her chin. [say]"It would make sense if it was a parasite. It would be able to travel and spread more quickly than a normal illness."[/say] Phoebe said in agreement with Vai. [say]"And if the parasite is attacking the Chlorophyll so the plant can't get energy, then it would shrivel and die."[/say] Whether it came from the Voice or the Spire or not? [say]"I don't know if it came from the Spire or the Voice...but anything is possible. She did make those Flinthoppers didn't she?"[/say] she asked Amalia. But Phoebe's mind was already going forward about three hundred miles a minute.

[say]"So it seems we all are in agreeance that there is a parasite at work, not a disease. So what we need to do is find a treatment - something that can be spread through the Greatwood that will make it immune to the effects of the parasite, or somehow kill the parasite, or even simply make it undesirable to it."[/say] she said. This was where she was stumped. What would Frey ask her in this moment? Probably something like...'How does anyone figure out how to do anything, my little duckling?'

Trial and error.

Phoebe went back to the storage closet and pulled out more supplies. She set out on the table a series of small glass trays and a few very sharp knifes. [say]"Amalia, please take the Unblighted moss specimen and cut it up into as many small pieces as you can and place one piece in the trays."[/say] she said, clearly on a roll with some hunch. [say]"Vervain, please go into town and see if you can get your hands on any remedies the farmers here have used to fight off various insects and pests for their crops. If they want payment, tell them the Dean of the College will come by later to pay them back."[/say] she said, before finally pinning Nate with a serious look. [say]"Clearly you have some sort of advanced knowledge of the world and medicine that no one else here does. Help me find anything you think we could treat the plants with that won't harm them, but would keep this parasite away. I've a cabinet of more hazardous solutions in my office."[/say] she said, accompanying him to collect whatever he thought might work.



Tasks:

Vai: go get some pesticides!
Amalia: cut up some smaller samples from the moss and put them in the trays!
Nate: help Phoebe select some more potent chemicals to develop a treatment with them!


RE: Discovering Diseases - Amalia - 07-15-2019

The baker has no idea if it's a parasite, but from what she has seen and what she has heard that seems likely enough. More importantly, if her own theory is accurate - that the Spire, the Voice, are responsible for this - a parasitic blight makes absolute sense, is consistent with the idea of something without.

Phoebe wants her to slice up moss, and it seems like an easy enough chore. Ever efficient, ever diligent, Amalia sets to her task with gusto, pleased to have something to actually contribute, even if it is only a menial task. She takes the snow moss and begins to separate it, slicing out segments, evenly dividing into minuscule parts. Her fingers are dexterous, her knife skills impeccable, years of working on delicate pastries giving her a talent for this sort of work.

In the end the moss is separated into twenty small sections, and Amalia wipes her hands, turning to see what Phoebe's plan is. Hopefully it will be enough. Hopefully she has helped.


RE: Discovering Diseases - Nate - 07-17-2019

Nate hadn’t been expecting quite so many questions about something he had the barest knowledge in, and it showed. [say]”Phyll is what holds the plast within the cell.”[/say] As far as he remembered at least. Or, maybe... [say]”Reverse those. Plast holds, phyll makes energy.”[/say] That sounded more correct. [say]”Plants weren’t really my speciality.”[/say] He adds as an excuse, and a fair one in his opinion.

Phoebe doled out tasks, tapping his foot softly as he waited for his duty. A grin spread across his face as he received his, at least this was marginally closer to what he was used to. With everyone else beginning their jobs, Nate followed Phoebe into her office, wondering what kind of chemicals he was going to be working with. He sincerely hoped there was something familiar, so he could actually be useful.

The cabinet that Phoebe was referring to was better stocked than Nate would have imagined, but contained nothing familiar to him. Not according to the labels at least. Nate started looking over the assortment, talking over his shoulder while he did. [say]”The best bet is something that won’t hurt the plant but will keep the parasite away. Uh..”[/say] He wracked his brain, thinking of both topical medicines he knew and things his mother had done with her plants. [say]”Something like baking soda, or... some kind of salt?”[/say] He picked up a jar of yellow powder and shook it, squinting at it suspiciously. [say]”A sulphur solution maybe?”[/say] He knew it was used for skin conditions, and this was... kind of the same thing. [say]”You know, this might actually work. It will be poisonous though.”[/say]


RE: Discovering Diseases - Vervain - 07-18-2019

They were all clearly on a roll, and Vervain listened carefully to all that the others had to say. A parasite was infecting the woods, then. She nodded to Phoebe, wasting no time in setting off for her own errand. Granted, it took longer, likely, than the others, but she managed to get to the outskirts in good time to speak with some of the farmers there, rather than heading right into town.

When she returned, it was with two small bottles on her person. [say]"I managed to get a few samples,"[/say] she said, out of breath from having jogged back. [say]"These are the pesticides the farmers normally use. One is from an extract of tobacco leaves - the other is from chrysanthemums. But they were very confused, when I asked. There's no sign of the blight in the Hollowed Grounds."[/say]


RE: Discovering Diseases - Phoebe - 07-18-2019

Phoebe listened carefully as Nate rifled through the chemical cabinet, pulling out various jars of ingredients he wanted to use. That is might be poisonous made her frown. [say]”We will need to make a concoction that is potent enough to kill the parasite, or ward it away, but not cause harm to the plants and animals. The latter is probably more realistic.”[/say] They might not be able to heal that which was already blighted, but they might be able to stop it from spreading further.

Heading back to the lab, Phoebe was pleased to find Amalia well under way with her task. While they waited for Vai to return, she would help Nate prepare various antidotes out of sulfur, salts, baking soda, and various essential oils. When the witch returned and gave her report, Phoebe nodded in understanding. [say]”That is true, all the more reason to try their antidotes. Whatever they treat our plants with might ward off the parasites.”[/say] she explained.

With everything ready, it was time to experiment. First, Phoebe took a small piece of blighted moss and placed it in an untreated container with the healthy moss. [say]”That will be our control.”[/say] she explained to the group. Then she treated the remaining healthy moss containers before placing blighted bits of moss in with them.

[say]”Now we wait. Write down any changes you see.”[/say]



Sample Breakdown:

#1 – Control, no treatment; #2 – Tobacco Extract Pesticide; #3 – Chrysanthemum Pesticide; #4 Combination of 2 and 3; #5 Baking Soda, Sulfur, Salt, and Oil mix; #6 – Combination of all

Please wait for an RE post. Then open post order after that!


RE: Discovering Diseases - Random Event - 07-18-2019

#1 – Control, no treatment: the group will observe that the healthy moss sample begins to become blighted very rapidly.

#2 – Tobacco Extract Pesticide: the spread of the blight is slowed slightly by the tobacco extract pesticide, but the sample ultimately becomes infected.

#3 – Chrysanthemum Pesticide: the spread of the blight is slowed slightly by the chrysanthemum pesticide, but the sample ultimately becomes infected.

#4 Combination of 2 and 3: there is no change in the amount of time for infection to take hold.

#5 Baking Soda, Sulfur, Salt, and Oil mix: the spread of the blight is slowed significantly by the mix, but the sample ultimately becomes infected.

#6 – Combination of all: the spread of the blight is slowed significantly by the combination, but the sample ultimately becomes infected.