cultmirror | 001 | Welcome to the Surgery Altar

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001 | Welcome to the Surgery Altar

[CW: Dissection, parasitism, just generally really goopy medical grossness.]

[Unfortunately, Maria doesn't really know about nor believe in content warnings, so those who are browsing the Murmur near the end of Week 3 or beginning of Week 4 of February are going to run smack-dab, face-first into Maria dissecting a Lesser Guardian.

The image is mostly from her perspective, but she has dressed down into just her undershirt, with the sleeves rolled up. She's wearing her leather gloves over her hands, and her hunter's trousers, all of which are splattered in thick, black sludge. She stands in what appears to be the lobby of some kind of old office building, with the Guardian laying dead on a table. Nearby, a few reappropriated bottles and mason jars contain the same thick, black sludge, as well as some strange slug-like creatures.

The Lesser Guardian's torso is cut wide open, with its void-black musculature under its weird, smooth skin exposed. A knife - not a scalpel, but a flip-blade knife from some collector's case or another - lays nearby. The whole thing has the vibe of a very ad-hoc surgery theater. Or mortuary.

Without much warning, she reaches into the torso cavity as movement catches her eye, and comes out with a thick, black slug that wiggles weakly in her fingers a few times, then falls limp. Disappointment prickles through the Murmur.]

... The creatures haunting about this month are more interesting than I had hoped.

I would like assistance with a few things: Firstly, more of them to study. I've hunted a few, but it's been difficult to obtain a pristine specimen. I am willing to go with a hunting party. Secondly, a place to store and perhaps better investigate them, if anyone knows of a safe place. [And that's all she really needs from the Murmur, but she does step back to the Guardian's side to continue, for those that didn't immediately try to turn it off or change the channel:]

For those interested: Their blood is some sort of thick sludge, and they are full of these... phantasms, as I have never seen them before. [She motions at the slug. She does not explain what a "phantasm" is, nor why she called the slug that, before she continues] But the phantasms die quickly after being removed from their hosts; I'd like to find out how to preserve them.

Their flesh and bones seem to be structured like some sort of sapient... wasp's nest, as well. [Guess who's going back in to peel the open skin flaps of the Guardian, and showing off the honeycomb structure of its flesh and muscles on that small sample.] I damaged this one's head when I slayed it, so I would especially like one with an intact head that I can study. I want to see what its brain looks like.

Those squeamish need not apply.

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Wowee... that's really brutal.

[He's seen a lot of really gross stuff in his life, but that's a lot of gunk!

The things she's looking for seem interesting enough, though. He's pissed off about a lot of stuff, maybe he can go help kick the ass of one of these things to feel better? Distraction, maybe?]

Are those guys fun to hunt?

[He's been trying to go in the opposite direction.]

I suppose it depends upon your definition of "fun". [Like before, fighting tends to trigger Maria's prey drive, so violence is fun in that way.] Stepping into their voids is quite draining, but the fight against them is exhilarating. They're also dangerous, but not as dangerous as some of the other creatures that have traipsed about of late.

Huh.

[Part of him just wants to stay away from everything as much as possible, but the more instinctual part of him kind of wants to cause some damage just for making life harder for him.]

I guess I could come help get you a new one, maybe? I kinda really wanna just fight a guy...

If you need to relieve some energy or aggression, they make for a satisfying target, yes. I've yet to clear out anything northeast of Central Park, if you would like to join me in starting there.

Yeah, okay. That sounds... good, probably.

[It might be a really, really good distraction. Doesn't have to think about all the other bullshit that's going on, just kicking something until it hurts.]

I think I can do that.

Do not force yourself if your heart won't be in it, Toki. They're still quite dangerous, and not to be meddled with if you cannot focus. If you would still like to move forward, however, we can meet at the northeastern corner of Central Park? There's that... what do they call them... circular road there.

I'm not forcing myself!

[Okay, he didn't mean to shout. Whoops.]

I fuckin'... need something to focus on.

[Because otherwise there's about a million things happening in his head and they all kind of suck.]

I'll be there.

Very well. I will meet you there. [Doubt, but if he wants to do it, she won't force him to stop. Him getting hurt because he can't concentrate is just a risk they're going to have to take, in the end.

It's a bit of a hike from her position way north in the Met Cloisters, but given Central Park's size, it's probably a bit of a hike anywhere if you're not already there. She waits on the Duke Ellington circle, looking at the faded bronze statue of a man standing next to a piano, figuring it's the most notable landmark in the area. She is armed, as usual, with her sword... and she simply stands, hands behind her back.]

I don't know if applying normal logic is the way to go with these things to begin with, but my first thought on preservation would be cold storage.

[ Okay, it's not a side of beef, but look. ]

There are definitely labs in the city that would have sample fridges...but you could probably even get away with a restaurant that has a relatively undamaged walk-in freezer.

Hmm. And would you happen to know where there is one that's undamaged? It also sounds like something that relies on the power here not flickering out.

[Which is a bit of a challenge, considering how unstable it ultimately seems.]

I suppose, if the days do not become much warmer, we could just use something with access to the outside world for now.

It's not something I've kept an eye out for, admittedly. But restaurants are a lot thicker on the ground than labs, so I suspect it'll be easier to find one.

The power flickers are an issue, but our artificers might have ideas about that.

[ The slugs don't seem to register too much disgust from him as he considers them. ]

...this does fit with what we found from the scientists back at the start, though.

So I guess the slugs are doing the job of the nervous system?

True. [The office building just happened to be closest to where she'd brought down the Guardian, and not smack dab in the middle of a void, so she'd dragged it there and called it good. There should be a restaurant with a functional freezer somewhere nearby... hopefully. If not, then the search continues. It's not like she's lacking for Guardians to hunt, either.] I would not want to see the specimens spoil, or disappear through means that we can control. They've already proven to be fascinating. What I would truly love more than any else, however, is to keep the phantasm alive.

[Then, there's a momentary pause as she grapples at the message he implies in the Murmur. Microbiology is still a bit beyond her Victorian understanding, but parsing the message back over two or three times at least yields some understanding of what was said.]

Hmm... perhaps? My initial suspicion was that the slugs were... building these creatures as wasps do their nests, hence the honeycomb shape and the strange symmetry, but perhaps you're right. I would need to find one with its head intact to be sure what sort of nervous system it has; I've not seen anything resembling any kind of brain yet in any of the flesh I have dissected so far.

Well, they described the cellular structure as tubes full of foreign organelles, and those organelles able to force something like a muscle contraction but without an apparent nervous system...and if you scaled that up, I feel like it could look a lot like...all of this.

But without us having found the part of their data that tells us what they were sampling, I admit I might be reaching a bit.

[ But the similarity is nagging at him, regardless. ]

It is possible. If I can find a good way to store them, I'd be more than happy to preserve some samples for anyone else with a knowledge of biology that may be able to formulate ideas of what we're looking at, as well.

A brain will also go a long way to determining how these things may think; if they do, or if something else is happening. I don't rule out... supernatural or magical means, either, or things that resemble them. We've already determined such things exist here, after all.

It is part of why I also want to see a phantasm living; to observe its behaviors, feeding, reproduction.

[There is something deeply instinctually uncomfortable watching this, though while he couldn't explain it if asked, anyone that knew his fate would probably be able to helpfully provide details that his own vivisection was potentially similar. He would prefer to remain blissfully ignorant of those details, but they crawled and crept across his psyche regardless.

So, he had to focus. Just focus, Vander. Surely this was a monster necropsy and not... no, never mind. Just focus and be helpful.]

I'm in the process of seeing if I can repair the coolant generator of a refrigeration unit at a restaurant. When I'm not falling into void holes to battle these things, I'm trying to locate useable parts.

I would suggest something similar at an autopsy lab, assuming there is one around here which is accessible.

[She hums in return; interested, of course, in the statement and less in any feelings of unease that might accidentally transmit over the Murmur.]

I'm unfortunately quite unfamiliar with coolant generators. The mechanical technology of this place is quite foreign and far exceeds my home's. If such a place does exist, I will have to seek it out, or perhaps find one who knows where it is, but repairing it would be beyond me.

Though... are you struggling to find the voids the creatures reside in? I have had luck mapping out where some are.

I'm no expert, but I know how to fix mechanical things now and again. It just takes parts, and I believe the new power source we have will allow us to get a unit or two up and running.

Not particularly; I avoid them when and where I can. I assume you're forming a hunting party?

Then perhaps I will need to rely upon your expertise. I understand the theory of electricity, but where I come from, we still use gas lamps and candles for illumination. [Yay Victorian era times.]

I meant mostly as a way to avoid the confrontation, so you do not need to fight if you do not wish to. But if you wish to... I am more than happy to form a hunting party, yes. I wish for more specimens, and thinning their numbers will do all here some good. They cannot be infinite.

Yeah, we use chem-tech to generate light and power, but this seems to be similar enough when it comes to mechanics.

I can't say that I'm all that special when it comes to combat with these things, but I defend those I care about. Do you believe that understanding more about these guardians will assist in our ability to survive and perhaps thrive in this place?

I am trying to better understand Sleep; not just as a... personality, but as an entity. What she is, how she exerts her influence upon this world, and what those effects are. I admit, my research thinks of easing the burdens of this world only secondarily, but it's not as though it would not have its uses. Methods of transmission, infection of Hosts, both animal and human, whether the ubiquitous mycelium is a medium or a source, and if it can infect us are all questions I would like to answer that would help those living here. It is not all altruism, but I am willing to share my findings so those who wish to use it to help can.

Have you met Sleep in person before to at least have a physical look? Maybe if you ask really nicely, Sleep might even provide a small sample. I've heard she can be mercurial on the best of days.

How do you benefit from this understanding?

[He might be just a touch disquieted by researchers performing their experiments where people could suffer extreme consequences. Life experience and all that, not that he acknowledged it.]

No. From what I can tell, no one among us has ever met her truly in the flesh. Given the number of Vessels that wish to do her harm, I can't say that I blame her. [Fun fact: Maria is not anti-Sleep.] Also from what I can gather, and from the information provided, she usually wishes for something in exchange for her favors. Her usual form of worship is not one I often have an appetite for, and I'd rather see what I can gather without giving away some important part of myself. Especially if she deigns to misinterpret what I ask for. [Not anti-Sleep, but also not stupid enough to get into an unfair bargain with an eldritch horror beyond comprehension. It's part of why she hasn't actually tried to contact Sleep directly.

She thinks about his question for a moment, a sort of intrigued bubbling in the back of the connection over the Murmur; apparently she also finds him interesting. Not many people would ask her that question.]

I've always been interested in Great Ones - what they know, how they create the dreams and nightmares in which they exist, their lives and habits and communications. I suppose the answer is that once one touches upon the Eldritch Truth, they cannot help themselves to return to it, to ply its depths for answers to sate the addiction of their curiosity.

I suppose she has no actual reason to show herself to us in the flesh, as it were. Or perhaps her form is such that it would melt our minds if we were exposed to it directly. [Vander was also not anti-Sleep. He kept his opinions generally to himself, but he wasn't working directly against Sleep as others were.] Gods or god-like beings have been known to be fickle when asked for much of anything that doesn't amuse or benefit them in some way.

[Vander was in the business of people, so his curiosity lay with knowing how and why people benefitted from what they did. Understanding motivation was key to understanding how a relationship might develop. He was not adverse to her curiosity shifting on him.]

So does that mean you've previously touched Eldritch Truth before arriving here, or you're aware of it and are seeking it here to know what its like? You seem rather comfortable with your activities.

Even a form that cannot be truly beheld would make for fascinating Insight. There's knowledge and wisdom to be gained even in madness. I believe one of the Numerals here is an example. [Three, specifically, which is why she finds him interesting. It's all fun scientific inquiry, which is sort of why she's gone down this path... again.]

We touched upon it long ago in my collegiate days. Exposure to Great Ones and their phantasms also typically causes physical transformations I researched once, long ago. That these things [A motion at the Guardian] are either transformed because of the phantasms, or are creations of the phantasms is a very familiar concept to me.

Edited 2026-02-20 19:25 (UTC)

From my understanding, the line between brilliance and madness is often blurred. Careful on the line that you're walking; you don't seem half bad of a conversationalist so I'd hate to have to determine future conversations by hand gestures. [He can see her logic at least and the necessary risks for advancement. Plenty of those lot where he's from.] Which Numeral?

[He considered for a moment.]

What are the chances that these guardians and in fact all the creatures that we face off against aren't just the end point we're all heading towards the longer we remain here?

[She makes a noise and it might actually be the closest thing to a laugh she's uttered in at least a week, so Vander gets a point for that.] Three. He seems capable of still communicating verbally, so I do not worry for my own ability in that way. I think future conversations will be safe.

[But another interesting question, and one that prompts a thoughtful silence.] I'd say... our odds are good, but not perfect. I don't have a good grasp on the timeline, but things here happened much faster than it seems they did. This place has not been abandoned for too terribly long, which means that the Host transformations must have been quite rapid, as well. More than that... Three himself shapeshifts, much like some of the Offerings of this place, which makes me think he may well be an Offering. If he is, he's survived since before this city fell, and... relatively intact, at that. And if he is from before it fell, then the other numerals likely did, as well, probably for similar reasons. I know not what sort of... Vessels they all are, but it seems we are afforded some small amount of protection from becoming parasitized.

I would not recommend eating the phantasms, if you would like to stay that way.

Edited 2026-02-21 07:39 (UTC)

[Look at that! She has a sense of humor amid all the muck she was digging through; it managed to put him at a bit more ease too.] I don't know, I appreciate the bright flashing lights made in code, but if Three can speak, maybe we can dig up actual answers. Curious if they are able to be truthful.

[There was always something uncomfortable facing off some of the monsters here, like they were fighting to make them part of it all.] Well, depending on t the fungus, some species are known to grow rapidly and take over organic matter, and the Hosts are at various stages of fungal growth. All of this seems like a test of our resolve as well as expediating connections between each other. Perhaps the current numbers are those from before who survived by connection, yet are reduced to numbers so they aren't fully intact.

[He grunted softly.] I don't know... some fragrant oil, fried onions, cave mushrooms. They might not taste too bad. Probably need a starchy grain to help swallowing it down.

[Hopefully he doesn't get too used to it. She's not exactly a fountain of joy.

She hums softly.]

Well, the chances are not zero, but I feel like we'd start to see different changes than the ones we're experiencing. The Hosts that are human stayed apparently human, and the Hosts that are animals or plants stay apparently animals or plants, but there are those here that aren't even just one thing anymore, even if they started that way. Plus I've no fungal growths anywhere on me, nor has anyone else that I've spoken to - if there's one out there, feel free to let yourself be known.

So it is not guaranteed, but I feel like there is something else going on here. Perhaps we're to be used for something grander than just the simple Hosts. [This comfortingly ominous statement brought to you by: someone from a Soulsborne canon.

And eating the slugs just makes her give the Murmur equivalent of a raised eyebrow.] Well, if you do, just let me know what happens afterward.

( Ah, what a maudlin sight. Don't mind the chipper lilt: )

Good morning. ( Is it even — morning. ) It's smaller capacity, but the veterinary clinic's specimen fridge could house a few samples. I'm afraid you'll have to be selective.

[Possibly! But Maria has also been mostly nocturnal because of Sundowning soooo, also possibly not.]

Veterinary clinic? [Wait, hang on; that could lead to something else interesting.] Are you there by chance, or are you familiar with nonhuman biology? I'd actually like to see if I can keep one of these phantasms alive and observe its behaviors.

If you're asking whether I'm a certified veterinarian, then, yes. Though I'm afraid I've left my degree at home.

[If only she had a sense of humor.] Then that is fine. I remain open to suggestions as to how to potentially keep one of these [she motions to the slug] alive for observation, even from those without a degree.

Otherwise, a specimen storage would be very useful, and I thank you for offering. I do not need to keep more than perhaps one or two there.

No, no. It's rather — bustling. I can relieve you of blood, tissue, membrane and... ( Is that a... slug? ) Gastropod sample. I can't possibly host an entire specimen.

The fridge is — ( Already occupied by the Rat King's arm. ) limited.

I meant the... gastropod. If there is enough space to fit one in there, I think it will be enough. I'll figure out how to capture a live one later; it's not as though I'm hurting for specimens at the moment.

I thank you for your offer.

Bring duplicates. Paying the piper, after all.

You have a deal, let me know where this veterinary clinic is, and I can deliver the samples soon.

( Ah, but for the grace of conveniently supplied Murmur directions...! )

I never quite caught your name.

[Someone is watching intently. Captivated, honestly. And in fact has reached for one of the notebooks on his desk to frantically scribbles some notes and observations (and make some sketches.)]

So the slugs are in something of a symbiotic relationship. Are there any sign of reproductive organs creating them? There are some species that have a part of the body that acts as a brood pouch for multiple young. Among animals on Earth, species like sea horses and Surinam toads, for instance. For Surinam toads, the young erupt from holes in the mother's back.

There are a few sentient species back home that reproduce similarly.

[A pause.]

If you haven't, you ought to also dissect one of the slugs.

[Hey now, here's someone that is... kind of speaking her language. Closer than most others, anyway. The question about reproductive organs interests her and she lifts the slug again, running her thumb over its slimy hide. With it closer to her Mask, it also shows closer to the Murmur, but even though she looks closely, it's hard to see anything without magnification.] If there is a reproductive organ, I cannot see it. If it births young, I also do not see them, but... [She picks up one of the jars of the Guardian's black blood-sludge.] This came from the torso cavity. The "blood" is thick and black and almost impossible to see through, but if it could be diluted or sifted in some way, perhaps one could check for eggs?

[She turns the slug over another time in her hands, then steps back over to the table, and the knife.] I could do that. I was interested in keeping one of these phantasms alive, so even if this dissection does not yield any more interesting results, live actions could be observed. I feel like I've these phantasms before, as well, but I cannot place where. [She's not thinking about the people puking them up after the Jericho event, so it's a little out of mind at the moment.]

A sieve. You might be able to find a sieve in a kitchen or shop that sells cookware. There are also sifters for sugar that use a mesh.

[His captain cooks. If he hadn't thought of Sisko's excellent beignets he might not have thought of it.]

[He's not fond of autopsies, even if a CMO has to be able to perform them, so he'll leave her to it, but he's certainly down to offer helpful suggestions.]

I haven't seen the creatures before this recent attack, but I'm relatively new.

Ah, perhaps. Hopefully it will be fine enough to catch the eggs. If not, we may need to go smaller. I am already going to be seeking a restaurant with a working cold storage for some of the larger samples, perhaps fortune will favor me with a sieve in it...

The phantasms seem to die quickly after being removed from the hosts. Do you have any suggestions for keeping one alive for observation? You seem familiar with what I am doing, and I want to observe their behaviors in an environment that isn't... full of black sludge and impossible to see through.

Holy shit.

[It's an impressed kind of surprise, not a horrified one. This is unexpectedly gruesome, but Kalmiya has a strong stomach and knowledge of the eldritch. And she's met this woman in passing. In combat, in fact, enough to deduce that this is not an unusual level of brutality for her.

Still though. Holy shit!]

I'm happy to help you corral them, but I'm afraid preservation is often the exact opposite of my approach. [She's quite brutal in her own right, when given sufficient reason and opportunity.

The Murmur carries the distant chimes of tiny bells as she thinks through some logistics. It's with an almost idle ease that she muses,] If you can find someone proficient in ice magic, then encasing one in ice would probably be the fastest way to both neutralize the immediate threat and preserve the whole body.

Ah... greetings. [This little bubble of an embarrassed greeting is brought to you by: Berserker wolf, the vague (extremely vague) memories she has of that disaster of a Rat King fight, and the friendly fire she might or might not have inflicted upon her teammates.

At least it doesn't seem like there are any hard feelings. More than that, Maria perks up a little as she hears the suggestion, and the chance to... not have to talk about that whole Rat King thing.] Mm... that would follow with the chance to place them into some kind of a cold storage. I just do not know of anyone here with-

[A pause, and a crackle of realization.] Wait, I have seen someone with ice powers here, but... it was during a dream, so I know not if they carried over to the waking world. I will have to ask her.

Thank you for the suggestion, it may well help out this research.

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001 | Welcome to the Surgery Altar

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