In the event of a located rumen, a Branch Administrator can facilitate both the detachment and destruction of a rumen. These fleshy masses can cause rogue Branches, inexplicable illness and unease, even electrical outages. Site cleanup will also commence after the rumen’s destruction.
For more information, call us at (214) 877-8423 or send an email to info@cvrs.com.
Typically observed in Vices with a higher threat level, rumina are external resource hoards where a Vice stores extra energy gathered from a Host, typically during times of excess. It is connected to the Vice core with a densely-packed collection of external tracks, called stolons. These hoards manifest as large, fleshy masses similar in appearance to the Vice’s core and are typically located in humid, low-traffic areas, such as alleys, bathrooms, or even between walls. Rumina in public areas are less common than those found in homes or businesses.
Because they resemble the Vice core, they often emanate a smell similar to those present at their advent. Slowly and steadily, they release VG into the environment around them, which often results in visible VG concentrations that hang in a dense fog around the rumen. In larger concentrations, VG can cause rogue branches, as well as inexplicable illness and unease.
Rumen should not be interacted with, even if it belongs to the patient. Damage to the rumen using a patch can result in rogue Branches, and interaction with non-AV-charged items can result in a fusion-like process where the hardened rumen becomes brittle and crumbles, releasing dangerous levels of VG into the environment. If a rumen is found, call us at (214) 877-8423 and request our Rumen Disposal services.
A rumen can be detected by looking at its Host with Parsing Goggles. Stolons are easily visible with Parsing Goggles and can be found exiting the Host through the ears, nose, or mouth. Though, as Vices continue to evolve, we have seen a drastic increase in --omicron subclasses that are able to camouflage their network, making it extremely difficult to connect rumina to their Hosts.
Rumina also take a visible toll on their Host, typically resulting in uncharacteristic levels of fatigue due to the steady drain of resources. Many rumina cause their Hosts joint pain and stiffness, and even reduced mobility. Because of the rigid stolon, straying beyond its established radius is extremely difficult for the Host. This often manifests as a desire to stay close to the unseen rumen. Because rumina are often established in the home, many Hosts have trouble leaving, which only further fuels their growth.
While Target Hunters monitor large crowds and are generally on the lookout for potential Lambda advents, they are also scanning for potential rumina. Though, most rumina are detected in response to a public submission. After the rumen has been detected, the Public Deployment team begins the disposal process, outlined below.
This disposal process will differ slightly between attached and detached rumina. This step, of course, is made significantly simpler if the rumen is submitted by the Host. If the Host is unknown, however, the Target Hunter will use their Parsing Goggles to follow the rumen’s stolon back to its Host.
If the rumen does not have an obvious stolon, the Target Hunter must then determine if the rumen is merely detached or has --omicron characteristics. A steady release of VG indicates a detached rumen, while an absent—or invisible, rather—release of VG indicates an --omicron rumen. --omicron rumen that belong to an unknown Host, unfortunately, cannot be addressed, as there are too many unknowns and the Target Hunter does not want to risk triggering a rogue Branch.
If the Host is both present and amenable to the rumen detachment, a Branch Administrator can facilitate the detachment while the Target Hunter monitors the Host’s status. Slashing patches work best for this procedure. Using Parsing Goggles, the Branch Administrator locates the stolons and severs them with their patch.
The Branch Administrator is likely to discuss the classification and Branch Policy, if known, with the Host before detaching the rumen in preparation of the potential rogue Branch that can be triggered from severing the stolon and detaching the rumen. If the Vice has a low threat level, the Branch Administrator will join the Branch in staging as a secondary Adjunct and commit the Branch. If the Vice has a higher threat level or the threat level is unknown, they will suspend the Branch while it is in staging and refer the patient to Urgent Care for Branch Remediation, where more resources are available.
A detached rumen can be addressed using an AV Charge. Though, larger rumina may call for additional tactics. Because AV Charges are in low supply, whatever is left of the rumina can be addressed using other AV-charged articles, such as Cleansing Boots and Summoning Gloves. If large chunks still remain, a blunt patch can be used to inflict considerable damage. This should be done sparingly, as impact with the rumen can result in damage to the patch.
After the successful destruction of the rumen, the Target Hunter and Branch Administrator perform site cleanup, wherein they will clear any remaining concentrations of VG from the area, similar in procedure to a full Branch Site Cleanup.
Due to the elusive nature of VG, not all will be neutralized, and trace amounts are likely to be detectable after site cleanup. The area will return to its standard VG levels with the week. If there is a considerably higher VG level, please reach out, and our Branch Recovery Specialist can be deployed to perform a more thorough site cleanup and scan for any anomalies.
Agents in Public Deployment are on-call 24/7, often patrolling high-traffic hot spots, led by their resident Target Hunter. These agents respond to public Branches or can be requested to monitor a potential threat. These agents also address post-Branch cleanup to clear the area of VG and ensure no anomalies have occurred.
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