Vices are particular creatures, both about their diet and their environment. If either are disturbed or become unreliable, a Vice has many different ways that it takes action to ensure its safety and well-being.
minute readFor more information, call us at (214) 877-8423 or send an email to info@cvrs.com.
Vice cores prefer a relatively steady flow of hormones and a stable environmental temperature of anywhere between 98 and 100 degrees fahrenheit. Because this is not always guaranteed, larval Vices focus on hoarding hormones for times of scarcity and uncertainty. Many larval Vices also redirect their energy reserves to bolster their epithelium—a thick, blubbery outer layer that acts as insulation for the core in harsh environments. This layer not only helps the Vice regulate temperature, but it can also shield against attacks, such as AV, antibiotics, or white blood cells. This layer is not impenetrable, however, and needs to be repaired often.
Once a Vice matures to the adolescent stage, it begins establishing tracks, known collectively as the network. Tracks are not literal extensions of the core, rather, these tendril-like appendages are dense collections of vitiumnexa (VN), unique cells that sense changes in the environment and send rudimentary information back to the core for processing.
More established tracks are also able to ensnare passing hormones, which are absorbed into the porous track and sent back to the core for processing. A network is essentially how a Vice is able to "see" their environment and learn their Host’s behaviors in order to brace for any impending threats or act on an opportunity to initiate a Branch. Some Vices even create external tracks—known as stolons—to monitor the properties of the environment outside of the Host, such as temperature, humidity, and even smells and sounds.
The exact details of what a Vice considers threatening varies between classifications and even individual Vices. Though, generally speaking, Vices consider drastic changes in the environment as a threat, such as a sharp increase in body temperature, a sudden drop in hormone production, or an unexpected wave of AV—from a Suppressant dose, an AV Shot, or even from an attack by a blunt patch.
Every classification shares a similar “core reactivity”. This gauge gives an overview of how quickly a Vice is to “retreat” when being attacked. Most combat is done in the Branch Arena, with the most efficient form of taming a Vice’s growth being a commit, wherein the Vice is driven to terminate the Branch once the core is damaged. Suspension, similarly, is achieved when the core is threatened while a Branch is in staging, causing the Vice to terminate the Branch. Core reactivity gives a good idea of how much damage (or threat of damage) is required to force the Vice to terminate the Branch. Neither low nor high reactivity indicates elevated threat; it instead informs potential attack strategies and suggests the type of patch that will best combat the Vice’s exhibition. Learn more about the core reactivity of individual classifications in Classifying Vices.
While Vices tend to follow patterns when initiating Branches—these patterns being part of the Branch Policy—in rare instances, they can deviate from their expected behavior and initiate Branches in reaction to a perceived threat, known as a rogue Branch. Rogue Branches are often used to distract a Host and catch them off guard if a Vice feels that it is losing a clear view of the Host's status, often the result of unexpected biofeedback, a sudden drop in hormones, or even an influx of AV from an AV Shot. Rogue Branches can be further explored in Fringe Branch Events.
If a Vice core is threatened outside of the Branch Domain, particularly by manual intervention, the core is likely to fuse with the Host’s body, solidifying its form to withstand external stressors. Fused cores are temporarily unable to continue growing, though after the threat has passed, their rigid structure begins to soften. Many Vices will also choose to fuse specific parts of the core, in what many see as a warning, wherein the Vice will fully perform fusion if the stressors persist.
The act of fusion, especially when performed on or near vital organs, can be lethal, as the fused viscera loses its anatomical function, essentially becoming dead tissue, even after the Vice has softened. While the fused core itself does not spread, the damage can leech out into and kill surrounding tissue, often resulting in the need for amputations or organ transplants.
Fusion is not without its drawbacks, however. This process can also damage the Vice core if sustained for too long, making it more susceptible to attacks from AV and patches. A fused core, even partially, cannot initiate dispersion, which requires the Vice core to stretch itself throughout the Host’s body. For this reason, fusion is only executed when the Vice is under extreme duress as a last-ditch effort to avoid rescission.
Vice cores only initiate fusion when they are externally threatened, and the damage incurred in the Branch Arena does not put the core at risk of triggering fusion. However, suspension can run the risk of prompting fusion, particularly when piercing or slashing patches are used. If a core fuses during staging, the Branch will be suspended, though the benefits of suspending a Branch do not outweigh the potentially lethal side effects of fusion.
Shedding is a defense mechanism unique to Delta Vices. Shedding is only triggered when the Vice feels threatened, but Deltas have extremely reactive cores and a broad definition of what is deemed a “threat”, especially in the larval stage. They can react to direct, intentional threats, such as AV Shots and committing Branches, or entirely benign and unintentional behaviors, such as shifts in hormone levels and contracting the flu. As the Vice matures, this sensitivity tends to dull, and the Vice begins exhibiting discernment instead of reacting to every possible trigger. Shedding is, after all, extremely energy-intensive.
When threatened, a Delta will “shed” a modified, information-rich protrusion from its core. This protrusion—called a core extension—contains the information for the Branch Domain and exhibition presentation. The rest of the core—called the core body—houses the remaining Branch Policy, stores VG, creates the network, and handles energy processing. Each shed results in a clean slate for the Branch Domain and exhibition presentation and allows the Vice to “revise” its plans, using information stored in the core body to concoct its next iteration.
Learn more about the shedding process in Delta Vices.
Epsilon Vices are one of the only classifications to intentionally withhold key properties of the Branch Policy. An Epsilon’s gradual advent provides it with an incredibly complex Branch Policy that it can selectively and intentionally choose to shroud pieces of, even as the Vice matures. For example, Epsilon exhibitions tend to have hydra-like characteristics or multiple sets of limbs. They prefer to keep these appendages shrouded by long hair or dense feathers and only reveal them as a trump card when they have been cornered or are attempting dispersion. Additionally, as the Vice matures, its Branch Domain can reveal previously hidden areas, called “stages”.
Epsilons hold on to these obfuscated properties as they mature. Only once it’s backed into a corner will an Epsilon reveal these properties in an attempt to swing the Branch back in its favor. Unlike rogue Branches that explicitly deviate from the established Branch Policy, an Epsilon’s Branch obfuscation is much less risky, pulling from conditions explicitly established during advent.
Learn more about this defense mechanism and how it changes as the Vice matures in Epsilon Vices.
CVRS offers many different services within our Public Health & Safety Sector. Services are offered by our Primary Care, Urgent Care, and Public Deployment teams. Browse our general services or explore those related to the content outlined on this page.
Standard Vice Management entails monitoring Vice growth, addressing Branches, and building a rescission plan. Patients who require additional services will be referred to the appropriate specialist while remaining under the care of their designated Vice Management Administrator.
Learn MoreRescission is the act of destroying a Vice’s core, most commonly with the use of a patch. There are multiple options available, and a Vice Management Administrator will pursue the best option based on the Vice’s unique characteristics.
Learn More