Delta Vices are a unique, elusive classification that can be tricky to treat without the proper resources. These timid Vices undergo the unique process of core “shedding” when threatened, wherein the Vice abandons both the Branch Domain blueprint and exhibition presentation properties of its Branch Policy. This disorienting defense mechanism often results in the Host’s memory loss.
minute readDelta Vices are fairly uncommon and require unique treatment solutions, as their cores undergo the distinctive process of “shedding”, wherein Vices abandon the part of their core that stores the information for two facets of their Branch Policy: the Branch Domain blueprint and the exhibition presentation. Learn more about this process below in Shedding.
Compared to other classifications, Delta Vices seem much less concerned with achieving dispersion and are focused more on prolonging their individual lives, which lowers their threat level that would otherwise be relatively high. In the Branch Domain, Deltas tend to prioritize avoiding damage over setting the stage for dispersion. Because of this, their network tends to be less established, and their cores remain relatively small throughout their life cycle. Blights also tend to be minor as a result of their less established network.
Different Vices will have differing degrees of sensitivity, but all are considered to have highly reactive cores compared to other classifications. For this reason, successfully rescinding Delta Vices can come as a bit of a challenge, as imprecise blows in the Branch Domain can easily result in a commit instead. Despite this, most Delta Vices do not achieve dispersion, and the few that do are typically mature, having executed numerous sheds.
Delta cores have a distinct shape that allows them to abandon part of their core in the shedding process, further explored below. This distinct core shape aids in early classification and can help Hosts prepare in advance for the shedding process. This early classification also allows the Host to quickly establish a care team and pursue treatment if desired.
For reasons still unknown, Deltas tend to manifest after drastic life changes, where complex emotions fuel their gradual advent and become the basis of their Branch Policy, even after shedding.
Shedding is a defense mechanism exclusively observed in Delta Vices. If a Delta is threatened, it 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. The body and extension are separated by a membrane similar to the cleavage furrow found in cell mitosis. During shedding, this membrane pinches the core and severs the extension from the body, releasing it into the Host’s bloodstream to be naturally degraded by AV over time.
After shedding, Delta Vices will enter a feeding-focused dormant period, where Branches are less likely. Cores are less reactive during this period, allowing time for AV-focused treatments without risking another shed or triggering a rogue Branch. The duration of this period varies between Vices.
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 hone its next iteration. Delta Vices do have a complexity cap, however, and this increase in complexity comes at the expense of energy that could otherwise be put toward germination or augmentation.
During dormancy, it focuses on revising the shed parts of its Branch Policy. Because Delta Vices tend to be nonconfrontational, these increasingly “complex” changes serve to enhance its ability to retreat and hide, rather than fight back. Only in maturity can these upgrades between sheds begin to pose a problem if left unchecked.
Delta Vices only trigger sheds when threatened, but they 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.
Many Hosts claim they are able to “sense” when shedding occurs. The sensation tends to be mildly disorienting, resulting in a feeling many liken to forgetting why one has walked into a room. Others claim the sensation is more akin to knowing a task needs to be completed, but being unable to remember what it is. Mild unease, brain fog, and acute aphasia have also been documented as immediate side effects of shedding.
Perhaps the most disruptive side effect of shedding is memory loss, which has been reported by 82% of Hosts with a Delta Vice. Hosts who have experienced shed-induced memory loss are not guaranteed to experience it each time; likewise, Hosts who have not experienced shed-induced memory loss are not guaranteed to avoid doing so after future sheds.
The severity and scope of memory loss can also vary--both between Hosts and between a Host’s individual instances--and don’t seem to depend on any specific factors. This variability is a common point of concern, as there is no way to know its impact in advance. Memory loss can be as benign as forgetting what one had for breakfast for the past few weeks, but many have experienced memory loss at a scale that disrupts their personal and professional lives, going so far as to forget appointments, commitments, and important decisions made. Even people’s names and established relationships can be lost. Thankfully, memory loss has not been documented outside of a designated time period; that is to say, if the Vice is shedding a core extension that it had for three weeks, memories can only be lost from those specific three weeks. The longer the time between sheds, the more likely memory loss is to occur.
Larval Delta Vices are extremely timid and nonconfrontational, but highly reactive. Delta Vices in general take threats to their core very seriously, doubly so as larvae, and even the slightest attempt at treating ones Vice can result in not only an initiated Branch, but trigger shedding as well. Because of this, Delta larvae have an unnaturally active larval period. Due to this heightened sensitivity, Branches are likely to be initiated exclusively in self-defense, and often. Considerable augmentation or germination progress is unlikely at this stage.
Larval Delta exhibitions are unlikely to be well-developed, knowing it will likely be scrapped after future shedding. Early Branch Domains, too, tend to be relatively simple. Though, as the Vice matures and triggers multiple shedding cycles, the complexity of both is sure to increase. During the larval stage, however, complexity is likely to cap relatively quickly, and increased complexity will only be able to come with time, and thus, maturity.
Larval Delta cores are quite small, typically a bit smaller than Alpha cores. On a VGMS, the core body is likely to be quite dense and appear as solid white, while the core extension is less opaque, appearing as a medium gray.
Because shedding tends to increase the complexity of the Branch Domain and exhibition, Vices that have favored shedding in this stage are likely to have more complex (though not extreme) attributes compared to those who may only shed once or twice. At their core, Delta Vices will always prioritize escape and safety over brute force. Exhibitions are likely to increase in complexity in a way that benefits retreat, and Branch Domains tend to become more detailed, increasing the number of potential hiding places. Solutions Architects can provide Branch-specific guidance as a psuedo Adjunct to help pinpoint behaviors and scan the Branch Domain for hiding places, while a Vice Management Administrator is more than equipped to face the exhibition head-on, once found, no matter its shed count.
While most Vices tend to skew aggressive and impulsive during adolescence, Delta Vices are unique in that they actually begin to exhibit a thoughtfulness not previously observed in their behavior. Where larval Deltas are highly reactive, adolescents are able to quell their reactivity and display discernment in what they allow to trigger both Branches and shedding.
Adolescent Delta cores are a bit larger than those of larvae, with the majority of the growth coming from the core body. Though the core extension mostly remains the same size, the more the Vice sheds, the denser it becomes, skewing closer to white in a VGMS. This suggests that the information for the Branch Domain and exhibition presentation are becoming more complex.
While the complexity is ultimately determined by the shed count, adolescent exhibitions really begin to live up to their hasty classification. This is further supported by their ever-evolving Branch Domain that allows the exhibition to dodge, retreat, and hide from attacks effortlessly, likely leading to increased frustration from extensions.
Delta Vices, at this stage, can prove to be quite frustrating in the Branch Domain. Once found, the exhibition is not difficult to injure, but because Deltas spend the majority of the Branch in hiding, addressing it in a timely manner becomes the challenge. Still, due to their immaturity, Deltas are not pursuing augmentation and germination in large amounts during Branches, and the Host can take longer to address Branches without the risk of becoming berserk. The bird’s eye view provided by a Solutions Architect is an essential tool to have in one’s arsenal. These agents will be able to assess the domain from an unconventional vantage point without alerting the Vice of their presence. Because the Vice is only trying to hide from the extensions, the unique viewpoint of a Solutions Architect can help pinpoint its location much quicker than those on the ground.
As with most classifications, mature Delta Vices exhibit discernment in initiating Branches, as well as triggering shedding. At this point in its life cycle, it has likely shed anywhere from three to upwards of twenty times or more. Those that have shed more often have been rewarded with agile exhibitions and complex Branch Domains. This combination can prove extremely difficult to address in a timely manner. The medium threat level has been applied to Deltas explicitly due to the complexity and difficulty of addressing mature Delta Branches.
A mature Delta sheds less often than larvae and adolescents, saving this energy-intensive maneuver only to gain an upper hand when it feels lethally threatened by its Host. Mature Deltas utilize shedding as more of a trump card, rather than a signature move. Though, because of the longer time between sheds, the chances of memory loss increase significantly.
The core of a mature Delta has also shifted, now resembling a cell in telophase. Both the core body and core extension are roughly the same size, though the core body tends to be denser, as it contains much more information overall. This drastic change in size happens over time, the core extension growing more complex with each shed.
It is only after reaching maturity when Delta Vices begin pursuing both germination and augmentation during active Branches, making time a valuable resource in the Branch Domain. Solutions Architects are necessary to address Branches quickly so as to not allow the Host to become berserk.
Mature Delta Vices are at their most discerning, and their exhibitions and Branch Domains are at their most evolved. The timid, nonconfrontational behaviors of larval and adolescent Deltas have been replaced with intentional, evasive behaviors that trap extensions in the Branch Domain while the core pursues augmentation and germination. Unprepared Hosts are at risk of becoming berserk, or worse. At this point, a Host and their Vice Management Administrator should have a solid understanding of both environmental Branch triggers and shedding triggers. Branches should be avoided to the best of one’s ability until the proper resources have been gathered. A Vice Management Administrator is likely to enlist the help of a Solutions Architect (or multiple) to locate expertly-hidden exhibitions among the Branch Domain. A Branch Administrator and Branch Coordinator can provide much-needed firepower in delivering precise, but devastating blows that don’t allow the Vice to terminate the Branch. Destructive patches with large attack radii can also help weed out concealed exhibitions.
Delta Vices are unique in that they are the lone classification of Vices to intentionally discard and rework part of their Branch Policy. An additional oddity is that as they mature, the circumstances that trigger shedding almost becomes a pseudo property of its Branch Policy, though it is still being debated among experts whether or not this property should be officially added. Regardless, learning those triggers can be a welcomed constant among the other changing properties.
While all Vices are different, the proposed care team below can give a general idea of the skills and equipment needed to properly address a Delta Vice.
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