Thus far the testing is going well. I am writing this hasty note to you to relay information on we have on ground zero patients number two through four. While the girl who was brought to your facility is known as patient 0, a small group was located on the roadway about half a mile from our camp. One was dead upon arrival though samples were drawn before he was incinerated with the new flamethrower model. The other three were engaged in a confrontation with a small group of Iron-horde. One died to a blast of flame expelled with a propelled weapon known in the region as an Iron star. Lucky for us it missed the camp and our party, allowing us enough time and distraction to intervene. Patient three had her throat ripped out by the hooked arm of one of the orcs who was quickly dispatched from behind. Patient number four was injured but remains intact. He is infected recently.
His name is Teran Dawnwhisper, 34 years of age and cousin to the deceased. His exposure to the spore was approximately seven hours prior when he was trying to help his cousin up. The area of exposure is the back of hand and he described a stinging sensation followed by this itching fire under his skin. Currently, we initiated decontamination protocols for all that accompanied us and have revamped one of the clean room tents before our arrival to camp to be changed into a medical room for him. We have soft leather restraints for his arms and legs as we do not wish to take chances or endanger anyone. He is bearing all of this as best he can and after decontamination and blood draws, we have immersed him into a water cooled 'tub' of sorts which basically amounts to a rubber sleeve filled with water atop ice.
We are trying to slow the rate of progress with this virus by cold treatment first. We are also taking the samples into immediate testing with this dreaming glory compound to see if we can dramatically slow it. Though I am not without compassion, Teran and his kin may unwittingly have given their lives for the sake of being a key into the development of a cure. I would like his name and the names of his kin submitted for formal honors as he has consented to aid our research no matter the outcome. His exact words were, "If it means dying for my people, I will die. Use my body and corpse to find a way through. It will be an irony that my greatest accomplishment might occur and make a difference after my last breath has been drawn."
It is my sincerest hope that we can save him, good doctor. He is a remarkable young man.
Author: Lydianah Silverstorm
Status: Open Report to the Battlesworn and Doctor Dawnbringer
Date: March 2, Evening
Location: Gorgrond
Involved:
Eyrika Noirwind
Doctor Anashae Dawnbringer
Terenus Dawncreed
Kahirah Dawnwhisper
Doctor Gehrond, Doctor Celere
Content:
I trust others will post their findings here as well, so I will only go into detail about the samples that I have tested.
The subject was a bunny that had been exposed to the appropriate amount of fel to render its BFC (Blood Fel Content) within normal parameters for a Sin'dorei. Blood was drawn from the sample and placed in several petri dishes to be observed under several different conditions. One set of dishes was stowed away immediately at room temperature to be observed over a length of time. The second pair was subjected to a heat trial at two different rates of change. The third pair was subjected to a cold trial at two different rates of change.
Tests:
Heat Trial 1:
Duration of Test: 20 minutes
Heat Source: Burner
Base Temperature: 100°
Rate of Change: Increase of 1 ½° every 5 minutes
Result: The cells in this sample began to die around 13 minutes into the experiment, though they were not incinerated.
Heat Trial 2:
Duration of Test: 20 minutes
Heat Source: Burner
Base Temperature: 100°
Rate of Change: Increase of ½° every 5 minutes
Result: The cells in this sample did not experience a change at all during the 20 minute trial.
Cold Trial 1:
Duration of Test: 40 minutes
Cold Source: Dry ice
Base Temperature: 50°
Rate of Change: Decrease of 10° every 5 minutes
Result: The viral matter in the cells in this sample began to replicate during the first 10 minutes of the trial, but then quickly shriveled by the 15 minute mark. After the initial 15 minutes no further change occurred.
Cold Trial 2:
Duration of Test: 40 minutes
Cold Source: Ice water (later, dry ice to keep the rate of change constant)
Base Temperature: 50°
Rate of Change: Decrease of 5° every 5 minutes
Result: For the first 20 minutes of this experiment, the viral matter multiplied. Change occurred when the sample reached 28° and the viral matter slowed reproduction, stopping completely at 24°. Every subsequent degree of chilling essentially reversed the process, and by the time the sample reached 18° all viral matter had shriveled and died. No further change occurred.
Findings:
Heat trials indicate that killing the cells is possible with appropriate application of heat. However--and more interesting--cold tends to make the virus multiply up to a certain point. It seems that the point at which replication slows is 28°m, and the point at which the virus is "frozen" is 24°. Beyond that it is possible to kill the virus by chilling it to a certain point. I would suggest another cold trial with a slightly higher rate of change than the second to determine what rate is best for killing the virus.
Other Notes:
Please compare these findings to those of Terenus Dawncreed, as he was also performing heat and cold trials. (Second report attached)
Author: Terenus Dawncreed
Status: Open report
Date: March 2, Evening
Location: Gorgrond
Involved:
Eyrika Noirwind
Doctor Anashae Dawnbringer
Terenus Dawncreed
Kahirah Dawnwhisper
Doctor Gehrond, Doctor Celere
Project ‘Thorn’
Research Documentation
3-2-2015
Conducted experiments involving the pathogen’s reaction to temperature based catalytics. Results were surprising, to say the least.
Heat Trial 1:
Duration of Test: 20 minutes
Catalyst: Hotplate
Base Temperature: 100°
Rate of Change: Increase of 1 ½° every 5 minutes
Result: Viral matter began to burn at roughly the 15 minute mark, though was not disintegrated completely. It appears it is not the heat that kills the specimen, but rather the rapid temperature change. Higher rate of change seems to completely eradicate the sample (e.g., our incineration unit.) Further testing requested.
Heat Trial 2:
Duration of Test: 20 minutes
Catalyst: Hotplate
Base Temperature: 100°
Rate of Change: Increase of ½° every 5 minutes
Result: No change occurred during this trial. 1° appears to be the minimum rate of temperature change where cell death will occur. The viral matter appears to adapt to anything slower in the case of heat. This would explain the virus’ tendency to thrive in the vegetation and jungles of Gorgrond.
Cold Trial 1:
Duration of Test: 40 minutes
Catalyst: Dry ice
Base Temperature: 50°
Rate of Change: Decrease of 10° every 5 minutes
Result: Viral matter began to reproduce rapidly at the ten minute mark. At the fifteen minute mark, the viral matter froze. No further change occurred for the duration of the trial.
Cold Trial 2:
Duration of Test: 40 minutes
Catalyst: Dry ice
Base Temperature: 50°
Rate of Change: Decrease of 5° every 5 minutes
Result: As with the first trial, the viral matter reproduced quickly when cooled below 30°, then froze readily at the 15° mark. While the more gradual decrease in temperature was instrumental for this experiment, it is inadvisable in the future due to rapid replication of the cellular matter.
We discovered that an intense, but gradual, exposure to either extreme was effective in not only killing the pathogen, but leaving behind enough biological material for us to preserve to use for a vaccine. However, where heat was most effective, cold had the perplexing effect of causing the pathogen to multiply up until a certain threshold, at which point all microbes of the pathogen were frozen solid. Our initial recommendation was to develop some sort of flame-dispersal mechanism to curb the overgrowth in which the Thorn originates. To this end, it seems a ‘flame thrower’ is under development by our R&D department.
Unfortunately, this helps little with our live subjects in the meantime. Fluffersparkle took a turn for the worse at approximately 2215 this evening. Pustules developed that, when burst, began to sprout vines, asphyxiating the host in a most gruesome fashion. The subject did not survive. The fact that Fluffersparkle became terminal before any other subject is perplexing, to say the least. Out of a clutch of sixty infected rabbits, he is the only one we have lost as of yet.
Thank you for your reply to my previous letter. I look forward to speaking with you and perhaps working with you in the future. We are also training a few interns and teaching them along the way so that we have a broader based team for future endeavors. They will, of course, have traditional methods offered to them and the opportunity to pursue their own doctorates in time but this is a beginning point.
Unfortunately, I may not be able to be at the next meeting. Phase 1 is nearly complete but ongoing. We have some promising news with one of the strains as it has been slowing the mutative rate and actually shrinking the cells from the spore in the blood culture. This may not be the preventative vaccine but it is possible that it is a treatment for those afflicted. More testing needs to be done.
Conditions around the research site have been perilous at times. Two crates of supplies have gone missing from one of the tents and three times today strangers had to be turned away. We need those reinforcements soon. I will be sending people to Beastwatch to be directed to screening sites if they need medical care. While we are equipped with doctors, our purpose is to find a vaccine. We will not be able to accomplish anything if we are overrun. Other security concerns include data being stolen, experiments in development stages being tampered with or destroyed, and the pitfalls of leaving breadcrumbs for the Iron Horde to find.
