Layers
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The Layers are a concept central to the Kin's traditional medicine, introduced in Pathologic 2. Understanding the use of Layers is part of the Haruspex's Menkhu Knowledge.
Description
A body consists of three Layers: Blood ("Zürkh"), Bones ("Yas"), and Nerves ("Medrel"). It is believed that diseases will first show on one of the three Layers. The Layers are used by menkhu such as the Haruspex to diagnose patients, such as those infected with Sand Plague. The knowledge of the Layers of the body is closely connected to the knowledge of the Lines.
Gameplay
| “ | Any affliction can be cured if one discovers which Layer has been poisoned. | „ |
| — Haruspex touch details for Home-Brewed Antibiotics |
Upon unlocking the Haruspex's Lair, the Haruspex is able to begin making tinctures and recalling knowledge that pertains to the Layers of the body. After repairing the alembic, the Haruspex will imagine his old Tumbler Toy speaking as his father and instructing him regarding the Layers and related concepts.
Patients afflicted with the Sand Plague can be aided through the prescription of antibiotics, but first, they will require diagnosis. While antibiotics can be prescribed at random, the effects of incorrectly applied antibiotics is reduced to 25% of their normal potency.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis is achieved by administering tinctures to an infected NPC in order to determine in which Layer of the body the disease exists. Each layer of the body -- Bones ("Yas"), Nerves ("Medrel"), and Blood ("Zürkh") -- correlates with a tincture of a matching color: "Yas" Tincture, "Medrel" Tincture, and "Zürkh" Tincture. When tinctures are applied, layer-specific symptoms are revealed, which eventually allow the Haruspex to determine where the disease is located.
There are three types of symptoms in total:
- The central, ambiguous symptom, which is shared by all layers.
- The 3 secondary symptoms that are shared by neighboring layers.
- The 3 primary symptoms that are unique to each layer.
Positive diagnosis requires revealing a layer's primary symptom, or revealing both of the secondary symptoms that abut it. The central symptom is not necessary for either verdict, however its activation can help the player deduce which layer is infected. Note that basic tinctures reveal 1 symptom, and improved tinctures reveal 2.
Each time a symptom is revealed, the patient's pain increases. As such, improved tinctures will often result in more pain than a basic tincture. If a patient's pain reaches its maximum limit, they will not be able to reveal additional symptoms until the Haruspex reduces their pain. This can be mitigated by periodic use of Morphine or home-brewed Painkillers, both of which will reduce patient pain level. If below its maximum limit, NPC pain level has no apparent impact on diagnoses, so pain reduction should be done sparingly.
Generic NPC pain levels are often low to begin with, however Bound starting pain levels slowly increase as the game progresses (just as their immunity slowly decreases, and their severity of infection slowly increases.).
Prescription
The Layers of the body, in turn, correlate with an antibiotic of a matching colour. When applied, antibiotics decrease the level of infection in the patient. As stated above, the effects of incorrectly applied antibiotics is reduced to 25% of their normal potency.
Early Concept
In the alpha release of Pathologic 2, the Layers were referred to primarily as "Nyespa" or sometimes "Humors"; however, in the official release, references to Nyespa were removed. Nyespa referred to humors that govern the body, and were likely based on the Nyespas of Tibetan medicine.[1] There were three Nyespa: Bile, Phlegm, and Wind, which seem to correspond to what are now referred to as the Blood, Bone, and Nerve Layers, respectively. While the Ice Pick Lodge store was still available, posters relating to the Nyespa were sold. According to the product descriptions of these posters, Bile was "said to be responsible for hatred and internal cycles";[2] Phlegm "nests inside one’s head and hinders clear perception";[3] and Wind was "said to be cold and clingy."[4] It was said that "when illness strikes, there is strife among the trio, and the disease kills."
In early releases of Pathologic 2, the tinctures brewed by the Haruspex could be used to reveal which of the three Nyespa are affected in those infected with the plague, and each type of antibiotic could target conditions of one of the Nyespa. Conditions related to the bile humor were cured by keto pills; conditions related to the phlegm humor were cured by beta pills; and conditions related to the wind humor were cured by tetra pills.
Glyphs
After revealing a symptom with a tincture, the Haruspex will comment on it. A glyph or glyphs corresponding to the Layer(s) at hand will also be revealed.
Uknown:
"A fever rises. It could be anything of the three."
Blood & Bones:
"The skin dries. It's either bones or blood."
Bones & Nerves:
"Pupils dilate. It's either bones or nerves."
Nerves & Blood:
"Breath becomes ragged. It's either nerves or blood."
Blood:
"Muscles relax. It's in the blood."
Bones:
"The shakes begin. It's in the bones."
Nerves:
"Profuse sweating. It's in the nerves."
Gallery
Diagnosis UI with no symptoms revealed
The central symptom -- shared by all layers -- is revealed
A symptom shared between Blood & Bones
A symptom shared between Bones & Nerves
A symptom shared between Nerves & Blood
Diagnosis in the Blood via primary symptom
Diagnosis in the Bones via primary symptom
Diagnosis in the Nerves via the two secondary symptoms
Bile Nyespa
Phlegm Nyespa
Wind Nyespa
Notes
- A Layer is called a "mete" in Steppe Language.
- Likely for gameplay convenience, each Layer is associated with a color: orange for Blood, white for Bones, and yellow for Nerves. This color is also shared by antibiotics and tinctures corresponding to that Layer, even those with no relation to the Kin's traditional medicine.