Colombina's Grotto

[Hadrian]

I found a video of you and your illegal immigrant husband kissing, Beaner! I mean, Bina! (It's okay. I'm part Mexican, so I can say that.)

[Colombina]

At 1:10, this is pretty much the story of my life with things I get excited about. Especially the part where I tear it to pieces. Also, Harper that is a beautiful mermaid! Very classic. Also, Cayenne, where are you? Crochet me that mermaid tail, but make it for like a 5' 3" person. Dani, you come through for me on the scrapbook, every time. <3

[Chamaeleon]

I cycled through your scrapbook earlier today and loved it and wanted to contribute. I hope this image isn't already present, because I so love what it does to the mermaid and the jellyfish and want to share it with you. Mermaids are beautiful! Badgers are fierce! I think that combination is powerful! And that is all. Have a good one!

[Colombina]

SYM VENOM So what's up with that stuff? What exactly is it? Where does it come from? First off, lets point out that Bina was not a Bio major and tends to view most complex math problems as a kind of augury. I am not the girl you go to for deep medical treatises. However, I have done a little reading and I am competent at making up crap. Here goes then! Sym venom is a combination of enzymes, gastric acid and neurotoxins. It has the consistency of saliva (sexy!) and is manufactured in an organ near the intestines but is stored in limited amounts in ducts near the sinuses. So here's what happens when a Sym bites something: 1. Pressure from biting down makes ducts release potent dose of venom through hollow fangs. (However, it can also slip into the mouth involuntarily in smaller doses. Think of it like the mouth watering. HAWT.) 2. Prey is dosed immediately with a neurotoxin that relaxes body. 3. Enzymes and acid begin to do their work and break down fat/proteins/sugars. 4. Sym waits, plays some solitaire or penuchle. 5. Food is properly liquified! 6. Drinking time. So what keeps the venom from destroying the Sym? Each Sym has a different body chemistry and hence different venom. They are immune to their own because their body naturally produces the chemicals that mitigate the enzymes' effects in the digestive system. Where a Sym could have a tiny problem is if they bit themselves anywhere but inside the mouth. It would hurt, but chances are it wouldn't kill them. Also, Sym venom isn't always super potent. If they are well fed, not as much is produced and it is a much milder form. Can I Put Sym Venom on Weapons? I wouldn't recommend it. It won't melt things on contact, but it will slowly destroy the integrity of the weapon and make it brittle. Can I Store Sym Venom? Yes, and until its used to break down a fat/protein/sugar it will keep. It would be best stored in a stone jar. How Do Syms Feel About Selling Venom? It's a bit like whoring yourself out. They have to really really like you to give you any, or be desperate for cash. I Heard Baby Syms Have Worse Venom You heard right nonexistent commentator! Freshly born Syms cannot regulate venom production and have a greater amount of acid in the composition. When the baby reaches a large enough size, it starts to produce its own venom in the umbilical cord so the food from the mother is tempered by the baby's own brand of enzymes. Shortly before birth, baby goes aggro and starts to destroy everything. Aren't children wonderful? Granted, I know some of this isn't textbook quality, but that's my take on how Sym venom works. Further questions will be taken, constructive recommendations are welcome, scathing criticism will be ignored. I hope this helps all my Symenestra players out there!

[Macabre]

I like the thought of drooling symenestra. Hurr--slurp--durrr.

Thanks for shedding some light on this topic. I've had people ask me about it before, and could only give limited responses. Now I, too, am a venom connoisseur.

[Colombina]

You have always been a venom connoisseur to me, Macabre. It's the finer things/drool in life that draw such as us. Cheers, old boy. But I'm glad it's useful! I like my lore detailed, but I don't want to smother the wiki on some things. I am open to any other topics that could do with some elucidation. I have been trying to clean up/ add some Sym things due to the influx of newish Sym players. The wiki has a new bit on "gleaning" and I even made a banner for Kalinor. (Don't laugh at it. I really tried.)

[Ssafirarhysati]

I'm curious how long the relaxing effect of the poison lasts, and when the pain from getting one's fat/proteins/sugars broken down kicks in. Does the first effect just take long enough to get some hapless female impregnated? Or just enough time to tie them down and draw fake beards on their faces?

The answers to these are important to a thread I am currently in. I like my beards properly drawn after all.

[Colombina]

I too prefer my sharpie art detailed. Go big or go home. Having said that, it depends on the size of the creature. A tiny animal (evil Sym!) will probably be down for the count, nice and sleepy until it perishes. A bigger creature will feel a flush of relaxation and maybe go a little limp depending on how potent the venom is. But the moment it seems to pass through their whole body, bam, burny time. So you have time for maybe a good mustache. Unless the Sym just kept up a biting frenzy. They wouldn't want to do that to a surrogate, anyway, would damage their precious baby-making insides. You gotta be careful with the merchandise! That and non-Syms are dirty. You don't know where they've been, so you don't want to put your mouth all over them.

[Luvadros Orthilia]

Amen. Filthy humans n' things. *mutters*

[Colombina]

I don't know who did this banner, but I just wanted to say this is lovely work. I opened up Miza and just thought "Ooooo!" So, good job, mysterious banner maker.