Warrior Quest International

Q: Do Ninja use poisons, and if so, what kind?

Poison, a word that creates a few distinct attitudes from most people. The main attitude is usually one of “Fear” due to the fact that poisons seem to strike from nowhere, which is fairly accurate due to the fact that if a lethal poison is administered correctly, there is little time to acquire a remedy. This feeling of fear is also prevalent when dealing with snakes, scorpions or any other venomous creature that most wise humans avoid if at all possible.

The second attitude is one of “Tragedy”, where denied lovers such as “Romeo and Juliet” are kept from following their hearts and choose to end their lives rather than live in denial of their feelings. This attitude is also associated to suicides, where an individual consumes large amounts of deadly substances to end their lives.

The third attitudes is one of “Honor”, where the dutiful secret agent gallantly takes his cyanide capsule and promptly dies in the service of his country. These heroic deeds emphasize the needs of the many over the needs of the few, where one man is sacrificed in order to protect hundreds or thousands of innocents.

In effect, the way a poison is employed determines how the general populace will respond to it. One minute it’s a natural danger, then it’s a sad reality of depression and hopelessness, and finally it’s a majestic end to a dedicated servant. What a strange and many faceted subject, judged in many different ways according to the specific ways it is employed.

DEFINITION

Poison can be defined as any substance that has an adverse effect on the metabolism of any given person, normally needing only small quantities to cause illness or death.

TYPES OF POISONS

There are two groups of poisons in the Ninja’s arsenal. The first group contains “Natural” poisons, which include plant, animal, mineral and most viral poisons. The second group contain “Synthetic” poisons, which can only be acquired through special processing in laboratories.

NATURAL - PLANT POISONS

Plant poisons are poisons that can be taken directly from plants, trees, shrubs, herbs, roots, algae and the like.

NATURAL - ANIMAL POISONS

Animal poisons are those that can either be taken from animals that are naturally venomous or taken from animals that while not being venomous, are none the less poisonous when touched or eaten.

NATURAL - MINERAL POISONS

Mineral poisons are poisons that are entirely mineral in nature. These poisons are often used by the body every day in small quantities, yet larger quantities are decidedly fatal. There are also many minerals that the body has no use for whatsoever, such as arsenic.

NATURAL - VIRAL POISONS

Viral poisons are poisons that effect the body through germs or infections. Some of these poisons include the diseases of botulism and tetanus.

SYNTHETIC - SUCROSE/GLUCOSE POISONS

Sucrose/Glucose poisons are a variety of complex sugars that are toxic to the human body. They tend to block certain neuro-functions and actually work with the body to produce harmful effects. The poisons must be synthesized to produce the desired potency. An example of a Sucrose/Glucose poison is the complex sugar Ethylene Glycol, which is lethal in doses of one-half to four ounces depending on the recipient.

SYNTHETIC - SCIENCE ENHANCED POISONS

Science enhanced poisons are poisons that occur naturally that science has altered to increase their already lethal abilities. One example is Nicotine Sulphate, commonly sold as weedkiller called Blackleaf 40. This is an improvement on the already lethal ingestive poison of Nicotine which comes from the common tobacco family. Nicotine is chemically treated with Sulpher compounds to form a type of Nicotine Sulphate that can be used as a contact poison as well as an excellent systemic poison.

SYNTHETIC - MICROBIAL POSIONS

Synthetic Microbial poisons are poisons that are either altered versions of already lethal poisons or are entirely new strains created in some far away petrie dish that is designed to be used on some far off battleground. One classic example of a Synthetic Microbial poison or virus is that of the Antrax virus that was created during and after World War II. This virus was so potent there is still an entire island off the coast of England that is still quarantined.

SYNTHETIC - MIMIC POISONS

Mimic poisons are just like they sound, mimics or copies of natural toxins that man thought were so effective they found a way to mass produce them in laboratories. A good example of a mimic poison is that of Cobrine and Cobroxin, which are purer forms of one of the most lethal substances known...Cobra venom, which takes a scant one part per trillion to be effective.

MAKING POISONS

Learning to make poisons is a Ninja specialty. To dispatch enemies in this fashion proved not only effective as a combat strategy, but also a powerful psychological weapon. No one can defend against an unseen weapon. The two plant poisons that are provided on this page are an example of dozens of potential poisons. The preparation of these poisons has been left out of this text to ensure that it does not fall into the hands of less than respectable people who would use this skill recklessly.

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