The Doctor's Manor Training (Private)

[Celaena Kamyuja]

Plus Ten
The doctor needs to stop training over powered bastard
 Hehe. Good read.

[The Doctor]

Learning Empathic Gaze 10 TP

• Empathic Gaze
  Rank: "C"
  Skill: Supplementary
  Effect: A Thief-Taker is skilled at looking into the hearts of man.
  Special: ---
  Drawback: ---
  Description: Thief-Takers are skilled at looking into the hearts of people earning their trust and sensing deception. A Thief-Taker receives a morale bonus on all Acting and Sense Motive checks equal to 5 per Class Level.
  Limit: Must be a Venator. Must be a Thief-Taker.

Current TP Counter 0/10

One of the greatest gifts the Doctor holds today is the ability to read people. This was a gift he grasped early as a child when he would wait in town square, sitting by the fountain, and watched people interact with one another.

It wasn't until the Doctor joined with the Venator when he learned the true meaning of controlling another's actions. Here was where the Doctor learned that reading people was not the only important thing to do, but to control their actions and make them believe what you wished them to believe. This is where the Doctor truly became invested in his identities and aliases. This was the birth of some of his greatest minds, such as The Handler, and grasping a better concept of Mordecai.

When the Doctor first learned the concept of control and understanding he was suddenly pushed into the deep end. He was assigned to speak with an underhanded character deep in the prison grounds of Waves within the City of Ptolus.

Shackled, dirtied, and thrown into a hole, he met this prisoner to garner favor, while simultaneously gain information from him. The man was an associate with a gang leader found outside the gates of Ptolus. He was a rebel organizer. There were no redeeming qualities of this man as all he wanted was to take Ptolus and burn it to the ground while selling the women and children to nearby islands as sex slaves. Their location was a secret, and the only person who may have had that information was this man.

The Venator, without the Doctor's notice, tortured this man, beaten him but he did not talk. A few times the man tried biting his own tongue but with the help of Medical specialists they were able to stop the bleeding and then later on regrow the tongue. After months of agonizing pain they simply put a stop to it and threw him into a hole where no one could get out. That is where the Doctor came in.

The Doctors eyes gazed upon the beaten and broken man. He simply stayed there, quiet, sitting by him. The man did not talk, nor did the Doctor. He waited patiently never speaking to the man, waiting for the man to make his move first. It took several days of the Doctor laying in there with his new cellmate. Food would come and they would eat together, never speaking, they would sleep on different bunks, and use the restroom whenever needed but they would never speak to one another.

This was one of the first lessons the Doctor learned, it was best to allow one to interact with him. Through the Doctor's gaze he could see the man did not wish to speak, he could see the man did not trust anyone. The Doctor simply kept to himself, while the man did the same. The Doctor knew he made the right decision to take this route.

Luckily only a small few knew who the Doctor was. Mordecai was an identity he made sure everyone in the group knew about but nothing else. When he was put into this cell only 2 people knew of the Doctor's true face.

After careful observation, after staying quiet, never leaving the cell, all that waiting, and it all finally paid off. The man he was sent to talk to, made his move, and started the Conversation.

"Who are you?" he asked.

The Doctor gazed up at the man, a deadness in his eyes. There was a smirk on his face as he just looked at the man, head tilted to the side before speaking "You can call me Shaw, Jack Shaw."

[Dr. Neuro, RN]

+10
Go ahead and post away your training. No need to pm me for I keep up with training threads I've already graded. I only don't grade during sleep. =D

[The Doctor]

Learning Monster Lore 10 TP

• Monster Lore
  Rank: "C"
  Skill: Supplementary
  Effect: A technique that allows the user better access to identifying abilities and weaknesses of creatures.
  Special: ---
  Drawback: ---
  Description: The Venator adds 5 per Class level on all non Animal Lore checks whenever making checks to identify the abilities and weaknesses of creatures.
  Limit: Must be a Venator.

Current TP Counter 0/10

When starting his tenure as part of the Venator he was tasked to learning the basics. This started with the understanding of identifying the abilities and weakensses of creatures. Sadly this did not co-exist with all creatures. The Doctor did not learn much about the ways of Animals but there were a plethora of other creatures the Doctor was able to put his knowledge to.

The Venator were very particular in their teachings. They wanted the Doctor to learn about every type of fey, every outsider, every mystical beast, and most importantly, every type of spirit and undead. The Venator were in the business of eradicating evil and within each group, each category they were well verse in the study of evil.

Identifying the abilities and weaknesses of creatures were very important. It allowed the Venator to adapt and overcome the diversity of evil that may show their face. The teaching structures helped the Doctor notice the difference between Demons and Devils. It allowed him to identify that Demons were immune to Electricity and Poison while Devils were immune to Fire and Poison. This made using alchemy very difficult, however he would still be able to use some sort of mixture. For example a Devil may be immune to fire, but the sheer force of say a Concussion blast would still harm such a demonic beast.

This sort of teaching did not overcome demons however, it allowed the Doctor to identify the weaknesses and abilities of those who fight alongside of good. An angel for example. The Doctor could observe, notice and understand an Angel. He would see that they had dark and low-light vision making his trickery style of combat more difficult. They were extremely resistant to electrical and fire attacks while ice and petrification they were immune to. This made the Doctor's combat more simplistic however as he could use Alchemy in other ways against such a good creature if he needed to.

Through the Doctor's studies, and under the Venatores tutelage it seemed they were incredibly adamant of the undead. The Undead were the most important as they were always considered to be "The dammed". Mostly Evil, or lost souls trapped in a shell of themselves wanting, or yearning to be removed. The Doctor had to understand every asset of the Undead, and learn to notice their weaknesses as they did not normally have many.

These creatures did not bleed, they did not succumb to disease, Charm, Compulsion, Pattern and Phantasm perceptions did not phase them. They did not sleep, could not be paralyzed, and were incapable of stunning and poison effects. These were tank like creatures in every sense to a Chakra User, especially those who used them as Venator. The Undead could not suffer damage movement as they did not suffer pain. They could not succumb to handseal damage as most were simply mindless creatures, and the stronger ones could simply overcome such damage.

This made the Doctor's job in finding weaknesses that much more troublesome. As a Gadgeteer it was in his best interest to perhaps stop them in their tracks, or simply destroy them completely. One method of this was by using Goo Pouches of sorts, while another was full on explosions to destroy their bodies completely. Hopefully the Undead he would fight did not have regenerative abilities, however if they did the Doctor would know right away and use other methods to combat against them.

Throughout his training the Doctor knew that the Undead would perhaps give him his greatest problem. The next most difficult problem he would face would be the oozes. Mindless creatures immune to all mind affecting effects. They were also blind so gaze attacks were out of the picture. Then there was the issue of poisons not affecting them so the Doctor had to learn how to combat against that as well. Two creature types the Doctor always felt were a problem while he was deep in his teachings.

[Dr. Neuro, RN]

+10

[The Doctor]

Learning Improved Monster Lore Technique 10 TP

• Improved Monster Lore
  Rank: "C"
  Skill: Supplementary
  Effect: The user is obsessed with the abilities and weaknesses of Creatures.
  Special: ---
  Drawback: ---
  Description: The user gains a sacred bonus on all skill checks to identify the abilities and weaknesses of Non Animal Lore creatures equal to 10 per Class Level. This technique replaces Monster Lore with the higher ability.
  Limit: Must be a Venator. Must know Monster Lore.

Current TP Counter 0/10

The Doctor's obsession with Creature lore took a turn for the worse. The Doctor's obsession turned what was simply a hobby of understanding into a sacred faith of learning. While taking a look deeper into the rabbit hole, the Doctor noted that the Undead had various other capabilities he first did not realize. The fact that they were even more resistant to not only GenJutsu but other various effects that pertained to mental capacity.

He noted that most, if not all were able to see within the Dark making his more "stealthy" approach that more difficult. These creatures were not subjected to non-lethal damage so the Doctor had to take a more "lethal" approach when attacking. They were not subjected to fatigue nor exhaustion so they were capable of fighting forever. This was trouble for the Doctor in his research as he felt that with larger numbers they could overwhelm any stronghold.

The Undead beasts were also proficient with their natural weapons as they tended to claw, rake, rend, and even bite their victims depending on the type of undead.

Then there was the Aberration. These were bizarre looking creatures who had strange abilities. They tended to look out of the world like, and not something you would encounter anywhere in the world, however these beasts did exist. Imagine a beast that looked alien, with the ability to withstand GenJutsu and other mental affect Jutsus with an easier bypass than most creatures.

Aberrations all had the ability to see in the Dark, which was a concept the Doctor was noticing he should try and not to do, either that or try to dispose the concept of sight before acting within the night and silence. They were proficient with their natural weapons as many had claws, or a whip like tail somewhere. Many of the creatures were able to bite as well.

One of the things the Doctor liked that made them quite different from say the Undead, were these creatures do eat, they slept, and they could breathe. There were no resistances to other types of combat such as elemental resistances, and the Doctor made a mental note that these creatures were subjected to poisons.

The Oozes were the types of creatures the Doctor took note about the most. These creatures had no way good understanding of the mind, however they were immune to all mind affecting effects such as charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns and even the thought of morale effects that it really did not matter if a creature could fight with a strong will or not. These beings were essentially blind, and so they were immune to Gaze attacks, visual effects, all forms of visual illusions and other combat styles that deal with sight.

As a Doctor and an Alchemist it made encountering an Ooze that much more difficult as they were also immune to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, and stunning attacks.

With the capabilities of the Ooze some targets have been known to brandish the Gray Oozes as guards as they tended to stay in the same area as long as they are fed regularly. The way these creatures are transported are by either wooden or stone containers. The Doctor made a note to find out how they get these creatures into Wooden containers freely.

There were other Oozes like the Crystal Ooze who were even more tricky as they were immune to Acid, Cold, heat, and fire. They could not be transported by Wood like the other type mentioned earlier. They had an acid capable of eating through the wood. They were susceptible against electrical and force damage while weapon damage seemed to be completely negated. The Doctor made sure to note to test this out with strong techniques.

[Celaena Kamyuja]

Plus ten Gosh!

[The Doctor]

Learning Underworld Lore 10 TP

• Underworld Lore
  Rank: "C"
  Skill: Supplementary
  Effect: A user who becomes involved with the teachings of the underworld workings.
  Special: ---
  Drawback: ---
  Description: The Venator adds 5 per Class Level on Local History when making Local History checks to identify legends, personalities, organizations, factions, houses of ill repute, inhabitants, laws, customs, traditions, and the abilities and weaknesses of humanoids.
  Limit: Must be a Venator.

Current TP Counter 0/10

It was raining in Ptolus, like it always did since it was so close to the Bays and Oceans. The Dark Clouds covered the night sky, and the pouring rain covered most of the sound of the city. Mordecai was on the move tonight. He "persuaded" information from a known "informant" who went by the name Johnny Two-Toes. A funny nickname, he lost two-toes in an accident trying to take out his pistol crossbow.

Johnny told Mordecai there was a meeting with fellow underground bosses to discuss different forms of business. Mordecai felt this was the best time to gain information on each of them for later uses. He also felt it could be a great time to perhaps take them down and out for the local authorities, however he needed concrete evidence first.

This was an exercise for Mordecai of sorts. It was a way for him to gain better knowledge about the world around him. It was in his best interest to learn about the legends, the personalities, the organizations that run the underworld. It was in his best interest to know the inhabitants of the wickedness. This ranged from customs, to laws, to even housing if needed. Thanks to Mordecai's recently achieved Memory Palace when first gaining better understanding of the Local Underworld it was easy for him to store the information, but he wanted to know of ways to better pull that information without having to stress out due to his attic being full. Thus the exercise was born. The exercise of active investigating.

Mordecai snuck into the rafters and stayed hidden within the shadows. He found himself heading into what looked to be a large warehouse building filled with multiple openings. He had to stay high to avoid the multitudes of bodyguards found throughout the warehouse. They felt safe, and they were wrong. Mordecai moved quietly as he waited. The first was a man who went by the name Tough Tony. He was a mid-level boss. Mordecai met him on multiple occasions as he felt that Tough Tony was "too small" to put away, but large enough to "persuade" information out of.

Through his studies he gained a brief history of the man. Tough Tony inherited an Export Import business which is why he was quite wealthy. He used the business as a front of sorts to help with his illegal activities. Using the business he was able to "persuade" other businesses to use his for "protection" which needed him quite a lump sum.

How this man managed to marry a woman baffled Mordecai, but after he did, he used whatever money he had and purchased a mansion for himself within the Noble District of Ptolus. He used his influence of power before he was pushed in with the Mob that held onto the City, especially the Warrens where most of the business was located. He used to own a night club over by Oldtown however it was burnt down to the ground due to some bad blood he had with a mercenary.

Then walked in a brutish man, a powerful man who went by the name Ugly Mannheim. Mordecai's eyes narrowed as he recognized him. He was not from Ptolus. He was from Deksport of Hefring Island. He was born and raised there and was the son of a pirate who went by the name Captain Moxie. Through his father her inherited the leadership of the ship, and ruled with an iron fist. It was a good thing Mordecai took the concept at heart of learning about the Underworld or else he would be puzzled right about now.

Well, technically he was puzzled, he pondered on why this man was here. Only time would tell. What he did know about Ugly Mannheim however was he was a man of science. He liked to keep high tech with him at all times so most likely his boys outside were packing some pouch releasers, irken packs and other various high tech to get around and disable.

[Dr. Neuro, RN]

+10

[The Doctor]

Improved Underworld Lore 10 TP

• Improved Underworld Lore
  Rank: "C"
  Skill: Supplementary
  Effect: The user is obsessed with knowing the world of the wicked.
  Special: ---
  Drawback: ---
  Description: The Venator adds 10 per Class Level on Local History when making Local History checks to identify legends, personalities, organizations, factions, houses of ill repute, inhabitants, laws, customs, traditions, and the abilities and weaknesses of humanoids. This technique replaces Underworld Lore with the higher ability.
  Limit: Must be a Venator. Must know Underworld Lore.

Current Technique Counter 0/10

The obsession of the underworld slowly took over Mordecai. He watched with great intent, eyes narrowed as he pondered why multiple high ranking officials from different locations were converging in one location. Something big was going to happen, and he wanted to find out what it was.

Then something interesting happened. In walked in by a man Mordecai only knew as "Mr. Moretti." Not much was known about him as his business practices were kept quite hidden even for Mordecai. All he knew was he was in the weapons smuggling operations along with prostitution. He kept his hands clean but for some reason he was here. Something big was happening and Mordecai did not like it. Mr. Moretti was a simple man with a soul patch. He stood at average height, lean built with a receding hairline, but it was still kept nicely.

Mordecai kept quiet, to himself waiting as it seemed not everyone had entered. He continued to allow his mind wonder through his memory palace as he continued to grab whatever information he could about the people he came in. This was what he was meant for, something he was built for. It was in his best interests to learn everything about the Underworld organizations to the best of his knowledge and power.

Walked in another man, a boss looking fellow, hefty in size. He went by the name of Antonio Zucco. This piece of work was a boss within the city of Ptolus. This man was a piece of work, he ran a protection racket within the Warrens and Market Place. If the people did not pay, then accidents would happen not to those who owned the shop, but to the friends and family of the owners. Behind Zucco's back he was also given the nickname "fats" due to his hefty size.

When Mordecai investigated information on the man he ran into a family member who went by the name Skeevers who was in charge of drug trafficking within the city of Ptolus. Luckily there were no Skeevers, at least Mordecai could deduce that this was not a drug operation of sorts. So far he believed there would be a heavy weapons deal happening. Fats Zucco was sweating, being nervous like always. He looked around in a panic while wiping his face with a handkerchief.

Finally came in the two Vitis'. A Mother and Son duo who were in charge of the docking operations. Carla Vita, the mother was a hefty woman, short in size, with blond hair. The son had a bowl cut haircut but similar size as his mother both height and weight.

"So it seems that the whole outlaw gang are here!" she yelled out breaking what silence there was.

"Please mother, now isn't the time." the son rebuttled as he flinched slightly from the sudden stare of the mother.

Tough Tony took a step forward to the two and shook his head. "We're waiting on one more, then this meeting can start," he calmly spoke out.

Mr. Moretti reached into his pocket, pulled out a cigarette and lit it between his lips staying calm and quiet.

Then an odd man came in. A man wearing a green suit and a bow tie. Mordecai knew him well as the man went by "Witts" or sometimes "Swami". This man always bragged about how he could outwit a person if he had the chance. He was a man on the run as he outwitted the idea of being stuck in jail. Eyes widen as he realized that if Witts was here, there could be problems. He looked around briefly for a moment. His eyes traced against the beams of the upper levels where he hid. He stayed put for a brief moment. His instincts were kicking in, his training was telling him to get out. He quickly reached to his back pulling out his Grapnel Gun as the sounds of doors slammed from the top and bright spot lights shined at his direct.

The jig was up.

[Dr. Neuro, RN]

+10

[The Doctor]

Identify Tracks Skill 5 TP, 5 die roll

• Identify Tracks
  Rank: "E"
  Skill: Skill
  Effect: A skill that allows the user to identify tracks and gain precise facts from them.
  Special: ---
  Drawback: ---
  Description: Can be learned by an Animal. A character with this skill can tell, when he runs across tracks, if they were made by any animal or human. He can precisely identify any normal creature by their footprints. No check is needed for this skill when performing a routine identification. A skill check is needed if the character wants to try to identify precise facts, such as those mentioned above. (the fact that the mule's pack is heavy, or that the camel's foot is sore.) Each time learned user gets 5 die roll to increase the skill.
  Limit: ---

Current Skill Counter 0/125

When it came to learning tracks, it came somewhat of a chore for the good Doctor. It was not something he was ever excited to do but one of his masters and teachers felt it was a great skill to go into. Identifying Tracks was a great way for the Doctor to track people, or a creature down. It allowed the Doctor to better move forward and pick out what was useful and what was not. It was not the idea of tracking that bored the Doctor, it was the memorization of tracks that bored the Doctor. He felt there were better things to remember. He felt there were better things to store in the attic.

If you were to ask the brand of a cigarette by the mere taste or smell then that is something the Doctor can tell you easily as that was a way of helping him in identifying a person at a crime scene. Tracks? Not as fun. That notion of course changed for the Doctor when his master told him that knowing tracks were very useful. What if he ran into a crime scene and there was a mess of tracks. How would the Doctor know the foot size of a target by just looking? How could the Doctor tell if one of the victims or assailants had a cleft foot? Did one have a bad leg? Did he hunch while he walked? How did he walk? Did he step with his soles? Did he step with his heels? Did he have a limp in his step?

All of these questions were answered by simply looking at a man's tracks. Complex questions, yet with simplistic answers. So the Doctor started with his work. He first became familiar with the concept of a footprint. Every footprint was distinct. How it hits the ground while walking leaves a print that can be matched with the individual. If a person was walking barefoot then a print is just as good as finding a fingerprint.

[The Doctor]

Identify Tracks Skill 5 TP, 5 die roll

• Identify Tracks
  Rank: "E"
  Skill: Skill
  Effect: A skill that allows the user to identify tracks and gain precise facts from them.
  Special: ---
  Drawback: ---
  Description: Can be learned by an Animal. A character with this skill can tell, when he runs across tracks, if they were made by any animal or human. He can precisely identify any normal creature by their footprints. No check is needed for this skill when performing a routine identification. A skill check is needed if the character wants to try to identify precise facts, such as those mentioned above. (the fact that the mule's pack is heavy, or that the camel's foot is sore.) Each time learned user gets 5 die roll to increase the skill.
  Limit: ---

Current Skill Counter 0/125

This is unique and helpful for investigators, and the concept of keeping footprints may even become a normal activity along with retinal examinations, fingerprints, and even voice recognition. Through meticulous research it has been shown that a person can determine the patterns of the foot, also known as gait patterns. Every person has an interesting walk, the way the saunter, swagger, or even sashay comes up approximately 90% accurate.

The problem with this however is that tracks are rarely ever found in the field. Then if the Doctor ever found a track he would need to answer some very distinctive questions. He would have to look at the track and the nature of the dirt, or ground holding the track in place. Some of the questions that were greatly important in identifying tracks were; what was the length? What was the width? If the ground where tracks was made was Snow then it would be best to measure at the bottom instead of the top to get a more accurate measure.

The Questions would continue like what was the shape of the tracks? Were they round? Were they oval? Were they oblong? Can there be any notice of claw marks showing? If so how many claw marks are there? Then the Doctor would have to go back to the idea of the ground as to see if the ground was too hard to make simple claw marks from walking. Then he'd have to go deeper like the number of pads, how many were showing? How many toes can be seen?

Of course these were not the only questions, once he got the answers for these he would have to then look around to ask more questions such as; are there other tracks? If there were other tracks then what would the distance be between these tracks and the other tracks? As Gait knowledge the Doctor can get useful information in identifying the species at hand. Then there was the kind of habitat the Doctor would be in. Other questions can be useful like an estimate guess of what the animal may have been doing, or where it was going?

It was a good thing the Doctor was very knowledgeable about most regions because then he could ask himself what sort of creatures are common in the area. It was also a good idea that the Doctor was knowledgeable about the goings of countries because then he could see if there were any circuses around and find out if they had any exotic animals that may have gotten loose.

[The Doctor]

Identify Tracks Skill 5 TP, 5 die roll

• Identify Tracks
  Rank: "E"
  Skill: Skill
  Effect: A skill that allows the user to identify tracks and gain precise facts from them.
  Special: ---
  Drawback: ---
  Description: Can be learned by an Animal. A character with this skill can tell, when he runs across tracks, if they were made by any animal or human. He can precisely identify any normal creature by their footprints. No check is needed for this skill when performing a routine identification. A skill check is needed if the character wants to try to identify precise facts, such as those mentioned above. (the fact that the mule's pack is heavy, or that the camel's foot is sore.) Each time learned user gets 5 die roll to increase the skill.
  Limit: ---

Current Skill Counter 0/125

There were certain categories that showed that tracks seem to be familiar with one another depending on the type of creature. For example the Rodent Tracks. Rodents range from all types and sizes from the smallest mouse to the largest beaver of sorts. Rodents will normally leave 5-toed tracks with their hind feet. Some creatures like the beavers will have more webbed style of feet. Now they'll mostly have 5 toes for the rear feet, the front tracks will mostly leave 4 toed tracks.

Of course this could be different as well depending on the creature such as rabbits and jackrabbits. These creatures tend to have 5 toes along their front tracks while their hind tracks are normally placed side by side. This is especially true if the rabbits are calm. The more erratic they are, the more separate their hind legs become.

Then there are the tracks of Carnivores. Sadly these have extremely wild and different sets of tracks as each carnivore are different. This all depends on how they hunt, and how they defend themselves. Through the course of the Doctor's teachings, especially when he had to learn about animals, he found that animals who had a rending attack, especially those with a natural weapon found along the feet would have more pronounced feet tracks. This is because of the high definition of claw markings found within the tracks.

When it came to bears he noticed they would leave an odd human-like track. They were 5 toed creatures and left distant heel marks. When it came to the view of Raccoons, they front teeth were more "Hand" like due to them able to pick up random objects. They had a slight bulge before their toe as well. Their back tracks however were longer than the front tracks, and their toes were not always visible.

[The Doctor]

Identify Tracks Skill 5 TP, 5 die roll

• Identify Tracks
  Rank: "E"
  Skill: Skill
  Effect: A skill that allows the user to identify tracks and gain precise facts from them.
  Special: ---
  Drawback: ---
  Description: Can be learned by an Animal. A character with this skill can tell, when he runs across tracks, if they were made by any animal or human. He can precisely identify any normal creature by their footprints. No check is needed for this skill when performing a routine identification. A skill check is needed if the character wants to try to identify precise facts, such as those mentioned above. (the fact that the mule's pack is heavy, or that the camel's foot is sore.) Each time learned user gets 5 die roll to increase the skill.
  Limit: ---

Current Skill Counter 0/125

Badger tracks are sometimes compared to that of Coyotes. What makes their tracks more different than most other creatures are the distance between the pads and the toes. Badger toes will normally have incredibly long toe nails and they would sometimes be at an angle due to their digging prowess. Now Coyotes will have tracks very similar to Dogs however they would normally be smaller in size. Judging a paw size is paramount to judging the size of a canine. The larger the paw size the more likely the animal is wild.

From the studies the Doctor saw that Dogs, bears, weasels, Badgers, skunks, otters normally showed claw marks within their tracks. He also noted that members of the weasel family had five toes on the front and hind legs and would mostly leave their 5 toes as tracks. The Skunks and Badgers would show a heel mark along their front marks.

Now what was mostly interesting was that if an animal had a natural weapon of sorts tended to keep their claws hidden. Creatures like the Bobcats, mountain lion, feral cats always never didn't show claw marks. They also were 4 toed creatures. What made these creatures even more interesting were the size of the tracks. Normally the front tacks were larger than the hind tracks. This was because of the power of their front legs. Their hind legs were more nimble so it allowed these beasts to pounce at high speeds. Their front legs were the grabbing legs so they were strong enough to smash, and claw with one continuous strike while the hind legs could rend and support by bringing the target down.

Now Reptiles were a unique bunch as there was a certain section of creatures that didn't have legs so their trails were more along the lines of a continuous curve of tracks, and if they were the types of snakes that moved along the middle of the body, then their tracks would not be continuous curves, but more along the lines of separate, brief moment curves parallel with one another moving in a single direction.

[The Doctor]

Identify Tracks Skill 5 TP, 5 die roll

• Identify Tracks
  Rank: "E"
  Skill: Skill
  Effect: A skill that allows the user to identify tracks and gain precise facts from them.
  Special: ---
  Drawback: ---
  Description: Can be learned by an Animal. A character with this skill can tell, when he runs across tracks, if they were made by any animal or human. He can precisely identify any normal creature by their footprints. No check is needed for this skill when performing a routine identification. A skill check is needed if the character wants to try to identify precise facts, such as those mentioned above. (the fact that the mule's pack is heavy, or that the camel's foot is sore.) Each time learned user gets 5 die roll to increase the skill.
  Limit: ---

Current Skill Counter 0/125

Now when it came to a crime scene the Doctor felt more at home. Using his medical skills, his forensic science skills, and cultural skills, using the knowledge and patterns of a foot was not exactly easy, but manageable. There were at least 26 bones, 33 joints, 20 of which are always articulating and more than 100 muscle tissues, tendons and ligaments found in a human foot. There were also a considerable amount of variations in components found in the foot.

These variations are what makes the difference in pressure distribution and the weight bearing found in the gait. This is what makes each foot print unique. The knowledge of the anatomy and functioning of the foot along with the footwear in a crime scene is called Forensic podiatry. When applied, this information is useful whenever a footprint or shoeprint is found on the crime scene.

Now forensic Podiatry also has 4 sub categories. These are Footprint Analysis, Shoeprint Analysis, Gait identification, and medical documents relating to the foot. When the Doctor started learning about Footprint Analysis he was taught that they were unique like his fingerprints. So a footprint could be used as an identification process. Monozygotic twins can have different footprints, just like they can have different fingerprints.

Now what made these even more unique is that when a person is standing, it was shown that their footprints tend to be smaller than when they are walking. Whenever a suspect is or has been arrested, his barefoot impressions can be compared to his bare feet. Those same impressions can also be compared to sock impressions that were left at a crime scene. These same impressions may also be looked inside footwear that may have been left over and recovered from a crime scene.

[The Doctor]

Identify Tracks Skill 5 TP, 5 die roll

• Identify Tracks
  Rank: "E"
  Skill: Skill
  Effect: A skill that allows the user to identify tracks and gain precise facts from them.
  Special: ---
  Drawback: ---
  Description: Can be learned by an Animal. A character with this skill can tell, when he runs across tracks, if they were made by any animal or human. He can precisely identify any normal creature by their footprints. No check is needed for this skill when performing a routine identification. A skill check is needed if the character wants to try to identify precise facts, such as those mentioned above. (the fact that the mule's pack is heavy, or that the camel's foot is sore.) Each time learned user gets 5 die roll to increase the skill.
  Limit: ---

Current Skill Counter 0/125

While examining a foot, the shape, the outline, and the position of parts of the foot must be studied. Through the Doctor's studies he has shown that there can be a wide variation of variations among different people along with significant similarities for multiple impressions taken by the same person. This is why Footprints are seen as valuable information regarding the individual characteristics of a person from where they were, to what they were doing.

There were three types of barefoot examination. These three were the most commonly employed. First was the Gunn method, which is the method for measuring feet. This was the first method used to measure, compare and study prints of the foot. This was created by a Doctor who went by the name of Norman Gunn. He advocated this method of evaluation where the scientist would make a series of five lines drawn from the most rearmost part of the heel to the tip of each toe. Another line would be across the widest part of the foot area. These lines would be measured. Each measurement is used in the comparison process between separate footprints.

These lines were not the only thing that could be used in comparison. The angles could also be used in comparison as well. What made this method so unique is that the Doctor could add additional measurements between the various landmarks involved between the lines to give a greater value of the footprint type. One example would be to take the left most part of the width line, and measure five additional lines from that point to the middle of each toe.

Another method was called the Optical Center method. This is where a distinct point of the foot is identified and then circles are drawn in its most suitable locations. These points are then isolated and connected to the other recognized parts of the footprint by using a similar method of the Gunn Method.

[Aimi Kaguya]

+30 TP, 105 SP. Dear lord, I was so certain you'd master it in one go for a minute there! It was horrifying!

[The Doctor]

Identify Tracks Skill 5 TP, 5 die roll

• Identify Tracks
  Rank: "E"
  Skill: Skill
  Effect: A skill that allows the user to identify tracks and gain precise facts from them.
  Special: ---
  Drawback: ---
  Description: Can be learned by an Animal. A character with this skill can tell, when he runs across tracks, if they were made by any animal or human. He can precisely identify any normal creature by their footprints. No check is needed for this skill when performing a routine identification. A skill check is needed if the character wants to try to identify precise facts, such as those mentioned above. (the fact that the mule's pack is heavy, or that the camel's foot is sore.) Each time learned user gets 5 die roll to increase the skill.
  Limit: ---

Current Skill Counter 105/125

The optical center method was a method devised by the Country of Snow. It was taken as a way to evolve the Gunn approach. This method was devised within a long-term project to show the individuality of the human footprint. The project from the Doctor's understanding seemed to have taken close to a decade of research. When there is a plethora of footprints to be looked at, this method was created. When evaluating and comparing these footprints the Optical Center Approach is used. This method is a central point of the feature defined by the center of a circle when placed on a foot.

Basically it was this, a circle is created along the heel. There are 5 lines starting at the middle of the circle that are measured to each toe. These lines are stopped at the center of each foot. A circle is then created at each toe showing the size of each toe. Thos method is used to create a concentric match of the locations of each toe. Then another line is taken across along the widest aspect of the ball of the foot area along the sole area. These measurements are taken in order to measure and compare between different footprints. With the angles between these lines visible, it shows another variation of comparison within the foot. Just like the Gunn method, additional lines can be created to add additional variables to the measurements.

The third and final method was called the Overlay Method. This is the complete outline of the identified footprint. The footprint is drawn and positioned over unknown footprints to be compared. This gives a more feature measurement such as the crease lines, the shapes, and even the positions of the toes to match.

This measurement method was devised by the country of Tea judging by the Doctor's studies. It was the representation of a different approach to the footprint comparison methods as that of Snow Country.

[The Doctor]

Identify Tracks Skill 5 TP, 5 die roll

• Identify Tracks
  Rank: "E"
  Skill: Skill
  Effect: A skill that allows the user to identify tracks and gain precise facts from them.
  Special: ---
  Drawback: ---
  Description: Can be learned by an Animal. A character with this skill can tell, when he runs across tracks, if they were made by any animal or human. He can precisely identify any normal creature by their footprints. No check is needed for this skill when performing a routine identification. A skill check is needed if the character wants to try to identify precise facts, such as those mentioned above. (the fact that the mule's pack is heavy, or that the camel's foot is sore.) Each time learned user gets 5 die roll to increase the skill.
  Limit: ---

Current Skill Counter 105/125

So as stated before, the outline of a known footprint is created onto a clear sheet. This image is then laid over a questioned print. This comparison is not a point to point measurement as previously described, but instead relies a more formation outline.

The outlines of a footprint is analyzed and compared to the second footprint. Now this method itself cannot be quantified, however it can show high degree individuality. This was stated within the studies of the Country of Tea from their studies of the method. This method allowed the images to be enhanced to demonstrate the footprint borders and to be laid over questioned prints for comparison.

There were additional methods, one such as the Robbins Method which was very similar to that of the Gunn's method however it incorporated more lines. Throughout the years this method showed that it did not have any additional advantage over the Gunn Method. If one were to speak to multiple special forces it was shown that the most common method to be used was the Gunn Method due to its complexity and its simplicity.

Now each method had their strengths and weaknesses. For example, the Gun Method was usable to allow quantitative measurements, was easy to use, considered the footprint as a whole, and was frequently used in footprint identification, making comparison easier from country to country. The weaknesses however were that it did not allow detailed comparison, it was not repeatability validated, and was not used in dealing with partial footprints. The Overlay however was the complete opposite of the Gunn Method, which made each one unique in their own way.

If the Doctor had to choose between the two, he would use the Gunn Method primarily for complete footprints, while using the Overlay method for partial footprints.