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  1. Oyster Pearl(In Beta)
  3. Lore

Powder Keg SURGERY

Powder Keg SURGERY: FULL LORE PRIMER

The Forbidden Practice of Pearl Integration & Human Powder Engineering
Restricted to Pirate Doctors & Pearlwrights Level 10+

I. What Powder Keg Surgery Actually Is

Powder Keg surgery is the lethal art of merging:

  • pearl resonance

  • powder-reactive organs

  • mechanical grafts

  • internal vent-chambers

  • ligament slot rewiring

into a living human body.

It is NOT a single operation — it is a sequence of invasive procedures spanning hours or days, requiring a Pirate Doctor and a Pearlwright working in unison.

Even when performed perfectly, survival is never guaranteed.

II. Required Staff for Powder Keg Procedures

A Powder Keg surgery must include:

1 Pirate Doctor

Specialized in physiology, nerve grafting, organ reinforcement, and powder toxicity.

  • Minimum recommended level: 10

  • Safer with Doctors level 12–15

  • A Doctor’s level reduces mortality by stabilizing organ shock.

1 Pearlwright

Expert in pearl harmonics, resonance shaping, slot binding, and oscillation control.

  • Minimum recommended level: 10

  • Safer with Pearlwrights level 12–14

  • Their role is preventing immediate pearl detonation or rejection.

✔ Additional Support Staff (Optional but Reinforces Safety)

  • +1 additional Pirate Doctor → reduces backlash risk

  • +1 Pearlwright → reduces resonance instability

  • Powder Technicians (2–4) → manage vent-chambers, internal tubing, powder pressure

Important:
More staff make the procedure less suicidal, but never “safe.”
Even a perfect team cannot guarantee survival.

III. Human Ligament Slot System

Every human has four ligament clusters, each with 4 slots:

  1. Right Arm — 4 slots

  2. Left Arm — 4 slots

  3. Lower Body/Legs — 4 slots

  4. Torso + Head (Main Anchor) — 4 slots

A ligament can naturally hold up to a Medium Pearl (4 slots).

Anything larger requires the torso to “borrow slots” from the limbs.

IV. How Pearl Integration Works

Step 1: Slot Activation

The Pearlwright identifies resonance pathways.
This determines:

  • how many slots are used

  • how many must be rerouted to the torso

  • expected organ displacement

Step 2: Body Opening & Stabilization

The Pirate Doctor performs:

  • rib spreading

  • liver displacement

  • bone and nerve severing

  • implantation of powder-vent linings

Step 3: Pearl Binding

The pearl is inserted into the torso or limb cluster.

The Pearlwright stabilizes resonance by:

  • aligning harmonic frequency

  • binding ligament slots

  • preventing oscillation shock

Step 4: Resonance Lock

The Doctor fuses nerves, tendons, and vents around the pearl chamber.

Step 5: Awakening Phase

The pearl pulses once.
If the patient survives the pulse, the operation is considered “successful.”

Most deaths occur here.

V. Pearl Size and Required Slots

Medium (4)

Fits in one ligament cluster naturally.
Surgery is survivable with a strong body.

Large (8)

Requires: Torso 4 + ANY 1 limb cluster (4)
Borrowing slots increases:

  • nerve destruction

  • skeletal stress

  • harmonic misalignment

Giant (16)

Requires: Torso 4 + ALL THREE limb clusters (4+4+4)

This drains every slot in the body.

This is the transformation threshold.

VI. Difficulty Levels by Pearl Size

Below are the recommended staff levels and typical outcomes.

Medium Pearl Integration (4 slots)

Recommended:

  • Pirate Doctor Level 10+

  • Pearlwright Level 10+

Survival Estimate: ~60%
Failure usually results in:

  • internal bleeding

  • organ failure

  • rejection pulse

Large Pearl Integration (8 slots)

Recommended:

  • Pirate Doctor Level 12+

  • Pearlwright Level 12+

  • 1–2 support staff

Survival Estimate: ~20%
Failure usually results in:

  • nerve burnout

  • bone splitting

  • full-body resonance shock

  • powder overpressure

Giant Pearl Integration (16 slots)

Recommended:

  • Pirate Doctor Level 15+

  • Pearlwright Level 14–15

  • Full surgical team (4–7 people)

Survival Estimate: ~3–5%
Failure ALWAYS results in:

  • body-wide detonation

  • harmonic collapse

  • instant death

Success ALWAYS results in:
The awakening of the Powder Keg Prestige Class.

VII. Why This Surgery Is Nearly Impossible

Even with correct slot alignment, the human body is overwhelmed by:

  • resonance waves

  • powder pressure build-up

  • ligament tearing

  • bone fracture

  • organ displacement

  • nervous system overload

Doctors cannot predict which patients will survive the final resonance pulse.

VIII. Maintenance Requirements After Surgery

A Powder Keg must receive monthly:

  • resonance tuning

  • vent scrubbing

  • powder toxicity extraction

  • ligament reweaving

  • harmonic stabilization

  • nerve patching

  • organ repositioning

Without maintenance, a Powder Keg risks:

  • spontaneous detonation

  • paralysis

  • crystal growth

  • fatal seizures

  • pearl burnout

This is why Powder Kegs seldom reach old age.

IX. Prestige Activation: The Giant Pearl Rule

Once a human survives Giant Pearl integration…

Their entire body is rebuilt by pearl energy.

They immediately gain:

  • Powder Keg Prestige

  • Enhanced physiology

  • Extreme powder tolerance

  • Vent-channel capacity

  • Unnatural regenerative responses

  • Explosive potential far beyond mid-tier Gunners

This is the only way to earn the Powder Keg Prestige Class.

It cannot be trained, learned, or chosen.

It must be survived.

As the surgeons say:

“A Powder Keg is born when a human body learns how not to die.”

X. Why Most Gunners Never Attempt It

Because the cost is:

  • your lifespan

  • your health

  • your sanity

  • your physical stability

  • your daily comfort

  • and almost always, your life

Yet those who survive become legends.