Okay david. here you go.
From Moira chan. Biology student
"Dear Bioware,
I would like to introduce myself, my name is Moria Müller and I’m from Germany. I’m 21yrs old and I have been studying Biology for the last two years. Before I present to you why I am writing this letter, I would like to say a few things.
I would like to thank you for this wonderful trilogy that you have given to me. I love the entire series and I enjoy playing every minute of it. However I am concerned about one issue I feel that Mass Effect 3 has.
I am upset over the poor treatment of Thane Krios in Mass Effect 3. You all made such a wonderful, amazing, incredible character that there are no words to fully describe how awesome he is. When I began the Mass Effect series, I started off in the second game because I own a PS3. When I was on Horizon, I met Kaidan for the first time and I wasn’t familiar with character. If you were to look through my eyes and see it from my point of view, the scene on Horizon does not shed good light on him. However I continue the game and everything changed when Thane appears. It was a wonderful scene, so cool, so impressive, and whoever created him has my full respect. It was just so awesome!
So I should finally get to the point of why I am writing this letter or otherwise I can continue talking about why Thane is so wonderful forever. He is (and I think he will probably always be) the video game character love of my life.
The reason I am writing is because I would like to explain to you what I think about the final scene in Huerta Hospital when Shepard is talking to the doctor. To sum it up, what is said about Kepral’s Syndrome in Mass Effect is similar to the dysfunction of protein like our hemoglobin, it cannot transport the oxygen properly. I am guessing it is in the iron complex because that is where the oxygen is bound. Of course you never said the protein of Drell is like our hemoglobin but because they are also beings based on carbonate; I feel I can apply human facts on Drells.
Thane was stabbed by Kai Leng’s sword. As far as I can judge it, Leng did not hit a critical place so the inner organs should not be injured. The only problem Thane had was his blood loss. For medicine, that is highly more developed in the 22th Century this should not be a big problem. Even though Thane did lose a lot of blood, which affects his oxygen flow however over the years of already having this problem his body have gotten use to it. I really though the Citadel, the capitol of the universe, having so many different species living there that they would have enough reserve of blood for everyone. This is especially true when you find the data pad in the hospital to cure Hanars. So why can’t we find something for the Drell?
The only critical thing while losing blood is time. If you reach the hospital just in time it’s not usually a big problem, even if Thane’s hemoglobin did not work as well as it used too. However with a trained, strong body he had, he could handle a lot even with the shock that follows after a huge blood lost. I am guessing that Thane comes quickly to Huerta because it’s not that far away from the presidium and with Bailey’s help, Thane would have needed around ten minutes to get ready for his operation. In today’s world it takes that long just for the ambulance to even arrive.
While in operation, Thane’s lungs and blood are pumped with a lot of oxygen to keep him alive. So that means that every hemoglobin protein is caring oxygen. Carbon dioxide is a kind of concurrent for the oxygen in our body. It is transported mostly with the blood itself-in the liquid-but also a few molecules are transported with the help of hemoglobin. In our bodies there is a mechanism that oxygen can crowd out carbon dioxide out of the hemoglobin, because it changes the structure of the protein and release the bond carbon dioxide. So while Thane is in the operation, it can be sure, that every hemoglobin protein in his remaining blood carries as much oxygen as possible. One protein is able to carry more than one molecule of oxygen, so it compensates his lost.
Actually you never said how much blood an adult Drell has, I am guessing its quiet the same as humans because they have nearly the same size and structure, so the needs of metabolism for oxygen should be quite the same. With an injury like Thane’s, the time it took to get to Huerta, I concluded that he had lost about 2-3 liters of blood. Thane as being an adult would have 6-7 liters, so he lost something around 33% of his normal blood level and something like this can be handled with modern medicine. So how can this be a problem for the future? A future with scientific engineering wonders? Miranda is cloned out of stem cells from her father and is genetically perfect. Shepard overcame death is another example. But it is not possible to rescue a Drell with blood loss? I cannot even believe this.
I know that Kolyat needed time to arrive at the hospital but we don’t know where he has been this entire time. He wasn’t with Bailey, but I can image that Bailey called him right after the ambulance shuttle for Thane arrived. So the time difference shouldn’t be a huge one. A transfusion from erythrocyte could make up for the lost of time. This method is used today to compensate a blood loss from 2-3 litters. Erythrocytes are the cells in the “red spinal cord” which produces the red blood cells and hemoglobin. In case of losing blood a special regulation in the genes (it’s kind of a button which is pushed by a special chemistry to start the translation of the special gene “area”) the production of it increases and the needs of unnecessary organs are slowed down and the body can survive.
So returning back to what the doctor said to Shepard at the hospital. He told Shepard that Thane needed more blood (which is logical so far), but when Shepard offers to bring more he denies her saying that it would not help. He states that the only Drell that can help is his son Kolyat. Is this even for real? A citadel hospital, the capital of the universe does not have conserves of Drell blood? There are no other Drells on the Citadel? I just thought there must have been a few…. or is Kolyat the only one on the entire station? Which doesn’t make sense at all.
Considering that there are some Drells there but they don’t fit Thane’s blood type. It offers the idea that Drells do have quite more different blood types than we have so that a transfusion is difficult, because his body may reject the donated blood. This would be an evolutionary disadvantage for Drells, because they were hunters and so blood losses often happen in their life.
I have to admit though that reptiles, which are use as a reference for Drells, don’t have blood types. The structure of the blood is different to every individual so donation to other reptiles is not possible. But if Drells are like reptiles, Kolyat wouldn’t be able to donate his blood too, but if you say he can, then there must be different blood types. Even Liara could order Feron to come to Citadel; she would do it for Shepard. As the Shadow Broker she could find ways. But even without other Drells the chances of Thane surviving were never bad because of Kolyat.
Kolyat is around 17, I believe. He also did not spend all of his life on Kahje so Kepral’s would be in the early stages for him. His protein is intact and he has a working iron center for binding the oxygen. Normally a human in the present now can donate up to one liter without any consequences. So Thane would remain alive with a transfusion of 5-6 liters. That is a level near a normal one. The medicine also has the possibility to make Kolyat inhale pure oxygen that his hemoglobin is to only carry oxygen and no carbon dioxide. Kolyat’s blood would remain 5 days within Thane; because this is the time the body needs to exchange the blood (not at same time of course) and will help his father to have enough oxygen for his metabolism. I dare to say that the amount of oxygen within Thane should be quite the same as it is without the injury. The probability that Kolyat’s blood is refused by Thanes body is quite low, because they are father and son, their genetic material is of 50% equal. So if Kolyat’s donation offers Shepard the time to go to Kahje to get blood from there, then it would be possible for Thane to survive. He only had to keep on an oxygen mask in the meanwhile.
Another possibility for Kolyat is that he could have also donated erythrocyte and the doctor can implant them into Thane, so he has more cells which are producing hemoglobin.
I hope this short essay shows you that it was quite easy for medicine to save Thane and give him a new chance, even if this solution is not forever, it offers Thane more time together with his Siha/friend. So please, think over how you treated him and give us a chance to save Thane. It doesn’t have to be a permanent cure, but the argument that he has to die does not match what I had explained here.
I worked hard to write a scientific essay in a foreign language, because I care so much about him and how Thane dies was really heart breaking for me. I was afraid of continuing the game, because I don’t want to lose more friends/love. So please, Bioware, please, give us a DLC, give us a choice. It should have been our choice to save him or not. He died too early in the game and left Shepard alone. She doesn’t know anymore what to fight for because her love dead. The whole situation is hard enough for her even without his lost.
Hope this letter brings understanding and explains what I dislike about Thane’s death.
Yours sincerely,
Moira Müller aka Moira-chan on BSN"
As for changes int he disease... ME2 info, extra details sourced from beanie bat, medical researcher, University of Edinborough
Kepral’s Syndrome
Kepral’s Syndrome was the most important external factor influencing the Thane Krios character. It was what initially motivated him to hunt Nassana Dantias and her ilk, and it was made him join Shepard’s “Suicide Mission” beyond the Omega-4 Relay. It helped motivate him to save his son by way of making reparation for his past mistakes. It was also what gave the romance between Thane Krios and Shepard its bittersweet emotional tone. It made Thane Krios not only the avatar for a new species, but also the avatar for every person who had been diagnosed with a terminal disease. It also indirectly made Shepard and Kolyat Krios the avatars for every person with a terminally ill loved one.
It was therefore vital that the details of Kepral’s Syndrome be consistent between Mass Effects 2 and 3 and the larger Mass Effect universe. Unfortunately the details in Mass Effect 3 were anything but consistent with the lore established in Mass Effect 2 and its Downloadable Content. The disease that was described by one Mass Effect writer as similar to Cystic Fibrosis had become Sickle Cell Disease in all but name. There was no exposition regarding the change, or how it was possible within the Mass Effect universe.
The change in Kepral’s Syndrome, its ineffective application, and the disregard of established lore contributed largely to the degradation of the Thane Krios character. As all foreshadowed options to effectively treat the disease relied on the consistency of the disease, the change also eliminated a narratively feasible option to prolong the life of Thane Kriosr, and give hope to his species as a whole.
Kepral’s Syndrome in Mass Effect 2
Kepral’s Syndrome was first introduced in Mass Effect 2 alongside the Thane Krios character. It was also this character who first offered players details of the disease.
Within his repeatable “Investigate” dialogue option Thane Krios explained that Kepral’s Syndrome was a degenerative lung disease (Figure……). His species, reptiles native to an arid desert world, were unable to adapt to the humid and primarily aquatic environment of their Hanar benefactor’s homeworld, Kahje. Their lungs were unable to cope with the excess moisture. Eventually their lungs began to lose the ability to process oxygen. The more they exposed themselves to humid environments, the faster the condition deteriorated. From Thane’s dialogue players also learned that while the disease could be treated, all prognoses were terminal.
The Lair of the Shadow Broker Downloadable Content added further details of Kepral’s Syndrome via a medical report written by Dr Karin Chakwas (Figure…). In addition to the lung tissue degradation there were also metastatic legions, which in Thane’s individual case had formed on the lungs, heart, and other major organs. Antibiotic treatment suggested that a sufferer was also susceptible to bacterial infections, or that Kepral’s Syndrome itself was a bacterial disease. Further treatment therapies recommended physical exercises, and advised against stationary activities, in order to prevent further degradation of lung tissue.
It was later revealed by BioWare writer Patrick Weekes that Kepral’s Syndrome was based on the human genetic disorder Cystic Fibrosis (Figure ….) a genetic mutation causing thick mucus levels within the lungs. This revelation supported the symptoms of, and treatments for, Kepral’s Syndrome revealed thus far. The lung degradation, bacterial infections, and even the antibiotics and physical therapy were consistent with the symptoms of, and treatments for, Cystic Fibrosis.
Even though there were not enough details in Mass Effect 2 to pinpoint the exact nature of Kepral’s Syndrome, this comparison allowed fans to assume that Kepral’s Syndrome acted in a manner similar to Cystic Fibrosis. The more medically-minded of Thane fans deduced Kepral’s Syndrome to be the formation of a thick mucus layer in the lungs, caused by excess humidity instead of a genetic mutation. This conclusion was drawn because a bacterial disease would be transmittable between drell, and Thane had stated during his first ship-board conversation that the disease was uncommunicable (Figure…).
Yet despite the fatal nature of the disease, there was still hope for a Drell diagnosed with Kepral’s Syndrome.
Allusions and Avenues to a Treatment or Cure
While Kepral’s Syndrome was considered to be terminal, multiple treatments and possible cures were also provided in Mass Effect 2 and its subsequent DLCs. Yet lore established outside of the games also offered potential treatments for Kepral’s Syndrome. Both the Mass Effect novels, written by former lead writer Drew Karpyshyn, and the BioWare-run Cerberus Daily News website offered treatments and avenues for their use within the game.
The first option for the cure of Kepral’s Syndrome was mentioned during Thane Krios’s repeatable Normandy dialogue. As he explained the cause, symptoms, eventual prognosis, and scale of infection, he also acknowledged the hope of his species. The Drell’s Hanar benefactors were beginning to establish a genetic therapy designed to adapt Drell lung tissue to Kahje’s humid environment (Figure…). Should it prove successful, it would eventually eradicate the disease amongst the drell. It would however be unviable for an adult already diagnosed with the disease.
The second treatment option for Kepral’s Syndrome was offered as part of Thane Krios’s Lair of the Shadow Broker dossier. Within his medical report the Normandy’s Chief of Medicine noted that Thane was a viable candidate for a lung transplant (Figure…). As the avatar for the Drell species, players felt it safe to presume that any treatment for Thane would be viable for all Drell with the disease. While this treatment would give the recipient a longer life, it was not in and of itself a cure. The new lungs would still be susceptible to Kepral’s Syndrome, and reinfection would still occur. It also would not treat any metastatic lesions on the other organs. The transplant was therefore merely to offer a longer life, and a greater quality of life. Kepral’s Syndrome was still eventually terminal.
The third possible treatment appeared outside the game. In the first novel, Mass Effect: Revelations, Batarians were the galactic leaders in the medical field. The use of cloned organs was routine practice (Figure...). Unfortunately the synthetic generation of drell lung tissue was not possible at the time the report was written. This was, however, still a possible development in the treatment of the disease.
Less than six months after the release of Mass Effect 2 reports of a respiratory treatment appeared on the Cerberus Daily News website. The “Eupumos Device,” nicknamed “medi-gel for the lungs” (Figure…) delivered both medication and microscopic surgical machines to the patient’s lungs via the nasal passages. Viable for both dextro- and levo-amino acid based species, the device was a lauded success. For the drell species, this treatment would be useful only once the disease had been contracted. Reinfection would still be possible. A lasting effect would be dependent on continued use of the Eupumos Device.
Players were also able to determine other potential avenues for the establishment or distribution of these treatments or cures. The Batarian cloning technology would likely have been sold on the galactic black market, allowing hanar access to the technology. A breakthrough could have easily been made by one of the Illuminated Primacy’s genetic research programs. The Eupumos Device, which had been bought or appropriated by the Turian military, could have been offered by the Hierarchy as reparation for their lack of assistance in preventing the destruction of the Hanar colony world Belan.
Failing that, there were the avenues that had not been foreshadowed. There was Mordin Solus, the Salarian scientist who modified the Krogan Genophage to ensure continued control over their population growth. There was Dr. Liara T’Soni, the new Shadow Broker, whom had all the information in the Galaxy at her fingertips, and had her own relationship with a drell susceptible to Kepral’s Sndrome. There was even Cerberus, who could have relatively easily adapted the technology they used to revive Shepard’s excessively damaged corpse to drell biology, if given enough cause.
Given the many and varied treatments and methods of implementing them, foreshadowed within established lore, players felt the possibility of a life-prolonging treatment for drell diagnosed with Kepral’s Syndrome was not at all narratively unfeasible. After BioWare posted a Campaign on their Facebook page entreating fans to support curing Thane (Figure…), players also believed the optional use of these potential treatments to be guaranteed.
ME2 Med report screenies
http://s1135.beta.ph...tml?sort=3&o=44
Hmmm.... mentions nothing about Sickle Cell Disease and haemoglobin
What the?
Then there is finally the fact that only the playthrough where you did not interact with the character beyond his Recruitment and Loyalty missions (your playthrough, obviously), that this is not Thane. Thane was the kind of man who would never ramble off at the mouth, like he did in ME3. In his recruitment mission all he said about his disease was "I'm dying" then immediately discussed the MISSION again. He's surrounded by wounded and dying in a theatre of war in ME3 yet he never discusses the war effort; he just sits there, talks bout himself (which he only ever did when prompted beforehand, and quite simply DOES NOT CARE about those he once fought beside.
And THAT"S for the LOYAL ARC playthroughs. A romance arc? So much worse. The second only character EVER to say he loved Shepard and MEAN IT (and not as a barb in an argument like Kaidan did on Horizon) and in the end he throws her aside, pushes her into the arms of a little **** who views her as nothing but property, and abandons her.
And of course that bloody fight! Oh, dear gods! What imbecile thought that charging someone with a ****ing SWORD was a good idea? You either have to be supurbly retarded, or on the verge of alcohol poisoning, to think THAT was cleaver.
You are an idiot. You are a child. A moron, an imbecile, who would not know a thing about characterisation if you were beaten to death with a book on the subject. Try to show some intelligence an empathy. We may have wanted a way to save him, but we would not have accepted it if it did not contain options for thane to still die. WE wanted something for everyone! You, you entitled little white-male-supremicist, are so lodged in your own way of thinking that you would sentence someone to death if it meant that you may have to share your gigantic pie with them.
You are the reason I am ashamed to be a part of the human species. Goodbye, and good riddance.
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