PISS Ministry finding // Anatomy / Tissue / Wounds
Anatomy
A hit traces a path through the body. The tissues and structures it crosses determine the wound.
Anatomy System Mechanics
How the path of a hit becomes a wound
Anatomy starts at the impact point and follows the incoming direction through the body. The remaining energy determines what is available to damage tissue. The body contains tissue layers and individual bones, blood vessels, nerves and organs, each with a position and shape.
The system records each structure crossed, the distance traveled through it and the deposited energy: energy transferred from the impact into that structure. Nearby entry points can produce different wounds if their internal paths diverge.
The permanent cavity is the volume of tissue crushed along the path. Temporary stretch causes further damage only when it exceeds what the local tissue can withstand. Bone may fracture, and a vessel lesion, an injury to a blood vessel, can become a source of bleeding.
Body dimensions and some internal structures vary between characters. Areas with detailed anatomy use prepared three-dimensional representations of those structures. Elsewhere, simpler shapes stand in for them. Both approaches record the structures crossed and their order.
The resulting wound retains its location, path and damaged structures. Physiology uses that record to calculate bleeding, lost function and the body’s response after the hit.
Anatomy Glossary
These entries explain what the system records as an impact moves through the body.
Anatomical region
named regionThe named area where the hit enters, located relative to the skeleton. The internal path determines which structures are injured.
Body side
left / right / midlineWhether the path is on the left, right or crosses the body’s center. This keeps injuries to paired organs and limbs distinct.
Tissue layers
ordered pathSkin, fat, muscle and other tissues, listed in the order the path crosses them. Each layer can resist the impact and absorb energy.
Named structures
structure IDsThe individual organs, vessels, nerves and bones crossed by the path. Damage stays associated with the structure struck.
Spatial volume
simplified / detailedThe three-dimensional shape used to locate a structure. Detailed shapes are used where available; simpler shapes cover unfinished areas.
Path length
cmThe distance traveled through each tissue or structure. This determines the length over which energy can be transferred.
Deposited energy
joulesEnergy transferred to a particular segment of the wound path. It contributes to local damage and reduces the energy available farther along.
Permanent cavity
cm3The volume of crushed tissue left along the wound path, recorded separately from temporary stretching.
Temporary failure
threshold stateWhether temporary stretching exceeded the local tissue’s resistance to damage. Stretch below that limit adds no further injury.
Vessel lesion
mm2The area of damage to a specific blood vessel. Physiology uses this injury to calculate ongoing hemorrhage, or bleeding.
Bone state
intact / fracturedWhether the struck bone remains intact or fractures. A fracture can reduce the function of the affected limb or structure.
Population variant
scaled anatomyDifferences in body size and selected internal structures between characters. Each variant retains the identities of its anatomical structures.
Two wounds close together on the skin may cross different vessels, nerves or organs. Follow the internal path to understand the difference.
Detailed anatomy, body variants and visual injury cues are still being developed. Some characters and body regions use simplified anatomy.