Valenth

All leupaks are venomous, regardless of any other characteristics or method of creation.
Leupak venom-- scientifically known as miratoxin, colloquially called leupslime--is as variable as the creatures themselves in terms of potency and function.

Miratoxin is a viscous, sticky substance, usually iridescent and very brightly-colored, transparent or opaque. It can be injected via the tongueclaw or simply chewed into a victim's flesh with the teeth, though some leupaks produce miratoxin that can be easily absorbed through the skin.

Leupaks produce miratoxin in two glands connected to the base of the tongueclaw. A healthy leupak of average size has half-gallon (two-litre) sized glands, and can produce up to five gallons of venom in a month. Excess venom is naturally secreted into and dripped out of the mouth, though it can also be manually "milked" away.

Miratoxin is composed of 15 to 45% miraplasm, a sticky substance that is a physical manifestation of dream-energy, and a variety of other chemical compounds, many found nowhere else in the world.
The resultant toxic cocktail produces a wide range of effects depending upon dosage recieved, from delirium, dementia and paralysis to, ultimately and most notoriously, mutation into a new leupak or pseudoleupak (see below).

Miratoxin can be fatal, though it does not kill directly-- most casualties result when victims are overwhelmed by one or more side-effects.

Symptoms

The effects of miratoxin vary upon the amount of venom injected; leupaks have precise control over their venom glands, and use a suitable doseage for the desired effect.
Amounts referenced below assume a leupak of average size with average venom.
Higher dosages listed include prior symptoms from lower levels of poisoning, typically with greater severity.

• A trivial or medicinal dose (1ml or less) is a dosage usually reserved for medicinal use, providing minor pain suppression and stimulating temporary sealing of open wounds near the injection site.
• A minor dose (5ml) induces minor hypertension, parasthesia of the face and palms, and occasional chills.
• An average dose (10ml) causes mild dizziness and disorientation. The face, hands, feet, tongue and injection site may begin to swell, and parasthesia progresses into itching of the skin, which gradually becomes more elastic.
• A sub-mutagenic dose (50ml) causes extreme discomfort and moderate swelling in organisms human-sized or smaller. Eyes water profusely, heartrate increases, and bones and joints begin to ache. Some victims begin to experience hallucinations and delirium at this stage. About 20% of sub-mutagenic or higher dosages result in heart attacks.
  Leupaks often use this dosage to subdue egg hosts.
• A mutagenic dose (100ml or more) induces a slow, excruciating transformation into a leupak or pseudoleupak, typically over the course of three to five days. During this period, the victim usually experiences hysteria, severe disorientation, extreme hunger, and starvation-like effects as the body depletes its energy stores as a result of the massive biological changes taking place. Excessive doses of miratoxin may cause more rapid and/or dramatic transformation at the cost of much greater risk of life-threatening complications.

In addition to these symptoms, some miratoxins may also cause temporary paralysis or other effects in lower doses.

Mutagenic doses transform sentient humanoids into leupaks. Venom works differently on animals, however, resulting in an incomplete leupak-like mutant called a pseudoleupak. Pseudoleupaks typically look like a cross between a leupak and the original animal. They are rare, as the transformation process usually kills small, weak, or previously ill animals, and most pseudoleupaks rarely live for more than a week or two past their initial mutation.

Diluted venom (such as contaminated water sources, for example) does not cause full mutation, instead inducing milder but chronic versions of typical miratoxin symptoms in organisms that drink from or bathe in the contaminated source. Plant life around the source typically develops wild growth, and may give rise to new mutant vegetation.

Treatment

Small dosages of miratoxin are generally harmless, with symptoms fading in less than 24 hours. Sub-mutagenic and higher dosages classify as medical emergencies, however.

Most leupak envenomations can be treated with an antivenom made for the purpose, typically crafted to neutralize the miraplasm in the venom. When successful, however, the body still must be supported long enough to flush the remaining toxins out of the system.

Administered swiftly by a trained leupologist, 60% of all envenomations can be halted before permanent internal damage occurs. The antivenom is one of the few substances that can poison a leupak, however, so timely use is of the utmost importance; eight hours after an envenomation, the antivenom will kill a victim outright.

Use

Miratoxin is significant as a medical ingredient as well as in some alchemical elixirs and salves and industrial chemicals.

Medically, small amounts of miratoxin may be dried and used in pills as a painkiller, or in a diluted jelly form to quickly seal wounds. Both of these uses were discovered upon watching leupaks adminster their venom to egg hosts to seal and heal incisions made by the tongueclaw.

In alchemy, miratoxin is used as an ingredient where formulas call for dream-essence; miratoxin is the greatest source of pure miraplasm to be found on Valenth. In addition, it is also a primary ingredient in cosmetic salves to be rubbed into the skin to enhance elasticity.

For industrial use, large sheets of leather or other animal-fiber fabrics are soaked in vats of diluted miratoxin to improve elasticity and toughness. These sheets are then used to craft balloons for zeppelins.

Like facets, leupak venom glands and miratoxin fetches a high price on the black market. Some individuals may capture leupaks and begin breeding businesses to farm and harvest facets, venom, glands, and leupak meat. They may also utilize known leupak illnesses to increase the yield or size of venom glands meant for sale.