>>81538
"I retract my previous accusation; I was unaware that they were fully incapable of speech, the small amount of contact we have had in the past has not lent itself to knowing much of them beyond their territorial nature. My humblest apologies, Fair Warning."

The prodigious beetle regains his almost complete air of placidity, cloaking himself in it once more with practice and ease.
"Please, think nothing of it, as you said, you did not know they could be communicated to."

>>81531
The beetle's pride now safely assauged, I revisit the subject of Cydonia's nomination.
"You honor us all with this nomination, Fair Warning. A request of this magnitude must of course meet with the approval of KILLER QUEEN, but I see no reason she should object. You are of course welcome to stay till Scars returns for your appraisal."
"I appreciate the hospitality, but I must be clear on this: Your colony was named as a potential placement, nothing more. Even if I deem you and yours suitable, the apprentices themselves can choose to reject any placement offered to them, and as such there is no guarantee that gaining my approval will actually mean anything of substance. And once more, I must stress that there is no guarantee I will deem this colony worthy: I will judge as objectively as I am able to, regardless of your association with my old friend Metallica. I hope you understand."

Well, that's to be expected, The Beatles didn't gain their reputation for competance by accident: They take their training of new members very seriously. Wings Of Destiny still feels out of sorts to me, but the reason still eludes definition.
Well, I suppose we could lead Fair Warning back to Crescent, but Burn Crazy The Hellion is, as far as I am aware, still meeting with Scars Of Yesterday's entourage near the capital, and Fair Warning is not the most easily concealed individual.


Where should I lead our guest? Or should I continue conversing, and if so, what questions/comments chould I pose?

(OPTION: Switch to quest 'The Mandarinian Buzz', upon any resolution will automatically revert to quest 'The Colors One Wears'. Requires three votes to choose)

Yes, switch to The Mandarinian Buzz.

>>81676
Sure, switch.

sure why not. we have put it off long enough.

>>81685
>>81713
>>81720
(Switch Initiated)

[THE MANDARINIAN BUZZ]

(As of the last bit of interaction in this quest, the 5 Flash meeting with Burn Crazy The Hellion on top of one of the yellow flowers above Stealin' had just deflected the bee's questions about their relation to Scars Of Yesterday with ambiguous phrasing, and Scars Of Yesterday still waits beneath the flower on the ground, having given orders to build a concealed tunnel to the growth in Stealin' in case they can immobilize the bee and wish to feed it to the growth.)

[Scars Of Yesterday]

I watch the envoy from below, his shadowy outline stark through the transluscent petals of the flower he resides on. I cannot shake this feeling that Burn Crazy The Hellion shares some sort of connection with The Metal, but for now, the more pressing concern is preventing the Mandarinian Empire as a whole from discovering our location.

For the nonce, it seems our facade is fooling the bee, but I do not know how long such a charade can be maintained. Further, I will not deny a preference for solving this..... physically.

...But as the newly christened commander of Cydonia's armies, as KILLER QUEEN's champion and First Knight Of Cydonia, I operate under higher standards than before, and I must reluctantly admit that there are very potent potential repercussions for slaying a representative of the Mandarinian Empire so close to one of our outposts.

Burn Crazy The Hellion once more addresses the Flash above with that contemptous, arrogant tone to his dialogue, making my desire to rend his innards out from beneath his carapace grow.

"So, you do not know know where I could find this ant I seek? Are you quite certain of this? Keep in mind that cooperation in this matter would be rewarded every bit as much as resistance will be lethally punished. So I ask you once more, ants, do you know where Scars Of Yesterday or the colony titled Crescent are?"

I can feel the hesitation, the recognition of Burn Crazy The Hellion's abruptly intensified focus making the Flash wary, cautious of responding without careful thought.


How should the Flash respond? Should I take any actions, or continue to bide my time?

>>81755
Let the conversation run a bit longer, I don't think this is the time yet. But if things get more uncomfortable, and it comes down to it, I can suggest a way to at least deflect attention away from Crescent's true location.
You could step in and play the heroic ant all the people are talking about, rescuing the poor strangers he is harassing. You will want to make a grander and more convincing entrance than popping out from behind a leaf, but the story will be that you came here from Crescent (far away) looking to test yourself and the borders of the Empire again, and happened upon this scene (unfamiliar, but obvious bullying) to save these ants (whom you have never met before). Say only what is required to get this impression across to both parties. Imply much, say little.

>>81951
(Prior to the plan should things get 'messy', how should the Flash respond to Burn Crazy The Hellion's question?)

>>81956
You know, we could probably just point this guy off in some random direction. Or our directions could be wrong because "It's just a rumour, you know, passed on through the ant grapevine."

Too bad we don't know where Running Wild is. We could send Burn Crazy off in that direction and solve two problems at once.

Bob!t/UKid4z5s 2009/11/27(Fri)12:10 No. 82189 ID: 6164e0
File 125935259955.jpg - (15.36KB , 216x286 , Burn Crazy The Hellion.jpg )

>>82116
The Flash finally respond, using a response that plays upon their hesitance to respond immediately.

"We.... believe that Scars Of Yesterday is to the North, somewhere. At least, that is what we have gleaned from other ants bringing news. We are sorry if we cannot be more help, but we are still learning the area around us."

...Hm. Technically, this is true. I am slightly north of the Flash above me, and they are aware of this via other ants: Namely, myself.

Now, I wonder how Burn Crazy The Hellion will take such misrepresented data....

"To the North of here? That shouldn't be possible, security is far tighter up there, the chance that a Valiance bearer would not be detected that close to one of our hives is negligible."
"Perhaps they are in the forest we heard about, to the north? Several visitors cautioned us not to go there, that no one can lay claim to it."
"....Possible, I suppose, but how could ants, strong for their kind or no, survive surrounded by those who live there? Running into even one of the more aggressive inhabitants would mean their doom, and with Valiance of it's own, Scars Of Yesterday would be detected and slain quickly."

Burn Crazy The Hellion leans in closer, it's massive jaws only scant millimeters away from the communicating Flash.

"Are you sure that is what you heard? I am reluctant to believe that this place where one of our warriors fell for a reason we do not yet know could have so little information on this ant I seek."

His mandibles open marginally, a glistening ring of fluid covering his jaws, gleaming in the light with a sickly blue/green color.

"I am not sure I believe you, little ants."


.....This exchange seems to be souring.

>>81951
...Perhaps there is a way to dispatch this foe that would not require revealing Crescent's location.

I dash along the ground, moving further North as fast as I can, and the moment I have enough foliage to ablate sound between myself and the bee, I start to employ Aerosmith to accelerate my rate of travel.

Once I have moved some several dozen centimeters distant, I brace myself beneath a flower, and imploy Aerosmith more drastically.

AEROSMITH

I jet upwards, flung into the air above the flowers, my limbs akimbo as I reorient myself to face the distant flower that the bee accosts our scouts on. As it is, I cannot see the bee, it's form blocked by a particularly thick petal.

I open my spiracles wide once more, and as I trigger them to send me hurtling through the air towards Burn Crazy The Hellion's location, I exhude a ringing proclamation, hoping to build on the farce the Flash established.

"No matter where in your so-called empire I go, I find you and yours accosting or enslaving all you find. Well, I see no empire here to protect you, bee!"

I snap my mmandibles shut as I rush closer, watching Burn Crazy The Hellion turn slowly, oh so slowly towards the newly percieved threat I represent.

PATH OF GLORY

I accelerate further, turning my body into a spear, aiming to rip a gory hole through the bee's thorax, removing it's ability to fly if not killing it outright.

Instead of piercing a great path through the bee, I rebound with tremendous force, the impact too jarring, disorienting for me to compensate with Aerosmith. I vaguely percieve the bee flung off the flower by the force of the blow, it's body careening through the foliage.


.....And yet the bee rises up again as I regain my focus, it's baleful gaze directed upon me as it's wings beat out a resonant drone.

!? It is completely unwounded from the assault. The only creature that could claim to be so durable before was.....
The Metal.

"....I go seeking you out, and you come to me, you wretched little ant. Fine, this saves me the trouble. In the name of Acid Queen, I will kill you. .....But for what you did to The Metal, I will make you feel agony as you die!"

The bee begins to dive straight at... !? The Flash beside me are it's target!

I scoop up their forms in my legs, and wrench my spiracles open as the bee plummets ever closer.

AEROSMITH

I fling myself aside from the bee's destructive dive, my flight slowed by the extra weight I carry.

As I alight on another flower's petals, I release the flash, and continue with the facade.

"Flee, little ones, flee back to your colony and your queen. I will not bring my troubles down on you."

The Flash thankfully seem to grasp my plan, and dash off down the stalk on their path back to Crescent as the bee turns to face me once more, doing what they can to look like terrified and horrifically outclassed ants trying to escape death in someone else's fight.

But now it is just Burn Crazy The Hellion and me above the flower's canopy. The bee is hovering in the air some several centimeters distant from my location atop another flower's petals, it's gaze speculative and intent on my form.


What should I do?

Awesome. Another bossfight. Hopefully we'll get just as much fun out of this one as The Metal.

I'm not too sure what to do here actually. Just... Fight? Try unstoppable impact a few times. (I'll let other people decide specifics)

Hopefully his shell isn't even harder than The Metal's. At least we now also have Shell of +10 Invulnerability.

>>82189
Well, if we attacked from the front, he'd likely either be waiting with his jaws open and we don't know what that weird liquid does yet(though the posters' genre-savviness, what with Burn's queen's name being Acid Queen and all, should tip us off), or move out of the way.

We could... what if we used Path of Glory to just get really close, use a two- or four-leg Unstoppable Impact to flip onto Burn's head or back and hit him with a six-leg unstoppable impact? That sound good?

What worked best against The Metal was Cry of the Brave. It disoriented him and damaged his armor a bit. We should do that here too! Level 1 to start.

>>82189
we need to lead him to stealin if anything.That is where wings of glory is right?

does this guy's exoskeleton have any fangs and/or claws? Cough cough deathwarrior at stealin cough

>>82358
you and i see eye to eye

>>82356
(Both combatants are still above the Stealin’ facility)
>>82358
(Indeed, Burn Craze The Hellion possess fairly large and viciously edged mandibles, as well as prodigious claws on each limb)
>>82271
>>82333
>>82334
Durability is not an issue to deal with, if approached correctly. If this one is as similar to The Metal, that defense of his has flaws.

I swing a single mandible wide as I flare my spiracles open, aiming myself at the oversized bee hovering before me.

AEROSMITH

Unsurprisingly, Burn Crazy The Hellion is ready for such an easily read and straightforward assault.

It is a good thing such is not my intent.

As I hurtle into range of his slick fangs, glistening with potent malice, I swing the mandible shut.

CRY OF THE BRAVE Lv[1]

Before Burn Crazy The Hellion can recover from the disorienting waves that were able to pass through his carapace, I trigger my rear pair of legs, already held canted and ready.

UNSTOPPABLE IMPACT [x2]

Without anything solid to impact, the force is largely ablated, but it more than suffices to sharply change my direction and orientation of flight, sending me in a spinning path up and over the bee. Just as I crest the bee’s form, my body contortions stabilizing my position, I once more widen my spiracles, and brace myself for a rather jarring impact.

AEROSMITH

I plummet downwards, straight towards Burn Crazy The Hellion’s back, and draw my legs together as I descend. An instant later, I make contact, and trigger every one of my legs.

UNSTOPPABLE IMPACT [x6]

I don’t even try to counteract the recoil, it would be pointless. Instead I hurtle skyward, higher and higher, a plume of dust and debris below showing where Burn Crazy The Hellion was thrown down so forcefully he resides within his own personal crater.

I am now some sizeable distance above, and cannot see through the wisps and clouds of dust swirling about below me.


What should I do?

He can fly. Being in the air is probably a bad thing. Aerosmith down at an angle, and try to keep an eye out so you don't get ambushed. Prepare a Cry of the Brave level 1 to defend yourself with, and Aerosmith to dodge if necessary.

>>82446
For now, since we can't see him, we'll assume he's still alive.

Use Aerosmith to go down at an angle, only slowing your descent when you get near the ground or a low-hanging leaf just within sight of the dust and the crater it's covering. Make sure you can't be easily seen from the air. Burn's primary instinct will be to get back into the air, if he's able. He's probably in pain from a hit like that, so he'll take a bit to recover from it.

Just lay low and watch the cloud of dust and debris for a bit.

>>82464
>>82485
Considering the ridiculous durability The Metal evidenced, it would be foolish to assume the fight over.

Still, the bee has wings, and assuming they still work, it's instinct should be to get airborne before anthing else.

As I start to plummet back to the ground, I assess my surroundings, looking for a suitable place to land and wait for my opponent to act first.

I spy a relatively thick leaf, to sturdy for light to pierce through, and alight upon it, flaring my spiracles only marginally to slow my descent.

Now, from my new vantage point, I wait, watching the clouds of smoke swirl about, waiting for sight of my foe.


........

Several long moments have passed, yet I have not even heard wings beating, nor seen disturbances in the dust clouds that would indicate a flier flapping it's wings. Strange.


What should I do? Should I continue waiting, or should I take some sort of action?

>>82502
If it is not flying, it must be simply moving along the ground, looking for you. Listen carefully for sounds of movement, and flatten yourself against the leaf.

>>82502
Would a burst from Cry of the Brave disperse the cloud? If we can give off a Lv[2] burst safely and put a hole in the cloud, potentially further injuring Burn Craze the Hellion and letting us know where he isn't, it might shed some light on where he is.

Stay tense while you're going over there, spiracles open just in case you feel you need to take evasive maneuvers.

>>82511
>Would a burst from Cry of the Brave disperse the cloud?

I don't think that is how that ability works. Aerosmithing through the cloud would probably disperse it, but that seems kinda dangerous. Standing still is just asking for trouble though. Keep alert for surprises, and move around.

It occurs to me that if Burn Crazy does not survive this fight, our clever ruse to hide Crescent will be less helpful. Is there any way to ensure that message gets around?

i agree let's not go in just yet .just keep moving and listen in on it

>>82534
I vote leaving it as is and legging it to a few random places and then home.
If he survives, then we 'obviously weren't strong enough to kill him'.
If he doesn't, then it's happenstance; he found someone stronger and bit the dust.
Either way, Stealin' is probably compromised.

>>82540
I'm sorry but The Hero Scars of Yesterday does not run from a fight, especially with an opponent who threatens his Queen's colony.

>>82502
Start moving from point to point just in case he's looking for you. Try getting a closer to the cloud and see if you can blow it away with Aerosmith; you could blow air both towards and directly away from the cloud to handle the recoil.

>>82511
(Aerosmith and Unstoppable Impact can both create air currents that would move dust clouds and other light particulants even at moderate range, but Cry Of The Brave does not.)

>>82534
(Short of ensuring the survival of Burn CrazY The Hellion or finding witnesses that would bring word back to the Mandarinian Empire, there is no way to ensure the ruse employed has any effect.)

>>82506
My foe must be waiting for me to make the first move, to reveal my location while he is still enveloped by the plumes of dust. I crouch low on the leaf, listening intently, but can detect nothing.


>>82534
>>82539
>>82640
...This waiting game is inconsequential, pointless. I will hunt down my foe, one way or another.

I crawl across the leaf, careful to disturb it as little as possible, as I assess alternative locations. Climbing to the tip of the leaf, I brace myself, and bound across the open air, my spiracles open and ready should I need them, as I land on a nearby flower stalk, closer to the ground.

.........
.........
.........

I have been changing my location constantly during my search for Burn Crazy The Hellion, but still I have found.... hm? I smell something, the acrid scent of vital fluids spilled upon the ground, coming from somewhere within the now slowly dissipating cloud of dust.

>>82540
Hm. If I want my plan to decieve the Mandarinians into thinking I am from somewhere to the North to succeed, to get attention off of Cydonia and it's inhabitants, I need someone to carry word to the Mandarinians. As much as I am loathe to admit it, it might be for the good of Cydonia to try to ensure Burn Crazy The Hellion survives, and chases me some distance before I make my escape, elsewise there is no real point to my deception.




Should I investigate the smell within the smoke, should I continue waiting for Burn Crazy The Hellion to make the first move, or should I do something else?

Escape. Lead it north enough so that it thinks you are trying to flee home, then execute him quickly somewhere north. Take his carcass for any Valiances he may have and any claws and fangs he has, but leave some pieces of him behind, enough for a passing Mandarinian scout to determine that Burn Crazy The Hellion perished there. Hope that the ruse works.

(in other words, this anon really wants big boss battle :P)

>>82681
>>82742
We're going to have to get Burn Crazy to realize we're here to do that. Go check out the smell; waiting around isn't getting us anywhere.

At this point finishing him off and not trying for anything fancy might be our best bet.

>>82853
>>82868
I'm going to have to agree with these; hunting him down and finishing him off is probably the best and safest bet at this point. We are a warrior, yes, but we are the best warrior our colony has to offer; should we fall due to some foolishness or haphazard action, it would not bode well.

>"Acid Queen"
>"Burn crazy"
>"acrid scent"
>"smell within the smoke"

Burn Crazy The Hellion has a Valiance of acid or fire, or something similar.
Don't go into the smoke.

>>82681
>>82875
i am guessing that we can't call for backup right? I think that we should still wait. it is obvious that this thing has acid.

>>82681
Launch yourself over the source of the smell using Aerosmith and use Unstoppable Impact to clear the cloud.

>>83097
(As a Valiance bearer, Scars Of Yesterday in theory should be able to tell if anyone in his immediate vicinity also possesses Valiance. Thus far Scars has not detected anything of the sort from Burn Crazy The Hellion. This does not preclude an innate, non-Valiance based ability.)
>>82853
>>82868
>>82875
>>83108
Before I can determine if my plan will work, before I can even be sure of the resolution of this clash, I must find Burn Crazy The Hellion, to assess his predicament, his condition.

…This obscuring shroud of dust is a nuisance, I shall be rid of it.

I flare my spiracles open as I leap from my perch.

AEROSMITH

I soar through the air, to a position roughly above the enshrouding dust, and trigger each of my legs while once more flaring my spiracles.

AEROSMITH + UNSTOPPABLE IMPACT [x6]

With my legs splayed to counteract the recoil, I am able to witness the complete banishment of the smoke below me, the ground scoured clean.

….Strange, I cannot see Burn Crazy The Hellion anywhere, where could-

I abruptly become aware that several of the flower stalks around me are slowly collapsing in my direction, their leaves and petals entrapping me within a rapidly diminishing cage. My descent starts, but if I plummet to the ground, I may well be crushed by the toppling flowers.


What should I do?

>>83117
What a tricky bee.

Path of Glory out of the cage, but not straight ahead or up; head off to the side.

Is Scars not having much negative effects from Aerosmith now? I haven't heard any complaints about breathing.

>>83119
i concurr

>>83117
would cry of the brave be effective against plants at all? Might be able to just break the incoming stems

>>84203
I'm fairly sure Cry of the Brave is more of a heat and pressure weapon than something that cuts. A hammer instead of a sword.

>>84384
>hammer
you can still mow a lawn with a blunt lawnmower blade. Pummeling something so it breaks is just as valid as cutting. My concern is more with the idea that the shockwaves seem to work better on tougher, denser carapace.

>>83117
path of glory outta there

>>84593
Sorry, my analogy was off; Cry of the Brave is more of a small grenade than a hammer. Blasting the stems won't work; presumably they're big and heavy enough to pin us otherwise Burn Crazy wouldn't have tried this, and live plant matter has got lots of water in it which will cushion any shockwaves.

Besides, Path of Glory is faster, more efficient and might just be able to blast through any unexpected obstacles.

>>85381
Water actually makes shockwaves worse...
I agree that in the absense of any other problems, zipping out of the way would be a good idea, but this wouldn't be the first time the obvious choice doesn't work and we need a fallback position.

OH, thought. Could the flowers be launched back the other way before they tip too far with an Unstoppable Impact?

Bob!t/UKid4z5s 2009/12/16(Wed)00:02 No. 92803 ID: 6164e0
File 126095053216.jpg - (156.92KB , 677x502 , Burn Crazy The Hellion.jpg )

>>85248
Thinking swiftly with what little time I have before the flowers crash down upon me, I splay my legs out towards what stems I can reach, and begin triggering my legs as I contact impending plant matter.

UNSTOPPABLE IMPACT!!
MULTI-DIRECTIONAL UNSTOPPABLE IMPACT (X2)!!
UNSTOPPABLE IMPACT!!

In the space of a moment, I have avoided being crushed some four times while bracing myself properly against other stems as I blast back most of the tower flower stalks, their path now slowly bringing them back out and away from me.

>>83119
>>83437
>>83528
As a small opening appears to stream down light upon me as the canopy of leaves and petals part while the stalks fall outward, and yet I ignore this easy path, and instead, clamp down my mandibles tightly while bracing myself. Burn Crazy The Hellion has already proven himself cunning, I would do well to try to think creatively.

I aim myself off to the side, to pierce a path through some leaves and break out low, still hidden under the protective field of yellow flowers to obscure my mostly golden coloring. I open my spiracles wide.

PATH OF GLORY

I shred a tunnel through the leaves and petals before me, plunging through the foliage to escape the center of the trap that had been prepared for me.

….It seems my hunch was correct, I can see Burn Crazy The Hellion’s shadow atop one of the yellow flowers, positioned so that he could come at anyone exiting his trap through the top. I do not believe he has noticed me.


What should I do?

>>92803
PATH OF GLORY FROM BEHIND.

>>92803
Aerosmith to approach him from beneath without coming into his line of sight, then tackle him from below. Cry of the Brave lvl 1 him at point blank. Attempt to chew off one of his legs if you have the chance.

>>92803
>Thinking swiftly
*snnnrk!*

>>92807
Try to stay on his back where he can't get at you. If you can take his wings from him, it will improve our odds greatly.

>>92806
>>92807
>>92824
I set my mandibles together once more, and pull my mandibles open as I aim to attack from beneath and behind Burn Crazy The Hellion. My spiracles widen as I aim myself.

PATH OF GLORY


I jet upwards, dispelling the still-settling dust about as I smash through the flower petal the bee stands on, the spear my fangs form colliding with one of my foe's legs. I feel carapace crunch and innards ooze as I tear a rent with my passing. So, it seems that the bee's legs, at least, are not as durable as it's head or thorax have proven to be

As Burn Crazy The Hellion turns to face me, I retain my widened spiracles, and throw myself out of his point of view, and over to his back.

AEROSMITH

I snag my jaws on a wing as I pass, thankful that the creature is not yet airborne as I rend a great wound into the delicate wings in an effort to ablate my momentum. As I spin about, I click one mandible open wide, whilst still clinging to the battered wing.

The mandible swings shut.

CRY OF THE BRAVE LV1

A brilliant flash of light threatens to masquerade as a tiny sun for a brief instant, as rippling vibrations course throughout the wind I hold firm, within seconds shredding it's composition into tatters.

Burn Crazy The Hellion, I fear, shall not be flying with such a wing. Excellent.

Burn Crazy The Hellion is momentarily stunned by my assault, but I can still see determination to fight in it's compound eye, and I smell no fear in the warrior.


What action should I take?

Try to get on his back! From there you can snip away at his other wing, his neck, his legs...

Delisious appendages, you must sever them.

>>92913
severing his head will kill him. none of the interesting things we have considered doing with him work well with a dead bee.

>>92932
Ah, so then we cut off EVERYTHING ELSE.

>>92913
I leap towards the bee's back, hoping to continue wounding the bee enough it flees to bring word of my charade to the Mandarinian Empire, in the hopes such misdirection shall keep Cydonia and my beloved queen safe.

As I approach, the bee moves far faster than I thought it could in such a dazed state, it's legs whipping up as it throws it's body in a mad spin, knocking me back into te air.

As I reorient myself once more on the bee, I find myself struck by a glob of some noxious substance. It does not eat away at my carapace, yet it causes a strange tingling sensation. What is this?

I am airborne, some few inches above the petal Burn Crazy The Hellion had resided on. The bee in question is nowhere to be seen.


What should I do?

>>93127
>noxious substance

FUCKFUCKFUCK GET IT OFF

>>93132
Seconding this. Crazy maneuvers should be undertaken to rid self of this stuff.

>>93127
Try to Aerosmith in an unbalanced way that causes rapid spinning. Shake off the goop.

>>93135
>cause spinning

Wait! Idea!

PATH OF GLORY while spinning tightly. It might make it even stronger!

>>93127
is the substance sticky? where did it hit?

>>93179
The substance has splattered across my left flank and part of my face, where it causes a strange tingling sensation to slowly build.

>>93132
>>93133
>>93135
Nothing good can come of letting this material stay upon my form. I leap into the air while wrenching my spiracles open, and position my body to be violently spun once I imploy my Valiance of mobility. I will remove this substance from my form forthwith.

Spinning AEROSMITH!

The world become a hectic snarl of shapes and blurred images as I rotate at vicious speeds, my body wobbling in the air. If it were not for the prodigious amount of practice I have with hurtling through the air, I imagine this would daze me. As it is, I successfully hurl nearly all of the ooze off of myself.

...And the tingling sensation persists, although it no longer grows in strength.

I drop back down to the leaf below me as I regain a static position. I scan the area around me, but do not see the bee anywhere.


What should I do?

>>93582
Let's take to the air again. We need to pan 360 degrees from a proper height, and see if we can't find him.

>>93582
He must have fled to the ground. Time to go check out the undergrowth.

>>93597
Switching to this.

>>93597
>>93599
I descend into the canopy of flowers, the obscuring smoke somewhat dissipated but still limiting vision, and I carefully pay attention to what I can smell.

...Well, I can't smell him, though that likely means the same for him.

Currently, I am perhaps one third of the way from the canopy of flowers down to the ground beneath the dusty cloud.


What should I do? Should I continue down into the smoke? Or perhaps I should try to use Aerosmith to clear off more of the smoke?

>>93965
Clear it out. That smoke might do more than just hide him.

>>93969
Enough. Clearly Burn Crazy The Hellion knows how to fight with stealth in mind, I should not leave him such a boon as this cloud to hide behind. Ever since I knocked him to the ground in the process of making this dusty shroud, I have not been able to hit him as decisively as I would like.

I leap out into the open air, pulling my spiracles wide open. I shall create some breeze to disperse this cloud more expeditiously.

AEROSMITH
I jet forward, plunging through the smoke, swirling and dispelling it in my wake. But so much more is left.

AEROSMITH
AEROSMITH
AEROSMITH
AEROSMITH

....I am.. beginning to become..winded, if only minorly, but a good deal of smoke is dissipating.

Odd, I do not see my foe still, where-

An immense weight slams into my back, skittering on my spike crest, as legs sweep about me to secure it's form! Burn Crazy The Hellion has somehow leapt onto my back!


What should I do?

>>94881
>onto my back

JUST AS PLANNED.

Aerosmith with EVERYTHING YOU HAVE, while UNSTOPPABLE IMPACTING the earth with all six legs.

>>94888
I am liking this idea. It's time we used the spikes for more than just decoration!

>>94889
Wait, scratch that. We're still in midair. Instead, use Fury of the Storm on him.

>>94895
We can't.

But we can use his weight and inability to steer in midair against him!

Turn upside down using Aerosmith, then use whatever you have left to slam him into the ground!

>>94888
>>94889
New Valiance Combination discovered!
New ability title: Body Breakdown


>>94901
He may be well-positioned to avoid any attack I can muster right now, but what if I bring him to the ground? Perhaps I could wound him enough he chooses to flee, bringing word of the ruse I have presented to him. I wrench my spiracles open and attempt to jet backwards as harshly as I can.

AEROSMITH

In a blur of motion, our positions are reversed, the bee clinging to me from below, my belly to the sky. My breathing is becoming labored, but I can do more. I keep my spiracles open, and once more command the wind.

AEROSMITH

I lend what force I can to our downward descent, abruptly accelerating our fall up into potentially dangerous speeds. I feel my foe starting to release me, attempting to get free in time, but it is futile: We crash into the ground below with a weighty impact, my spike crest slamming into Burn Crazy The Hellion's underbelly as he rebounds off of the compacted dirt below.

He has released me, and for the moment it upside down, back against the ground, with my form atop him. He immediately struggles to rise, to once more take action.

I must also note that if I do not have some time to regain my wind, I shall shortly start to asphyxiate from excessive use of Aerosmith, though I can likely use it at least a few more times right now before it comes to that.

>>94895
I will not let my foe recover, not when he has proven adept at ambush tactics, so well suited to this environment. I begin swinging mandibles open wide in staggered steps, each one clicking shut alone.

FURY OF THE STORM!!

Light crazily throbs as I pepper my foe with shock-waves, his form twitching violently... though I must note that he is able to still move, at least to some degree.


What should I do? Should I continue to maintain my assault with Fury Of The Storm, or should I do something else in my endeavors to force Burn Crazy The Hellion to retreat and bring my falsified origin to the Mandarinian Empire?

Grab one of his legs, then use Unstoppable Impact against his body, removing the appendage.

>>95397
Yes, crippling my foe further whilst still leaving him his life should help encourage the bee to flee.

I grab hold of a foreleg, and place several of my legs against Burn Crazy The Hellion's form. I hold tight, and trigger them, just as I end Fury Of The Storm.

UNSTOPPABLE IMPACT X3!!

I hurtle away from the bee, thrown by the recoil, my foe's leg ripped away in the process, ichor spraying about. I release the limb as I reorient myself, flaring small burst of air to land upon the ground safely from my calamitous flight.

But the bee shows no sign of pain or distress at it's lost limb, heaving itself upright, the flow of ichor from it's new wound already ending.

...?!

The wing I shredded.... it's whole again! ..If my foe can regenerate, this will be more difficult than I surmised.

Burn Crazy The Hellion Takes to the air, flying over me while spitting a hail of sticky globs at me. I could likely make a heavy attack on it's form, but in the process I would likely get struck by multiple instances of that strange ooze of his: I still feel a strange tingling sensation from where it was before, but otherwise suffer no ill effects.


What should I do, should I focus on avoiding Burn Crazy The Hellion's attacks, or should I focus on attacking my foe (And if so, how should I go about it?)?

>>96066
GOT FOR THE ASSAULT.
Your opponent can regenerate limbs and other wounds. We have to hurt him enough to the point where he just passes out from the advanced metabolism required, then flee and leave him to fly home.

YOUR SPINES ARE THE SPINES THAT WILL PEIRCE THE HEAVENS.

Also, if you go fast enough, it'll likely come off anyway.

>>96066
"Oh, you can regenerate? This is going to be even more fun than expected. I'll be able to take you apart piece by piece... and beyond."

Focus on dodging his attacks for a bit while you recover your breath, so you can use Aerosmith safely again.

>>96066
SCARS WILL HEAL
GLORY AND MEMORIES LAST FOREVER

>>96066
If your foe is that certain he wants this stuff on you, you should be just as certain you do NOT, especially if it's effects are unknown and persist. Dodge

Dodge like a motherfucker!

>>96066
The tingling sensation may be mild paralysis. Keep that sticky stuff off you at all costs.

Focus on dodging that goo. I'd rather not find out what the effects of it are.

>>96077
>>96441
>>96446
>>96452
>>96489
Yes, the goo could well be a paralytic, or some similarly disadvantageous concoction. I would do well to avoid it.

I dance about the ground, leaping about in my pursuit to avoid getting hit by Burn Crazy The Hellion's gooey projectiles as he follows after me in the sky.

While a hectic event, I am finding my breathing returning to normal as my spiracles once more regulate my intake of air at peak levels.

Once more I am rested.

....Now that I spy a glance back at Burn Crazy The Hellion during his pursuit, I see that the leaves of the flower stalks are partly obscuring his range and vision. Perhaps if I were to try to hide, I could lose his pursuit, either to re-engage, or withdraw. I have, after all, delivered out proposed story, and if I kill the bee, that puts the plan to waste and likely reveals our location through his disappearance.


What should I do?

>>96746
Hide.

Hide as best you can.

>>96746
Hide and retreat when able. It would be a small blow to your pride for leaving a fight, but that pales in comparison to the good it does the colony and the Queen.

withdrawing now also gives us the chance to determine what the long term effects of this goop are. It would seem that the Mandarinian Empire is learning to grant lesser versions of known valiances to its champions. It is possible this strange toxin is based on what the Mandarinian Queen herself can do.

>>96748
>>96789
>>96919
I start doing all I can to place as much material between myself and Burn Crazy The Hellion as I can. As he falls behind me, I hear his flight become more hesitant. As I check from behind a small rock, I see him wandering about, seeking me: I have lost him, at least for the moment.

As I continue to watch, I see the bee start to fly shakily,his flight now erratic, rambling. I see the bee set himself down on a leaf, as it inspects it's missing leg. Even from this distance, I can see that new segments are starting to grow, the leg reforming.... just as well as I can see the toll the regeneration and fighting are taking on the bee.

I continue to watch Burn Crazy The Hellion in silence, waiting for him to act first, to keep my location hidden. As I wait, I note that the tingling sensation in my body still has not lessened, nor has it spread. It could well be a paralytic, as I feel somewhat... numb, restrained where the ooze has struck: If that is so, a dangerous ability, coupled with his durable carapace segments and regeneration abilities.

Finally, action resumes: Burn Crazy The Hellion takes to the air once more.... and promptly starts to fly upwards, exiting the forest of flowers. I listen as the buzz of his wings recedes.

I am now in a predicament. Burn Crazy The Hellion has proven himself deceptive, ambush-oriented attacker. He could have retreated as I hoped, or he could simply be readying yet another trap for me.


What should I do?

rolled 3 = 3

---

>>97328
Well, don't go home.
If only we had a false nest or something...

Anyway, wander in a random direction, evading him, of course.

((1=North, and then go clockwise around the compass))

Go north until you are positive he's not returning. If he does return and finds us then we've added more credence to the other ant's claims that we hail from the north. Though, if we find he hasn't come back to spy on us then covertly return to Stealin' and then to Crescent to inform the queen.

>>97618
I begin to travel north along the ground, careful to make as little noise as possible. I listen for the buzz of wings, or for the sound of anyone else nearby, but I hear nothing, see nothing as I go. So I begin to move more swiftly, more aggressively. After all, the tingling sensation is finally wearing off, and I wish to stretch. So I begin to take small jumps with Aerosmith, to move more swiftly, still traveling north. Finally, I can hear the sound of Mandarinian Warriors buzzing around intermingling with those of the bumblebees above.

Hm. Well, none of them come below the canopy so far as I can see, and I have not seen Burn Crazy The Hellion in some time. feel confident I have lost him, and that if he gleaned anything from my escape, it was that I lived to the north, just as I said.


What should I do? Should I head back to Crescent now?

(NOTE: THIS WILL END THE QUEST: THE MANDARINIAN BUZZ)


Proceed? And if so, what eggs should be made with the 80 points of energy KILLER QUEEN has left (she regenerated her wings, recall)


Flash: 5 eggs worth, take 2 hours to mature
They Might Be Giants: 10 eggs worth, take 1 hour to mature, need five units of food per feeding
Sister Hazel or Sister Machine Gun: 50 eggs worth, take 1 hour to mature, need 15 units of food per feeding, must be fertilized to start spawning.
All other strains cost 1 egg, take 1 feeding and 30 minutes to mature, and are the following:
Fat Bottomed Girls
The Merciless
Lurkers at the Threshold

>>97913
Return the Crescent, KILLER QUEEN must be informed of what has occurred. KILLER QUEEN should lay 2x Flash, 20x Fat Bottomed Girls, and 50x The Merciless.

>>97992
This is good. This is a good plan.

needs more flash. Seriously, like everything we do is like "man, sure would be nice if there were some more flash with us to do X or for Y reason" and they take a long time to produce.

10 Flash
10 Fat Bottoms
20 Merciless

>>97992
Here
>>98373
This is also acceptable.

>>98373
I'm for this loadout.

LOADOUT:
10 FLASH
10 FAT BOTTOMED GIRLS
20 THE MERCILESS

TIMESTAMP

-All ants set to feed themselves whenever they have 30 minutes left before becoming Lethargic.

CRESCENT COLONY AGE: 7.5 HOURS

TOTALS:
1 KILLER QUEEN
1 The Hero Scars of Yesterday
1 Toxic
1 Wings of Destiny
1 Blue Mind Riot
1 Crimson Glory
1 Battery
20 They Might Be Giants
51 Death on Six Legs
211 The Merciless
277 Fat Bottomed Girls
44 Flash (10 more at hour 9.5)
30 Lurkers at the Threshold (30 'planted')

STATUS:
KILLER QUEEN: Sated (does not need food until hour 8), can produce more eggs in Chamber 11

The Hero Scars of Yesterday: Sated (will need feeding in 1 hour or will become Lethargic), Idle outside Crescent

Toxic: Sated (self-feeding), At Spider/Wasp Field

Wings of Destiny: Sated (will need feeding in 1 hour or will become Lethargic), Idle outside Crescent w/ Metallica

Blue Mind Riot: Sated (self-feeding), Idle outside Crescent with Aphids and fungus


They Might Be Giants:
-9 Sated (will need feeding in 1.5 hours or will become Lethargic), Stationed at Def Leppard’s field
-11 Sated (will need feeding in 1.5 hours or will become Lethargic), Idle in Chamber 4

Death on Six Legs:
-19 Sated (self-feeding), At Spider/Wasp Field
-22 Sated (will need feeding in 1 hour or will become Lethargic), Idle outside Crescent
-10 Sated (will need feeding in 1 hour or will become Lethargic), with Scars.

The Merciless:
-25 Sated (will need feeding in 1.5 hours or will become Lethargic), Patrolling Crescent (2 mutated)
-24 Sated (will need feeding in 1.5 hours or will become Lethargic), Guarding Fat Bottomed Girls gathering Concentrated Nutrients
-40 Sated (will need feeding in 1 hour or will become Lethargic), Idle outside Crescent with aphids and fungus
-10 Sated (will need feeding in 1 hour or will become Lethargic), Traveling to Spider/Wasp Field
-34 Sated (will need feeding in 1.5 hours or will become Lethargic), Stationed at Def Leppard’s field.
-50 Sated (will need feeding in 2 hours or will become Lethargic), Idle in chamber 11
-20 Sated (self-feeding), travelling northeast

Fat Bottomed Girls:
-100 Sated (self-feeding), gathering Concentrated Nutrients
-32 Sated (will need feeding in 1.5 hours or will become Lethargic), Returning with fungus/aphids/soil at hour 7.5
-20 Sated (will need feeding in 1 hour or become Lethargic), harvesting Flowers at Def Leppard’s field
-25 Sated (self-feeding), gathering Concentrated Nutrients at Def Leppard’s field
-52 Sated (will need feeding in 2 hours or will become Lethargic), Idle in chamber 11
-8 Sated (self feeding), aging Pearl Jam

Flash:

-2 Sated (self-feeding), Scouting for fauna to feed to the growth
-4 Sated (self-feeding), Scouting East
-5 Sated (will need feeding in 2 hours or will become Lethargic), with Scars.
-1 Sated (will need feeding in 2 hours or will become Lethargic), Stationed at Def Leppard’s field.
-8 Sated (will need feeding in 2 hours or will become Lethargic), Idle outside Crescent
-3 Sated (self-feeding), travelling northeast

Lurkers at the Threshold:
-20 'planted' about Crescent's surface
-5 stationed at Def Leppard’s field
-5 ‘planted’ around base at Def Leppard’s field

Pulsating Sac:
-1 ?????? in Stealin’ test chamber.

FOOD:
0 units of Yellow Flower Leaf (Quality: 1/10)
0 units of Dead Ant (Quality: 2/10)
0 units of Nest Robber Centipede (Quality: 3/10)
0 units of Black Dragonfly (Quality: 3/10)
10 units of Sand Pit Ant Lion (Quality: 3/10) Special: causes The Merciless to transform into Death On Six Legs
1,217 units of Pearl Jam (Quality: 4/10)
280 units of aged Pearl Jam (Quality determined when the aging process stops)
0 units of Yellow Flower Nectar/Blossoms (Quality: 2/10 Warriors, 4/10 Non-Warriors) Special: Masks Non-Warrior Scent
0 units of Flying Beast Bumblebee (Quality: 5/10) Special: Tastes Like Poison
30 units of Abomination Hornet (Quality: 7/10)
21 units of Bohemian Rhapsody (Quality: 9/10) Special: Instantly removes Lethargy, Strengthens Consumers
169 Units of Roots of Chaos (Quality: XOM/10)

Storage:
Chamber 1 current maximum capacity: 300 points (300/300 used)
Chamber 2 current maximum capacity: 500 points (0/550 used)
Chamber 3 current maximum capacity: 375 points (8/375 used)
Chamber 4 current maximum capacity: 600 points (0/650 used)
Chamber 5 current maximum capacity: 175 points (542/650 used)
Chamber 6 current maximum capacity: 600 points (0/325 used)
Chamber 7 current maximum capacity: 500 points (0/500 used)
Chamber 8 current maximum capacity: 300 points (0/300 used)
Chamber 9 current maximum capacity: 275 points (0/275 used)
Chamber 10 current maximum capacity: 1600 points (700/1600 used)
Chamber 11 current maximum capacity: 900 points (0/900 used)
Stealin' current maximum capacity: 200 points (105/200 used)
Stealin’s Test Chamber maximum capacity: 40 units (10/40 used)
(KILLER QUEEN, Wings of Destiny and They Might Be Giants are worth 10 points, The Hero Scars of Yesterday is worth 5 points, Death on Six Legs and Toxic are worth 2 points, Blue Mind Riot, Flash, The Merciless and Fat Bottomed Girls are worth 1 point. Food is 1 point per unit of food)

!!REMINDER!! KILLER QUEEN can now attempt to make up to two new strains at a checkpoint.
!!REMINDER!! KILLER QUEEN can now save upgrades for later checkpoints!
!!REMINDER!! KILLER QUEEN has gotten better at making new ant strains!
!!NOTICE!! Blue Mind Riot and escort have returned with fungus and aphids!
!!NOTICE!! Scars of Yesterday, his honor guard, the food brought back and Metallica have returned and are outside Crescent!
!!REMINDER!! Red Water Flower and Bright Day Flower are being stockpiled at Carpathian Ridge. Requests can be sent for tithes of supplies from them, but remember that demanding too much from them might cause resentment, and potentially rebellious tendencies.

ASSESSING UPGRADES EARNED.

Toxic bested a spider: 1 upgrade
Scars Of Yesterday fended off Burn Crazy The Hellion: 1 upgrade
New Hero unit: Battery: 1 upgrade
Battery bested the corrupted Twisted Sisters: 1 upgrade
Survived meeting David Bowie: 1 upgrade

You have earned: 5 total upgrades.

Please spend upgrade(s) on the following:

Improve Fat Bottomed Girls Strain Lv4. (REQUIRES 2 UPGRADES)
Improve The Merciless Strain Lv3. (REQUIRES 2 UPGRADES)
Improve Flash Strain Lv2
Improve They Might Be Giants Strain
Improve Lurkers at the Threshold Strain
Create New Ant Strain
Make Death on Six Legs a normal Strain (makes it upgradeable, lets KILLER QUEEN lay eggs) (REQUIRES 2 UPGRADES, d20 rolled, must beat 14)
Create Specialty Strain: Cry of the Brave Ant (REQUIRES 2 UPGRADES, d30 rolled, must beat 23)
Create New Ant Strain described by Blue Mind Riot to KILLER QUEEN(quality of new breed and restrictions imposed determined by rolling a d30, the higher the roll the better the results, if choosing this option a voting period will be opened to determine what description Blue Mind Riot will give to KILLER QUEEN)
Upgrade Exoskeletons Lv3. (REQUIRES 2 UPGRADES)
Upgrade Mandible Quality Lv3. (REQUIRES 2 UPGRADES)
Upgrade Intelligence Lv5. (REQUIRES 4 UPGRADES)
Specialize KILLER QUEEN (choose either attack, defense, harvesting, digging or mobility) (can specialize multiple times, and stack upgrades)
Gift KILLER QUEEN Poison Trait to a hero unit (specify the one desired).
Retain upgrade point for later use.

First upgrade(s) to reach 3 votes will be chosen.

>>103057
Improve TMBG
Upgrade Intelligence

I would think upgrading intelligence is a good idea, the smarter the ants get, the better off we'll be in the future. And for the other point, let's give They Might Be Giants a boost, they've certainly been deserving of it for a while.

Agreement with previous posters. This makes three votes, amirite?

>>103059
i agree

damn guys, our basic worker ants can use simple tools and understand drama. When will our intelligence be enough?

You know who is deserving of some upgrades? the Death on Six Legs. Also, it would be nice to be able to create male ants. Can we please make them a normal strain and start giving them some upgrades? Our elite warriors are growing less elite with each encounter.

I disagree with the point into intelligence, but I suppose I'm late to that party. Since the intellect points are already spent I'd like to upgrade the They Might Be Giants. If we're to fight the other queen and her minions we'll need some serious firepower if we want to go toe to toe with her and her gargantuan children.

>>103059
Um, guys, "TMBG" stands for 'They Might Be Giants'

That's already 3 votes for TMBGs + Intelligence.

>>103114
That's understood, I was voicing disagreement at one choice, while agreeing that the other is appropriate for an upcoming mission.