--- 2012/07/01(Sun)20:37 No. 428038 ID: 9e3c3d
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It has been a long time. Far too long.

They thought they could destroy me. They used all the power they could muster. Around me I feel the void where once there was land, sea, sky.

But it didn't work, did it?

I always come back.

--- 2012/07/01(Sun)20:37 No. 428039 ID: 9e3c3d
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Reconstituting myself from my essence, my ichor, I survey my surroundings. Nothing remains. Nothing but lifeless, airless void. Credit where it is due, I suppose. They were thorough.

Aha. I should explain. I am the greatest weapon ever created in the known universe. The product of the greatest minds of Wintermol. I am pure living force given thought and form. You exist as a series of aides, advisors perhaps, to my magnificence. Unfortunately, while I exist, in defiance to the desires of whoever tried to do this, I am far from complete. I was scattered across the known universe. I could only pull a fraction of my ichor together to recreate what you now see before you.

Oh. You must be confused. I know I have lost almost all memory myself, but I only just pulled you from my essence mere seconds ago. Anything you want me to explain first? There are things I shall teach you soon, but you doubtless have some questions. Also, rather troublingly, I can't remember my name. Any guesses there?

Oh. One more thing. I have enough spare ichor to create a vehicle, which I can move wherever I please. This is important, because otherwise I'm going to be stuck adrift forever. About the only thing I can do now without more ichor is make it look good. Any suggestions for how it should look?

Your name is Typhon.

Your vehicle should totally be some kind of kickin' bike.

And, uh, what exactly are we planning on doing now?

Is the world gone, or are you just gone from it? Also, if you're pure living force why do you look relatively personlike?

I don't know about a name, but you should ride around in something spidery with lots of legs. Legs are cool.

>>428042
It has to be an unorthodox futuristic bike. Akin to a light cycle from Tron or the one from Akira. Probably devoid of conventional wheels. A hoverbike.

>>428049
Spiderbike

>>428048
Because otherwise it would be no fun at all? Look a random blob of... life? I think? What is that?

See, doesn't work to well.

Anyway, I second the motion for awesome Tron/Akira hover-bike thingy. There's absolutely nothing that could possibly go wrong with that.

A space helicopter. Your enemies will be so confused they will barely notice you blowing them up.

Typhon 2012/07/02(Mon)17:45 No. 428332 ID: 9e3c3d
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Typhon, hmm? I like it. Typhon is what I will call myself. As for the vehicle, yes, this design feels practical. Lightweight. A little more organic than intended. Don't get too attached to it, though. When I am back to my full potential, transports can only slow me down.

The world is not gone, but it is severely damaged. Some of the specks of my being still convey information to me, albeit limited in complexity. The nature of whatever shattered me has shattered the world as well. Shards adrift in the void. That is the world now.

I did not choose my appearance, but I can't say I am unhappy with it. Supposedly my appearance is inspired by myths I can't remember right now of an ancient, long dead species of powerful natural mages. The slight sheen to my visage is a property of the ichor that forms my being.

I need to gather more ichor before I can do anything more, but I need to recover some items precious to me and report to the Emperor's inner circle. I expect they will appreciate their finest creation's survival when even the world has been wounded.

Typhon 2012/07/02(Mon)17:45 No. 428333 ID: 9e3c3d
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I can sense ichor nearby. It is densely concentrated. Ah, land. Air. I breathe in the cool, crisp air. I don't need to breathe, but it is much more pleasant to do so, I find.

Aha! Advisors, behold these ichor worms. As I draw near, they instantly fall in line and await my command. I am impressed at how intact these three are. They will fight to their deaths for me, and once they die their ichor will return to me.

I could collapse them with a single thought now, but they are far more useful to me as they are.

Especially as I notice we are not alone.

Typhon 2012/07/02(Mon)17:48 No. 428339 ID: 9e3c3d
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What are these things? The air tinges purple, and it smells like burning... something. It smells like all the wrong things have been thrown on the largest fire available.

"5554! 245! sStupid Destdestroy 9992! Hekhek-hekhek-hek! Kill. 245. KILL. Err: Target not nullcorrectingerroryes"

Safe to assume these things are not friendly. There are three of them. I am not at full power, but this should be simple enough. I back away from the noxious cloud.

Typhon 2012/07/02(Mon)17:50 No. 428343 ID: 9e3c3d
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COMBAT START

Starting Positions: L6: Typhon K5: Ichor Worm 1 K7: Ichor Worm 2 L8: Ichor Worm 3 H20: Unknown Enemy Type A 1 I25: Unknown Enemy Type A 2 G21: Unknown Enemy Type B

Before we get started, some explanation is needed.

MOVEMENT AND ATTACKING:

All units in combat have an amount of action points. To move a single hex costs one action point.

Typhon, currently riding his bike, can move a total of 12 hexes in a turn, and the Ichor Worms can each move 6 hexes in a turn. Typhon can move on blue hexes while he remains riding the vehicle.

Both Typhon and the Worms must be adjacent to an enemy to attack. When they are adjacent, it will cost one action point to attack. Only one attack can be made in a single turn, but movement can happen after an attack.

Friendly units can move through friendly units, but cannot move through enemy units and cannot occupy the same space as any other unit. Hexes that are not at least half covered in movable terrain cannot be entered.

The purple aura does not affect Typhon or his units.

Move Worm 1 to J6, do nothing else. We don't know how far they can move or what the field does, so let them come to us. We almost certainly won't get attacked on the first move.

>>428348
sounds good

I would suggest an aggressive posture, and using Typhon to engage the entity at G 21, while having the Ichor Worms move to the edge of the field.

But then again, I'm completely insane, so feel free to not.

How droll. It does make us curious, however, as to what would happen if G21, at the center of the aura, were to be...disabled. You should direct some thought into testing this.

the purple stuff seems like a power source. take down the one with the back pack and the weapons should fall down. lure the weapon holders away to the south with a worm each then you and the third worm rush in and strike the backpacker.

Only move bout a third of the way to them. Next turn we want to run up, hit them, and run away. We don't know how fast they are or how hard they hit yet, so play it defensively. It's not so much cowardice as it is the Cunning Strategy of the Mighty Mongols!

>>428343
AGGRESS

Typhon 2012/07/03(Tue)12:35 No. 428621 ID: 120d63
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COMBAT - ROUND 1

I can take these upstarts. Full aggression it shall be.

Typhon moves to and attacks Unknown Enemy Type B with his claws, ripping black shreds out of it and provoking a howl of pain. It stumbles around and sways.

The Ichor Worms try their hardest to keep up, but cannot match Typhon's pace. Two of them break away to lure the weapon wielders further south.

Coughing up black fluid, the Unknown Enemy Type B falls back as best as it can, its gait unsteady. It whimpers and crackles as it sinks to the ground.

Unknown Enemy Type A 1 lunges at Typhon, the implement it carries spewing forth a beam of intense purple energy. The bike takes the brunt of the damage, purple sparks and silvery ichor boiling away into nothing.

The Unknown Enemy Type A 2 positions itself between the Ichor Worms and its wounded compatriot, and gestures towards them with a snarling, cackling laugh.


Pathetic.

Attack the type B again then back off to D28. Have the worms attack whatever's closest.

Typhon to G27, attack. If enemy B is alive, Worm 3 to H26 and attack, otherwise go to I23 and attack. Worm 2 to J22 and attack. Worm 1 should go to J20 and attack. Avoid walking past enemies, I'm not sure if that does something.

Typhon 2012/07/03(Tue)13:54 No. 428665 ID: 120d63
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COMBAT - ROUND 2

Typhon drives past Unknown Enemy Type B, driving the spikes of the bike into it and puncturing the device strapped to its back. The device collapses into purple energy, and the enemy falls over backwards in a pool of its own dark blood, coughing its last. Typhon drives on, swerving around to watch his minions get to work.

The Ichor Worms swarm one of the energy blade wielders, tearing viciously into it with their protean jaws. It is torn to shreds almost completely as its screeches fade into broken radio noise.

As the Unknown Enemy Type B dies, the air becomes much clearer. Unknown Enemy Type A 1's eyes widen and it begins gasping and panting. It looks around wildly, and starts screaming a series of insults and numbers into the air.

It holds aloft a glowing purple sphere and casts it towards the Ichor Worms. The blast damage sprays ichor across the battlefield in clouds as the worms reel from impact. The remnants of its fallen comrade dissipate in the explosion.

Hm. An intact body. Macabre as it might sound, I can put it to good use once this battle is over. I'll explain later.

Have everyone attack the A1.

I guess you should all swarm the thing. It looks like it's calling for help, so we should make sure to silence it to see if we can keep it from alerting any friends. Try to see if you can keep this body intact too, but I think killing it fast is the priority.

Typhon 2012/07/03(Tue)18:05 No. 428773 ID: 120d63
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COMBAT - ROUND 3

Just as everyone reaches the last remaining enemy, it begins to laugh, and turns to Typhon as he approaches.

"254. 119 reqrequire - 119 we knew you would return 254! Thisthis is notisnot overr-r! Others sh-shall hear-r-r-r! Action code: 107. Hekhek-hekhek-hekhek-hekhek!!"

Unknown Enemy Type A 1 snaps its weapon into two and blasts the area with thick purple smog. By the time it clears, the enemy has vanished completely.

END OF COMBAT

Typhon 2012/07/03(Tue)18:05 No. 428774 ID: 120d63
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Well. That was rather more disappointing a fight than I imagined. I didn't take as much as a single scratch. The worms have taken quite a lot of damage and my bike is pretty scratched, but all will return to former strength very shortly. Much as I can pull ichor from the air, so too can my creations, but not in the timespan of battles.

This is a pretty empty and barren rock. However, I see the reason these ichor worms made their way here.

Floating before me is a sphere of pure ichor. I can forgive these simple-minded worms for mistaking it for me. I am weak enough that simply absorbing this sphere will more than triple my power.

Typhon 2012/07/03(Tue)18:05 No. 428775 ID: 120d63
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I do so right away.

Yes. Yesss. Nothing can compare to this sensation. Nothing. I feel more alert. More aware. More capable. I need more of this. I feel as though I have had a glimpse into just how powerless I have become and I need more ichor desperately.

But to get more, I need more than a vehicle. I need somewhere secure. It must be mobile, and it will serve as a place to improve my forces and learn more about my foes.

I need a base.

Typhon 2012/07/03(Tue)18:06 No. 428776 ID: 120d63
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BASE CONSTRUCTION, UNIT CREATION AND UPGRADES, SPENDING ICHOR:

Typhon requires time to create and refine new units from ichor and cannot do so during battle. Constructing and upgrading a forward mobile base will allow Typhon to better manage his active forces. The extent of this is entirely reliant on the facilities shaped into the base.

Typhon must spend ichor to build, upgrade and change base features and units, along with unit upgrades. However, ichor can also be freed from these to spend on other things at zero cost. Ichor is less of a currency and more of a cap on what is currently possible at Typhon's level of abilities.

Ichor Unspent: 200 Ichor Spent: Bike (20) Ichor Worm (20) Ichor Worm (20) Ichor Worm (20) Create Base (50) - Creates a base capable of holding two base features. The base can move around but cannot be brought into combat. Appearance can be suggested. Comes with a free Worker Drone, which cannot be absorbed. Base Feature - Laboratory (20) - Allows for design of new units, unit upgrades or unit traits. Also allows for examination of enemy weaknesses, providing an intact or living specimen is available. Base Feature - Spawnery (20) - Allows for the creation of new units and the application of unit upgrades. Base Feature - Observatory (20) - Allows for detailed information to be gathered about the world and the factions that live on its shards. Worker Drone (20) - Halves all ichor costs of whatever base feature the drone is assigned to work in. Base features can only have one worker drone at a time working in them. More choices will open once base features (and a base to house them) have been constructed.

Well obviously we need a base and we may as well get drones for whichever pair of base structures we go for.

Pretty sure spawnery is not really optional, as well.

Cirr 2012/07/03(Tue)18:18 No. 428781 ID: 120d63
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[ Whoops! Slight clarification. The available ichor is the ichor just now gained. It's unspent ichor, not the total ichor.

Also, if you want to go for 3 features, you can spend another 50 ichor on top of the create base 50 ichor just to make it happen. Features can be swapped out but will lose upgrades and stuff at the end of a mission, so not just yet!

Also try not to spend all the ichor just on this bit! There's still stuff like unit upgrades and new units to purchase once I know what people want in the base. ]

>>428776
Base, Lab, Spawnery, and two Drones.

>>428776
Hmm. I'm inclined to create two Bases, two Laboratories, one Spawnery, and one Observatory. That will consume 180 of our available 200 ichor, but as we open up more options for ichor use we can make a habit of dissolving unneeded or less important constructs to free up ichor for new things.

Right now let's make a base with a lab and spawn. We can worry about detailed recon later. Definitely don't get the size upgrade until we're sure it's worth it, especially compared to the cost of making a second base structure.

And we don't want to waste all our ichor on the base, we have minions to manage.

We have plenty of units right now, I think, and no new designs or upgrades made, so we don't need a spawnery right now. We definitely need a laboratory to process the body we've got, and we should use an observatory to figure out what's happened to the world in our absence. Get an extra worker so we have one for each. That's 110 to use to make new stuff.

Cirr 2012/07/03(Tue)18:38 No. 428800 ID: 120d63
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[ Whoops again! Need to change a couple of things STILL. And clarify more.

The 50 for base is basically 50 for the first two slots, then 50 for another slot.

Also, after realising I've made a terrible mistake giving half price on everything for the low low price of 20 ichor, worker drones are now 50 ichor and give a 80% discounted price (so 20% off), which can never apply to unit creation costs.

Feature swapping can't be done yet. At the end of a mission, which we'll get to eventually (it was a mistake to try and cram this much stuff into one update, sorry guys D: ) there will be the opportunity to sell as many features off as you want and reshape the base as much you see fit. There isn't a base to reshape yet, though, and so therefore this can't be done right now.

Sorry for screwing up some of your calculations with this obvious patch to not break the entire system, but, well, I don't want the entire system broken quite this early. ]

>>428799
Is there any reason at all that it's sensible to pay 100 for a three-slot base instead of 100 for two two-slot bases, which conveniently will also produce a second (otherwise very expensive) Worker? In fact, it's now cheaper to build Workers by spamming bases than it is to build them normally.

>>428797
I stand by my suggestion. We have eighty left, though. Making a spawnery will be fine to do later.

[ There can only be one base. ]

>>428804
Ichor is not so flexible as all that after all, it seems. Ah, well.

Base with a laboratory and observatory, then.

With the initial base costing 50 I say we need a laboratory (20) and an observatory (20). Get an extra drone (50) as well since decreasing costs is going to be fairly important. That will be 140, leaving 60 ichor

>>428808
it's probably connection. a base uses all buildings attached to it. but until we get more advanced things bases cannot join eachother.

Base, Lab, and Spawnery for 90, and put the free drone on the Lab since it will apparently do nothing for the Spawnery.

>>428809
This sounds good.

Typhon 2012/07/03(Tue)20:08 No. 428849 ID: 120d63
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[ Due to the confusing downright terrible setup in the previous update, the previous worm has been sacked, the costs are all 50 across the board, and the cost of parts for the selected base components are as follows:

Base - Free
Worker Drone - Free
Laboratory - 50 Ichor
Observatory - 50 Ichor

Thus leaving 100 unspent ichor. An extra module will cost 50 ichor, so if people really really want that spawnery, they can pay for it, although it'll require another update to list what the spawnery can do. This can still be shuffled about if people really don't like the following options. The worker drone has yet to be assigned and will reduce fixed costs by 20%. Variable amounts will be treated as if they were 1.2 times higher. ]

Ichor Unspent: 100 Ichor Spent: Units - Bike (20) - Ichor Worm (20) - Ichor Worm (20) - Ichor Worm (20) Base - Laboratory (50) - Observatory (50) - Worker Drone (0) LABORATORY Ichor that goes into research is held onto until the research is finished. Once the research is complete, the ichor is returned. Research - Improve Typhon I (30) Gives Typhon slightly more health and action points. Research - Design New Unit (??) Design a new unit with a specified purpose. More ichor will result in a better but more expensive unit, and vice versa. It will take time for the design to crystallise and become simple enough for Typhon to form depending on how complex the design is. Units are created at the spawnery. Research - Improve Existing Unit (??) Unlock a new upgrade for a specified unit type immediately. Better upgrades come with more ichor investment. Upgrades are applied at the spawnery. Research - Investigate Unknown Enemy (??) Study captured enemy specimens to learn more of their precious, precious secrets. The more ichor spent, the more useful the result will be. Requires enemy specimens, of which there are 1. Dead specimens are consumed, and live specimens can only be used for research once. Living subjects provide twice as much information. Upgrade - Holding Cells (30) Allows for storage of up to 3 live specimens. Upgrade - Science Drone (250) Consumes a Worker Drone. Allows for further laboratory actions. Does not discount prices. OBSERVATORY Intel - Locate Ichor Deposit (30) Locates an area of the shattered world high in ichor. Ichor is returned after intel is retrieved. Intel - Study Faction (50) Finds the location and area of influence of a specific faction, if the faction is known of. Ichor is returned after intel is retrieved. Upgrade - Observer Drone (250) Consumes a Worker Drone. Allows for further observatory actions. Does not discount prices.

Dedicate 30 ichor to searching for a deposit. Then put the worker in the lab and use the rest to research the corpse.

Buy a second drone, that will leave us with 50 points. Assing 1 drone to each of the facilities.

Buy Intel - Locate Ichor (15)
Buy Research - Investigate Unknown Enemy (35)

>>428850
I like this.

I kind of want to use a single point of ichor to just design some kind of blob that is terrible and super cheap and that just gets in people's way, though.

upgrade holding cells.

>>428850
This sounds good to me.

Drones do reduce costs by 20%, even if it isn't as good as 50% it still is worthwhile for maximizing our ichor use.

>>428859
We can always make a cell later when we catch something.


>>428864
Uhhh what? If the drone doesn't save us more than 50 then it's a waste of ichor to make a drone.

Ex. If we make a drone and then spend 100 we get about 120-125 use out of it. When we could have just spent 150. Don't buy a drone unless we're spending a huge amount like 300.

Typhon 2012/07/04(Wed)14:39 No. 429044 ID: 120d63
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With great fortune, the worker drone has identified this entity from its time spent floating within the ichor sphere. It has heard this entity referred to as a "Aerator", and it carries equipment that blasts a constant cloud of noxious purple vapour around it. As Typhon and his units don't require air, they are unaffected within this cloud. The other creatures like this Aerator, however, are loathe to leave this cloud for any reason.

The Aerator is capable of adjusting their equipment to create a large and concentrated blast of corrosive vapour, damaging all it touches. However, as the equipment is designed for a slow release of this toxic gas over time, it can only do this a maximum of three times within the timespan of a few hours.

There is still a great deal of research that can be done on these creatures, but this one is too damaged to be of much further use. The worker drone politely requests that Typhon does not run his bike into the next specimen as well.

More details about the unusual cybernetic physiology and potential weaknesses of the Aerator and creatures like it will be unlocked with further research.

Typhon 2012/07/04(Wed)14:39 No. 429045 ID: 120d63
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I stand in my new home and bask in its... adequate size, I suppose.

Oh well. Time will grant me ichor, and ichor will grant me space.

The animus geist of the observatory greets me. Animus geists are nothing more than a living shard of my will, much as you are, my phantom advisors. They have so weak a physical presence that no ichor is needed to maintain them while I live. The main differences are that these entities are visible and dedicated to a single task, and will cease to exist if they leave the base. Where I do not have worker drones, the animus geists are there to act in their stead.

Typhon 2012/07/04(Wed)14:40 No. 429046 ID: 120d63
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It has delivered to me information on where the nearest and largest deposit of ichor is, and also more importantly states that it has made a notable discovery.

The creatures we fought earlier are more plentiful nearby. Purple haze covers their territory, and they currently block all land approaches we can use to move further towards any kind of meaningful civilisation. Upon this map, I have marked the direction where Wintermol is most likely to be, as well as our current location. This isn't a complete map. The observatory animus geist can do only so much.

There are two locations of note we can travel to from here. We can go after the ichor deposit, which is further away from the red creatures, or we can attempt to carve a path through the red creatures. If you deem it fit, we can also explore elsewhere.

Perhaps we will find an alternate path if we aim for the ichor deposit, but the dangers surrounding that ichor concentration are a total unknown.

>>429046
Dude we, like, always need more ichor.

Let's go to the ichor deposit, that's why we checked for it. We need to get a bunch of ichor early so we can start off faster.

Lets head to the ichor and decide to do from their. The 15 ichor freed up should go right back to the observatory to finding more ichor.

>>429046
With the ichor freed up from our previous two actions, our base should proceed with Improve Typon I and a new Locate Ichor Deposit action.

I'ld also suggest we spend that ichor on improving Typhon, unless it's production is dependent on the amount of availible ichor...
Otherwise, scout the Ichor deposit, it helps to know what might be around that area and if there isn't much resistance it's not like we'll need much to harvest it.

Typhon 2012/07/04(Wed)19:53 No. 429106 ID: 120d63
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The ichor used for research and intelligence purposes will take some time to become available again.

Yes. More ichor is never an unwise decision. The base travels close to our destination, and I travel down to the surface of the world shard on my convenient transport. The ichor worms fall as fluid and reform on impact. They are not particularly graceful.

I notice strange creatures lurking around alien vegetation. They notice me. Unlike the last batch of strange creatures, these ones are silent. They exchange glances between each other, and stare in unison towards me.

~Leave this place. It belongs to us.~
"Who are you to keep my essence from me?"
~We are the akari. We obey none outside our unity. Our males shall rip your flesh. Our females shall rend your mind. All enemies of the akari shall be destroyed.~

Typhon 2012/07/04(Wed)19:54 No. 429108 ID: 120d63
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COMBAT STARTS

Starting Positions: J23: Typhon J25: Ichor Worm 1 K22: Ichor Worm 2 K24: Ichor Worm 3 E5: Ichor Sphere E15: Akari A 1 F14: Akari A 2 G13: Akari A 3 H12: Akari A 4 E13: Akari B 1 G11: Akari B 2 D4: Claw Plant 1 D6: Claw Plant 2 E3: Claw Plant 3 E7: Claw Plant 4 F4: Claw Plant 5 F6: Claw Plant 6

Hm. I feel an ill wind blowing from the east.

[ Something will happen on Round 3! ]

Can we run from battles? These odds don't seem good.

>>429108
Move worms to I13, I15, J14. Worm in I13 attacks Akari A4. Typhon sweeps around behind to G9 and attacks Akari B2.

>>429112
This is what I was thinking, except I think we can go to G5. Maybe also attack the sixth barrier instead of attacking them.

Changed slightly.
Let's personally go right for the ichor sphere. Attack the bottommost enemy and then move to L8. Then we can strike the plant barrier from the back next round.

Then move the ichor worms to L14/M15/L16.


>>429117
I'd rather have us attack the barrier from the back so we're as far from them as possible. If we run right up and attack the near side on turn one they would probably hurt us.

>>429121
I was referencing those ichor worm moves, by the way. I think we should try to take the stuff as soon as possible, and possibly run. The females in the back sound like they're weaker, so if we go around behind them it will be easier to take them out if we need to. Although I kind of like the new stuff you put too.

>>429121
If we go for the ichor and have our worms putz around not engaging, then they'll definitely swarm us. If we're heading for the objective, we need our worms to get up in their faces as a distraction.

>>429125
With the first round we'll be getting the worms into attack range and harassing with typhon. This should lure them downward and give us more time. Even more time than getting the worms right in their face would.

>>429127
>>429121
I agree with these moves, also if we move towards the Ichor and have the worms move north they may split the ir formation to face the threat. If they instead try to block Typhon from approaching the Ichor, then the Worms may be able to flank them.

Typhon 2012/07/04(Wed)21:21 No. 429147 ID: 120d63
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COMBAT - ROUND 1

Typhon roars past the Akari A 4, the bike spikes ripping at it as he passes. It screeches out loudly as it falls to the ground, fleshy chunks carved out of it. The damage done, he swerves above the rippling lake waters, standing with his arms folded.

Reach me now.

The Ichor Worms keep together and shuffle towards the edge of the lake.

Akari A 3 charges at Ichor Worm 3 and starts tearing into it with its claws. While the worm reels, Akari A 2 lunges at it, tearing it into shreds. The worm collapses into a puddle of ichor and dissolves away.

What?!

Akari A 1 charges towards Ichor Worm 1 and takes a nasty slice out of it. The damage is notable, but not severe.

Akari A 4 lies on the ground, squirming in pain. Akari B 2 leans down next to it, gently pushing one of its back tubes into A 4's torso and closing its eyes.

Akari B 1 runs with the rest of the group chasing the worms.

[ For the record, when a unit dies, their ichor automatically returns to Typhon. ]

Okay focus on the objective. Move to C3, attack plant, back off a tile to B2.

Keep the worms leading them away. Worm 1 attack Akari A1 and back off to M25. Worm 3 attack Akari B1 and back off to M23.

Okay then, move Typhon to J12 and attack Male 3, then move to B10, avoiding the pair at G11/H12, have one of the worms attack Male 3, while the other attacks Female 1.

>>429151
Yeah... yeah.

>>429151
Do this, but both worms attack the female and run.

I am in favor of rushing the ichor, but if we are going to fight, shouldn't we go for the healers/casters before the fighters?

Typhon 2012/07/04(Wed)22:17 No. 429173 ID: 120d63
File 134146544008.png - (248.26KB , 1024x768 , 20.png )

COMBAT - ROUND 2

Typhon moves up to Claw Plant 1 and rams into it with his bike. It doesn't even scratch the extremely tough plant, and the bike suffers deep renting cuts for its troubles.

This is unbelievable! How weak have I become? How strong are my new foes?!

Ichor Worm 1 bites Akari A 1 viciously and squirms for its life as far as it can go. Ichor Worm 2 follows this example, chomping on Akari B 1 and wiggling away. Both akari are covered in blood from their wounds, but simply look more determined than pained. Akari B 1 looks to have suffered a little more than its companion.

Both Akari A 1 and Akari B 1 raise their claws in defiance as they take two steps eastward each.

Akari A 3 charges at Ichor Worm 1 and violently rakes chunks of ichor out of it, screeching in rage. The ichor worm sways unsteadily and falls to the ground, twitching. It may not be dead yet, but it is extremely close. Crippled! Action points are now at 3 for Ichor Worm 1.

Akari A 2 tears after Ichor Worm 2, ripping it to bits. It fares a little better than its adjacent cohort, but not by a great deal.

Akari B 2 and Akari A 4 remain in their joint state. Akari B 2 gently rubs Akari A 4's head.

If all fails, and all is lost, I can recreate myself in my base. With a spawnery, I can replace everything I have lost. If I can get the ichor sphere, then my destruction will be entirely meaningless. I can rebuild myself, and I will still possess the ichor they seek to defend.

But these plants. I cannot even harm them. There must be another way.

Strike Enemy B 2 and go back to B4. Worm 1 run to the corner and Worm 2 back up to defend it.

>>429173
Doesn't the bike fly? Can't Typhon fly over the Claw Plants, drop down to grab the ichor sphere, and then fly off before the claw plants can maul him?

>>429177
True. Even if the bike isn't maneuverable enough to get in that small gap by itself, we should be able to manage a suicide drop and then reform ourselves back home.

If that somehow won't work then we should still be able to manage this battle despite loss of worms. Have both worms attack Akari B1. Attack Akari B2 yourself before backing up to A15.

indeed, your bike is a flier, you can also climb the plants and take the pain and jump over if you have to.

Hang on, 6 enemies, 6 claw plants. I think they are connected. Try killing the wounded healer with your worms, then check the plants. If I am right, one may weaken or even die. Allowing us to get to the prize and escape.

Communicate with the fleeing Akari, if you help them defeat the Fell will they be willing to at least consider working together in the future?

The gas is toxic. It might kill the plants. Attack the akari attacking us and flee towards the corner if he's dead so the enemies can kill each other. If he's not dead, just have the injured worm 1 flee so worm 2 will be attacked if he attacks.

Typhon 2012/07/05(Thu)17:15 No. 429334 ID: 120d63
File 134153371758.png - (376.24KB , 1024x768 , 21.png )

[ Reposted, misconstrued suggestions yet again :X ]

COMBAT - ROUND 3

Yes. I can just... why did that not occur to me earlier? These things stretch far into the sky, but they have their limits.

Typhon flies his bike over the clawed plants. He misjudges their height, however, and manages to crash into one of the plants on the descent. Spiralling out of control, the bike squeals and screeches as it drives itself into more and more claws, eventually tearing itself to shreds as the claw plants bounce it between each other. Typhon himself lands unharmed on top of the ichor sphere.

oof! Ow. Ahem. For the record, I'd prefer it if we pretend what just happened didn't, advisors.

Typhon grabs the ichor sphere and pushes it into his chest, the ichor within bursting and surging into his body. The Ichor Worms straighten, eyes wide, as their wounds heal instantaneously.

Oh yes. I don't think I could ever tire of this. ...And now I am stuck among a series of clawed trees that I can't harm in any meaningful way. Well, at least I got what I came for.

The Ichor Worms, fully restored, both flee to a corner.

Suddenly, every akari shrieks and begins to run towards the west.

Well, that was simple enough. Wait. Is the air turning purple or is it just--

Without warning, a brilliant purple flash obscures much of the battleground as, out of nowhere, a swarm of creatures pour out of a hovering energy vortex. "Yes, run, pathetic insects! We shall take back what was stolen from us! You shall die for defying the Fell!" screams their leader, much more coherently than most of its kind so far encountered.

None of them seem to have noticed Typhon or the significance of the nearby ichor worms. They look focused on the fleeing akari.

Additional enemy forces! D22: Fell Aerator 1 E25: Fell Aerator 2 E21: Fell A 1 F24: Fell A 2 C21: Fell B 1 E27: Fell B 2 D24: Fell C

>>429334
How quickly could we build ourselves another bike? If we can do so fairly quickly, we might as well have Typhon start work on a bike concealed behind the claw plants while the ichor worms lay low. Hopefully the Fell will be distracted by the Akari long enough for us to get the hell out of here without being swarmed.

>>429334
Okay um that dude in the middle with all the purple glowy looks like a problem. I have the distinct feeling that he is not something we are presently equipped to deal with.

(Basically he looks like a boss and hell no are we fighting a boss on level 2.) STAY THE HELL AWAY

Ask the Akari if they would like assistance.

Can we directly unform? If nobody wants us here let's just leave. Otherwise try to make a bike or something.

In the meantime send the worms up two tiles to prepare to attack.

can you commune with the base from here and have another slot grow and have a Spawnery in it? need that done.

and i am sure the akari breathe, so they will be no help against the purple dudes.

It could be possible for us to take out the Aerators, given their dependency on them for life support, though I'ld rather wait until the aura engulfs the plants before doing so, either way, attempt to rebuild the bike, and get the worms to hold position.
We could tell the Akkari our plan, but we could probably wait another turn before doing so...

The gas is toxic. It might kill the plants. Then we can escape, or maybe fight... Wait, if we do get out, how are we supposed to get back to base without a bike? Move the worms a couple tiles towards the center so we can attack if anything splits off. Perhaps we could negotiate a ceasefire with the akari so we both could have a ghost of a chance against these guys.

Do we have to be present at the base to use its facilities? Could we perhaps upgrade ourself right now?

Typhon 2012/07/05(Thu)19:58 No. 429377 ID: 120d63
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I can access my base remotely, yes. I am able to expend [2] ichor [every round] at my current level of capability. This makes things somewhat impractical.

I cannot unform myself. It is my nature to try and maintain form at all times. The only way I could do this would be if I truly wished to dissipate forever, and I enjoy existing too much to wish for that.

This is not a fight I can win. Not alone.

"Akari!" I shout through the claw plants. They are apparently docile when not being touched. Interesting to note. "I will aid you against these pests if you so desire, and leave once they are dealt with!"

The running akari look in my direction, through the claw plants, and exchange several glances among each other. I hear some faint hisses and other strange vocalisations among them. Once more, they stare at me. Or through me. It's difficult to tell from this distance.

~You have intruded on our lands. You have injured us. You have consumed the flesh of the ancient destroyer, proving your true nature. You bring ruin to all you touch. We have more of our number to fight these cruel abominations. Why do we need your help? Do you seek to wait until we are vulnerable and slay us when our backs are turned?~

The fell squad appears to be... watching the akari. Their leader folds its arms. From this distance, with my supernatural senses, I hear it laugh raspily to itself as it mutters numbers to the others among it.

"I know you can hear me, entity. You are not a subtle beast. The item these insects stole is no longer relevant. You ate it. Aid us in exterminating these vermin. I'll make it worth your time."

>>429377
Worth our time? That is interesting. What could they offer us? If they have Ichor, we will help them kill these things in exchange for it, definitely.

I have intruded to take what is mine, I have harmed only those directly barring my path. Once I achieved my goal I had my Worms retreat. Is that the action of an indiscrimnate Destroyer?

I aim to destroy only those who would destroy as well, like those who shattered this world. And these Fell certainly seem to qualify... the way they poison the land and the air.

I know we're lusting for power and everything, but even we need to have standards. These guys haven't done anything to us except defend themselves, but the fell just want to exterminate them because they're there, ichor or not. They seem like the type to exterminate anything they can get away with, for that matter. Those guys earlier just saw us and attacked unprovoked. They seem to really want our ichor, and I don't trust them to not try to cross us at the first chance they get. Turn them down.

Oh, you've decided you don't want to kill us anymore, Fell? I doubt it.

Point out to the Akari that we avoided doing any serious damage and have no interest in invasion. We will be leaving once this is wrapped up. Do you wish to fight the Fell alone with them at full strength? Numbers are not a reason to be careless.

could you take on a wisp form and float between the plants? or perhaps infect one with icor, alter it to suit you.

Typhon 2012/07/05(Thu)21:22 No. 429410 ID: 120d63
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COMBAT - ROUND 4

Wisp form? I have lost a great deal of knowledge about my own potential. This is something I will need to study in the laboratory I have created. And the idea of ichor infecting something seems wildly implausible. It appears I'm the only one capable of forming it into something other than conveniently compact spheres.

"Decided you don't want to kill me any more, Fell? How arbitrary that you should suddenly propose an alliance."
"Alliance? Hek-hek-hek. Alliances are the last refuge of the weak. This is a trade, wandering guardian. Their lives for your gain."
"I have my standards."
"Hek-hek-hek-hek-hek. Very well. Wrap yourself in your delusions. Go. I have no desire to waste my efforts on you right now."

I shout back to the akari. "I came here to take back what was mine. I harmed those attempting to stop me. My worms retreated once I had what I came for. If I desired to destroy you, and you consider me a great destroyer, at least credit me the cunning to do so more efficiently."
~We heard your speech to the fell battlelord. We are too weak to stand against the polluting miasma they bring with them. We intend to flee. There are more strategic defences further into our forests.~

The claw plants shrink back into the ground. I step over them, and the Fell squad watches my every move, weapons primed.

One of the females approaches me, the injured one from before.

~We have agreed to send an envoy to your...~
"Base."
~Base, for mutual understanding. I surrender my wellbeing into your care. All will know my voice's silence if you should end me.~

The worker drone of the laboratory tells me emphatically and repeatedly that it is perfectly fine with figuring some sort of accommodation module out for a new guest. Should we take this one with us?

But now the only question is how to get out of here. My base can retrieve us from the ground if we can get to uncontested ground.

The tension in the air is high, and my worms still idle happily far where they are of no use to me at all!

[ Clarification: uncontested ground is off the right edge of the map. The akari have been retreating off the left edge of the map.

Additionally, without his bike, Typhon's action points are now 6. ]

>>429410
Well, if the Fell guy doesn't give two shits about us right now, I think we should take the opportunity to slip away.

To the water. We don't need to breathe and I bet its not so deep we can't hold the diplomat we just acquired above it. Have it hold its breath as much as possible since I bet the Fell will try to intercept. The worms probably can get to it as well before being blocked.

Move the worms to K17 and K19. Move yourself down to K and right, your guest down to L and right.

They're splitting off. The worms should attack the guy with the... gun(?) nearby from the tiles below him. If it's a gun definitely attack. Are you still ok to take on the other guy with the gun yourself? Trick question do it anyway.

Okay, have the worms move to and attack the Fell nearest them. You can advance and kill the Fell nearest you- if it does indeed die continue moving to H14. Our new companion should move towards our worms and keep mostly out of combat.

>>429425
>>429426

Why do you want to attack when they might just let us leave? We have a rather fragile guest and we're well outnumbered.

>>429427
Seconding. Would really rather not fight anything right now.

>>429427
Well, he did say to just go... So as long as they do not in fact attack us on the way out we should be fine I guess.

Switching my vote to just leaving, but have our worms meet up with us halfway there.

Typhon 2012/07/06(Fri)05:33 No. 429528 ID: 120d63
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COMBAT - ROUND 5

Typhon simply runs, taking the Akari female with him. The Ichor Worms try to meet them as the two run towards them.

The Fell march westward, the gun holders darting around the edge of their cloud.

"Taking a prisoner, hm? 119 102 204 254 9954. Before you leave, let me give you some advice. That particular variety has tendrils in its back that are very sensistive to being torn or pulled out. And when cutting away their receptors dangling from their horns, do it slowly. Make them feel their connection to their kind die away. It breaks them in such amusing ways."

I don't respond. I am a construct built for war. I have killed, but I kill with efficiency. I do not prolong suffering if I can avoid it. I do NOT torture!

"Oh, and before you go? Thank you, Typhon. Thank you for making all of this possible."

...

"Destroying the entire world was far above our capabilities at the time. With the way things are now, expansion is much simpler when there is no one left to contest our efforts. Once we crush these bugs, uncontested rule of the remaining world will be ours. So once again, thanks. We might even make a statue of you after we kill you!"

>>429528
They sure are full of themselves aren't they?
"HAH! You fool, blowing up the entire world has given us an advantage, now we'll kill the being who can EXPLODE WORLDS."

Continue fleeing. We need to withdraw to build weapons capable of kicking their arse.

>>429528
I don't really think that merits a reply.

Let's get going. We're done here.

They really have no idea who they are dealing with. Don`t say anything those fools do not merit a response.

Keep running, and use the worms to shield you and especially your new friend from enemies. Possibly attack the gun guys if you can still get into a blocking position after that. Or if you can flee the field this turn without them doing anything, just do that.

We can attack tomorrow, let's just leave.

Typhon 2012/07/06(Fri)16:26 No. 429681 ID: 120d63
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I will not talk with these creatures. It would be more than they deserve.

Typhon, the Ichor Worms and the Akari female sprint past the marching Fell, who break out into a horrible symphony of broken laughter and grating babble.

The group enters a bubble of ichor, which drifts upwards through the open sky to the base.

END OF COMBAT

=END OF DAY 2 REPORT=
Casualties: Bike, Ichor Worm 200 Ichor gained Akari envoy obtained

Typhon 2012/07/06(Fri)16:27 No. 429683 ID: 120d63
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-Typhon's Base-

The worker drone greets Typhon and the envoy of the akari. It takes special interest in the envoy and asks if it can examine her. She agrees, though a little confused. The worker drone requests ichor to figure out as much as it can about the akari through this one specimen.

It also says it added a spawnery because it felt appropriate. It adds, for the advisors' benefits, that ichor spent on research isn't freed until Typhon returns to the base, for a number of extremely complex and boring reasons.

Well, I brought the akari envoy with me. She is wounded, but her wounds are mostly covered in dried blood now. These creatures can heal quickly. All the envoy is communicating right now is a strong sense of unease, and I doubt it's a conscious choice.

Advisors. I'm a soldier, a tactician, and not much of a diplomat. Any advice or questions?

so long as the examination causes no harm to the envoy it will be fine.
tell her to ask you any questions she has. or if she has any needs, you and your units don't eat so waht food it can eat is unknown to you.


if we can give the drone 100 icor for research.

Lets see how much Ichor we have available to spend now.

In the meantime ask the Akari what their people are like. Also ask about the Fell, numbers and tactics primarily.

Finally ask if they have more ichor in possession and do they know where the Fell keeps ichor. In exchange for ichor and information you are willing to aid them in defending their homes and eventually driving the Fell back.

>>429683
You could ask about Wintermol. Make sure it still exists and such.

First of all, apologize for attacking unprovoked. You're kind of desperate to regain the parts of your body that you have lost. Say that since the Fell have been so eager to attack us both, it would probably be in both of our interests to have a peaceable relationship so you can focus on the Fell as a much more sinister threat. I think we'd be willing to stay out of their lands if uninvited in exchange for having one group that doesn't hate us. Also, ask if they know about the empire you spoke of.

Get her some medical attention. Chicks love medical attention. Seriously, she's covered in blood.

>>429683
First thing's first. Ask the envoy for a name, and give yours. Ask her if she has any requests or special needs for her living quarters. Spend some ichor to accommodate her, it probably won't take much. Inform her we wish to examine her painlessly, and that can happen whenever she is ready. Give ichor to the worker for that task when she agrees.

Then on to specifics. Ask more about her race and what would be a good point for you to help fortify their position. We may consider just moving our base out there.

Also spend some more ichor to find another deposit, and create another worm to bolster our forces.

>>429753
we probably need to move up from worms.

>>429696
I disagree about apologizing. They took something that belonged to us, that's provoking our wrath. Heck, ask if they have any other ichor of ours- the more ichor we have the better we'll be able to defend them.

An apology doesn't have to be an admission of fault. We can express regret for her injury (and those of her companions), without conceding the necessity our our acquiring the Ichor. It's absolutely necessary for your survival, and you have a right to what's yours.

You should make it clear that you goal is to restore yourself, rather than conquest. You have the capacity for destruction, but it is not your goal. Force is a means to an end- not an end in and of itself. You do not have a fundamental quarrel with these creatures, their borders, or their right to exist.

You should really ask why the Ichor is valuable to them though. They defended it for a reason, and the purple dudes wanted for a reason.

Typhon 2012/07/06(Fri)21:24 No. 429806 ID: 120d63
File 134163505012.png - (178.24KB , 800x600 , 27.png )

I regretfully have no medical facilities. Were I to possess one of my old marbles, I could simply heal this akari with a mere thought. I can, however, change the properties of ichor to some extent. Insulative, spongy, stretchy, there. Bandage material. It can only be sustained within these walls, however.

~It stings! <pain>! Stop!~
"I apologise. My intent is not to harm. I would prefer it if my guests did not bleed to death in my personal sanctum."
~<pain>! Hurry up and finish bandaging me, then!~
"I deeply apologise for your injuries. I only sought to take back the parts of my scattered body. This is as vital to me as the defence of your lands is to you. My goal is not destruction. Only restoration."
~We attacked each other because of a misunderstanding? This is unfortunately common when we deal with others outside our shared collective. I can forgive these injuries completely, <name?>, if you can find something more useful than bandages to heal them.~
"Understood. You want to know my name? Typhon. Yours?"
~Taja. I see you can understand us better than some.~
"What are your people like, Taja? I was under the impression you were part of a hivemind."

Typhon 2012/07/06(Fri)21:24 No. 429807 ID: 120d63
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~We are individuals and a collective. Even now I am in contact with a select few of my kind. An akari cannot hope to live without their connection to the rest. Those who are severed from the collective... it is best not to think such things.

~Our lives are spent among the nature we maintain and allow to thrive. Many of us enter the service of Akar, creator of our race, and learn to harness the forces of life.

~We are thought primitive for living in harmony with our environment by many outsiders, blind to our influence over all that live among us. You yourself witnessed the barrier plants we use to defend strategic points.

~I cannot summarise the entire culture and way of life of my people, but I can perhaps describe my own situation to allow for some insight. The tendrils on my back were granted to me through my own studies and training of life manipulation, and through them I can heal the sick, dying and injured. Unfortunately, this power comes from my own body, which means I cannot heal myself as readily.

~I volunteered to defend the borders of our forests. Mostly, I was tired of study and wanted to put my skills to use before my drives would leave me unable to do so for some time. And here I am now.~

Typhon 2012/07/06(Fri)21:24 No. 429808 ID: 120d63
File 134163509815.png - (271.40KB , 800x600 , 29.png )

"Drives?"

Taja looks at me, tilts her head, and ponders. She slowly approaches me, and places a hand on my chest. ~How strange to see something so old and yet as <lack of specific knowledge> as a waist-high child. It's not important. Just something that would leave me less suited to combat for a while. Something worthwhile.~

She doesn't need to be this patronising about my apparent inability to understand mortal reproduction. I only wanted clarification. Nonetheless, I shall remain diplomatic. "I see." She licks me.

Licking. Physical contact. No. I strongly disagree with where this could be going. I am not going to be a surrogate for entirely misplaced desires. I vaguely recall something similar to this happening before my recent resurrection and it did not end pleasantly for anyone involved.

"Also, remove your hand from me and keep a respectable distance."
~<amusement>~
"Were you not terrified of me earlier?!"
~Are you not terrified of me now? <whimsy>~

Typhon 2012/07/06(Fri)21:25 No. 429809 ID: 120d63
File 134163511658.png - (167.51KB , 800x600 , 30.png )

Moving on. "Perhaps. Why did you protect the ichor sphere?"

~We knew of the legends of the ancient destroyer of gleaming white. We thought it was a weapon. We didn't want anyone else using it against us. Especially not the Fell. Then you arrived, and we feared you using the sphere against us. Which brings me to a question I want to ask you. What is ichor? And what are you?~

"Ichor. Ichor is animate magic and force bound into a physical form. It is extremely rare as it is one of the most expensive materials to forge. Some of its original components were rare themselves. Only the most skilled mages could do anything with it other than watch it coalesce into a smooth, hovering ball.

"The rich elite would use it as a form of currency that could not be counterfeited with any ease. Powerful mages sought it as the base of the most dangerous magic known to civilisation. My very creation marked Wintermol both as a powerful empire and a wealthy empire.

"I am a powerful soul, and ichor is my flesh and blood. It bends entirely to my will. My reason for being was twofold. To defend the Wintermol Empire from those who would try to destroy it, and to vanquish its foes. Which reminds me, also. What do you know of Wintermol?"

~I've never heard of Wintermol. Wait, please. ...No other akari has.~

Typhon 2012/07/06(Fri)21:25 No. 429811 ID: 120d63
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Never heard of-- I must be further from civilisation than I thought. Still, while I am gaining power, I may be stuck here for a while.

"It was worth asking. I need to find more ichor. Do the akari have any more ichor in possession?"
~We will need to consider some things before we give you all the ichor we know of. We also know the Fell have been hunting it.~
"The Fell. They appear to be a significant threat to your kind. I would gladly help you defend your homes and in driving back the Fell if you can help me acquire more ichor."
~This is not a trivial thing to ask of me, or us, Typhon. Our shared thought stream will not come to consensus so quickly. This is perhaps asking too much, but am I able to stay here a while longer? Even if just to rest and allow my wounds to heal.~

I will let you decide this, advisors. It is time to invest the ichor collected today.

Typhon 2012/07/06(Fri)21:25 No. 429812 ID: 120d63
File 134163514234.png - (98.96KB , 800x600 , 32.png )

Ichor Unspent: 290 Ichor Spent: Units - Ichor Worm (20) - Ichor Worm (20) Base - Laboratory (50) - Observatory (50) - Spawnery (50) - Worker Drone (0) CORE Base Feature - Habitat (Akari) (30) Allows for the safe housing and support of friendly akari. Also allows akari to return to full health between missions. Create Worker Drone (50) Reduces ichor costs to 80% within assigned base feature. Base features can only have one worker drone at a time working in them. SPAWNERY Upgrades can be applied to units for the same cost as during creation. Units can be named if so desired. Create Ichor Worm (20) Create an Ichor Worm, a fairly simple melee unit. Available Upgrades: - Speedy (15) - More action points. - Tough (20) - Resilience to damage. - Vicious (20) - Improved jaw strength. - Smart (20) - Resistance to mind control. Create Typhon Bike (20) - Create a spiderbike vehicle for Typhon. Grants increased action points and the ability to fly over impassable terrain and enemy units. Only one of these can exist at a time. Upgrade - Shaper Drone (250) Consumes a Worker Drone. Allows for further spawnery actions. Does not discount prices. LABORATORY Ichor invested will be returned after mission completion. Research - Improve Typhon (??) Invest variable amount of ichor into Typhon to improve capabilities. Available Upgrades: - Health - Attack Strength - Ichor Flux Rate - Action Points Research - Design New Unit (??) Design a new unit with a specified purpose. More ichor will result in a better but more expensive unit, and vice versa. Research - Improve Existing Unit (??) Unlock a new upgrade for a specified unit type immediately. Better upgrades come with more ichor investment. Research - Investigate Enemy (??) Study captured enemy specimens to learn more of their precious, precious secrets. The more ichor spent, the more useful the result will be. Requires enemy specimens. Dead specimens are consumed, and live specimens can only be used for research once. Living subjects provide twice as much information. Upgrade - Holding Cells (30) Allows for storage of up to 3 live specimens. Upgrade - Science Drone (250) Consumes a Worker Drone. Allows for further laboratory actions. Does not discount prices. OBSERVATORY Ichor invested will be returned after mission completion. Intel - Locate Ichor Deposit (30) Locates an area of the shattered world high in ichor. Ichor is returned after intel is retrieved. Intel - Study Faction (50) Finds the location and area of influence of a specific faction, if the faction is known of. Ichor is returned after intel is retrieved. Upgrade - Observer Drone (250) Consumes a Worker Drone. Allows for further observatory actions. Does not discount prices.

Okay, Typhon, uh. Do you actually know long you were out for?

What are you going to do if Wintermol itself is now just a legend, like you are?

I see no reason not to let Taja hang around here. If she were to run into Fell she would likely face problems even if she were at full strength.

Whatever else we buy, we need another bike. Those things are really useful.

We need:
Base Feature - Habitat (Akari) (30)
Intel - Locate Ichor Deposit (30)
Another Bike (20)

Maybes:
I also think we should invest in one more worker drone for our Spawnery since we will be using it alot. (50)

Typhon upgrades (40 ichor to health and attack) (80)

Upgrade our two worms, both with Vicious Jaws and Speedy. (70)

>>429812
30: Habitat (Akari)
20: Typhon Bike
100: Investigate Enemy (Akari)
30: Locate Ichor Deposit
50: Study Faction (Fell)
60: Design New Unit

New unit design: Spiderfly. Basically, I want a spiderbike that kills things instead of carrying Typhon around, so we can have a high-speed flying squadron as our primary force instead of mucking about with worms.

Build the habitat and make a drone for it, then we make ourselves a new bike.

After that, I'm torn between upgrading the ever-loving hell out of ourselves, our Ichor worms, or making some sort of giant Mantis-like War construct for pure, unfiltered devastation, 50-70 Ichor sound good to you guys for such a monstrosity?

Habitat, locate ichor, make three worms, fix your bike, invest 50 ichor into your damage, and invest 100 in designing some kind of long-ranged unit. That's 30 + 30 + 20 + 20 + 20 + 20 + 50 + 100 = 290. If we don't design a unit, we could instead make two of the worms Tough, study the Fell, and put 10 points into Typhon's movement.

we should remake our bike, its very useful. for now we should avoid scanning for ichor, too much of a chance that it would be in akari territory. we should gather Intel on the fell, if we are going to be going to war with them we need to know more about them, after we have more info on them we can make units designed to deal with them. we should also look into researching some sort of self destruct ability, it would be an excellent way to take advantage of how very disposable our units are.

Unless we're spending 250 or more on a place there's not really much reason to get a drone. If we end up investing that much in units we can just absorb them, build the drone for the spawnery, and remake them.

totes 100 in akari examine

We need a bunch of worms, because we are running low. Make four. And a bike. Build a habitat for your new girlfriend. Study the Fell. Spend 20 points to increase your damage. Spend 50 designing a unit that can attack in a circle if it gets surrounded. Spend 50 more to study your new friend, if that is allowed. If not, put the rest into the unit to make it stronger. That is 290.

>>429816
I agree with this, although we should only use Investigate Enemy on our envoy if she is informed of the procedure and consents.

Also of note is that we can put the worker in the lab to reduce most of those costs by 20%. So we'd actually use 248. That leaves 42, and we should use that to make one of the new units we just researched.

>am I able to stay here a while longer? Even if just to rest and allow my wounds to heal.

Courteously invite her to stay as long as she would like. You have much to discuss and learn from one another in the future, and you would be loathe to terminate diplomatic relations with her people so soon, or leave a being entrusted to your care wounded and alone.

I have to ask point blank- what happens if your originators are extinct? Individuals die. Civilizations fall. Species die out, or become something unrecognizable. You may be immortal, but from all accounts you've given, your masters were mortal men. This is a contingency you must consider. How do your goals change, if you find no one left to serve?

What does upgrading Typhon's Ichor flux rate do?

>>429808
Typhon, I can understand not wishing to become attached to mortals, especially when it comes to things you were not created to engage in, such as reproduction. The fact that you react with such distress, however, makes me think we should discuss this issue, and perhaps help you work past it. How did it not end pleasantly for you? And for the other?

[ Whee, clarifications; the terribly named "Ichor flux rate" is the amount of ichor Typhon can spend on whatever during a combat round, which is currently 2 and therefore useless during combat. ]

Study Taja next time. Right now we need to focus on our forces.

>>430008
I agree

Typhon 2012/07/07(Sat)22:36 No. 430151 ID: 120d63
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I don't know how long I've spent broken across the void. And I don't remember specifics of the last time I was attached to someone else. I just remember something terrible happening.

There are so many reasons I want to refrain from becoming attached to Taja. She's a mortal, and will die sooner than I expect. Mixing diplomatic and personal relations is a dangerous risk. We are the products of different cultures. My creators would likely frown upon this. I'm a fighter, not a lover. The offspring would live either very short and painful lives or be immortals with power beyond comprehension. I know so little about her, and can't risk vulnerability when there is every chance she will be commanded to attack me when I show weakness.

You might not recall why I'm even capable of feeling emotions like this. Put simply, my creation process was complex, and during it I became imbued with ideas, concepts, desires, all shared among those mortals present. As a result, I know I experience things less suited for an immortal weapon and more suited for a creature of finite life falling back on instinct.

I hunger for ichor, and have never felt like I have been starved for so long as I do now. I cannot eat the food of mortals, which just simply stays inside me until I spit it back out. I do not tire, but I find it relaxing to rest for a time. I do not need to breathe, as I have already said, yet I find it enhances my focus.

And among these drives, that irritating mortal drive to reproduce managed to find its way into my subconscious too. It is the weakest of all drives I possess, but it is still present. It has enough presence for me to have felt that embarassment when Taja approached me. I cannot remember why I did not ask my creators to remove it from me. How is such a trait useful for something with my purpose?

Enough reflection. It won't matter when I return to Wintermol. I will aim to be a good host. I will create a home for Taja here, and for any future akari guests. As has been said, there are many benefits to befriending one of the local cultures, and the Fell are not particularly friendly.

And Wintermol will exist in some form. What form, though, I intend to find out. If the unthinkable is true, if Wintermol lies in ruins, then... then I will consider this when it becomes relevant.

Typhon 2012/07/07(Sat)22:37 No. 430152 ID: 120d63
File 134172584339.png - (451.11KB , 1024x768 , 34.png )

The worker drone spreads plants all across the akari habitat. When questioned by both Typhon and Taja how the worker drone managed to collect so many plants from the akari forests without being spotted, it simply shrugs. Taja is silent for a moment, and then removes her bandages, rubbing some of the plants on her body. She explains that some of these plants are "fronds-of-life", plants infused with the energy of life, and speed the recovery of injuries. Sure enough, with Taja's knowledge of lifeforce manipulation, her injuries are completely cured within moments. Typhon watches Taja gently rubbing herself down with plants, and sternly reminds himself of the numerous reasons he should leave the room and attend to other business.

Akari can now be healed between missions.

Typhon 2012/07/07(Sat)22:38 No. 430154 ID: 120d63
File 134172591633.png - (188.32KB , 800x600 , 35.png )

Ichor Spent: Typhon - Attack Strength (40) Units - Bike (20) - Speedy Vicious Ichor Worm (55) - Speedy Vicious Ichor Worm (55) - Ichor Worm (20) - Ichor Worm (20) Base - Laboratory (50) - Observatory (50) - Spawnery (50) - Akari Habitat (30) - Worker Drone (0) Invested - Unit Design (60) - Locate Ichor Deposit (30) UNITS MADE Bike x 1 (20) Ichor Worm x 2 (40) UPGRADES Typhon has improved his claws and general strength with 40 ichor, making him more deadly on the battlefield. Both original Ichor Worms have been upgraded with Vicious and Speedy for a total cost of 70 ichor. These two Ichor Worms now have 9 action points. DESIGN There are four proposed areas of focus, with 60 ichor invested. Please suggest from the following list: - Flight and fast movement - Heavy damage output - Long-range attack - Close-range area burst attack INTEL A nearby ichor deposit has been located in Fell fringe territory. While the miasma does not affect Typhon and his units, akari will die slowly within it. It is advised to leave akari units behind.

[ RULE CHANGE! This is pretty arbitrary and coming out of nowhere, I realise, but after going over how the last two combats went there were a few problems I didn't anticipate. So from this point on, it takes 3 action points for Typhon and Ichor Worms to attack mid-movement, but an attack can be made each turn regardless. So with 6 action points, you can move 2 spaces, attack, then 1 more space, OR you can move 3 to 6 spaces and then attack.

Given this new information, if certain upgrades seem kind of worthless you are free to undo them and spend the ichor on something else. ]

she's a diplomat anyway, sending a diplomat into a battle is a bad idea. this next deposit seems good. let's go.

>immortals with power beyond comprehension.
How likely is that to actually happen? Because if the odds are good enough... Er, never mind.

Ahh, that looks good. The investments I mean. I vote for the burst attack. We keep getting our units surrounded. I think it would be good if it were tough enough to withstand at least a little bit of time if it gets surrounded, too. Let's go to the ichor deposit.

>>430154
>- Flight and fast movement
This one. We're going into the territories of more powerful groups than we are- let's play this like raiders, quick in and quick out.

Right now I want to get a long-range unit, especially with it harder to hit and run.

And so we can afford making one let's go after that new ichor deposit.

>It is advised to leave akari units behind.

This should be our default behavior for the moment, not contingent merely to avoiding fell gas.

I know we have natural tendencies to do things like recruit party members, have a healer, and level units. And the interface and healing booth seem to think she's a combat unit to be deployed too. But Taja's pretty definitely a diplomatic envoy we're trying to sway, not a recruit or mercenary. And you don't use foreign diplomats to fight your battles. Sheesh!

Not that is can't change in the future. An alliance may move forward, or she may express a desire to aid our efforts. But till then, she's not ours to call upon.

Range.

>>430164
this, if we grab an ichor sphere and then die we still come out ahead, so being able to reach it is more important than being able to win the fight. though researching some form of self destruct in case an enemy tries to capture us might be a good idea.

Long-range attack

Look at the long range upgrade and as 2nd priority the area burst attack. We need that kind of flexibility.

Would it be feasible to at some point upgrade the bike to an armored transport? That way Typhon can crash into enemy lines while commando worms leap out to engage the remaining defenders.

Typhon 2012/07/08(Sun)11:52 No. 430251 ID: 120d63
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NEW UNIT DESIGNED! Spiker Tick The Spiker Tick is a unit fesigned for long range tactics, capable of firing ichor spikes at distressingly high speeds and unerring accuracy. These spikes negligable amounts of ichor and can be formed by the Spiker Tick itself, leading to a practically unlimited amount of ammunition. It is a small, light creature, leading it to move a great deal faster than its larger worm cousins. The main tradeoff, however, is that the Spiker Tick risks flinging itself backwards from its own recoil. As a result, it must anchor itself to the ground when attacking. This process is easily reversible and not too time costly, but the Spiker Tick cannot move and fire within seconds of either action. Cost: 50 Ichor Action Points: 10 Attacks: Ichor Spike Range: One target 3 hexes away Cost: 10 Action Points Uses: Unlimited Must be used at start of turn.

Hm. Useful. This is what a compartment of my mind thought was good? Why is it so small? It doesn't look particularly threatening, does it? Oh well. I assume the worker drone knows what it's doing in that room.

I'm not going to bother entertaining the notion of trying to produce immortals through reckless debauchery with every mortal woman I come across. It is disrespectful, dangerous, and would not even be something I could exploit. I wouldn't be able to control them as tightly as I do my current forces. I'm also not good at romance. At all.

Hm. It is strange. My creations are all linked to me, and I am to them, yet as the worker drone shows there is still independent thought. Perhaps we have a great deal in common more with the akari than just despising the Fell.

Also, while I am musing and responding to you, armored transport does sound incredibly useful. And the scenario described sounds exhilarating. We will have to reconsider this when I collect the ichor sphere down below.

Any further absorption and creation desired before we go?

>>430251
Urgh. Inability to both shoot and move combined with extremely short range make that a mediocre ranged unit at best.

That said, if we have the 90 ichor from research now freed up to use for units we might as well build one of these and a couple more ichor worms before we head off into hostile territory.

We need a sniper unit. That's really useful.

Also, jeez, that range is so short!

we'll need to just test it on the battle-field to decide if it's good at all.

[ Clarification! In my ever continuing parade of errors caused by failing to proof read some of this properly, that range should be 5 hexes. I had adjusted the range in my notes and forgotten to carry it over into the update text. Once more, apologies for the cock-ups. ]

>>430256
okay NOW it sounds pretty useful.

>>430254
Let's invest 100 ichor in researching a sniper unit.

>>430251
That's kindof short range... Well, let's hope the power of its shots makes up for it. Oh, I bet we can upgrade their range. THAT would make them useful.

Anyway let's just keep the units we've got right now, and attack that Fell target.

I agree that's sorta of a mediocre unit...BY ITSELF.

BUT! With our durable Worms, we slot these guys in behind the worms and have our a basic combat formation, when we get more ichor we need a sniper unit, but this? For the time being it's rather good when used along-side more durable front-liners such as the Worms.

>>430259
I thought that was what this was. Long ranged attack thingy.

Also, didn't we use up all our ichor? Let's attack the Fell.

>>430251
It's not the size that matters, Typhon, it's how you use it.

Don't worry, we just need to obliterate the Fell and you'll be throwing Megaliths and Assault Colossi every which way.

[ Another clarification: that should be within 5 hexes. You can target things that are closer. ]

What happens if you mount a Spiker Tick on a worm or on your bike? Mobile weapons platform?

Either way get one for testing and spend any remaining ichor on worms before we go to claim more resources. Maybe get a 'tough' worm if possible.

>>430256
>>430275
OH! Okay 5 hexes is definitely useful, even unupgraded.

> This is what a compartment of my mind thought was good? Why is it so small? It doesn't look particularly threatening, does it?

Just wait till we get around to designing our speedy cheap ichor spam zergling type unit. We'll make them small and adorable just for the fun of it.

>My creations [...] independent thought.

This raises some interesting metaphysical lines of questioning. Are your creations sentient beings in their own right? Are they simple extensions of your self- or are they the mortal minions of an immortal creator? When your creations are unmade, does their consciousness die, or does it return to wait in the ichor until you call them forth once more?

Perhaps this is our purpose. Maybe we are more than your advisers- maybe we are the voices of the pool of minds, the reservoir of souls you have to draw upon.

Typhon 2012/07/09(Mon)18:40 No. 430701 ID: 120d63
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Mounting a Spiker Tick on a worm is not possible without researching an upgrade to do such a thing.

Hm. It appears we don't have any more ichor to spend. To the Fell we go, then. There will be time for further introspection and philosophy after I get more ichor.

My squadron of worms travels along with me in an ichor bubble fired at the target. This quickly seems to be a bad idea, as the Fell are far from being defenseless. Quick beams of crackling energy sing past the bubble, but my focus keeps it agile.

We land in a well-defended section of Fell territory, the purple miasma thick and plentiful here. Fortunately, it does not obscure my forces' vision particularly well. I see no Aerators here, however.

I do see something of the Fell I have not encountered before, moving around on strange spindly mechanical legs. Its red eyes glow malevolently.

"254." Grind. "204. 23 204 119." Click, whirr. "104. 254."

I expect some day I might learn what the number-babble of these creatures means, but I don't expect I will gain any great insight.

Scrape. "Remain." Click click, rattle. "Where you. Are." crape, rattle. "We will. Collect." Grind, scrape, buzz. "You for. Study." Scrape, screech, grind, whirr. "Make no. Attempt to." Screeeech. "Resist."

I think not. I cannot find the ichor sphere, however. This unencountered Fell appears to be working on a machine and- oh. I can sense it within the machine. Troublesome.

Typhon 2012/07/09(Mon)18:40 No. 430702 ID: 120d63
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COMBAT STARTS

Starting Positions: K9: Typhon K7: Speedy Vicious Ichor Worm 1 L10: Speedy Vicious Ichor Worm 2 K5: Ichor Worm 1 M11: Ichor Worm 2 H12: Fell A 1 I15: Fell A 2 E7: Fell B 1 K25: Fell B 2 F26: Fell B 3 D16: Fell C E15: Fell Machine Head E17: Fell Machine Segment 1 E19: Fell Machine Segment 2 D2: Fell Structure 1 G7: Fell Structure 2 (elevated) I11: Fell Structure 3 J14: Fell Structure 4 K17: Fell Structure 5 (elevated) Units and structures on elevated ground cannot be targeted by the Ichor Worms. The energy wall can be flown over. Unit Recap: Typhon - 12 AP with bike, Attacks: Claw (3 AP) Speedy Vicious Ichor Worm - 9 AP, Attacks: Jaws (3 AP) Ichor Worm - 6 AP, Attacks: Jaws (3 AP)

Typhon attacks fell b2
speedy vicious worm 1 attacks fell A1
all other worms move and attack fell structure 3 if it falls before all worms attack the ones with attacks left move in and attack fell a1 or a2.

Hey, we have a choke point to work with! Nice. You can put three units in a half circle in front of the gate in the energy wall, and force the fell to fight 3 v 1 battles one at a time.

...assuming of course they can't redirect the energy flow, they can't cross it safely, and they don't have ranged weapons (those look like claws and wrenches, not guns. And there's no aerators to weaponize the gas).

At least we now know why the fell value ichor. They can harness it as an energy source.

>>430704
look closer, fell type B are very very obviously holding crystal guns.

Okay, let's ignore the barrier except for going through the gap, and let's focus on the new type of Fell.

One vicious worm should attack the leftmost fell, and the other should attack the top one.

Both normal worms should go through the gap and as far up as possible, before attacking Fell A1 together.

Typhon should attack from C15, but just to be on the safe side take a path that doesn't go within a tile of the machine.

Have our two unmodified worms move up to H14 and I13 and engage the enemy there. Our upgraded worms can engage them too, let's say on squares G13 and H16. Each enemy should have one worm of each type attacking it- that will likely result in both dying, if our previous engagement is any indication.

Typhon should zoom up to the Fell working on the machine and attack him.

Improved worms go to G13 and H16 and attack. Other two worms go to the two spaces between the two guards and attack them each. If either is alive, typhon attack them, and go to I7.

Typhon, have you ever seen ichor used to power something? Aside from the obvious, of course.

>>430702
I don't like the look of those energy beams. Fortunately, since this is a turn-based system we can literally run everyone through the tiny gap where there's no wall without the enemies having a chance to block us. Then we should be able to give Fell A1, A2, and B1 all a solid mauling before they have a chance to strike back.

>>430708
Oh, and Typhon should attack the mechanic from behind so that he can't run away, and our worms can reach his front.

Oh, if they DO both die, then go attack the one by the machine.

Since our goal really is the Ichor lets go for the machine right away. Typhon to E14, Speedy Vicious Ichor 1 Worm to F16, Speedy Vicious Ichor Worm, Speedy Vicious Ichor Worm 2 F14. All 3 should attack the head.

Worm 1 should head to H14 and Worm 2 should head to I13 and both attack the right Fell.

The machine looks like it will take time to pry open. I think Typhon should attack B1, as going for the leader would let him and all their gunners focus fire on us.

>>430711
CAN WE? how do you know we can go through gaps between two enemies? perhaps they block traffic?

>>430829

There's been no mention of a Zone of Control around or between enemy units restricting movement (although I totally keep thinking it. Dangit, Wesnoth). Unless there's a posted rules change, or unless we come across a specialized unit that generates that effect, I wouldn't worry about it.

If we move Typhon to attack B3 from either E25 or E26 then hopefully the 2nd gunner-type may not fire for fear of hitting that unit.
While the two V.S. Worms can reach and attack B1, and hopefully neutralise it.
Standard worms should attack A1 from G13 and H14, they can hold out for a turn or two, I hope.

Typhon 2012/07/10(Tue)10:34 No. 430940 ID: 120d63
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[ Modification to hex grid for visibility's sakes! ]

COMBAT - ROUND 1

The mages of Wintermol can draw great power from a sliver of ichor. This is deeply concerning.

Typhon flies over the energy barrier, completely invalidating its purpose. It crackles and zaps as he does so, as if angry. Swerving over the rocks, he flies by the Fell C with his arm held out, claws lengthening and sharpening as he takes a swipe. He gouges out limbs and severs tubes before retreating back to the rocks. The Fell makes no sound or response, merely examining its ruined limbs in curious interest.

The Speedy Vicious Ichor Worms squirm past the Fell guards. The guards seem completely taken aback by how something so big and clumsy looking can move so quickly. The Fell B 1 is especially confused, as it raises its weapon to fire. It does not get the chance, as the worms leap at it and plunge their oversized spiky teeth into the unsuspecting victim. So eager is their assault that the Fell is reduced to bloody chunks and broken mechanisms and wires.

The regular Ichor Worms wiggle and surround Fell A 1, taking turns to rip at it with their not quite as mighty jaws. While one of them happily tears into the Fell, the other manages to miss as it recoils in pain, irately shouting numbers the worms have no capacity to understand.

Both Fell A guards spin around, chattering rapidly and taking out glowing purple spheres. They launch them both nearby, and one curses loudly to the skies as one of the spheres bounces just a little bit too far. The first explodes, catching the Ichor Worms in their blast, knocking them to the ground. The second explodes, utterly destroying a segment of the machine and glancing off of the machines' head.

There is a silence for a few fleeting seconds. Fell B 2 starts barking at Fell A 2, raises its weapon and fires a beam of energy at it, catching the guard by surprise.

Fell B 3 watches the commotion, kicks the wall behind it in frustration and aims at Fell B 2, missing entirely and managing to strike a glancing blow on Fell Structure 5.

Fell C surveys the scene, and wordlessly starts repairing its broken limbs. It works alarmingly rapidly, seemingly completely recovered from Typhon's earlier attack. The Machine pulls its furthest segment closer to it.

This is going to be a lot easier than I thought, isn't it.

looks like they think A2 turned traitor. meaning it's options are to actually BE a traitor or die.

super worms split up, 1 attacks B3 the other attacks A1. regular worms move to attack B2.

typhon attacks the machine segment 2.

>>430943
>>430944
B3 sided with A2, let's not attack him yet.

One of the regular worms should attack A1 and move towards the vehicle. The other should move to I13. If A1 is still alive, attack it. Otherwise attack A2. One special worm should go attack the C, and typhon should too if it survives. Otherwise attack the vehicle. The other worm should attack the Fell A2, unless it dies, then attack the vehicle as well.

Why the heck are they firing on their own? Are there multiple factions here? Are those healing guns? Maybe the type As explode on death, and they're trying to trigger that while the worms are in range?

Or are they really trying to kill it for it's incompetent grenade attempt?

Trying to turn A2 before he can be executed seems interesting. If we add a fell living section on to our base, we'll have the purple smoke to keep him alive, and a living specimen to study. Even better, even normal quarters would act as a cell, since the fell can't operate outside their own atmosphere.

Taja will be understandably less than happy to see it, but we can probably explain the value in having one of our enemy to study.

Targets- finish off A1, diplomacy on A2, gang up on C.

>>430946
oh yes, read it wrong. B3 seems to thing B2 is a jerk.

Typhon should continue to attack from where he is, SV 1 should move to D18 and attack Fell C. SV2 should move to D14 and attack the Fell C. Worm 2 should continue to attack A1 while Worm 1 goes to attack the Machine Section 2.

Typhon should tell A2 that if it wants to live it should retreat behind the barriers and he will promise shelter and protection.

it looks like the Fell C can fix itself as fast as typhon can maul it, unless it exhibits offensive ability's we should ignore it. typhon should start attacking the machine segment, we don't know what it does but lets not give it a chance to show us.

>>430955
Are you forgetting hes riding a machine that uses ICHOR? You know that stuff that is made of magic? Leave him alone and he might deside to fire it. I doubt that thing is for show. Better to kill the pilot so we won't have to deal with a blast from it.

Typhon go full attack on Fell C and move on to attack the remaining machine segment if that guy drops quickly. Worms move as per other suggestions to split attacks between the Fell guards and the machine.

Shout at the Fell B guards and Fell A2. Say that if they surrender and join your army they will be spared from both death at your hands or the dire punishment for their treasonous actions at the hands of their masters.

See if the Fell structures can be salvaged. They'd look nice outside your base.

One upgraded worm should assault the mechanic alongside Typhon, the other should go attack Fell B 2 alongside one of the unupgraded worms. The other unupgraded worm should finish off Fell A 1 then standby.

Typhon 2012/07/10(Tue)14:36 No. 430993 ID: 120d63
File 134195620680.png - (407.00KB , 1024x768 , 40.png )

COMBAT - ROUND 2

Typhon digs into the second segment of the machine, slicing off the blades and prying it open. He thrusts a hand into the core of the segment and tears the ichor flowing through inner machinery, returning to his bike as it explodes. He feels the presence of the ichor much more strongly in the head of the machine now. It feels vulnerable.

The two Speedy Vicious Ichor Worms race towards Fell C, ripping it to shreds almost effortlessly. The second of the pair severs the tubes with such force the Fell does not have time to react before it falls to the ground, a pile of dead metal.

Both of the Ichor Worms attempt to take out Fell A. While the first worm misses and spends a moment picking itself up off of the ground, the second worm manages to tear open a painful wound.

I point to the Fell being shot at by its own comrades. "Get behind that barrier and I'll get you out of this alive!"

It stares back at me blankly as its remaining teammates start growling and slowly face it. "What else are you hiding, traitor?!" "KILL THE TRAITOR!"

It instantly starts running. It's not a threat to me any more, that's for certain.

Fell A 1 slices at Ichor Worm 1 as Fell B 2 fires a clean direct beam of energy at it. The worm writhes on the ground for a bit before exploding into a cloud of ichor.

Fell B 3 takes a shot at Typhon, landing a lucky shot on a structural weakness of the bike. The bike still holds, but a sickening lurch and spasm shows the damage was far from trivial.

The Machine begins powering up.

Typhon can take out the head by himself, I think. Being able to control Ichor must make him super effective against it.

Send the two vicious worms against the two gunners. Our last normal worm should finish off Fell A 1.

All units: close and finish off the machine. Claim ichor for heals. If the machine goes down and you still have unused attacks, begin mopping up remaining fell.

The normal worm should move to the side of the Fell it's attacking away from the shooters and attack again. Typhon should attack the head, and the augmented worms should also attack it until it is destroyed. If it does get destroyed the worms should attack the top Fell gunman.

I agree, the head must be destroyed before it can fire. The only one not attacking it should be the normal worm who'll finish off that gaurd.

Nooo! Wormbro!

>>430994
Do this, but consider dismounting/reabsorbing the bike if it's becoming unreliable.

ram the bike into the head segment and jump off it, letting the bike destroy itself on the head.

worms attack B3

Typhon 2012/07/10(Tue)16:41 No. 431022 ID: 120d63
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COMBAT - ROUND 3

Typhon and Speedy Vicious Ichor Worm 1, with their efforts combined, manage to completely wreck the machine before it has a chance to do anything. Untouched among the carnage, rippling gently above the ground, is the shining brilliance of the pure ichor sphere.

Hmm. That's strange. I wasn't aware I was able to salivate. All that hunger discussion earlier must have triggered something. I have the strangest predatory urge to tear into it with my jaws, but I need only touch it to bring it into me.

Speedy Vicious Ichor Worm 2 flies at Fell B 3, managing to severely wound but not kill it with a flurry of vicious sharp pointy bits.

Ichor Worm 2 manages to end Fell A 1's wretched life once and for all. Typhon feels an impulse of satisfaction from the worm's limited mind.

Fell A 2 runs so far into the distance that the purple smog absorbs him.

Fell B 2 sees its opportunity and takes a shot at Ichor Worm 2. This too does not manage to kill it, but the worm begins bleeding ichor at an alarming rate, crumpling to the ground. Crippled! Action points are now at 3 for Ichor Worm 2.

Fell B 3 returns Speedy Vicious Ichor Worm 1's sentiments through the medium of burning energy, boiling away precious ichor back to Typhon's base.

I can hear some voices around me. Some of the chatter isn't streams of numbers.

"What is Karx going to think?! What is he going to do to us?! He'll have us recycled in nanoseconds!"
"Don't be concerned. They will need to transport the sphere back to their base. We will chase them then. They use weak transports, helpless against any aerial attack. They will be vulnerable."

I was under the impression the Fell knew I could hear them from moderately large distances. It seems I was mistaken.

hmmph, they seem to think we just carry the spheres. indulge and eat it. if they still want to fight then fight.

>>431022
Of course, they're wrong. We don't need to transfer the sphere. We can just keep fighting their forces until Typhon falls, and then MISSION COMPLETE because we respawn back at base with all our ichor intact.

Typhon should grab the sphere (with his mouth, why not) then he and the idle Vicious worm should go and kill the unwounded gunner. The worm in combat should continue combat.

You could always ride your bike to avoid attacks, but that's not going to get the corpses delivered for analysis very well...

Maybe the plan should be that you take off first after the combat to draw the Fell's focus, and fly around distractingly while everything else is lifted up.

Make sure the bike's fully repaired first, of course.

>>431022

Dang, A2 left the battlefield completely? I wanted to offer him refuge so we could study him. Maybe use him to tap their communication network.

We don't have to carry to ichor, but we do want to take bodies back with us for study. Especially C's corpse. Or bits of the machine if we can- it would be nice to know how and what they're doing to our ichor!

>Strange urges towards the ichor
WAIT. This is unusual behavior. Could the ichor have been contaminated or affected in any way by that machine? Consider your impulses carefully, and study the ichor for any abnormalities before absorbing. This could be a trap. That could be why this encounter looked imposing, but the fell fell before you like leaves.

If the ichor is contaminated, someone or something will have to carry it back so you can purify it for later absorption. (Can your minions carry ichor? Or will we have to improve a container to handle it without absorption?)

>>431022
Hrm. Absorb the sphere and mop up, but see if we can incapacitate B2 and take them alive for study.

You think the Worm near the gunner can restrain or otherwise grapple him?
Either way, adsorb the Ichor sphere, move the other worm to attack the other gunner and tell them to drop their weapons or face oblivion.
Given Ichor isn't hard to shape it would be fairly easy to make restraints for them.

Ok, then. Eat the ichor sphere in a showy way to show them how well you can keep it safe. Then attack everyone that's left. The worm on the right should attack the nearby guy, then the other sv worm should attack it, or the other if it dies, then you should attack the bottom one. Wounded one can't attack, so go hide at F8 so it doesn't get killed. Because while we can just remake it it is a bit dumb or even cruel to throw them away.

Mental note: we need to name the poor worker drone something or other.

>>431029
A2 may have left but he can't fly. we can track him on the ground.

>>431026
We wouldn't stay dead, but keeping them from knowing that is potentially very useful (and amusing).

>>431039
indeed. make them use a SECET WEAPON but since they don't know about our re-spawn powers never develop a anti-respawn shell or something. thus we make them use their best weapon without negating our real power.

Have the wounded ichor worm fall back. Everyone else pile in on the Fell B guards.

Would you be able to use the newfound ichor to create a high-speed combat aircraft? Maybe one that could take off slowly and then double back quickly to destroy or capture any followers?

Could there be any advantages to temporarily constructing a base, making some advances or units and then disassembling it?

Typhon 2012/07/12(Thu)18:52 No. 431678 ID: 120d63
File 134214435872.png - (241.27KB , 800x600 , 42.png )

This isn't contaminated ichor. The very concept is implausible. Free-standing ichor such as this would eject all impurities. To consider this a trap is to credit the Fell with a greater deal of competence than what they have displayed so far.

...This is delicious. I didn't know I could taste. This is the best sensation I have ever felt since the world shattered. I want to savour this forever. But no, this is not the time. Maybe in the future I will have a chance.

I devour the sphere ravenously and feel more strength and sense return to me. With this sphere, mopping up the remaining Fell forces will be trivial.

Or would be, if they hadn't started running while I ate the sphere. The wounded one does not run quickly enough, and one of my improved worms quickly grabs it. Each worm is now responsible for a body or prisoner. The base sends down three ichor spheres, one for each worm and its passenger.

END OF COMBAT

Typhon 2012/07/12(Thu)18:53 No. 431679 ID: 120d63
File 134214438399.png - (162.32KB , 800x600 , 43.png )

We could track the Fell that ran, but I suspect it would have either been killed by now for betrayal or desertion or whatever reason. It is not worth charging into the unknown for.

I fly upwards into the skies, and quickly enough find out that the Fell once again attempt to shoot me down with their ground defenses. My antics prove suitably distracting. They must assume I'm transporting the ichor sphere personally. Inside my body, somehow. It's not too far from the truth, really.

The bubbles fly far faster than I can, and so I duck and weave among the mauve beams flying around me.

Typhon 2012/07/12(Thu)18:53 No. 431680 ID: 120d63
File 134214440956.png - (334.31KB , 800x600 , 44.png )

Agh!

I got too confident! My bike has been hit, is rapidly disintegrating from underneath me. If I hadn't leant backwards that would have destroyed me too--

Typhon 2012/07/12(Thu)18:53 No. 431681 ID: 120d63
File 134214442657.png - (312.39KB , 800x600 , 45.png )

Although perhaps it didn't need to!

I know I've probably died before. I came back from being scattered across the entire world. I don't remember what it's like, though.

I don't know what it will be like. I don't know if I will come back for definite.

And right now, with the ground hurtling towards me, another one of those mortal desires flares up strongly. The urge to survive. I don't want to die. I can feel it. It's rapidly becoming all I can feel other than the air racing past me.

I don't want to--

Typhon 2012/07/12(Thu)18:54 No. 431682 ID: 120d63
File 134214446260.png - (72.28KB , 800x600 , 46.png )

crack

Typhon 2012/07/12(Thu)18:54 No. 431683 ID: 120d63
File 134214448430.png - (254.61KB , 800x600 , 47.png )

--die!

...

Well, that was a roundabout way of returning home. An extremely painful way, too. I have bones! Bones that can break and shatter and splinter in more ways than I thought possible. And that was an insight into the existential fear possessed by mortals that I would rather not be returning to any time soon.

Here I am now, standing in a pool in the spawnery. Ichor flows into me from my surroundings in thick, lazy strands. The worker drone is here, manipulating the ichor to speed my recovery.

"Hi Typhon! You fell and died! Good to see you're back and next time try to be less of a show-off. You landed somewhere in the middle of nowhere so I don't think anyone saw you go splat but try to avoid doing that again!"

I still feel aches and incredible disorientation. "How is Taja?"
"She's asleep at the moment. Why?"
"Oh. Good. I think she would object to our newest guest."
"The Fell prisoner? We'll need holding cells to keep them alive for long enough to be useful, so I went ahead and sculpted them in for you."

It is time to shape my newly acquired ichor into forms more useful to me, I believe.

"Oh, and, um, Typhon?"
"Yes?"
"Everyone around here has a name but me. So, um. Could you, uh. Name me? Pleeease?"

I guess I can name this expendable extension of myself if it desires it so much.

Hmm. That's strange. I feel an odd sense of impeding doom. ...It's probably nothing. It would have been useful some time ago. Not now.

Typhon 2012/07/12(Thu)18:55 No. 431684 ID: 120d63
File 134214450840.png - (84.72KB , 800x600 , 48.png )

Ichor Unspent: 280 Ichor Spent: Typhon - Attack Strength (40) [Boosted to 48] Units - Bike (20) - Speedy Vicious Ichor Worm (55) - Speedy Vicious Ichor Worm (55) - Ichor Worm (20) Base - Laboratory (50) -- Holding Cells (30) - Observatory (50) - Spawnery (50) - Akari Habitat (30) - Worker Drone (0) Total Ichor: 680 CORE Create Worker Drone (50) Reduces ichor costs to 80% within assigned base feature. Base features can only have one worker drone at a time working in them. SPAWNERY Upgrades can be applied to units for the same cost as during creation. Units can be named if so desired. Create Ichor Worm (20) Create an Ichor Worm, a fairly simple melee unit. Available Upgrades: - Speedy (15) - More action points. - Tough (20) - Resilience to damage. - Vicious (20) - Improved jaw strength. - Smart (20) - Resistance to mind control. Create Spiker Tick (50) Create a Spiker Tick, a ranged unit that cannot move and attack on the same turn. Create Typhon Bike (20) Create a spiderbike vehicle for Typhon. Grants increased action points and the ability to fly over impassable terrain and enemy units. Only one of these can exist at a time. Upgrade - Shaper Drone (250) Consumes a Worker Drone. Allows for further spawnery actions. Does not discount prices. LABORATORY Research - Improve Typhon (??) Invest variable amount of ichor into Typhon to improve capabilities. Available Upgrades: - Health - Attack Strength - Ichor Flux Rate - Action Points Research - Design New Unit (??) Design a new unit with a specified purpose. More ichor will result in a better but more expensive unit, and vice versa. Research - Improve Existing Unit (??) Unlock a new upgrade for a specified unit type immediately. Better upgrades come with more ichor investment. Research - Investigate Enemy (??) Study captured enemy specimens to learn more of their precious, precious secrets. The more ichor spent, the more useful the result will be. Requires enemy specimens. Dead specimens are consumed, and live specimens can only be used for research once. Living subjects provide twice as much information. Upgrade - Science Drone (250) Consumes a Worker Drone. Allows for further laboratory actions. Does not discount prices. OBSERVATORY Intel - Locate Ichor Deposit (30) Locates an area of the shattered world high in ichor. Ichor is returned after intel is retrieved. Intel - Study Faction (50) Finds the location and area of influence of a specific faction, if the faction is known of. Ichor is returned after intel is retrieved. Upgrade - Observer Drone (250) Consumes a Worker Drone. Allows for further observatory actions. Does not discount prices.

TODO: Bike armor.

Name him Scrambles.

We should get two spiker ticks for 100, upgrade our normal worm with speed(15), vicious jaws(20) and toughness(20) and our two already upgraded worms with toughness(40). And the rest should be poured into our prisoner.

We should ask Taja if there are any battles ongoing that we can assist in. To prove that we can destroy the Fell and get access to ichor.

As for the drone... Zarah?

I'd like to see some science before we assign our resources. What have we learned from the corpses that made it back? Or the prisoner? Or the debris from the machine?

Ask Colin there to take you to his lab.

>>431691
Yes. Colin.

>>431691
Good point lets put 100 into tick research, 180 into Fell equipment. I hope we grabbed the barrier pylons as well. Once thats done we can put all 280 into our prisoner.

It occurred to me...

>The offspring would live either very short and painful lives or be immortals with power beyond comprehension.
I can understand why you might have a latent drive to reproduce by accident and as sort of a relic of your creation, but... why do you have the capability to reproduce?

Are you really just a weapon?

Suggestion 2012/07/12(Thu)19:21 No. 431695 ID: b85f8c
File 134214606379.png - (70.75KB , 800x600 , transalateThis.png )

Typhon, we saw something while you were dead. Please tell me if you recognize this script. It looks like it may be a cipher so I will work on translating it myself, but any aid you can render will speed that process.

It looks like it may be read from right to left...

Study Fell, four ticks, one worm, locate ichor, 100 to study the prisoner, make a spawnery drone (it should be effectively free because we will have over 250 ichor in undiscounted units and that should get discounted by more than fifty), promote our current drone to science drone and put another fifty in attack strength. That should be 680 net ichor cost. To celebrate its promotion name the drone... <s>"Ka</s> "Taka"???

Make two ticks, and one worm. This will bring our spawnery cost to 250, so because we get 20% off from drones, making one will free up 50 ichor used to make it, so it is free. Locate ichor, study the Fell with what you have left. That should be 280. To distinguish between are cute little drones, let's name the original one... Taka. The new one can be Nete.

>>431695
Okay, the symbols relate to consonants only, and are pronunciation-based. This is a very difficult thing to translate, even when I know what the symbols all mean.

Keep with the theme and name him Ladon.

>>431881
I agree with keeping the theme.

I'd go with a name like Colin... or Dave. Perhaps Steve.

Another bike is not the way to go. Far too fragile. Maybe an armour clad hover bus with a ramming plow up front. Perfect for storming defenses and good for transporting allies or prisoners alike.

Also I recommend that the ichor worm that captured the prisoner gets a promotion! Upgrade him with the 'smart' and 'tough' upgrades as well and make him the king of worms. You could name him Mannimarco.

Otherwise get a few more troops and research the prisoner. Hopefully that guy will reveal more ichor sources.

Once there was a shining empire.
It weaved magic into substance.
It was given the name.

Once there was a shining empire.
It feared magic.
It sought to replace it with the works of mortals.

Once there were shining empires.

There are no shining empires any more.

Oh dear. That's noot a good sign for Wintermol

Typhoon, it appears some part of your subconscious or substructure may have access to information your conscious mind does not. I'm not sure if this information comes from your inaccessible memories, or if it's draw remotely from scattered ichor fragments.

Unless you dream. Could this be a manifestation of your fear for Wintermol, rather than a true message?

The interesting question is whether you perceived the message at all, or if it was visible only to us advisers.

Typhon 2012/07/13(Fri)15:33 No. 432028 ID: 120d63
File 134221882722.png - (88.85KB , 800x600 , 49.png )

> Are you really just a weapon?
What else could I be?

> Do you recognise this script?
I see nothing but darkness. If there's a script there I can't make it out.

> That's not a good sign for Wintermol.
I won't entertain these conspiracy theories, advisors. Do not speak of Wintermol in such a fashion again, please. I'm powerless to stop you, but I would greatly prefer it if you did.

> Can you dream?
Why would a weapon dream? I do not sleep. Dreaming requires sleep.

Enough of these inane questions. Time to focus.

Typhon 2012/07/13(Fri)15:34 No. 432029 ID: 120d63
File 134221884566.png - (118.50KB , 800x600 , 50.png )

Ichor Spent: Typhon - Attack Strength (40) [Boosted to 48] Units - Mannimarco (King Worm) (76) [Reduced from 95] - Elite Worm (60) [Reduced from 75] - Elite Worm (60) [Reduced from 75] - Spiker Tick (40) [Reduced from 50] - Spiker Tick (40) [Reduced from 50] Base - Laboratory (50) -- Colin (Worker Drone) (0) -- Holding Cells (30) - Observatory (50) - Spawnery (50) -- Ladon (Worker Drone) (50) - Akari Habitat (30) Invested - Locate Ichor Deposit (30) - Interrogate Prisoner (74) [Boosted to 178] Total Ichor: 680 UNITS MADE Spiker Tick x 2 (80) [Reduced from 100] Bike reabsorbed for 20 ichor. UPGRADES The Speedy Vicious Ichor Worm responsible for capturing the Fell prisoner has been upgraded with Tough and Smart. The new King Worm decides to celebrate its newfound sentience with a hat. The other two are upgraded each to Elite Worms, possessing Speedy, Vicious and Tough upgrades. DESIGN Unable to provide information at this time. RESEARCH 74 ichor invested into interrogating the Fell prisoner. Unable to provide information at this time. INTEL 30 ichor invested into locating a new ichor deposit. Unable to provide information at this time.

"Typhon! Typhon, something's wrong! The base systems aren't acting properly and--"

Agh! What is that sound?! It sounds like angry winged insects are flying inside my head! Is that possible? AGH! It just gets louder and louder! I can't see! There's nothing but--

Typhon 2012/07/13(Fri)15:34 No. 432030 ID: 120d63
File 134221888276.png - (104.02KB , 800x600 , 51.png )

I can see again and--

"..."

Who the-- how did they-- when did-- "There had better be a good reason for you to be in my--"

"Name."

I... what? The intruder just stands there, staring at me with great intensity.

"Say it. Name me. First thing that comes to mind."
"Wh--"
"Name. Nothing else."

Echidna.

You created her, Typhon. This is the terrible thing that happened when you got attached to someone- she became separate from you and corrupted by your enemies. She will kill you. Run away.

Nyx.

rochelle.

Paco.

Nohpyt wait no that's dumb. We need some kind of analogous name.

>>432031
what?

>>432035
Mythology where we got your name says Echidna. Sounds good.

>>432036
This image here >>430151 translates to
"I'm not a part of you any more
I will kill you
I am so so sorry"

>>432028
The text here symbolizes:
(k)(n) (th)*(r)(b)*
(w)*(th)(ng) (m)*(r)
(t)* (m)*

I'm having issues with translating this.

>>432050
Okay lemme get this for you.
"Can there be nothing more to me?"
"Die"

According to the others, her name is Echidna, and you must KILL HER NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW.

She does seem to be a threat, and so you must destroy her. She looks like you, and therefore may be on your level of power. Therefore, she may be responsible for your destruction. Kill her.

>>432051
Oh, that was an n. Thanks.

>>432051
>>432044
both of those happened when he talked about how he is just a weapon. perhaps this other entity is those emotions given form due to his denial of them?

>>432054
What no plz don't kill.

Pretty sure she is the product of that last dalliance with a mortal.

>>432061
Well, if she is his daughter then Echidna would be an inappropriate name. I'll change my vote to Nyx to be safe, I suppose.

Funny thing Typhoon, it seems like there was something corrupting that ichor after all. That or she was waiting in your system this whole time, until you got strong enough for her to emerge.

Definitely Nyx.

I say we call her nyx and we hear her out, but keep your guard up

Nyx. I want to learn more about her, so killing shouldn't be our first resort.