Our Story So Far...
997.02 (22/60 Months)
Next Population Increase in 997.11 (2d6+4 roll returns 2+3+4 = 9)
Pillar Mountain Population 260 (+177) (-41) (30% + 2d10% returns 39 + 25% = 64) (+25% per roll, no UnEarthen for 2 rolls); 7 Superior Minds, 1 Mother Mind, 197 Drones, 7 Strong Eyes, 21 Streamline Drones, 27 UnEarthen
Black Chalk Population: 57 (7 Superior Minds, 1 Mother Mind, 18 Drones, 31 UnEarthen) under Chomvid
[i]Pink Clan Population: 135 (-32) "parts of the same self" under Chartosh
Link to the stat sheet for the Katha is in
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1259&start=450#p155100
(it's better than spamming it every month.)
This Month's Rolls
Allies and Enemies
Characters
Other Knowledge
Other Dimensions known
This Month's Rolls :
Zolorm's Power Beacons: 81 +81 (last month's total) = 162/155 (Complete)
Chuwu's Mineral Hoverboarding: 14 +62 (last month's total) = 76/300
Muial'ki Assaults on the Trolak: 89 76 38 = 203
Trolak Defense: 96 (Critical!) 5 (Critfail) 100 (Critical!) -45 (divebombing weighted sheep wielding greatmauls) = 51 1 55 = 107
Result: Critical and Critfail cancel out, Critical 100 neutralizes Muial'ki advance; the battle is a stalemate as the Trolak bring out a Secret Weapon.
Chomvid's Attack: 73 78 99 (Critical!) -17 (Bad UnEarthen Mutations, no teamwork) = 56 61 82 = 199
Pillar Mountain Defense: 2 (Critfail) 93 1 (Critfail) = 96
Result: Critical enemy intel plus two critfails, one of them a natural 1? Oh, this isn't going to be good...
Superior Mind saving throws (Any 1 results in a kill, any fail in a bad injury, 11+): 6 18 7 17 5 9 4
Glorth Saving Throw (16+): 5 (Badly Injured)
Chartosh's Assistance to the Trolak: 71
Your assistance to Chartosh's Thralls: 56
Researching "Anti-Hate": 10 = 10/500
Wiping out the Black Chalk Clan: 23 (Unsuccessful)
Xiu's Blood Ignition Services: 31 (Not very successful)
Grounk's Crossbreeding: 87 (You might be on to something...)
Mongao's Ember Armor: 32 (There is potential... but you need far better conditions)
Zolorm's Assassination Attempt: 1 (Critfail) 
I wish I was kidding about this roll, but the RNG is pissed
Chomvid Saving Throw (16+): 12 +10 (Critical 1... oy...) = 22 (would have been a 16 if successful assassination)
Allies and Enemies :
Great Stag Spirit (Morale Boost): Neutral Good
The Telsen'ari (Hippo-rhinotaurs): Neutral, possibly Neutral Evil, have moved south out of range
The Blackness (Evil spirit force): Enemy of all that is in the material world
The Mist (Evil spirit force): Physical version of the Blackness, so rare as to almost be unique
"Greater" Calmer Lands spirits (Will aid you once on your behalf on an SA or FH)
Discorded Snarl: Sealed in the Pillar of the Hexen Slip
Chomvid and the Black Chalk Clan: Negative; bunch of "crystal meth" addicts
Chartosh and the Pink Clan: Overly upbeat, willing to help, childlike; now one "voice" under the "rule" of Glotch
Glotch: The Entity, seemingly a being made of "knowledge"...?
Andersandria: Demon of the Scarred Scar, with her partner Gore
Trolak: Sentient Avians, masters of wind magic, defensive-move specialists (+7 AC while in the air), immune to Glotch
Muial'ki: Winged Bighorn Sheep, advancing on the Trolak and very much the religous zealot stereotype
Characters :
Zolorm (Synch) {Constructionist} (2 Standard Actions, 0 Finest Hour)
Grounk (Krulle) {Food Collector/Harvester} (2 Standard Actions, 1 Finest Hour)
Mongao (Nolandking) {Warrior} (5 Standard Actions, 0 Finest Hour)
Eelem (D34lock) {Diviner} (5 Standard Actions, 1 Finest Hour)
Chuwu (Patdragon) {Shaman} (3 Standard Actions, 2 Finest Hour)
Glop (Badge) {Beast Master} (6 Standard Actions, 2 Finest Hour) I expect Badge back "soonish", so I'm not going to set his character to idle just yet.
Xiu (Burns) {Sage, specialty Mutations} (1 Standard Actions, 0 Finest Hour)
Mutation: Clearsteel Form (Invis, AC +7 and Damage Reduction 10/+1 while in water)
Mutation: Complete Imperviousness to Fire
Mutation: Able to Ignite Water in 5' radius
Chirp (Gathers) {Superior Mind, Historian} (4 Standard Actions, 1 Finest Hour)
+20 on data-based rolls (archiving, drawing conclusions, research, problem solving)
Carpacio (Chuck) {Arcanist} (1 Standard Actions, 1 Finest Hour)
Cannot move 150 feet from the Pillar of the Hexen Slip or 100 from another Clan's Pillar
Prestige Class: Manipulator
Strong Telekinesis (400 pounds within 150 feet of any Pillar of the Hexen Slip)
Force Bonus to AC (10, 7 if not at home Pillar)
Can see into Other Dimensions
Can sense Deity Interference
Can physically manipulate Ley Lines
Other Knowledge : Dark Oak forest trees extrude "stone sap"
"Telsen'ari" (Hippo-Rhino Taurs); out of sight far to the south, something spooked them
Ley Lines seem to consume iron to recharge magic/powers
Ten mile radius around the Pillar of the Hexen Slip defended by counterfetishes
Wooden Forts/buildings have been built on Pillar Mountain for shelter
Knowledge of forging Iron Weapons unlocked
Buildings constructed by Katha can exist in more than one plane at once (Force effect)
Blackness seems to want "Only Chaos," can possess the dead
Discorded Snarl rearranges any solid matter it comes in contact with, can steal thoughts, might gain sentience
Pillar of the Hexen Slip can be used to grant mutations at 50/50 odds of good/bad, -10 per extra mutation if specific mutation sought
Red Minerals ("Neandersite") found in caves contain potential magic...?
Karthesis plant = fertility, bad mutation blocking
Control of Discorded Snarl is possible, but requires a lot of effort...
Ley Lines + Charged Neandersite = Boom
Use of Charged Neandersite cuts one off from spirits
Kathan Armor designed and tested
Purgative for the Karthesis plant is possible to get rid of negative mutations through vast consumption
Ember Emeralds are supercharged Neandersite, can be used to contain primal elemental magic
Klerite: Appearance, shapeability of clay, strength of steel, explodes on contact with fire
Stone-Eye Plant: Can only be cultivated in the Purefire Lands, opens psychic senses
Kathirals: Batteries with Purefire Land "Liquid", functional only if flash frozen
Other Dimensions known : Spirit Realm (Etheral and Astral Planes),
The Calmer Lands (effectively endless plains filled with neutral natural-world animal spirits)
The Grand Abyss (a bottomless pit filled with souls that succumbed to the sin of sloth),
The Purefire Lands (Effectively a Nether x Oblivion crossbreed; no life as you know it): One pocket invaded by the Obsidian Scar
The Obsidian Scar (Traditional Hell)
The Scarred Scar ("Damaged" bit of Purefire Lands, ruled by Andersandria)
This month is a month of WAR on more than one front.
We begin with the Trolak / Muial'ki war. The "sheeple" as Burns put it, are beginning to accent their warriors with stone greatmauls. The stones that make up the hitting end appear as opalescent, fiery faceted gemstones that seem to "drip" when unsheathed and glow when they strike. These gems resonate on some kind of natural elemental frequency that when it strikes a solid object, it sets up a vibration wave of force so as to function as a Shatter spell. This is cleaving the ranks of the Skydancers left and right until Chartosh's thralls arrive and start using the power of Glotch to project their magnetic fields into the field of battle. The stones themselves are unaffected (and indeed, the mineral detection of the thralls firmly puts them in a "not food" category) but the handles are solid poles of rough iron, and are therefore affected by the magnetic fields. You're not able to yank them out of the air (too strong to be disarmed, but you throw them off of their targets, because physics), but the actions of the thralls along with your assistance saved a lot of Trolak lives. The Chirpshriekers are unhappy because they had to go and get outside force to deal with the threat, and some of the Feathershrikes and lower classes of birds are bitching at them to STFU and "take their medicine with a side order of crow". While they are un-moved, changing their opinion has gone from near-impossible to mostly likely.
Then, the rams break out a weapon. Calling on the power of their god, a house sized ghostly ram's head PLOWS into one of the villages in the mountains as one of the biggest magic missiles you've ever seen. Translucent white bubbles of abjuration energy surround the strongest clerics of the Muial'ki, and they swoop in for the kill. They are not taking prisoners, slaughtering the place to the last man. During the final decisive battle, Chartosh loses about 32 thralls to their divine assault (this display of power is part of what causes the storyline below to end as Glotch wants nothing to do with such mindless zealotry) and you lost 23 of the 30 Strong Eyes you have and 18 regular drones (fortunately it's a breeding month so your numbers are replenished a little but still, these sheeple play for keeps). Mongao's Ember Emerald idea doesn't seem to hold up, and is in fact shattered during the ongoing combat by a ram charge directly at him. He's knocked backward by the force of the golf swing and he lands on his face, the Ember Emerald shattering on impact. The idea is very sound, but you've probably got to wait for safer conditions before trying enchanting them (especially unrefined. As an FH, this idea WILL eventually hold its own rather than completely fizzle, just not yet).
Finally, the Trolak unveil a weapon of their own. From a hatch inside the walled village, a 30' wide and 50' tall tower on a series of iron gears slowly rises up out of the ground, with a "head" in the shape of an eagle's head. The beak opens and a MASSIVE electrical blast equal to a blue dragon's breath weapon parts the advancing Muial'ki hordes like a flaming sword through undead flesh. Then there's another blast, and another blast. The "Ironbeak Tower Jolter" fires several times in rapid succession before the three large crystals at the top of it (one in each eye, one in the forehead) shatter and blanket the area in a thick village sized cloud of ozone. The Trolak have no problem breathing. You... not so much, as there's almost NO oxygen in this cloud. The Muial'ki that were in the village? Decimated. The Trolak do not have additional crystals to re-power their I.T.J, and they only have three towers in varying spots in their lands.
The sheeple turn tail, apparently under orders from their highest priests. You haven't seen the last of them, but they've been driven off. Both sides are left licking their wounds; this wasn't a victory, this was a stalemate. and I really need to make a new map with all these races/places... The other downside to all of this is that now they're aware of your existence because of Chartosh's aid... and they will be coming for you.
Back at home we have the problem with Chomvid, who apparently has been getting knowledge from an outside source that isn't Glotch. Either that, or he's incredibly clever. First, he waits for a path back to your clan to be formed after yet another attempt to deal with him diplomatically falls apart. Then he sends some of HIS UnEarthen to mingle with yours, and puts a mental shroud over them by use of a ley line's power (since their neandersite is all but gone now, they're coming back into the world fully and can use the lines). These UnEarthen pose as members of YOUR clan, since as UnEarthen, they're usually overlooked completely. While the majority of you are off assisting the Trolak, they start a pincer attack when your numbers are diminished as Chomvid leaps from the spiritual and attacks. The battle is brutal and Chomvid's Clan is fearless, and the Pillar Mountain Clan is forced back into their buildings where the Black Chalk Clan cannot get in. In fact, it is the call of "they're killing us!" that brings most of the group back to Pillar Mountain from the Gravel Road, Chartosh's thralls included. The Superior Minds are badly hurt, and about half your streamliners have been taken prisoner by Chomvid.
When Chomvid oversteps his bounds and attempts to damage the Pillar of the Hexen Slip, or attempt to crosswire it to his own, Zolorm sees the opportunity. An assassination attempt from the shadows is made, but with all the combat going on, the Black Chalk Clan have had a chance to study your "mental wavelengths" even in times of defense (TL;DR: He sensed you coming). Picking up a large stone with one talon, he flings it at Zolorm in a critical hit straight to the eye, immediately resulting in a knockout. Instead of straight up murdering Zolorm, he takes him prisoner instead and recalls his clan just as Chartosh's thralls show up. The Black Chalk Clan retreats, and imprisons Zolorm in a cage hanging off the side of the biggest of the Black Chalk Cliffs. It is then that Zolorm finds out exactly why they're called that. There's a HUGE "lake" of Blackness inside the mountain they're on, directly under the cliffs. The Blackness has just been soaking through it all this time, which explains Chomvid's dislike if not hate.
The good news? This "lake" seems not to be sentient. Tendrils of the stuff can be seen creeping out of the cliff wall unconsciously though, and a strong enough burst of emotion might "wake it up"; Chomvid is unaware of or ignoring it as usual since it's a spiritual thing. Chomvid has made no demands yet, but you're sure he is going to. He lost quite a few UnEarthen in the pincer surprise, and it looks like he is valuing your streamline drones, and threatens to execute Zolorm by severing the cage off the side of the cliff. Chartosh on the other hand is... well, upset isn't the right word. He's preparing to send his remaining thralls to why hello there Pinkamena stomp Chomvid into the ground. With both sides' numbers diminished from their battles, it is unclear who'd will be the victor though your injured Superior Minds give the advantage (barely) to Chartosh.
Finally, Grounk spends some time doing some crossbreeding. He's on to something, but only has resources enough for one kind of cross branch. He can crossbreed the Karthesis plant with "Unnamed Plant A" (heightening fear and triggering a fight or flight response), "Unnamed Plant B", dumbing down resistances to emotional effects (which stacks against your natural emotional spell weakness), or "Unnamed Plant C" (inciting berserk rage). Nothing about "anti-hate" is discovered, although the natural thought would be start with the reverse (angry rage) and work backward to calm.
I haven't forgotten about Zolorm's watchtowers. They're "online" this turn, but they've taken a far backseat to all those extreme dice. Next turn I'll go into them a little bit more.
Storyline: Something Different This Way Comes
This storyline is considered done. Glotch is moving off and fading back into the etherial, its knowledge sated for now. It is afraid of the zealotry of the Muial'ki and it looks like they don't value knowledge at all... only the destruction of all who do not worship the same caprine deity they do. Glotch will still be "around", however, and contactable, "prayed" to by those it likes (Chartosh's thralls and the Pillar Mountain Clan).
Storyline: Demons on Parade
Andersandria doesn't trace back Carpacio's trashtalk, although she is amused by the fact it's relayed to her in her own voice (which is what Katha telepathy does). However, she does sense the unleashing of energy from the Trolak's secret weapon (the crystals are spiritual in nature; not found on the prime material plane), and is gearing a group up to investigate. The area around her "throne area" is keyed up to open a portal straight to the Trolak lands. She acts next turn, and the birdbrains are too busy recovering from the assaults of the Muial'ki to know she is coming or prepare a proper defense. This "expedition force" out-bruteforces your clan by a fair bit (about 200 minor demons, a handful of major ones and her at the front). You can probably keep her attention if you continue to trashtalk, which would delay her... but such trashtalk will mean she becomes completely aware of you and where you are in relation to the planes of existence (TL;DR: Portal, right to the Pillar of the Hexen Slip).
WILL YOU...
A) Send a war party to chase (some of) the Muial'ki down in an "eye for an eye"? They live at the furthest end of the Gravel Road.
B) Send scouts to assist with cleaning up after the Trolak/Muial'ki battle to foster better relations with the Trolak?
C) Focus on recovering Zolorm and your stolen streamliners/data center drones, assisting Chartosh's curbstomping?
D) Trashtalk Andersandria to delay her and warn the Trolak?
E) Focus on recovery, healing your Superior Minds and Mother Mind? Another hit like that and it's all over.
F) Focus on the idea of Ember Emerald armor? It's got potential, even with unrefined Ember Emeralds.
G) Try to extract the chemical gas at the bottom of the Crevasse Cavern that condenses into the anti gravity crystals?
Statistics: Posted by Aegis J Hyena — Mon Feb 23, 2015 9:39 pm