[I have the weirdest schedule ever. I can't make regular checks/updates on this thread, so this story-thing I'm working on is going to be very erratic.]
Gizogin took Oliolli back to the hospital, where the many dwarf miners were currently resting, sedated. Meanwhile, Gizogin X walked around the jet block, trying to find a pattern to the inscriptions. A few of them looked vaguely familiar, but he couldn't think where he could have seen them before. Suddenly, Gizogin X realized that the block was making noise. There was some kind of steady, faint tapping coming from inside it. He put his ear close to the block for a better listen, but as he got closer, the tapping ceased. Puzzled, Gizogin X walked back over to the entrance to the dining hall, where the G-Body VI was standing guard. Behind him, unseen, the box began to open...
The dwarf blinked. He was curled into a tight ball, surrounded by... he wasn't sure what. They looked like little balls of fluff, not entirely unlike those weird little weeds he'd seen on the surface. Dandelions? Whatever. These fluff balls were much thicker and fluffier than dandelion heads. One of them gave a little squeak and rose into the air. The rest followed suit, and soon he was surrounded by squeaking, floating puffballs. All this commotion drew the attention of the two figures standing on the other side of the room. One of them, the one that didn't look like someone had called a statue to life, called out something, but he couldn't make it out over the squeaking, which had become quite loud.
"I said, where did you come from?,"
yelled Gizogin X. Where the jet block had been, there was now a muscular dwarf covered in fluff. Something was making an awful racket.
"I have no idea! What are these things?"
the dwarf yelled back, trying to shake off the fluffy creatures. He swatted one of them away, and his hand came back covered in some kind of powder. "Eurgh!"
he said, and ran straight for the human who had spoken. The fluffballs followed behind, but they moved very slowly, and he reached the door before they were more than halfway across. "Out of the way! I have to get out of here! I have to..."
the dwarf said, before collapsing to the floor.[Yay, lots of stuff! I managed to weasel my fluffballs in, which is nice. These are the new, improved ones!
[CREATURE:FLUFFBALL]
[DESCRIPTION:An adorable ball of fluff. Now you will know why you fear the day.]
[NAME:fluffball:fluffballs:fluffball]
[CASTE_NAME:fluffball:fluffballs:fluffball]
[CREATURE_TILE:'o'][COLOR:7:0:1]
[BIOME:ANY_LAND]
[BENIGN]
[LARGE_ROAMING]
[DIURNAL]
[MAXAGE:5:7]
[MUNDANE]
[NATURAL_SKILL:PROSE:10]
[PET][GOOD]
[CANNOT_UNDEAD]
[COMMON_DOMESTIC]
[PETVALUE:30]
[TRAINABLE]
[LITTERSIZE:2:4]
[CHILD:1]
[GENERAL_CHILD_NAME:fuzzball:fuzzballs]
[FREQUENCY:10][POPULATION_NUMBER:10:20][CLUSTER_NUMBER:3:7]
[EXTRAVISION]
[FLIER]
[WEBIMMUNE]
[NOPAIN][NOEXERT][NO_FEVERS][NOBREATHE][NOSTUN]
[NO_DRINK][NO_EAT][ALL_ACTIVE]
[NO_THOUGHT_CENTER_FOR_MOVEMENT][NOBONES]
[NOT_BUTCHERABLE]
[PREFSTRING:fluffyness]
[PREFSTRING:adorable cuteness]
[PREFSTRING:sleeping dust]
[BODY_SIZE:0:0:100]
[BODY_SIZE:0:100:250]
[BODY_SIZE:1:10:500]
[BODY:BASIC_1PARTBODY]
[SPEED:1750]
[USE_MATERIAL_TEMPLATE:FLUFF:FEATHER_TEMPLATE]
[MAT_FIXED_TEMP:10067]
[STATE_NAME_ADJ:ALL:fluff]
[STATE_COLOR:ALL:WHITE]
[DISPLAY_COLOR:7:0:1]
[SOLID_DENSITY:1]
[COLDDAM_POINT:NONE]
[HEATDAM_POINT:NONE]
[USE_MATERIAL_TEMPLATE:POWDER:CREATURE_EXTRACT_TEMPLATE]
[MAT_FIXED_TEMP:10067]
[STATE_NAME_ADJ:ALL:powder]
[STATE_COLOR:ALL:WHITE]
[DISPLAY_COLOR:7:0:1]
[SOLID_DENSITY:1]
[MELTING_POINT:10000]
[BOILING_POINT:10002]
[SYNDROME]
[SYN_NAME:fluffy comfyness]
[SYN_AFFECTED_CLASS:GENERAL_POISON]
[SYN_IMMUNE_CREATURE:FLUFFBALL]
[SYN_CONTACT]
[SYN_INHALED]
[CE_DROWSINESS:SEV:300:PROB:90:START:5:PEAK:10:END:1000]
[CE_DIZZINESS:SEV:300:PROB:60:START:5:PEAK:30:END:1500]
[CE_NUMBNESS:SEV:300:PROB:30:START:5:PEAK:200:END:1500]
[CE_PARALYSIS:SEV:100:PROB:1:START:5:PEAK:300:END:5000]
[USE_MATERIAL_TEMPLATE:DUST:CREATURE_EXTRACT_TEMPLATE]
[STATE_NAME_ADJ:ALL:dust]
[STATE_COLOR:ALL:WHITE]
[DISPLAY_COLOR:7:0:1]
[SOLID_DENSITY:1]
[IGNITE_POINT:10200]
[MELTING_POINT:14000]
[BOILING_POINT:15000]
[SYNDROME]
[SYN_NAME:fluffy annihilation]
[SYN_AFFECTED_CLASS:GENERAL_POISON]
[SYN_IMMUNE_CREATURE:FLUFFBALL]
[SYN_CONTACT]
[SYN_INHALED]
[CE_DROWSINESS:SEV:300:PROB:90:START:5:PEAK:10:END:1000]
[CE_DIZZINESS:SEV:300:PROB:60:START:5:PEAK:30:END:1500]
[CE_NUMBNESS:SEV:300:PROB:30:START:5:PEAK:200:END:1500]
[CE_PARALYSIS:SEV:100:PROB:1:START:5:PEAK:300:END:5000]
[USE_MATERIAL_TEMPLATE:ICESTUFF:STONE_TEMPLATE]
[STATE_NAME:ALL_SOLID:ice]
[STATE_ADJ:ALL_SOLID:ice]
[STATE_COLOR:LIQUID:BLUE]
[STATE_NAME:LIQUID:freezing spray]
[STATE_ADJ:LIQUID:freezing spray]
[STATE_COLOR:GAS:BLUE]
[STATE_NAME:GAS:vapor]
[STATE_ADJ:GAS:vapor]
[MELTING_POINT:250]
[BOILING_POINT:2500]
[SOLID_DENSITY:12670]
[LIQUID_DENSITY:13300]
[SYNDROME]
[SYN_NAME:frostbite]
[SYN_AFFECTED_CLASS:GENERAL_POISON]
[SYN_IMMUNE_CREATURE:FLUFFBALL:ALL]
[SYN_INJECTED]
[SYN_INHALED]
[SYN_CONTACT]
[CE_PARALYSIS:SEV:50:PROB:100:LOCALIZED:SIZE_DILUTES:START:1:PEAK:10:END:20]
[CE_BLEEDING:SEV:20:PROB:100:LOCALIZED:SIZE_DILUTES:START:1:PEAK:50:END:300]
[CE_NECROSIS:SEV:50:PROB:100:LOCALIZED:SIZE_DILUTES:START:1:PEAK:50:END:300]
[TISSUE:FLUFF]
[TISSUE_NAME:fluff:NP]
[TISSUE_MATERIAL:LOCAL_CREATURE_MAT:FLUFF]
[RELATIVE_THICKNESS:1]
[TISSUE_LEAKS]
[TISSUE_SHAPE:FEATHERS]
[VASCULAR:1]
[TISSUE_LAYER:BY_CATEGORY:ALL:FLUFF]
[ATTACK:FLUFF:BODYPART:BY_TOKEN:UB]
[ATTACK_SKILL:PROSE]
[ATTACK_VERB:fluff:fluffs]
[ATTACK_CONTACT_PERC:100]
[ATTACK_PRIORITY:MAIN]
[SPECIALATTACK_INJECT_EXTRACT:LOCAL_CREATURE_MAT:POWDER:POWDER:100:100]
[ATTACK_VELOCITY_MODIFIER:1]
[SECRETION:LOCAL_CREATURE_MAT:POWDER:POWDER:BY_CATEGORY:ALL:ALL]
[CAN_DO_INTERACTION:MATERIAL_EMISSION]
[CDI:ADV_NAME:release sleep dust]
[CDI:USAGE_HINT:ATTACK]
[CDI:MATERIAL:LOCAL_CREATURE_MAT:POWDER:TRAILING_GAS_FLOW]
[CDI:TARGET:C:LINE_OF_SIGHT]
[CDI:TARGET_RANGE:C:10]
[CDI:MAX_TARGET_NUMBER:C:1]
[CDI:VERB:release sleeping dust:releases sleeping dust:NA]
[CDI:WAIT_PERIOD:75]
[SOUND:ALERT:200:1000:VOCALIZATION:squeak:squeaks:an alarmed squeak]
[SOUND:PEACEFUL_INTERMITTENT:10:1000:VOCALIZATION:purr:purrs:deep purring]
[CASTE:FEMALE]
[FEMALE]
[POP_RATIO:100]
[CASTE:MALE]
[MALE]
[POP_RATIO:500]
[CASTE:FIREMALE]
[CASTE_NAME:flameball:flameballs:flameball]
[MALE]
[POP_RATIO:5]
[SECRETION:LOCAL_CREATURE_MAT:DUST:POWDER:BY_CATEGORY:ALL:ALL]
[CAN_DO_INTERACTION:MATERIAL_EMISSION]
[CDI:ADV_NAME:Ignite]
[CDI:USAGE_HINT:ATTACK]
[CDI:MATERIAL:LOCAL_CREATURE_MAT:DUST:TRAILING_VAPOR_FLOW]
[CDI:TARGET:C:LINE_OF_SIGHT]
[CDI:TARGET_RANGE:C:10]
[CDI:MAX_TARGET_NUMBER:C:1]
[CDI:VERB:release dust:releases dust:NA]
[CDI:WAIT_PERIOD:75]
[CASTE:FIREFEMALE]
[CASTE_NAME:flameball:flameballs:flameball]
[FEMALE]
[POP_RATIO:1]
[SECRETION:LOCAL_CREATURE_MAT:DUST:POWDER:BY_CATEGORY:ALL:ALL]
[CAN_DO_INTERACTION:MATERIAL_EMISSION]
[CDI:ADV_NAME:Ignite]
[CDI:USAGE_HINT:ATTACK]
[CDI:MATERIAL:LOCAL_CREATURE_MAT:DUST:TRAILING_VAPOR_FLOW]
[CDI:TARGET:C:LINE_OF_SIGHT]
[CDI:TARGET_RANGE:C:10]
[CDI:MAX_TARGET_NUMBER:C:2]
[CDI:VERB:release dust:releases dust:NA]
[CDI:WAIT_PERIOD:75]
[CASTE:ICEMALE]
[CASTE_NAME:iceball:iceballs:iceball]
[MALE]
[POP_RATIO:1]
[CAN_DO_INTERACTION:MATERIAL_EMISSION]
[CDI:ADV_NAME:Freeze]
[CDI:USAGE_HINT:ATTACK]
[CDI:MATERIAL:LOCAL_CREATURE_MAT:ICESTUFF:TRAILING_VAPOR_FLOW]
[CDI:TARGET:C:LINE_OF_SIGHT]
[CDI:TARGET_RANGE:C:10]
[CDI:MAX_TARGET_NUMBER:C:2]
[CDI:VERB:release dust:releases dust:NA]
[CDI:WAIT_PERIOD:75]
[CASTE:ICEFEMALE]
[CASTE_NAME:iceball:iceballs:iceball]
[FEMALE]
[POP_RATIO:1]
[CAN_DO_INTERACTION:MATERIAL_EMISSION]
[CDI:ADV_NAME:Freeze]
[CDI:USAGE_HINT:ATTACK]
[CDI:MATERIAL:LOCAL_CREATURE_MAT:ICESTUFF:TRAILING_VAPOR_FLOW]
[CDI:TARGET:C:LINE_OF_SIGHT]
[CDI:TARGET_RANGE:C:10]
[CDI:MAX_TARGET_NUMBER:C:1]
[CDI:VERB:release dust:releases dust:NA]
[CDI:WAIT_PERIOD:75]
[SELECT_CASTE:FEMALE]
[SELECT_ADDITIONAL_CASTE:FIREFEMALE]
[SELECT_ADDITIONAL_CASTE:ICEFEMALE]
[USE_MATERIAL_TEMPLATE:MILK:MILK_TEMPLATE]
[STATE_NAME:ALL_SOLID:frozen fluff milk]
[STATE_ADJ:ALL_SOLID:frozen fluff milk]
[STATE_NAME:LIQUID:fluff milk]
[STATE_ADJ:LIQUID:fluff milk]
[STATE_NAME:GAS:boiling fluff milk]
[STATE_ADJ:GAS:boiling fluff milk]
[PREFIX:NONE]
[MILKABLE:LOCAL_CREATURE_MAT:MILK:200]
[USE_MATERIAL_TEMPLATE:CHEESE:CREATURE_CHEESE_TEMPLATE]
[STATE_NAME:SOLID:fluff cheese]
[STATE_ADJ:SOLID:fluff cheese]
[STATE_NAME:SOLID_POWDER:fluff cheese powder]
[STATE_ADJ:SOLID_POWDER:fluff cheese powder]
[STATE_NAME:LIQUID:melted fluff cheese]
[STATE_ADJ:LIQUID:melted fluff cheese]
[STATE_NAME:GAS:boiling fluff cheese]
[STATE_ADJ:GAS:boiling fluff cheese]
[PREFIX:NONE]
They're basically fluffy death incarnate. The iceballs are especially deadly; in single arena combat, they can kill giant sponges. Sure, they do it by encasing them in ice, but still. Oh, and I have plans for the dwarf. He's a very !!FUN!! character, I can assure you.]