On the fourth face of the clock, dials spun, and formerly hidden numerals were revealed. Notably, the big hand grew close to the numeral of the Mangy Rat. Tick knew this, and saw that it was right. The rat-men had no place in an ordered world. They would be exterminated. That was an undeniable fact, not a threat.
That being said, Tick would endeavour to be the one to exterminate them. Somone had to.
To exterminate, he would require soldiers. Would that he had mortal followers to do the job- but to rear a tribe of mortals into a society capable of producing sufficient warriors to wipe out an entire volcano's worth of beings... would take Time. Not to mention the risk of the ratmen striking first.
Instead, he remembered beings that would serve tirelessly, things crafted in his perfect image. He struck the earth, and summoned the various metals below to him. These he took, and deep within him, he forged fresh UnLiving, beings of metal and steam as he was, of humanoid stature, with a degree of intelligence, but no soul. He released one hundred UnLiving upon the world, and bid them first to replicate themselves. They set about delving into the earth, building mines, smelters, and forges.
In no time at all, the second generation rolled off the assembly line- though they were not, Tick noted with extreme displeasure, without flaw. Evidently he had erred when creating the first, for them to be incapable of perfect self-replication.
They would have to do, for now.
Act: Create 100 first generation UnLiving
Have the UnLiving replicate themselves.
Now, the second hand of the third face struck two: the (relatively brief) Era of Settling was over, and the Era of Reconquest had begun.
The UnLiving- only a few short years after the creation of the first generation- were now an uncountable (except to Tick, obviously) horde.
"TICK", spoke Tick, ordering his minions forwards. The ratmen had no idea what hit them, as unflinching machines laid waste to their hovels, and cut them down as they fled. Steadily the tide of steel flowed up the slopes of the volcano, divisions of third generation UnLiving led by second generation sergeants, commanded by the first generation. And amongst them strode Tick himself, crushing caves beneath his great legs, blasting ratmen with scalding steam, and speaking doom at them.
Act: Lay waste to the ratmen, in an attempt to exterminate them.
Tick watched impassively as the UnLiving performed their methodical slaughter. He did keep an eye on the ratmen, for though the species as a whole was a blight on the world that needed to be erased, it may be possible for certain individuals to show greater promise. Whenever he spotted a particularly talented or well-organised member of the species, he bid the UnLiving capture them rather than kill, and had them brought before him.
As he examined the minds of his captives, some he dismissed as worthless, consigning them to a quick death- but others were more 'fortunate'. Where he saw the spark of Order and Industry, he took their bodies and made certain changes. Aesthetically, he cleaned up their matted fur, somewhat straightened their crooked backs, and trimmed the beards from their faces. Mechanically, he increased the dexterity of their already nimble fingers, gave them the strength to hold a hammer, and invigorated their brains, giving them the potential for greater intelligence.
He was not done, however. He also delved into their minds, and tinkered with them, instilling a fascination with machinery and its workings, a desire to create, and a burning hatred for their lesser brethren. With that, he was satisfied, and released his subjects back into the world. As a parting gift, he gave them a name: the Igundan. He would observe their actions, for now, to see if the changes he made were enough to exempt them from his prophesied extermination of the Mangy Rats- rats they may be, but perhaps no longer mangy.
Act: Create (from captured ratmen) the Igundan.
Release the Igundan to do what they will.
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Topic: Gotterdammerung IC Turn 2: Loyalty Rewarded (Read 3631 times)