GAME OVER, MAN. GAME OVER!
Instead of fighting to get something out, we're calling the game now! Sure was fun! Below are the results of final designs, the rolls for final plans, and some bullet points for what I had planned:
Wellmoss Spores (Strider)
Result: 12
Referring to wellmoss spores as being related to wellmoss in any way does the spores a major disservice - these spores are practically a new lifeform all on their own. The moss is “programmed” to absorb even the tracest levels of moisture from its surroundings, including drawing water from living creatures it’s “latched” onto. The spores are covered in an extremely adhesive mucous membrane that also provides some natural protection and an immediate source of nutrition. By the time the mucous is absorbed, the spore will have spread not unlike a chameleonic mold, with denser concentrations of the wellmoss along the lines of least resistance to other spores on an attached surface. Small nodules bloom along these lines and burst open once they mature, spreading hundreds of thousands of spores through the air/water/other permeable medium. Wellmoss spreads quite quickly, sprouting blooms within a day and bursting not long afterward.
Resonance Canisters utilizing a novel material known as Well-Glass (formed by melting down the powdered silicate rocks found in wells after pulverizing them into a fine powder, then letting them cool in thin sheets) “hum” at a consistent frequency that, after significant experimentation, keeps the spores “inert”. Once the pressurized canister is shattered, the effect of the well-glass drops as the spores fly out to begin their adventure.
M1 Nahu Pepeaio (Powder Miner)
Result: 11
A convenient cavern positioned deep beneath the Initharian colonial capital turned out to be the perfect location for Kaimana Nima and his pet project. A number of buildings were constructed in the cavern to make up the cutting-edge facility responsible for some of the more abstract experiments involving intra- and interdimensional travel and communications using Pact technology outside of the Pact's reach. Hopefully.
The first structure was a circular multistory building resembling a library on the inside, but instead of books it housed rows and rows of "frequency scanning" devices based on the new Initharian handheld communications device, the Aniani. These thousands of devices are all powered by a singular massive reciprocal coilgenerator, where one coil was used to charge and recoil another as the first unfurled and spent its own energy. This results in almost perfect perpetual energy, but there is a measurable loss in potential energy as the process repeats over time.
Dozens of scientists, engineers, and volunteers monitor their own section of devices and are responsible for updating the frequency database as often as possible. The frequency scanners constantly flip through potential frequencies and activate for just a moment once they come across a frequency in use by a Glas Bolg or related device. This brief activation is imperceptible to the other side of the link and burns out the scanner. This is as designed though, since the frequency counter on the device seizes at the frequency that shorted it, and it also takes a snapshot of the other end of the link not unlike the Aniani. This grants the device attendants the ability to identify usable frequencies while also giving them an image of where exactly they're connected to.
A second structure lays next to the first and is less of a building, more of a unique massive 80cm Shaped Force Emitter with a Glas Bolg positioned at the end of the barrel. This device is powered by a pair of massive unique coilgenerators and is capable of discharging a force equivalent to 5000kg of high explosives. Both generators are drained simultaneously and it takes up to ten minutes to replace them and have the gun ready to go again. Reciprocal coilgenerators were attempted but the massive and sudden drain of power from one coil overcharged the other and began a runaway reaction until the device exploded - luckily with enough time to evacuate. The cavern used to be a lot bigger.
Dimensional Aperture Vector Editor (NUKE)
Result: 11
The DAVE is a curious device based on the Glas Bolg that is capable of piggybacking onto connections between other Glas Bolgs and diverting anything transferring via that link into another chosen location with a Glas Bolg or moderate to high levels of interdimensional energy contamination. The DAVE accomplishes this task with a Well-silver tuning device developed in secret (even more secret than DAVE) that keeps the link between all three Glas Bolgs stable and allows the DAVE to spoof the signals for receiving locations after forcing the intended receiver to shut down.
The DAVE is housed off-site in the middle of nowhere and is impossible to find, but is also protected by some of the best Embral has to offer, just in case.
Mobile Defense Platform Pana-Pana (Twinwolf)
Result: 11
The Pana-Pana is an Alanui-based armored vehicle that replaces the main gun with an armored ball turret. This turret allows the gunner the ability to fire on aerial targets at near-90 degrees with the Quad-20mm Rapid Fire guns. Tall magazine boxes hold 100-round belts of tracers and highly purified Refocyte rounds for each gun, and can be swapped out by the Loaders in the hull not unlike loading vertical torpedoes. The turret spits out rounds at a rate of 450 rounds per minute. The slightly raised turret is also capable of a significant degree of depression and rapid rotation, making it effective against infantry and armor as well.
The armor of the Pana-Pana takes several notes from the Aroha, by which I mean copies it wholesale with a layer of steel covered in refocyte and finally in tungsten carbide plates totalling 60mm of various levels of protection over the entire thing. The refocyte armor charges the batteries responsible for powering the vehicle and turret as it is struck.
M3 'Afaa' SFE Rifle (Doomblade)
Result: 10
The Afaa uses an 8mm Shaped Force Emitter protected by a barrel shroud and utilizing a battery array installed in a rubber-insulated tube running along the bottom of the body of the weapon. The pure refocyte battery array holds a massive amount of charge and, as batteries can be swapped individually (and thanks to refocyte’s color changing properties, empty batteries are easily identified), the Afaa can be fired even during reloading and is never really out of ammo until the wielder unloads every battery. The rifle comes in two formats: a standard battle rifle configuration, which utilizes a specialized firing mechanism that allows the weapon to fire three distinct bursts of force with each trigger pull and uses a buckhorn sight; and a Marksman configuration, which condenses the burst into a single overcharged shot and utilizes a variable scope and bipod. The Marksman configuration can “overheat” the shaped force emitter if fired too rapidly, warping the SFE and resulting in weapon failure, but it packs one hell of a punch.
Big Gun in Big Bunker (m)
Result: 10
The Big Gun is a very unique massive 80cm Shaped Force Emitter built within a reinforced concrete bunker. The Big Gun is powered by a pair of unique and massive coilgenerators and is capable of discharging a force equivalent to 5000kg of high explosives. Both generators are drained simultaneously and it takes up to ten minutes to replace them and have the gun ready to go again. The Bunker itself is actually part of a larger underground network built within Big Gun range of Harren City.
PLANSUnder earlier circumstances, making a Glas Bolg-derived device might be extremely difficult. Thankfully, however, Inithar's time with the pact and with the Glas Bolg facilities has evidently involved a great deal of research - enough, say, to turn the M1 Aniani into a directly Glas Bolg-derived "caelofax" device rather than a mere mundane radiofax.
Thus opens a window of possibility for the M1 Nahu Pepeaio - M1, of course, for if it is successful it will simply be the first of many interdimensional defense systems.
The M1 Nahu Pepeaio is by no means anything approaching either portable or small - it is in fact an entire small facility in Inihar's capital, underneath a building with a bit of physical clearance acquired through a bit of blatant conspiracizing. A portion of this facility consists of an array of devices based off of a combination of the coilengine, the M1 Aniani, and the more traditional Glas Bolg - the core of each individual device actually very small in size, around the size of a handheld M1 Aniani device. These cores consist of a small disc derived directly from the Glas Bolg, technically transporting materials but in reality so small that truly doing so would be practically impossible - except that they have a wire kept taut through them, taking advantage of the permeable nature of disconnected Glas Bolg devices. This wire is held on either side by a simple metal bracket connected to a set of combination discs and small, low-purity, extremely cheap coilengine - these are in turn connected to the frequency-selecting device on the disc, which is when activated constantly turned by the cheap coilengine just slowly enough to search through all of the frequencies within the core's range for a split second each but (since this method of frequency selection should allow a roughly continuous frequency selection, rather than having to individually flick a switch to each one) quickly enough to ensure the process does not take literal days.
Once any of these cores makes a connection to another interdimensional transporter frequency, the change from being transported harmlessly from one side of the Glas Bolg-derived disc to the other side to in fact being instantly disconnected snaps the wire; this jolts the bracket, disconnecting it from the transporter disc and causing it to fall off, at which point the operator (alerted by the audible snapping of the wire and clattering of the bracket to the ground) replaces the bracket and takes the old bracket to the other part of M1 Nahu Pepeaio. The operator will be using the number on the many combination discs on the bracket, which (given that they were turned at the same time as the frequency disc by the coilengine), to know which interdimensional transportation/communication frequencies were found to be actively being used to and from this dimension. For soon obvious reasons, known operational Aniani codes are excluded, and any known Pact frequencies are prioritized.
The second part of the M1 Nahu Pepeaio is, bluntly, a very very very big gun. It is not especially groundbreaking technology, being that it is simply a slightly altered and much bigger version of the Huhuli's SFE with a Glas Bolg in front of it, but the M1 Nahu Pepeaio is bona fide interdimensional artillery, being a SFE that takes up an entire room with the combination of the gun itself and its extremely high-purity Refocyte batteries - and which has a Glas Bolg in front of it, one rather larger than in the frequency-search cores. This gun is nowhere near portable and can never be used for any purpose but its designed purpose, given that it's completely built into its stationary facility. However, it packs a ridiculous punch, and the shaping of the SFE itself (long, thin spikes radiating in a cone pattern) is designed to deal an incredible shotgun-beam like amount of damage, enough to hopefully utterly devastate whatever it's hit on the other side, likely from the inside as it seems likely Glas Bolg transporters are usually indoors. Frequency numbers are manually input into the artillery system once received by the operator, which then activates the Glas Bolg in front of the gun when the gun is fired, allowing the SFE beam to be fired through to the other side.
Kaimana will share the research notes from his work on the intricacies of caelofrequency search and exploitation with his Embrallish contact, (sharing design notes with NUKE for the purpose of acquiring the difficulty decrease there).
Kaimana also targets the Nahu Pepeaio's SFE payload through a carefully considered set of conditions (though these add up to a general goal): First off, all Embrallish frequencies (incl. their Glas Bolgs) are excluded and coordination is kept with Kaimana's Embrallish contact in order to ensure that the Nahu Pepeaio doesn't end up fucking destroying the Vector Editor. Secondly, Inithari-controlled Glas Bolg transporter facilities are excepted from the list of targets... while Inithari forces are traveling out. Once Inithari forces are through or hostilities erupt between the Pact and Inithar, Kaimana fires at the Inithari-controlled facilities (basically the goal is to avoid friendly fire but not end up with the Pact turning around and fucking killing him and everyone else in the capital).
As for the actual battle, Kaimana will aim to balance the fight out, by turning the Nahu Pepeaio's fire on whichever of the Tsaelinids and Pact appear to be winning at any given moment. He will prioritize using frequencies granted through Embrallish intelligence, especially frequencies of Tsaelinid capital ships and the Pact Interdimensional Relay. (The Interdimensional Relay in particular is the very first thing Kaimana seeks to shoot once he starts firing at pact.) Once he doesn't have any known frequencies left to target, or if his Embrallish contact is currently using those known targets in such a way that fucking blowing them up would be extremely bad and horrible, Kaimana starts using frequencies found with the Nahu Pepeaio's search array.
Any forces that Kaimana secures the loyalty of are ordered to focus hostilities on the Tsaelinids, and only turn to fighting the Pact if they turn hostile first or if a point gets reached where the Pact are just stomping the Tsaelinids.
Finally, any forces that Kaimana secures the loyalty of are ordered to avoid hostilities with the Embrallish whenever at all possible. There's going to be a lot of work done if we're to build a Nahu Pepeaio-based defense system after this fight, and if we're to retake our homeland - and they are a part of that.
Dimensional Aperture Vector Editor
The Pact's second mistake was letting Embrallish Engineers get their hands on an intact Glas Bolg Transporter. Their first mistake was thinking that someone can be trusted just because he looks ethnically New-Worldish, speaks fluent Harrenese, and knows all the passwords and such needed to get in. The two mistakes compounded- an intact Glas Bolg, combined with codes and frequencies stolen from the Fortress City (or even beyond- who knows?), gives one administrator access to the entire interdimensional travel network. Now add in an obsessive personality, mix with a generous helping of desperation, and bake in the heat of unquenchable patriotism.
The Dimensional Aperture Vector Editor is a modified Glas Bolg Transporter. The key feature is that it can- with the right codes- redirect another Transporter to link to a completely different location. The new location doesn't even need to have an active Glas Bolg- just the right levels of interdimensional energy.
Mechanically, the principle is simple. Two Glas Bolg Transporters linked together create between themselves a straight line through subspace. As distance does not exist within this interdimensional space, the line has a length of zero, effectively joining the two transporters together. If one were to attempt to link a third Glas Bolg Transporter into the system, this would create a triangle, which is unfortunately impossible due to the instability of two-dimensional objects within subspace. However! The Vector Editor can be adjusted to act as if it is situated on the line between the two Transporters, using a Well-Silver tuning device (created many years ago in Embrallia to disguise the origin of a radio signal- technology that might've been useful in Harren, had radars ever come into play). This avoids creating a two-dimensional object, maintaining a stable connection, with the Vector Editor essentially acting as a midway station between the two original Transporters.
At this point, the Well-Silver tuning device can be adjusted to pretend the Vector Editor is somewhere else again (anywhere the dimensional walls are weak enough). This instantly breaks the connection between the original two Transporters (due to the aforementioned issue with two-dimensional objects), but by sending a shutoff signal to one of the devices at the same time, the energy of the collapse can be used to tear open a gateway at the new location, while the Vector Editor and one of the Transporters are deactivated. The new connection will not remain stable indefinitely- but can last up to an hour, or until the operators of the connected Glas Bolg Transporter perform a manual system reset.
What's that you say? That explanation was not simple at all? It makes no sense whatsoever? Listen, we're on Harren Island. Don't question these things too hard.
Once upon a time there was a group. A group of, let's be honest here, lunatics. These lunatics decided that it was their solemn duty to protect the entire world. They decided their homeland would need to be converted into an empire capable of global power projection, providing them a tool capable of squashing major threats to the world. Their Grand Plan started by creating a group of agents to carry out their orders- without those agents knowing of the Grand Plan. So it was that the Sau-Cihare were founded, a group who saw the world as pawns- unaware that they were themselves pawns in a gambit of inconceivable size.
There were seven in the original group, and there would always be seven of them. Whenever a member died (most often by their own hand, to prevent old age from impairing their ability), they would be replaced- a new initiate shown the true power behind the Sau-Cihare. Or, to put it another way, brainwashed using the most potent of hallucinogenic gasses and most insidious hypnosis. The names of the seven did not change- new members would adopt the name, duties, and personality of their forebearer, ensuring the Grand Plan was always maintained.
One of the seven went by the name of Dave.
The Grand Plan had many steps. The Embral Empire, a pawn of a pawn, was never their primary concern. They infiltrated every country on the planet. They arranged matters so that nobody- save their extremely secretive messengers- travelled between the Old and New worlds, ensuring that one half of the world would always be insulated from a society-destroying disaster, no matter where it struck, allowing them to direct the healthy half to restore order to the devastated half.
The Tsaelenids were somewhat of a wrench in the Grand Plan. Their preparations were insufficient- the fabric of reality was breached, and Harren Island became a infected wound, threatening the entire world. Their oldest and most heavily infiltrated pawn was deployed, along with a second empire, creating the seeds of conflict that would spur innovation and prevent the aliens from seeing them as a major threat. So critical was this mission that one of the seven joined it in person. That was Dave.
Things didn't go exactly according to plan. The Tsaelenids arrived earlier than expected, forcing Dave to get creative- and rather more blatantly involved than he would've liked, but needs must.
((Maybe. Canonicity dubious))
Dave, and his unwitting Sau-Cihare pawns, have facilitated the exchange of research notes regarding hacking the Glas Bolg. ((Cooperate with Powder Miner in research))
He has diverted more resources to enable the acquisition of Pact documents to aid in the research (on both sides of the island). ((Use Embral's banked Espionage Credit to acquire Glas Bolg data, share with Powder Miner))
Any surplus R&D resources have also been siphoned into the project- though Dave has been careful to avoid acting too obviously, mostly taking things that no one will miss. ((Use Embral's banked Research Credit (on joint R&D), but only if no one else uses it))
Nauvam Pramanu's Final Plan has been entirely taken over by Dave- Nauvam Pramanu himself disposed of quietly. The Vector Editor will not be used to facilitate Embral's retreat. Instead, it will be used to manipulate transportation across the entire island, while Kaimana Nima is relied upon to coordinate the use of the Nahu Pepaeio. The goal is to maximise the damage the Pact and the Tsaelenids cause to each other, by balancing the flow of battle as much as possible. Embrallish and Inithari forces are to be used to accomplish this as well- subtly nudging them in the right direction, and using the Vector Editor to send them to the wrong (by their wishes) area to fight where they are truly needed (while the Nahu Pepaeio is used in a similar manner, destroying (or not) forces across the battlefield for optimal balance). ((Cooperate with Powder Miner to balance the battle as described. Use my share of Embrallish forces for this goal, and attempt to nudge others in the right direction))
A century of Sikari have been thoroughly indoctrinated, to the point they would turn their guns on their countrymen if ordered to. These are reserved for the protection of the Nahu Pepaeio and Dave's own headquarters (although Dave was wise enough not to broadcast his location). Should Kaimana Nima come under attack, the Sikari will be ported over using the Vector Editor to ambush the attackers. ((This part also))
Arms Race Proposal:
Well never surrender: Never asking whether they should, only whether they could, small set of the Embrallish bioengineers began modifying wellmoss to hone in on it's capabilities to absorb water. In laboratory tests, it would absorb the moisture even in the lungs of rodents, suffocating them, and would seek its way through tiny gaps in metal machinery. The lead project engineer shut down the project 3 months prior to the Tsaelenid arrival, due to the fact that if it got out in the water, Embrallish submarines would find their movement more difficult. It is unacceptable to compromise the submarines. No other factors played a role in this decision.
Now however, the project has been revived. There will not be further tests to determine potency, spread, etc. Primary goal is simply to deliver a cargo of wellmoss spores to one of the tsaelenid ships, with a secondary goal of giving it weaker form a Xilmal-esque camouflage. It was hoped that, with this, it might take the Tsaelenids longer to recognize its presence on their vessels, providing more time to spread.
A few payloads will be sent via artillery, and two small ones via some very well trained pigeons.
Goals:
Reduction of Tsaelenid readiness to other threats
Contamination of Tsaelenid worlds with well-moss if possible
Pure spite.
Keola Nima looked out at the makeshift city they had assembled across their months in the frozen wasteland, littered with airlocked bunkers and decontamination rooms. Soon it would all fall apart. But Inithar would live on. It must. His first priority is to identify and arm troops loyal to the Rainbow Armada and evacuate the civilian populace, taking control of several arms factories (preferably in the mountains) to produce the M3 Afaa. Priority is given in the following order: the M1 Nahu Pepeaio guards, the guards for M's SFE bunker, and then those defending civilian populations. Any extra are to be handed to loyal troops to aid in the war effort. Keola is a true believer in these last-ditch plans, but if it comes down to it, he will do what he must to protect those civilians he is guarding.
Big Gun in Big Bunker
Su'muna is the head of the the Air Fellowship, this is a problem, given the Air Fellowship has few resources and little manpower or respect, but what they do have is the leftovers from other people's failed projects.
-An SFE designed to kill the Embralish flying battleship thing
-A bunker designed to house the SFE, it also has more than a few points to mount MGs for external and internal defense
What they did not have was uh, the Refocyte needed to actually power it. Unsurprising, given they haven't really been able to do training exercise for a while. The bunker and SFE have just kinda sat there for a while.
However, the Naval Fellowship has had to leave behind some partially constructed Kaipo'u. This means the Refocyte batteries supercharging their coilgines are up for grabs. One of these batteries is enough to get one shot out of the SFE, which is an incredible amount of Gravshield-ignoring power hitting whatever is on the wrong end of it. Now, they're pretty sure one shot is all they'll get before they suddenly make themselves the biggest target on Harren, but if they get spare batteries, it'll take 30-60 minutes to swap the spent battery for a fresh one.
The Refocyte batteries is being transported to the bunker by work crews that were deemed low priority for evacuation by the Black Fellowship. The bunker is crewed by the few hundred individual that make up the Expeditionary Air Fellowship (as well as anyone with a death wish who wants to join them). They were given zero priority for evacuation because:
A. The airmen only know how to fly the 'Io, which is extremely antiquated by now.
B. They haven't even trained on it regularly.
A literally empty transport ship was seen as more useful by the Black Fellowship, as it could pick up more survivors from sunken ships. This is, morbidly enough, a boon for the holdout attempt: airmen and mechanics are not veteran marines, but with nowhere to go and nothing to do but die, they can put up some resistance. Su'muna's Adjutant will lead the defense and make sure the SFE is aimed in the area of the Tsaelinid capital ship where Pact intelligence thinks the powerplant probably-maybe-potentially could be. if they actually manage to knock the capital ship out of the sky somehow, then any follow up shots should be aimed at the second largest Tsaelinid and so on. If the SFE doesn't in fact work at all but also does not explode and kill everyone then they'll do their best to act as a decoy for the Nimas.
What is Su'muna doing? well it's best not to dwell on the actions of a man that thinks himself a failure and laughingstock, who's had all he said he hopes and dreams for turn to ashes in his mouth, but he has made sure the bunker is as well supplied as he can, particular mention goes to the Pohu Ringa, as he worked closely with the manufacturers to get it out the door and likely had the closest relationship with them of any.
Plan: Defense Net
Pana-Pana defense platforms and any available troops will be placed at key locations of tactical and strategic importance in order to ward off air attack and potentially assist troops on the ground. Key among these is the portal network - they are critical targets and can't be allowed to be bombed to uselessness, and especially not captured. Hold the line and help as many people get out as possible.
Generally working with the Pact, but the core target is Tsaelinid vessels and troops; other targets are only considered if they threaten the evacuations or the vehicles themselves.
PLAN RESULTSPowder: 7
NUKE: 10
Strider: 8
Doom: 6
M: 2
Twin: 5Main Finale Points:
- Admiral aboard Leviathan assassinated via poison in his favorite bottle of alcohol, Embralish fleet fails to unify as a single force after infighting aboard Leviathan sees mutineers capture it and disappear. Rumors of the vessel being used by a mysterious organization have been investigated and cannot be confirmed.
- Navy Fellowship focuses on efforts to retreat, Marine Fellowship sees more honor in joining Pact, while Army Fellowship has a split between Pro-fighting and Pro-tsaelinid.
- Fighting aboard Aroha as marine contingent attempts to overthrow army crew. Kai Leilani witnesses the conflict from her bed in the medical facility aboard the mobile fortress.
- Last major battle solely between Embralish and Initharian forces, includes fighting between Mea Kaua ʻAlalā and JagPal Stealth suit teams.
- Huhuli Mk.3 gets its ass rekt in a fight involving the Behemoth but lands a crippling hit
- Dooms guns are handed out to soldiers involved in player plans resisting the tsaelinids
- M fails to recruit any help, but planned for that instance and undergoes the lengthy process of one man readying his big gun in his big bunker
- Twin's net is full of large holes, but once fighting kicks off the mobile aa proves to be quite useful
- Nuke and Powder effectively muddle actions by both the Tsaelinids and the Pact. It's enough to ensure a stalemate for a number of days. Sikari also see themselves wholly supporting NUKEs plan, including integrating into units defending Powder's M1.
- M fires bunker gun during this time. Shot is eaten by a random fighter with an oddly familiar shape. M gives up in a bunker the way guys in bunkers do with an oddly familiar gun. The ethereal laugh of a queen carries across the wind.
- Some of the larger alien ships receive significant damage from Aroha fire before it is bombarded from the air and combed over by Tsaelinid ground forces. Fighting is intense. Kai Leilani becomes defacto commander for Marines left fighting in the Aroha's husk.
- Kona finally sinks while escorting Initharian ships out of the blockade, but not before doing its part to punch a (temporary) hole in the alien's coverage.
- Xilmal returns to the radio station she rampaged through, uses it to issue a challenge to Gavros.
- Invasion halts, the two engage in a hand to hand fight above Harren City. Both land some devastating blows, but neither can best the other enough to keep them down.
- Powder's M1 is utilized as the duel wears on, destroying a number of tsaelinid capital ships in quick succession as well as the Pact's Interdimensional Relay. Countless refugees attempting to flee are killed as a result, but the rapid succession of destruction of both the relay and, luckily, the Tsaelinid Warp Tender led to an instability pocket for a brief moment over Harren, causing anyone over, on, or under the fortress-city to be sent back to their own reality or banishing them at random if this one was their home. The two main islands are untouched by the anomaly, but any foreign entity is trapped in this reality for an indeterminate amount of time.
- Harren turns into an even more chaotic warzone with multiple factions fighting over the scraps.
- The Leviathan becomes capital ship for a submersible pirate fleet society that utilizes the Wellmoss Marine Jungles to hide their movements.
- Kai's people repel enemy attacks and eventually use the Aroha as a base of operations that develops into a city in its own right. While her bloodline is held to high regard, democracy reigns in the small society.
- Behemoth become a camp for scavengers and raiders - the coin face opposite the Arohans.
- Xilmal was flung into the Tsaelinid reality alongside Gavros. They become a frenemy power couple as she fights alongside him until she learns how to take him out, but holds Gavros' capabilities in high regard. Gavros figures one more rival can't hurt, and this one will at least listen to him. Keep your enemies close, and all that.
- A single canister containing mysterious spores found itself smuggled onto a Tsaelinid ship before it disappeared back to its realm. While initially discovered and kept intact for research, a lab accident releases the spores on a Tsaelinid planet, resulting in an outbreak of hostile mossgrowth that was already spreading to other planets by the time the consequences of the act were becoming apparent. Mossplague proves to be a permanent and serious, but not crippling, issue for the Tsaelinids to deal with, especially at the furthest reaches of their home empire.