I realize the week before the next edition of a game comes out is hardly the most auspicious time to put up a new mod, but what the hey. It's fairly well tested, so hopefully there won't be too many embarrassing mistakes...
Contains 4 new civs, 3 new megabeasts, generally stronger megabeasts, one new power, and 4 new HFS. Includes the hydra head fix from dig deeper or age of heros, I forget which.
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I forgot to mention one important fact: I set crossbows (and archammers) to be two-handed weapons, so you need to tell your marksdwarves to use two hands. Archammers are supposed to be small catapult things that shoot heavy, blunt cylinders. They are less powerful than crossbows. I added them because I put in a fair number of things that aren't overly bothered by piercing damage.
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Files hosted in zip format on my Google sites account.
http://sites.google.com/site/dfcatchynamemod/modInstallation instructions:
The zip contains two objects folders. The one simply called objects is intended for use during world gen and Adventure mode. The one called objects(fortress) is intended for use in Fortress mode.
Replace the default Dwarf Fortress\raw\objects folder with the one from the zip. THEN DELETE THE CONTENTS OF Dwarf Fortress\data\objects. Otherwise you will get errors due to duplicate creature ids.
To switch to the fortress mode objects folder, rename the current Dwarf Fortress\raw\objects folder objects(genAdventure) and replace it with the objects(fortress) folder. You do not need to delete the contents of data\objects. The only difference between the two sets of files is that more creatures can fly during adventure mode, since flying breaks fortress mode AI.
This mod is fairly modular, all the changes are in separate files. So, for example, if you want to use the quicklings and nothing else, just copy the files that mention quicklings in the name into your objects folder, to wit: body_quickling, body_queen_and_quickling, creature_a_quickling, item_a_quickling, and entity_quickling.
The reason I asked you to delete the contents of data\objects is that when I strengthened the megabeasts I split creature_default into two files, neither one named creature_default, which confuses DF unless you delete its already-compiled copy of creature_default.
Civilizations:Quicklingquickling/quicklings/quicklingish
Physical appearance
Quicklings are a short, lean humanoid race. Their long, powerful legs are doubly jointed, like a racing dog’s. Their arms are more usual, with dexterous five-fingered hands that contrast the three broad toes on their feet. Their faces are relatively flat, with wide mouths, long nostrils, and expressive eyes. Quicklings have no hair whatsoever.
Clothing
Quicklings favor light clothing, mostly shirts, vests, and the like. They keep their long legs free of potential entanglements, favoring short skirts, thongs, and loincloths. In battle, their spearmen wear wooden armor on their upper bodies.
Anatomy
The primary difference between quicklings and other humanoids is their unified cardiac and respiratory system. This combined system is forced on them by the extraordinary oxygen demands of their high-speed lifestyle. This system, though resistant to stress and extended activity, makes them quite sensitive to chest injuries of any kind. Their extraordinary legs are a similar point of weakness, as they are heavily innervated and served by major arteries.
Mythology
It is said that the quickling race sprung from the wombs of the mercurial queens. Some of the oldest tribes are still led by these queens.
Relations with other species
The quicklings’ habit of abducting and indoctrinating the children of neighboring communities makes interspecies relations universally poor, even with species they would otherwise get along with, such as the elves.
Population
Quicklings live on fast-forward. Their children are able to run within hours of their birth, and they reach adulthood after just one year. Their high-speed metabolish exacts a terrible toll on their bodies, however. Quicklings can die of age-related degeneration after just two years of life, and the oldest of them rarely hit 40.
Weaponry
Spearlings and Wrestlers hold the front lines of the quickling army. These troops are backed up by skirmishers wielding quicklingish blowpipes. The unique quickling respiratory system allows these blowpipers to launch a fearsome volley of oversized darts, and the pipes are sharpened so that the pipers can close to melee after exhausting their ammunition. Quickling thieves wield barbed sickles known as thorns.
Defenses
Quicklings are a very dexterous race, and can easily bypass passive defenses such as simple traps. Their preference for wooden weapons and armor and their frail physique makes them much less than a match for stout dwarven warriors, however, their tendency to fight from ambush makes intercepting them difficult.
Antediluvianantediluvian/antediluvians/antediluvian
Physical appearance
Antediluvians are pale, emaciated humanoids. Most lost their hair to the infirmaries of age long centuries ago. They drape themselves in clothing made from the leather of sea creatures and the silk of underground organisms. In battle, they wear breastplates and shields of advanced metal and carry fearsome metal wands.
Anatomy
Antediluvians are like any other humanoid species under the skin; however, thanks to their vampiric nature they don’t actually need any of their internal organs. The only exceptions to this rule are their brains, which house their minds, and their hearts, which house their spirits.
Mythology
It is said that the Antediluvians hail from a land long lost beneath the waves, possibly even a previous iteration of the world. It is whispered that, in the last days of this drowned land, the sorcerers and priests of the doomed nation struck a terrible bargain with powers best left unnamed, and so gained unnatural long life and release from the downfalls of flesh.
Relations with other species
Universally poor. The antediluvians believe that all the species of this world are their property, so they think nothing of torture, slavery, and theft. At the same time, they react violently to the death of one of their own. Once a site reaches a high enough level of development, the antediluvians will try to steal its secrets and claim its treasure as their own.
Population
Dwindling. Antediluvians cannot truly reproduce; their children are semisentient degenerates at best. It is believed that this is a result of the bargain they struck to preserve their lives. As a result, the death of any antediluvian permanently reduces their population.
Weaponry
All antediluvians have sharp fangs and an unnatural thirst for blood. In addition, many of their soldiers wield metal wands, which fire powerful magic runes at their victims. Antediluvians know a great variety of these runes, which they carve into small disks of metal, wood, or bone. If an antediluvian wandsman runs out of runes, he can still fight using the vicious barbs decorating the length of the wand.
Defenses
The antediluvians are clever enough to bypass most passive defenses; and, unlike the quicklings, direct confrontations are more likely to result in a dwarven version of the charge of the light brigade than in victory.
Irinirin, irini, irinic (why no, I don’t speak Hebrew. Why do you ask?)
Physical appearance
Irini are winged humanoids, angles fallen from the grace of some distant heaven. Their skin is harder than plate mail, and they are quite resistant to extreme temperatures. They still recall some of the secrets of that distant place; enough to make weapons which dance with flames that consume only the flesh of the wielder’s foes.
Relations with other species
Mostly positive. The irini are a small, quiet race without imperialist tendencies. Their caravans crisscross the land in winter, trading with the other peaceful races at a time when few other caravans are abroad. The irini tend to be attacked by the goblins and the quicklings, however, both of whom want the world for their own children.
Population
Dwindling. Each irinic tribe is composed of only seven members: six irini and the archangel which watches over them. Irini children are known as Innocent Souls. These children never advance beyond childhood in appearance, and over the years their personalities drift and change so much that it is said that their bodies are inhabited by a series of lost souls in turn.
Firbolgfirbolg/firbolgs/firbolgan
(No, nor Gaelic, or whatever language that is)
Physical appearance
The firbolgs are a race of giant animistic humanoids. They have impressive manes, often resembling those of lions or wolves, and their full beards rival even those of the dwarves. They are strongly built and heavily muscled. Their most unusual feature is their legs, which are double jointed like those of the quicklings, although the legs of the firbolgs most closely resemble those of the wolves or the large hunting cats. They need alcohol to get through the working day, and can quickly drain your fortresses alcohol stockpile if given the opportunity.
Relations with other species
Universally poor, due to their habit of kidnapping and enslaving members of other races.
Weaponry
Firbolgs employ a variety of weapons scaled to take advantage of their great size and strength, including axes, hammers, and war-picks. Their most noteworthy weapons are their various projectile throwers. Their skirmishers employ multiple variations on the same theme: a long, halberd-type pole-arm that can be used to launch throwing spears, bladed disks, or heavy balls. When on the offensive, the firbolgs employ standard siege tactics, attempting to starve out their opponents prior to the main assault. Their troops are not particularly nimble, however, so even the simplest of traps can be a great asset.
MegabeastAdamantoise
The Adamantoises are great, armored tortoises. Walking fortresses, Adamantoises have reinforced shells, spined tails, heavy, clawed feet, and armored heads. Their fearsome beaks can both crush and tear. Oddly, they feature a pair of eyes on the thigh of every leg, that they may better observe their foes. Even injuries as great as the loss of its head won’t slow an Adamantoise down.
Mercurial Queen
The Mercurial Queens are four armed, four legged creatures very like their children, the quicklings. At the end of each of its four arms, a Mercurial Queen has a huge hand with extremely long, sharp fingers. With a flick of the wrist, a Mercurial Queen can send these fingers sliding into the flesh of her foes, seeking internal organs and sensitive arteries. In addition to these fingers, Mercurial Queens have long, whip-like tails, and a crushing bite which is typically employed only as a last resort. The Queens have long faces and snouts, with large ears, large nostrils, and four eyes. Like the quicklings, mercurial queens are completely hairless.
Dread Seraph
Giant, six armed, eight winged emaciated figures, the Dread Seraphim are the guardians of the great cycle of life and death. Their wings shimmer with this dual reality, simultaneously existing as glorious fans of golden feathers and as great bone scythes.
PowerArcangel
Wings. And fire. And Light.
Six wings veil a core of divine light, a curtain between the world and the heaven from whence came the Arcangel. Beneath the wings, the Arcangel has eight legs, four ox, two human, and two eagle. Six hand-tipped tendrils spring from its back, and its head, while humanoid, also has something of the ox and the eagle. The Arcangel’s body is actually fairly delicate, but to get to it one must get past its protective wings.
Fun stuffSpoilered for thoroughness, but all that is included is some basic flavor/descriptive text that you should probably read.
Demon of the race of Decarabia
These demons are floating, inverted pentagrams. The name Decarabia appears to come from the 10 lines that compose a pentagram: five lines forming a five pointed star, and five more forming a pentagon enclosing the star. Their primary attack is a blast of demonic energies directed at foes in melee.
Demon of the race of Bael
These demons have a round, blobby torso mounted on eight spider legs. From the torso spring three heads, those of a cat, a toad, and a man. Their animal aspects strike with fearsome bite attacks, and their human aspect wields potent magic. It is said these demons may also fire blasts of burning webbing at their foes.
Demon of the race of Sin
These demons have the aspect of a gibbering horde of demons, each representing one of the seven deadly sins. Though the individual demon avatars are fairly fragile, these demons have been known to keep fighting even after all the avatars have been smashed and ruined.
Hellfire Colossus
The great Hellfire Colossuses are the guardians of Hell; great, burning, steel statues that exist only to smash trespassers on Hell’s dominions. Their right arms terminate in wicked swords, and their left in deadly clawed hands.