Turn 1SpeciesAll species gain 4 EP.
Azthor
The Bangellian Devourers have found themselves in an unfortunate position on the food chain. Being both incredibly numerous and practically incapable of defending themselves, it was only a matter of time before predators evolved to fill the niche above them. It only took a little while for them to learn to digest the corrosive fluids in each Devourer, at which point they were able to feast and proliferate. By the end of the century, being consumed by the hundred is a fact of life for Devourers.
Even worse, the northern elements of the hive mind have been beset by plague and forced to leave the homeland by an entity known as 'The Uncleansed'.
Nevertheless, despite these scourges, the Devourer race flourishes. Even as psychic death cries echo through the hive mind, they continue to multiply and consume what lies beneath them - grass and the occasional piece of carrion. In short, they endure.
Events
Predation in southern hexes.
Northern hexes ravaged by plague. Population migrates north.
Worship of The Judge spreads in the south.
Draiotch tries to affect the hive mind and fails.
kaian-a-coel
The Crymits build a temple to Omoloth. It ends up being more of a burrow thanks to their lack of architectural skills, but it serves as an amplifier for the power they grant him.
Events
Temple built.
Draiotch grants a boon to the Crymitian Emperors.
Omoloth raises a monolith in Suriloy.
Both Omoloth and Draiotch gain worshippers in Crymit territory.
Crymit search parties destroyed by legendary Zjelldursin.
Poltifar/kaian-a-coel
The Crymit soldiers were out in force.
Thousands of them scurried through the northern tunnels, scouring them for any clues as to what might have caused the disappearances. Workers followed behind, digging through the rubble of the collapsed tunnels.
A psychic shout interrupted their tasks. A group of soldiers had found something monstrous.
These soldiers were part of the rearguard. The creature had sensed their trespass as soon as they had arrived, and in a display of animalistic cunning it had tunnelled around and collapsed the tunnels leading back to the hives, using its ability to hear them through the walls to avoid the Crymits until it had collapsed them all.
There was only one thing to do. The Crymit workers immediately turned about and began digging their way home, while the soldiers rallied to lay down their lives in order to give them time. The creature no doubt believed that all of them would flee in terror once they realized their predicament, allowing it to hunt them down at its leisure. It had not reckoned on the desperation and tenacity of the Crymit soldiers.
They swarmed and fell by the dozen, crushed or smothered by the beast, their corpses stripped of crystal and used as ammunition against the next wave. The beast's weakspot was obvious to the Crymits: the crystal positively oozed magic, illuminating its entire body, but it was no good. The creature didn't need to see in order to fight them, and in the cramped confines of the tunnel it was nigh-impossible to break past its guard. Those few who did break through were forced to stare helplessly at the crystal as they were devoured.
In the end, of the entire force of soldiers that ventured forth into the lair of the beast, not a single one remained alive. Their broken bodies littered the tunnel, but their sacrifice saved the lives of every last worker, allowing them to carry the news back to the High Council while the creature feasted in the darkness.
Grek
In the shallow coral seas, where there had never before been any sound save that of the shifting waters, the Calx begin their music. The first song heralds the birth of rationality beneath the waves, and is heard by all manner of creatures both near and far. Rudimentary language follows, and the Calx develop the ability to share their thoughts.
Events
Niklas gains something approaching a following.
Language develops among the Calx.
RulerOfNothing
The Retha have, over the past hundred years, split into two factions. The influence of Omoloth has caused a number of Retha to begin innovating and organizing, while the influence of Klaskos has encouraged the more traditional hunter-gatherer society. While there are no tensions at present, the polarization of Retha society has begun.
The followers of Omoloth have begun to build shelters for themselves, and with that comes the concept of ownership and authority as the builder claims the land it is built on. Other Retha may choose to gather food for him in exchange for his building skills. The first steps toward unification have been taken.
Events
Omoloth raises a monolith.
Both Omoloth and Klaskos gain followings.
Shelter-building becomes a thing. Tribalism takes root.
DescriptionName: N/A (Have not achieved the sentience required to name themselves yet, other races are free to call them whatever they want)
Outline:
Large and long-lived amoeba-like beings that normally bide their time hidden underground or in caves. They have not achieved full sentience and consciousness of self, but have a primal cunning and wisdom that should not be underestimated.
Breeding Factor: 1 (1 EP) [asexual reproduction]
Multiplier: 1/10,000
Physiological Traits
Amoeba Body 5 (9 EP)
The body is mostly homogeneous and hard to permanently maim without literally hacking it to pieces.
Mineral Consumption 4 (6 EP)
Consumes mineral and metal based matter to sustain itself. The purer and rarer, the better.
Mineral Hide 5 (9 EP)
The amoeba body is normally very soft, but the creature can attach pieces of rock, ore, and metal to its body to create a thick and sturdy hide. It's hide's composition can hint at it's age and preferred habitat.
Kinetic Shot 4 (6 EP)
Can eject pieces of its mineral hide at great speeds and moderate accuracy (the accuracy gets better if it can see its target with its eye).
Pseudopod 2 (2 EP)
Can create crude protrusions from it's body to push and pull stuff around, push or pull itself around, or smash nearby stuff. Not very dextrous, though.
Burrowing 4 (6 EP)
Can dig through natural ground, with a speed dependent on the soil/rock's hardness.
Tremorsense 4 (6 EP)
Can detect vibrations in the ground around it, and to a lesser extent the air around it. Not precise enough for it to understand complex sounds such as speech, though.
Gem Eye 2 (2 EP)
Has a single eye made of a complex arrangement of crystals. The eye's radius is 1/20th the creature's radius. Can be retracted deep in the body for safety, or placed on the fringes to be able to see. It does not see very well, though, and constitutes a weakspot when on the surface of the body.
Supernatural Traits
Prismatic Embrace 5 (9 EP)
Any creature capable of vision that sees the amoeba's gem eye has a hard time doing anything but staring transfixed at the prismatic and constantly morphing hues of the gem.
Special Traits
Age-Immortal (5 EP)
Does not die from old age
Constant Growth (2 EP)
Grows constantly as long as it is alive, at a rate of 25m^3 of volume per year. (Its diameter would be: ~4m at 1 year, ~8m at 10 years, ~17m at 100 years, ~36m at 1000 years...)
Uncivilized (0 EP bonus)
Can not learn civil and technological traits, or form a proper organized society. The EP bonus increases as time passes, considering how all the civilized races get farther ahead.
Weakspot (9 EP bonus)
The creature's gem eye is it's weakspot. Completely destroying the eye is fatal to the creature, and even minor damage to the eye can at the least be extremely painful. The best weapon type to use against it is probably a shattering weapon, due to its mineral/crystal nature, though that's up to the races to find out through trial and error
1 of 55 EP left
Status
The primary group of Bangellian Devourers currently has a total mass of 20.4 kilotons, spread over six hexes and millions of blobs. There is also a secondary group which are fanatically loyal the to The Uncleansed with a total mass of 2.1 kilotons, all concentrated in one hex.
They subsist entirely on grass, have almost no natural defences, and are incredibly numerous. Predators have been taking advantage of this, hindering their otherwise-explosive growth.
Deities with voices in the hive mind include Draiotch, The Judge, Niklas, and The Uncleansed.
Description
Outline: A small and extremely omnivorous psionic white blob.
Breeding Factor: 9 (45 EP): bipartition\regeneration.
Multiplying Factor: N/A
Physiological traits
Corrosive Fluids: 2.5 (3 EP): the creature has an internal sack filled with extremely corrosive liquid, which can spewed to outwardly digest any sort of matter, after which the creatue will try and absorb and nutrients left in the fluid. Should the creature be damaged beyond its regeneratve potential, all of the sack's contents are blown into the immediate area, allowing for its kin to incorporate its remains.
Regeneration: 2.5 (3 EP): An extreme form of fast healing based on the creature's ability to breed through bipartition.
Civil traits: None.
Supernatural traits
Psionic Hivemind: 3 (4 EP): the scattered individuals can form a psionic network through which to manipulate the world around them. How powerful an effect can be generated by this depends primarily on the number of individuals in the area.
Special traits
Technologies: None.
0 of 55 EP remaining.
Status
The Calx currently form a great coral reef that stretches over four hexes. The waters in the vicinity range from being just below sea level to around one thousand metres deep, and are home to a variety of marine life. The reef contains roughly 108,000 individuals.
Niklas is the only god known to them.
Description
The calx coral is an aquatic, metamorphic*, hermatypic**, magical cnidarian*** notable for being both eerily beautiful and horrifically dangerous. It has a Breeding Factor of 3(6 EP) and a Multiplying Factor of 1 and the following notable traits:
Physiological Traits
Arboreal - 6 (12 EP): The adult calx coral is both sessile**** and photosynthetic, forming eerie forests of tree-like coral beneath the waves.
Metamorphic - 6 (12 EP): Like many primitive cnidarians, this species has a pelagic***** larval stage resembling a small, peach-sized jellyfish that settles down into a sessile adult stage later in life.
Hermatypic - 6 (12 EP): Calx coral are hermatypic; in death, their exoskeletons build up to form tall reefs that shelter and feed the next generation.
Supernatual Traits
Cursed - 6 (12 EP): To intentionally break even so much as a branch from a calx coral is to suffer a terrible bone-withering curse.
Special Traits
Aquatic - N/A(0 EP): Calx coral, like most coral, live under water. This is both an advantage (in that they live under water), and a disadvantage (in that they cannot live on land).
54 EP spent, 1 in reserve.
* i.e. it changes form during its life cycle, much like a frog.
** Forms reefs by depositing minerals.
*** A group of animals that consists mainly of corals, jellyfish and sea anemones.
**** Doesn't move.
***** Swims in the open ocean.
Status
In total, there are 132 million Crymits and 13200 Emperors in the world at present, all of which are distributed in a vast system of underground tunnels beneath the northern mountains.
Description
Name: Crymits
adjective: Crymitian
Description: This species is divided between two major forms.
-The first, very numerous, is a head-sized crab-like creature, with a soft, red-glowing body, and a red gem-looking conic carapace. It has eight legs. Its head have ten tentacles of various size, four equipped with various tools, from spikes to claws or simply prehensile sub-tentacles, and the six others being used for eating purposes. Note that all crymits don't have the same set of tentacles tools. Some may be soldiers, with claws and stings, when workers will have digging and prehensile tentacles.
-The second form, very rare, is strangely humanoid. These powerful individuals are the heads of the Crymitian civilisation, their "emperors" and "empress". They mostly look like skinny humans made of the same red, glowing "jelly" that compose the crymits' body, with some kind of strange carapace armor (red gem-looking, like the others). Although they can expose a beautiful face, they prefer hiding it under a perfectly smooth gem-like mask. Very intelligents, they all show powerful capacities. Most of them are solitaries.
-Both of these forms live deeply underground, inside eery caverns they dug, and eat whatever they find: fungus, insects, mammals, etc...
-Note: "Crymits" can refer either to the whole civilisation or only the crab-like form. The others are called "Emperors".
Breeding factor: 4 (10EP)
Multiplying factor: 1000 - 1/10
Physiological traits:
Shell 3 (4EP): The crymits bear a red gem-looking carapace, making them look like hermit crabs. The look is deceiving: The carapace is no way as resistant as diamond. But it's still protective.
Digging 5 (9EP): Thanks to claw tentacles, crymits can dig huge tunnels in no time.
Prehensile tentacles/arms 2 (2EP): The crymits can grab objects, for handling debris from digging activities or transporting tools or objects for the Emperors. The Emperors themselves have human arms and hands.
Weaponized tentacles 4 (6EP): Various stings-, claws- and spikes-tentacles can cause sever wounds to intruders. Some even have blunt weapons, but it's uncommon.
Legs 6 (12EP): Of course it walk on something. And it can walk on walls and ceilings just like spiders. Assuming it's rough enough (it can't walk on glass walls). Emperors walk the same way as humans.
Crystal growing 1 (1EP): Through secretions, Crymits can grow red-glowing crystals inside the "hive".
Supernatural traits:
Magic Vision 3 (4EP): They have eyes, but they don't see in visible light, but in the magic spectrum, allowing them to see races and individuals with magic potential, magic spots and objects, etc.
Mind Hive 2 (2EP): The Crymits communicate through hissing and rattling, but also through limited telepathy. Emperors are of course far more powerful.
Magic Affinity 1 (1EP): The Emperors are powerful magicians, and instinctively master magics of earth and mind.
Civil traits:
Keen intelligence 3 (4EP) Crymitian Emperors are known for their superhuman intellect, wich allow them to govern the whole crymitian race (hence the term "emperors").
Status
There are currently 90000 Retha in the world. All reside within three hexes in the middle of the vast swamp created by the river's delta.
They are divided between followers of Omoloth and followers of Klaskos, although Niklas has a small, scattered following.
Description
Name: Singular - Reth, Plural - Retha, Adjective - Retha
Description: Robustly built quadripedal aquatic rodent about 1.3m tall, with a thick coat of brown-grey fur.
Breeding Factor: 2 (for 3 EP)
Population Multiplier: 1.25
Physiological traits
Limbs 6: 12EP
A Reth has four legs which allow it to move quickly on land and in water. It also is capable of standing up on its rear legs, but cannot move quickly or effectively while it is doing so. The front paws also double as somewhat dextrous hands, so the Retha can interact with their environment in an advanced fashion.
Fur coat 4: 6EP
A Reth has a fur coat which mostly protects the Reth from losing too much heat to the surroundings (especially in aquatic environments). It also protects the Reth from blunt-force trauma, to a moderate extent.
Keen vision 6: 12EP
While somewhat lacking in colour vision, Retha vision is rather good, especially in low-light conditions.
Acute hearing 6: 12EP
The Retha have rather good hearing, and a good capacity to determine the direction of sound sources.
Semi-Amphibious 4: 6EP
A Reth can stay underwater for a considerable amount of time
Civil traits
Communication 3:4EP
The Retha languages are relatively complex, but a bit lacking in their ability to describe abstract ideas.
Technologies: None currently
Supernatural traits: None currently
0 of 55 EP remaining.
micelus
You raise mighty obelisks in Suriloy and in the Retha swamps. The Crymits and the Retha are duly impressed, but neither has the capacity for reading or writing yet and so this action was, on the surface, pointless. Nonetheless, they form focal points for your incipient religion, and those nearby begin to feel the effects of your presence.
Sinpwn
You extend your gift to the Crymits, and your cult among the Emperors grows more influential due to their gratitude. While they have little use for it at present, they recognize that the blue crystal will prove invaluable if it can be produced in large quantities. Having done this, you turn your attention to the Devourers. The hive mind is in great distress, and it refuses to open itself to you. While you could force your way in with an application of power, you decide it would be wise to wait before enacting your plans.
Noodlerex
The unique freedom enjoyed by the Retha catches your eye, and you make yourself felt among them. You start to establish a following as the more receptive ones feel your presence, but in a certain region of the swamps there is a peculiar 'blackout' of sorts. After a time, you deduce that some of the Retha there are voluntarily relinquishing their freedom of choice to other Retha, to a purpose you cannot guess...
freeformschooler
As you approach the mental landscape that is the Devourer hive mind, you become aware of an all-consuming feeling of terror and helplessness that permeates the entire entity. Beset on all sides by predators, with no effective means of fighting back and the northern two fifths of their race gone, the collective consciousness disregards your attempt to grant it a gift and reaches out to you in desperation, sensing a being whose purpose it is to right injustice. Elements of it begin to pray to you whenever danger is near, and your power grows.
Criptfeind
Sacrificing a fraction of your essence, you scatter the seeds of plague across the steppe. The magnitude of this atrocity is difficult to describe, as fully three fifths of the Devourers affected perish in agony before accepting your horrific nature into themselves. Those who do give themselves up to you travel north in a great relocation. For obvious reasons, they are wholly untroubled by the predators afflicting the remainder of the Devourer collective.
mcclay
You wander the world, spreading terror among the sentient races. During your travels, you see bravery everywhere - among the Crymits who follow orders to the last, the Retha who venture into the murky depths, the Devourers who face their deaths unflinchingly - but most of all among the Calx, who venture into the unknown with no knowledge of what lies ahead. You gain a following among brave creatures everywhere, but the Calx especially, despite the fact that they know little of you.
Domain: Wilderness and Freedom
Klaskos is a relatively young god, born from the green sun circling the planet and continuing to reside there. He is an ever-changing figure never looking the same for more then a fraction of a second and as such seems unnerving to most. He is represented in religious symbols by a drawing of an infinity symbol showing his ever changing and free aspect.
Worshippers: 2.0 casual Retha, spread across the wilderness.
Divine Power: 102 (+2/Century)
Domain: Fear, Eldritch Horrorterrors, Bravery
Niklas is the god of fear and the things beyond. Most people would think that Niklas is a malvolent god, spreading fear and sadness in his wake, this is not the case. True he is the god of fear and things like that but he charishes those brave enough to stand up to fear. These few souls he takes in as his champions, spreading the word about their dark and shadowy god.
Worshippers: Small numbers scattered in all inhabited areas. 2.0 dubious Calx worshippers.
Divine Power: 101.5 (+1.5/Century)
Domain: Craftsmanship, artistry, labour, research.
Omoloth is a relatively old god who over his long existence has taken a liking to the works of mortal creatures. He's intrigued by all the work these simple creatures put into their craft, their minds, or their words. He is often depicted by his worshippers as either a giant labourer wreathed in bronze, or an aristocratic looking patron. Other depictions of him are somewhat common. His symbol differs in every culture and social class, but a crossed hammer and quill is universally known as his.
Worshippers: 1.0 casual Retha, 1.0 casual Crymits in two separate hexes.
Two Obelisks. One temple in Suriloy.
Divine Power: 103 (+3/Century)
Domain: Magic, Secrets, Greed/Generosity
Draiotch is the keeper of these secrets, especially ones which are better left unknown. It is worshiped by both those in a desperate search for arcane power and those who seek to resist the temptations of such things. Like magic itself, it is capable of dispensing both miracles and tragedy to careful researchers and greedy seekers respectively. Most often represented as a simple chained tome. In the rare times it directly presents itself, it simply appears as a indistinguishable mass of energy.
Worshippers: 2.0 casual Crymitian Emperors, spread across each mountain hex.
Divine Power: 102 (+2/Century)
Domains: War, Light, Balance
The Judge's sole job is to maintain balance and order in the world. However, often times balance can only be maintained by eradication, making The Judge a deity of war. He assists his most loyal followers with divine weaponry, and punishes the most chaotic races... or gets his followers to punish them for him. He is often represented by a statue of an beautiful humanoid holding a blade.
Worshippers: 3.5 casual Devourers, spread across all six southern hexes.
Divine Power: 103.5 (+3.5/Century)
Domain: Water, the Ocean, Rain
Form: Charyptoroth in art and legend is often represented as a gigantic sea-serpent, kraken, or sometimes simply as a bottomless whirlpool (to where you curse your enemies in your mind). But in truth, Charyptoroth is not limited to any of those forms. The only common aspects in any instance that she manifests herself, be in in reality or just in your dreams, is the sheer size, the giganticness of her aquatic form.
"You don't know Charyb'Yzz? Then listen well: The all-swallowing Charyb'Yzz reigns over oceans and the rivers, she brings rain and governs the tides. And her children are H'Na'Rho, the lord of the krakens, and Zsh'Mtur, the first sea-serpent and all the other giant monstrosities of the sea.
Her might doesn't reach unto the land, you say? But what if the rain destroys your harvest, the rivers break over the shores and destroy your house, and the fish stay from your nets?
Do not arouse her attention, unless you are willing to also calm her down with sacrifices."
Worshippers: None.
Divine Power: 100
Domains: Pestilence. Bile. Rage. Plague. Murder. Killing. Insanity.
The Uncleansed was made of the festering hate and pain in the world. It was born in the minds of mad men, killers and plague victims. It takes the aspect of a large pseudo canine with no skin and bursting pustules covering it. It travels the world inflecting pain and death wherever it goes. Driving people insane with rage and pain. serial killers, wars and plagues pop up in it's wake. Its main worshipers are the mad and those with deadly diseases asking it to spare them, although certain assassins also pray to The Uncleansed. Its clergy is made of the insane and the slowly dying, although rarely one may be given a "gift" from the Uncleansed of long life, immunity to diseases and great strengths in battle. Although at the cost of ones sanity and of their body becoming a hive of the worst plagues that have ever crossed the world.
Worshippers: 2.1 fanatical Devourers at (10, 10)
Divine Power: 86.2 (+4.2/Century)
By gum, I forgot how long doing this stuff takes. Expect that all future turns will take longer than this.
Deities, remember that you need worshippers nearby to do stuff.
A couple of people got the short end of the stick this turn in terms of stuff happening to them. Sorry about that.
Temples and equivalents work to amplify the divine power of the faithful they service.
I hope I didn't get too many things wrong about peoples' entities. If I did make a misstep, tell me.
Turn 2 will be 1000 years long.
Author
Topic: Evolution VIII: Ediacaran Power (Read 56195 times)