now that I'm thinking about it, we don't have an Engineer caste, the closest we have are Slann and axolotls, but the former were the servants that focused on magic while the latter are our clerk-caste, doing mundane jobs. in the OTL the lizardmen didn't really rebuilt what was lost, just maintaining what they had, and I'm pretty sure it was a big deal when a city was refounded. if we make the Varanus' an engineer caste that can manage/rebuild the geomantic web, ley-lines, Waystones and cities that fall during the Great catastrophe, then we can make a better worker-caste.
edit:
the Old-Ones are currently the highest authority on engineering, but its a safe choice to make the Varanus' as a back up when they're gone.
That's why I think it would be a lot more practical to just systematically modify the future varanus. I don't want millions of varanus sort of idly fucking around without a clear role in our system that's commensurate with the numbers of them that exist. That's just asking for trouble in the long run when Chaos shows up and things get ugly.
Frankly, I think replacing and deposing the varanus (and that's what this would be, just less traumatizing) is overkill. Both in the sense of the varanus being good enough, if not entirely satisfactory, but also because there's a simple solution to, say, not having enough strength to lift and haul stone blocks: cranes, pulleys and rollers.
My preference for a solution to the problem of obsolescent castes is to make tools, not castes.
To this end, @Ralakesh's Sisiutl--a biological powered exoskeleton--lends itself quite nicely. It also leads naturally into biological powered armor, which is too cool not to pass up.
Except for the first sentence, I'm unsure what you mean by that. But okay.
[X] Plan: Unorthodoxiest solution to the Varanus problem
-[X][BAS] Cnidarian (Hydra)
-[X][SER] Servant Package
-[X][TRA] Toxic spike
-[X][TRA] Large
-[X][TRA] Attuned to a Wind (Ghyran)
-[X][TRA] Muscular
-[X][TRA] Hundred-limbs
-[X] Name: Sisiutl (Legendary two-headed serpent)
-[X] Description: Sedentary organisms that live on other species. Their servant programming dictates that they obey the creatures on which they ride, assisting in any task by serving as additional strong limbs. They can also use Ghyran, the green wind of magic, and sting with their venomous spikes to assist their allies in combat.
[X]Plan Lanternkeepers
[X] Plan: Optimised mantises from HK
[X] Plan: Not so Solid Snake
And a subspecies for a power armor version.
[ ] Plan: Unorthodoxiest Varanus Armor
-[ ][BAS] Cnidarian (Hydra)
-[ ][SER] Servant Package
-[ ][TRA] Toxic spike
-[ ][TRA] Large
-[ ][TRA] Attuned to a Wind (Ghyran)
-[ ][TRA] Muscular
-[ ][TRA] Scales
-[ ] Name: Armadochiauhcoatl
-[ ] Description: A subspecies of Sisiutl, designed not as a tool of peace but as a war-armor. Instead of splaying out several prehensile limbs from the back of the operator, the Armadochiauhcoatl wraps layers of muscle and sinew and scale tightly around their body, moving as they move to bear the armor's weight and to augment their strength and speed. Only a few bare limbs are left to wave on the operator's back and on the backs of their hands, bearing nematocytes to sting the enemy with the deadliest neurotoxins red-clawed Nature can devise.
I think we should just make the Kroxigors and repurpose the the modified Dragon Ogres to magical infrastructure engineers basically their job would revolve around developing ,building ,expanding ,overseeing and maintaining magical/magitech infrastructure and architecture like the geomantic webs , the temple cities , the warp gates and stuff like the waystones ,heavy duty mega wards and maybe some cool stuff like a network of teleportation gates across the solar system but mainly between the moon and the rest of the planet , in cannon these guys would have had the jobs of keeping the geomantic web aligned ,keeping the temple cities and their spawing pools in repaire , help maintain the waystone network powering the vortex and try to figure out a way to fix or seal the collapsed warp gates
I think we should just make the Kroxigors and repurpose the the modified Dragon Ogres to magical infrastructure engineers basically their job would revolve around developing ,building ,expanding ,overseeing and maintaining magical/magitech infrastructure and architecture like the geomantic webs , the temple cities , the warp gates and stuff like the waystones ,heavy duty mega wards and maybe some cool just like a network of teleportation gates across the solar system but mainly between the moon and the rest of the planet , in cannon these guys would have had the jobs of keeping the geomantic web aligned ,keeping the temple cities and their spawing pools in repaire , help maintain the waystone network powering the vortex and try to figure out a way to fix or seal the collapsed warp gates
I think that's the plan, we don't have to change any traits, just reprogram the spawning pools to to give them better imprinted knowledge. this will allow the lizardmen to pick themselves back up when the moon eventually collapses/implode into the warp. the Kroxigors should have the Huge trait as it allows them to do more work and the benifits of a longer life due to the Large trait is useless due to being a servant species.
I've said it before, but you can't reprogram the spawning pools for varanus. The Old Ones have programed them to spit out varanus on schedule for the next few thousand years without any oversight. There are tens of thousands of spawning pools across the world, moon, and space stations. They'd all have to be reprogrammed. The Committee doesn't think it's worth the effort to do that. Institutional inertia is very strong.
oof, but can they be taught the knowledge to perform an engineering role? either by the Old Ones or Slann? they sould also have some knowlegde due to helping out building Structures.
oof, but can they be taught the knowledge to perform an engineering role? either by the Old Ones or Slann? they sould also have some knowlegde due to helping out building Structures.
I think that's a different department than us. We put the initial product together and give it a set of parameters. It's some other blokes who make plaques, coordinate with the underlings, and gives more direct instructions to the people planetside.
And they probably hate our guts for making them solve our fuckups.
I've said it before, but you can't reprogram the spawning pools for varanus. The Old Ones have programed them to spit out varanus on schedule for the next few thousand years without any oversight. There are tens of thousands of spawning pools across the world, moon, and space stations. They'd all have to be reprogrammed. The Committee doesn't think it's worth the effort to do that. Institutional inertia is very strong.
I think that's a different department than us. We put the initial product together and give it a set of parameters. It's some other blokes who make plaques, coordinate with the underlings, and gives more direct instructions to the people planetside.
And they probably hate our guts for making them solve our fuckups.
oof, but can they be taught the knowledge to perform an engineering role? either by the Old Ones or Slann? they sould also have some knowlegde due to helping out building Structures.
People might want to reread the update that covered that. Varanus already serve as auxiliary artisans/craftsmen that assist axolotls. If you want a servant that has the knowledge to build a temple city that's what the slann and axolotl are for. What are you envisioning? That role is already filled. Also why would the Old Ones want a servant that can fulfill their role? The servants exist to fulfill the Old Ones plans, not make their own plans like an equal. They're servants.
[ ] Business Monkeys
-[ ][BAS] Fimir
-[ ][SER] Non-Servant
-[ ][TRA] Adaptive
-[ ][TRA] Gifted Spellcasters
-[ ][TRA] Keen Senses
-[ ][TRA] Large
-[ ][TRA] Lightning Absorption
-[ ] Name: Hunshi Hau
-[ ] Description: Large apemen with one eye and fur that seems to attract electricity and always sticks out like needles despite its softness. Have a strong instinct to explore and witness the magics of the world.
-[ ] Location: Anywhere they can feasibly get, though permanent settlements tend towards mountains, treetops and other thunderstruck places. Starting location is the Mountains of Heaven
General idea here is to explore the Fimir's natural "second eye" trait upgraded with Gifted Spellcasters and Keen Senses, while also experimenting with Lightning Absorption on spellcasters.
People might want to reread the update that covered that. Varanus already serve as auxiliary artisans/craftsmen that assist axolotls. If you want a servant that has the knowledge to build a temple city that's what the slann and axolotl are for. What are you envisioning? That role is already filled. Also why would the Old Ones want a servant that can fulfill their role? The servants exist to fulfill the Old Ones plans, not make their own plans like an equal. They're servants.
Except for the first sentence, I'm unsure what you mean by that. But okay.
[X] Plan: Unorthodoxiest solution to the Varanus problem
-[X][BAS] Cnidarian (Hydra)
-[X][SER] Servant Package
-[X][TRA] Toxic spike
-[X][TRA] Large
-[X][TRA] Attuned to a Wind (Ghyran)
-[X][TRA] Muscular
-[X][TRA] Hundred-limbs
-[X] Name: Sisiutl (Legendary two-headed serpent)
-[X] Description: Sedentary organisms that live on other species. Their servant programming dictates that they obey the creatures on which they ride, assisting in any task by serving as additional strong limbs. They can also use Ghyran, the green wind of magic, and sting with their venomous spikes to assist their allies in combat.
I believe you disallowed the Symbiote trait specifically, but not the idea of a creature that rides another creature while providing some symbiotic benefit. Is this allowed?
With the very mixed results that stemmed from the creation of the turtles and moths, it was hoped by many members on the Committee that more sensible creations would be put forward. They had the benefit of hindsight to see where things went wrong and possible pitfalls to avoid in the future, even if they disagreed on what exactly went wrong.
The Turtle Clique continued to pretend nothing had gone wrong, while the rest of the Committee politely ignored their disappointment in the moths. It wasn't the moths' fault. They were simply designed that way, though none would take the blame for that, much like the oversight of leaving the first iterations of the turtles without skin. They were simple mistakes that anyone could have made that were best forgotten about.
It was time to move onto their next creation…
===
Species Creation
Plans must include a name for the species, basic description of their appearance, and location where they're being put onto the Fated World. Location should be roughly contiguous, so no putting them on opposite sides of the world. An example plan will be put at the end of the update for ease of reference. Please use canon names for location for the sake of convenience. They can get new names later. Created species can also spread out from their starting location. That's just where the initial core of their population, and likely settlements, will be.
For non-servant species, culture will be a separate following vote. That's to avoid bloat and force people to work together on shaping a species, rather than everyone trying to design their own custom faction in one go. If a species is found lacking, the committee may decide to orphan it on the world without imparting a culture, like they did to humanity and halflings in canon. So, it's entirely valid to create a species and leave it to fend for itself in the world without providing any education.
Here are canon examples to help give a reference for traits.
Please note that these are not the updated plan formats, so do not copy these when making plans. They do not include name, appearance, or location.
Below are non-servant species, so the servant trait options aren't included. We'll get to them once we finish up making the core servants of the Old Ones.
[ ] Dwarf
-[ ] Base Species: Hominin
-[ ] Hardy
-[ ] Long Lived
-[ ] Magic Resistance
-[ ] Muscular
-[ ] Short
Muscular allows a dwarf to cave in a human ribcage with a solid punch. It combined with Short makes them squat, sturdy creatures capable of overpowering creatures larger than them with little effort, despite their short size.
[ ] Human
-[ ] Base Species: Hominin
-[ ] Adaptable
-[ ] Capable of Magic
-[ ] Prolific
While Halfling reflexes are worse than an Elf's, they are more nimble than a human of their size would be capable of. Their limbs are well proportioned for their size and gifted with sinewy muscle.
-[ ] Sky Titan
-[ ] Base Species: Hominin
-[ ] Capable of Magic
-[ ] Gigantic
-[ ] Long Lived
Yes, Ogres had 7 traits, including one that currently isn't on the list. They were the result of a cumulative effort to refine the process. Muscular allows them to overpower giants despite the size difference. Combined with their Large size and Tough Hide they are engines of destruction capable of breaking down forts with their bare hands. They are super soldiers turned loose.
Since the system is still being tested, I may include the option to unlock stuff like an extra trait slot or hybridization. That's the fun of questing. It can be worked out as we play rather than having to be done ahead of time.
==
Base Species:
This is the species that serves as the basis for the species created. This determines the traits it may have and overall appearance. This process will not harm the overall population of the base species. The Old Ones will gather small amounts of living specimens in addition to dead bodies. Those from intelligent species will be taken from volunteers.
[ ][BAS] Hominid
They are the perfect clay to shape into any form desirable. They add no traits.
[ ][BAS] Fimir
The large reptilian creatures are unimpressive, but size counts for something. They may also produce spellcasters, a potentially useful trait. Adds Large and Capable of Magic.
[ ][BAS] Dragon Ogre
Strong, bulky centaur-like creatures with a peculiar ability to absorb lighting. Adds Large and Lightning Absorption.
[ ][BAS] Mantises
The vibrantly coloured and violently fast insects of the forest. Adds Dexterous.
[ ][BAS] Reptilian
There are many reptiles on the planet with great potential. As they are currently animals rather than fully intelligent species their primal instincts may surface during stressful situations, like in the middle of combat. Their appearance will be decided by noting in brackets what they are, such as crocodile or theropod. Example, [ ] Reptilian (Turtle). Natural weapons provided by the base creature do not count as traits. They're included with the base species for free as a package deal. Some species may have additional inherited traits. Adds Scales.
[ ][BAS] Amphibious
There are numerous amphibians lurking in the wetlands on the planet. As they are currently animals rather than fully intelligent species their primal instincts may surface during stressful situations, like in the middle of combat. Their appearance will be decided by noting in brackets what they are, such as frogs or salamanders. Example [ ] Amphibious (Toad) means it uses toads as the basis. Natural weapons provided by the base creature do not count as traits. They're included with the base species for free as a package deal. Some species may have additional inherited traits. Adds Aquatic.
[ ][BAS] Mammalian
These are furry beasts that roam the planet. Most are used to colder environments, but there are some that roam the edges of deserts. As they are currently animals rather than fully intelligent species their primal instincts may surface during stressful situations, like in the middle of combat. Their appearance will be decided by noting in brackets what they are, such as sabertusks or bears. Example [ ] Mammalian (Rat).Natural weapons provided by the base creature do not count as traits. They're included with the base species for free as a package deal. Some species may have additional inherited traits. Adds Warm Adapted or Cold Adapted. Pick either one.
[ ][BAS] Write in:
Subject to veto.
===
Servant Traits:
In order to streamline the vote, this section is still included in case people want to make another servant species, rather than having that be a separate vote. For non-servant species simply pick the Non-Servant option.
[ ][SER] Servant Package
They will be ageless, spawned from pools exclusively, and fanatically loyal to the Old Ones. Without directions they will suffer from anxiety and uncertainty as they try to fulfill their previous standing orders. Long Lived and Short Lived can't be taken as Servant Package makes them biologically immortal. Prolificcan't be taken.
[ ][SER] Light Modifications
They will still be ageless, loyal, and spawn from pools, but capable of asexual reproduction and a greater degree of independent thought. Without directions they will take more of an initiative in acting in ways they may somewhat deviate from orders, so long as it does not threaten the Great Plan. Adds Parthenogenetic as a free trait that doesn't count towards trait limit. Long Lived and Short Lived can't be taken as Servant Package makes them biologically immortal. Prolific can't be taken.
[ ][SER] Extreme Modifications
They will age like any other creature, procreate through sexual reproduction with spawning pools supplementing their numbers, and loyalty impressed upon them during their upbringing. Slight tweaks to their psyche will make them view the Old Ones as family so that they implicitly trust them, but familial bonds may break under pressure.
[ ][SER] Non-Servant
They are not servants. They will have no servant programming. They are completely and utterly free people.
===
Traits
The main body of species creation. This will decide nearly everything about the species in question. There is no point system. There is a soft cap of 5 traits and a hard cap of 6. Going beyond 5 introduces unforeseen complications into a species. For the sake of convenience, humans are the baseline. That means all traits are relative to humans, so you don't need to take Hardy so a species can eat chocolate or chili peppers without dying.
It should be remembered that genetic traits alone do not dictate every action of a species. It's culture that guides and shapes people. Look at the diverse responses humans in Warhammer developed in response to magic. Nehekhara handled it a lot differently than Cathay did. This matters a little less for servants as they will follow the Old Ones' culture.
If no trait relating to magic is taken then the species will be affected by magic like any other creature without any special resistances or being able to use it. All traits that extend lifespan stack.
[ ][TRA] Adaptable: It can adjust to new conditions with relative ease. That doesn't mean every single individual is filled with wanderlust, merely that on average they will travel far and wide and can survive in a variety of environments.
[ ][TRA] Animal Empathy: Able to intuitively understand animals and communicate with them, making it easier to tame them or even domesticate in time. It's not needed for domesticate animals or monsters. It merely makes the process much easier. They can sing to the birds in their own tongue and converse with monsters like friends (provided they offer food first).
[ ][TRA] Amicable: this species has an increased sense of empathy for others, stronger kinship ties, and patience to handle difficult social situations. It's great for diplomats, less so for soldiers. Killing will be extremely stressful for it and require a lot of training to overcome that kind instinct.
[ ][TRA] Aquatic: They have several adaptations that allow them to survive comfortably in the sea as well as the land. They're able to breathe in air and water provided they're kept moist enough and possess webbed digits to aid in swimming.
[ ][TRA] Attuned to a Wind ( ): Every member of this species is capable of using only a single wind of magic, but is skilled at doing so. Channeling magic is as natural as breathing with a bit of training. They can't use any other wind of magic, but can sense the flow of magic. The wind will affect the species' psychology in potentially unpredictable ways. Please write the wind they're attuned to inside the bracket. Incompatible with Capable of Magic, Gifted Spellcasters, and Universal Magic.
[ ][TRA] Capable of Magic: Their soul is able to (somewhat) safely channel and control a wind of magic with enough training. It does not make every individual a spellcaster, merely the possibility that they could become one. They will never hope to match the power of even a slann. Does not grant Natural Witchsight.
[ ][TRA] Chitinous Shell: This species chitin is hardened to increase its durability and toughness while remaining lightweight and flexible. It acts like natural armour.
[ ][TRA] Cold Adapted: This species is well suited to living in colder environments, through some combination of thick fury, body fat, or a high metabolism. They'd quickly overheat in warmer environments without serious precautions.
[ ][TRA] Cold Blooded: Less able to regulate their internal body temperature, leaving them more dependent on the ambient temperature or tools to do it for them. The upside is they consume less resources on account of the slower metabolism. They are well suited to warmer environments, and do poorly in cold ones without precautions.
[ ][TRA] Corrosive Spray: This species can release a spray of superheated acidic mucus at a target. It burns the skin and gets between cracks in armour, but won't melt flesh in seconds. It's produced by a special organ near its mouth or thorax (depending on biology).
[ ][TRA] Dexterous: Agile, swift, nimble, all words to describe the basic idea that this species will be quick on their feet. They have more muscles suited for quick movements and improved reflexes to match. They could go into battle half-naked and not immediately die.
[ ][TRA] Extreme Phenotype Diversity: The physical appearance of members of this species can vary wildly from one person to another or group to group. Despite that, they share the same traits aside from the cosmetic differences.
[ ][TRA] Gigantic: At over eighty feet tall, this is a truly huge species with the muscles to match. Its metabolism will be modified to avoid constant hunger and sixe related health issues. It'll take its place on the Fated World as a new colossus. Extends lifespan.
[ ][TRA] Gifted Spellcasters: Nearly every individual is capable of spellcasting to some degree with little to no training and can easily sense the flow of magic, while being able to safely use multiple winds of magic at once. It also makes them very resistant to mutations and other harmful effects of magic. Extends lifespan.
[ ][TRA] Hardy: A robust metabolism and immune system that makes them resistant to poison and diseases. Their diet will be widened, capable of eating a variety of foods others might consider inedible, and improve their body's rate of healing to recover from injuries easily. Extends lifespan.
[ ][TRA] Herbivore: This species primarily consumes plants and can get nutrients from a wide variety of them. It can eat small amounts of meat, but otherwise can't use it as a food source. Default is assumed to be omnivore.
[ ][TRA] Huge: This species stands 25 to 30 ft tall. It's the happy middle ground between Large and Gigantic when you want something really big but smaller than a mini-kaiju.
[ ][TRA] Hundred-limbs: They have many prehensile limbs of different sizes. Some of them are as thick as tree trunks and are suited for rough labor; some are similar to the hands of hominids in terms of size; others are made for work requiring great precision. Can only be applied to base species that already have numerous limbs, like squids, octopi, or hydras.
[ ][TRA] Keen Senses: Excellent eyesight, can see in dim lighting without issue, and overall strong hearing without being too sensitive. They can see further, hear more details, and process all of it without being easily overwhelmed.
[ ][TRA] Large: They're eight to fifteen feet tall, held up by thick muscles and strong bones. They're big, strong, and have long strides. The perfect trait for any worker or warrior, at the cost of needing to eat more. Extends lifespan.
[ ][TRA] Lightning Absorption: This species can gain physical and metabolic power from lightning and other sources of electricity. It reverses aging, builds muscle, sharpens the mind, and extends their life. It is now known that when combined with Magic Resistance the creature acts as a living way stone, capable of shunting excess magical energy back into the Geometric Web. More research is necessary to learn more about its other interactions with magic.
[ ][TRA] Long Life: Extends their lifespan by centuries, easily living for hundreds of years before they feel the effects of aging. They are practically immune to all aging related diseases until the very end. Death will still come to them all the same.
[ ][TRA] Magic Resistance: They can't use magic, but are very resistant to its effects and mutations related to magic. That doesn't make them immune to spells, especially harmful ones, but gives them an edge in surviving them and any harmful effects magic might have on a creature. Incompatible with Attuned to a Wind, Capable of Magic, Gifted Spellcaster, and Universal Spellcaster.
[ ][TRA] Mimicry: This species' skin/scales/chitin shell is able to mimic the patterns of their surrounding environment. It can also do colourful displays for fun too.
[ ][TRA] Muscular: Gives them strong, dense muscles built for strength. They hit harder, run faster, and carry more weight. They can easily punch above their weight class, literally and figuratively.
[ ][TRA] Natural Witchsight: It allows them to readily detect the flow of magic, but doesn't grant spellcasting. Attuned to a Wind and Gifted Spellcasters can already do this. It is compatible with Magic Resistance.
[ ][TRA] Nocturnal: This species prefers being active at night and rests during much of the day. Its senses are adjusted to life in the twilight and midnight hours. They might not like the longer days and brighter sun of the Fated World.
[ ][TRA] Obligate Carnivore: This species' diet consists almost entirely of meat. It will struggle to digest plant matter unless in very small amounts or specific plants, limiting its diet greatly. Default is assumed to be omnivore.
[ ][TRA] Parthenogenetic: This species may reproduce asexually in addition to other forms of reproduction. It will give a small boost to population growth.
[ ][TRA] Prolific: As long as there's food and no active calamity, this species' population will continue to steadily grow. Species without this trait will trend towards small growth hoving above replacement rate overall.
[ ][TRA] Queens: This species has a specialized caste of individuals who both lead/direct their respective settlements and produce vast quantities of offspring.
[ ][TRA] Toxic: Utilizing their own ability to resist poison, their bodies are able to integrate such substances when consumed in order to produce a toxin greater than the sum of its parts. Not only by excreting through their skin or spit, their bodies in general are also too toxic for consumption.
[ ][TRA] Toxic Spike: This species has a pair of short barbs that it uses to deliver a small but strong dose of venom.
[ ][TRA] Thick Hide: This species' skin is thick and durable, allowing it to withstand serious punishment and act like a thin layer of natural armour. It still bleeds with enough force.
[ ][TRA] Secretion Glands: This species can secret a special saliva resin that hardens when mixed with other materials, allowing its spit to be used like mortar for construction. It needs to stay well hydrated to do it.
[ ][TRA] Semi-Aquatic: They have several adaptations that allow them to survive in the sea as well as the land. They're able to comfortably hold their breath underwater and swim around.
[ ][TRA] Scales: This species is covered with hard but lightweight and flexible scales that are almost as hard as steel. They act as natural armour for little cost.
[ ][TRA] Short: Less than five feet tall they'll be creatures of diminutive stature. Incompatible with Large, Huge, and Gigantic.
[ ][TRA] Short Life: Cruelly shortens their lifespan so that they drop dead by forty. There is no benefit to this except perhaps control. Possibly useful for a disposable slave species meant to serve someone else. Traits that increase a species lifespan do not do so here, only make the species healthier until they inevitably die.
[ ][TRA] Universal Spellcasters: Every member of this species has the potential to learn magic with effort and training, however this does not grant any extra skill or prowess with magic. They can not channel multiple winds at once and require training to sense the flow of magic. It is incompatible with Attuned to a Wind, Capable of Magic, Gifted Spellcasters, and Magic Resistance.
[ ][TRA] Warm Adapted: This species is well suited to living in warmer, hot environments. It'd quickly freeze to death in cold environments without serious precautions.
[ ][TRA] Wings: Gives this species wings and/or improves its existing wings to allow it to fly under its own power.
[ ][TRA] Write In: subject to veto
===
Example Plan
[ ] Plan: Just Little Guys
-[ ][BAS] Hominid
-[ ][SER] Non-Servant
-[ ][TRA] Amicable
-[ ][TRA] Short
-[ ] Name: Shrungly Scrambos
-[ ] Physical Description: They are 4 ft tall humanoids with hairy feet and hands, pointed ears, and charming friendly smiles. Their hair colour ranges from brown to green, is very curly, and skin tone ranges from dark tan to a lighter peachy tone.
-[ ] Location: River Orco, Border Princes/Badlands
[] Plan: Hardy Halflings, The Unlikely Heroes
-[][BAS] Hominid
-[][SER] Non-Servant
-[][TRA] Dexterous: Agile, swift, nimble, all words to describe the basic idea that this species will be quick on their feet. They have more muscles suited for quick movements and improved reflexes to match. They could go into battle half-naked and not immediately die.
-[][TRA] Hardy: A robust metabolism and immune system that makes them resistant to poison and diseases. Their diet will be widened, capable of eating a variety of foods others might consider inedible, and improve their body's rate of healing to recover from injuries easily. Extends lifespan.
-[][TRA] Keen Senses: Excellent eyesight, can see in dim lighting without issue, and overall strong hearing without being too sensitive. They can see further, hear more details, and process all of it without being easily overwhelmed.
-[][TRA] Magic Resistance: They can't use magic, but are very resistant to its effects and mutations related to magic. That doesn't make them immune to spells, especially harmful ones, but gives them an edge in surviving them and any harmful effects magic might have on a creature. Incompatible with Attuned to a Wind, Capable of Magic, Gifted Spellcaster, and Universal Spellcaster.
-[][TRA] Short: Less than five feet tall they'll be creatures of diminutive stature. Incompatible with Large, Huge, and Gigantic.
-[] Name: Halflings. (Maybe the name is not purely based on their height, but actually based on their lack of magic, which makes them "half" people to the Old Ones? Old Ones are jerks.)
-[] Description: Like this 1234. Basically short Humans but with big feet and maybe thicker legs? Canon Halfling appearance minus the stereotypically bad ones.
-[] Location: Mountains of Mourn/Heaven
The Halfling plan never gives up, never surrenders!
[]Plan Wolves of the North
-[][SER] Non-Servant
-[][BAS] Mammalian (humanoid wolf)
-[][TRA] Cold Adapted
-[][TRA] Obligate Carnivore
-[][TRA] Keen Senses
-[][TRA] Muscular
-[][TRA] Dexterous
-[] Name: Fenrir
-[] Description: A huge, bipedal wolf, standing closer to the height of a minotaur or ogre than a man. Covered in thick fur over most of their body, they are well suited to the cold forests of their home. Though a social race with tight instinctive bonds to their own, they are vicious fighters capable of staggering speed for beings so large. They are created with the intent of dwelling in the forests and wild places of the Fated World, inevitably bringing them in conflict with the Cloven Ones (not that the Old Ones know that yet).
-[]Location: The forests of Norsca.
Reposting my plan once again so it isn't forgotten about. Once again, their intended purpose is as guardians of forests and wilderness, with a specific view towards checking the power of the Beastmen, who more than any of Chaos's other servants were an unending thorn in the side of pretty much every race the Old Ones created in canon. By creating a race that also lives in the untamed forests of the Old World but specifically tailored to oppose them, all of our infrastructure reliant creations will be massively improved indirectly by dint of not needing to make sure everything is designed around the trees speaking Dark Tongue.
[]Plan Wolves of the North
-[][SER] Non-Servant
-[][BAS] Mammalian (humanoid wolf)
-[][TRA] Cold Adapted
-[][TRA] Obligate Carnivore
-[][TRA] Keen Senses
-[][TRA] Muscular
-[][TRA] Dexterous
-[] Name: Fenrir
-[] Description: A huge, bipedal wolf, standing closer to the height of a minotaur or ogre than a man. Covered in thick fur over most of their body, they are well suited to the cold forests of their home. Though a social race with tight instinctive bonds to their own, they are vicious fighters capable of staggering speed for beings so large. They are created with the intent of dwelling in the forests and wild places of the Fated World, inevitably bringing them in conflict with the Cloven Ones (not that the Old Ones know that yet).
-[]Location: The forests of Norsca.
Reposting my plan once again so it isn't forgotten about. Once again, their intended purpose is as guardians of forests and wilderness, with a specific view towards checking the power of the Beastmen, who more than any of Chaos's other servants were an unending thorn in the side of pretty much every race the Old Ones created in canon. By creating a race that also lives in the untamed forests of the Old World but specifically tailored to oppose them, all of our infrastructure reliant creations will be massively improved indirectly by dint of not needing to make sure everything is designed around the trees speaking Dark Tongue.
I dislike the idea of focusing on anti-Chaos because that's not the problem yet, but a "cleaner" race of sorts to curb infestations that hide away in the dark corners of the forests (which can be frankly absurd in how much they can hide) could definitely be useful.
I dislike the idea of focusing on anti-Chaos because that's not the problem yet, but a "cleaner" race of sorts to curb infestations that hide away in the dark corners of the forests (which can be frankly absurd in how much they can hide) could definitely be useful.
That's the idea, yes. It's also the reason I've put them in Norsca - you would not believe the shit you can find up there in canon. The hope is that they will also migrate south, to the Drakwald and other great forests of the Empire, some of which are also Vampire infested in addition to Greenskins and Beastmen.
The Empire had... problems, in canon.
Edit: I've considered adding magic capability in the past, but can't find a way to do it without breaking the theme, dropping an important trait, or breaking the limit, so I've not done so thus far. If I must, I'd add Capable of Magic as trait 6, but I'm nervous about whatever consequences we'd get because of the limit.
[ ] Business Monkeys
-[ ][BAS] Fimir
-[ ][SER] Non-Servant
-[ ][TRA] Adaptive
-[ ][TRA] Gifted Spellcasters
-[ ][TRA] Keen Senses
-[ ][TRA] Large
-[ ][TRA] Lightning Absorption
-[ ] Name: Hùnshì Hóu
-[ ] Description: Large apemen with one eye and fur that seems to attract electricity and always sticks out like needles despite its softness. Have a strong instinct to explore and witness the magics of the world.
-[ ] Location: Anywhere they can feasibly get, though permanent settlements tend towards mountains, treetops and other thunderstruck places. Starting location is the Mountains of Heaven
General idea here is to explore the Fimir's natural "second eye" trait upgraded with Gifted Spellcasters and Keen Senses, while also experimenting with Lightning Absorption on spellcasters. Name is the species Sun Wukong was.
I dislike the idea of focusing on anti-Chaos because that's not the problem yet, but a "cleaner" race of sorts to curb infestations that hide away in the dark corners of the forests (which can be frankly absurd in how much they can hide) could definitely be useful.
The Halflings can do that. At least in the areas where they live. Dexterous for moving across the uneven forest floor, Hardy for food security and resistance against the nasty poisons and toxins found in dark forests, Keen Senses for seeing in the dark and through the bushes, Magic Resistance for resisting hostile magic,
and finally Short for getting into the small places that can be hard to reach
