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The Long Night Part One: Embers in the Dusk: A Planetary Governor Quest (43k) Complete Sequel Up
- Thread starter Durin
- Start date
- Location
- Australia
Time spent learning to be humble is time better spent becoming even more superior to offworlders than you already are.
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Shard
One and Many
- Location
- Malaysia
I would just put those schools in the orbitals for off-world Avernites.
- Location
- England
So how does all the Vanir aircraft being void rated work? I thought that 40k had a pretty prounouced aircraft/space craft split, even amongst fighters.
Do they just not use Lightnings and Thunderbolts anymore and are purely based in Fury's and stuff?
Do they just not use Lightnings and Thunderbolts anymore and are purely based in Fury's and stuff?
Excerpt from Wonder of the Wilds Publications: Into the Hangya Hills, pt 7
Omake: Excerpt from Wonder of the Wilds Publications: Into the Hangya Hills, pt 7
Part 6
The illusion that greeted us when the gate's obstruction was finally cleared was fascinating.
The curtain wall extended from a smoothed natural cliff face to form a half circle courtyard of polished stone. Lining the wall were a series of statues depicting four armed, bipedal entities, all facing the courtyard's center. These figures wore stylized masks depicting various forms of Avernite wildlife. At the center of their focus, and the courtyard, stood two features of interest.
The first was a great pine of white bark and black needles. Its crown of strangle-curtain vines was visible, well manicured, and bore similarly striking coloration.
Standing in front of the tree was a final statue on a pillar; naked, sexless, faceless, one foot planted on solid stone, the other standing on empty air. The four arms of the statue were outstretched, and each held an icon. The upper right held a strangle-curtain plant with vines spilling through the fingers, the lower right a rampant tangle-maw, the lower left a crouching phase-tiger, and the upper left a sphere of interwoven illusion pine branches.
Behind the tree and statue stood an arched passage into the cliffside.
We took some time to record the scene in detail before calling upon the Laughfy twins to reveal the truth of the situation. As the illusion came down, several things became apparent.
First, while the polish on the stones vanished to be replaced by heavy weathering, the courtyard did not become overgrown as we had expected. The second was that the masks and details of the outer statues vanished, leaving them as featureless manikins. The third was that the tunnel into the cliff face vanished.
All of this we observed later, overshadowed as it was by the final change to the scene. The pillar supporting the central statue vanished. The statue did not. Bereft of its support, it plummeted to the stones below where it shattered in thunderous cacophony.
@Durin
Part 6
The illusion that greeted us when the gate's obstruction was finally cleared was fascinating.
The curtain wall extended from a smoothed natural cliff face to form a half circle courtyard of polished stone. Lining the wall were a series of statues depicting four armed, bipedal entities, all facing the courtyard's center. These figures wore stylized masks depicting various forms of Avernite wildlife. At the center of their focus, and the courtyard, stood two features of interest.
The first was a great pine of white bark and black needles. Its crown of strangle-curtain vines was visible, well manicured, and bore similarly striking coloration.
Standing in front of the tree was a final statue on a pillar; naked, sexless, faceless, one foot planted on solid stone, the other standing on empty air. The four arms of the statue were outstretched, and each held an icon. The upper right held a strangle-curtain plant with vines spilling through the fingers, the lower right a rampant tangle-maw, the lower left a crouching phase-tiger, and the upper left a sphere of interwoven illusion pine branches.
Behind the tree and statue stood an arched passage into the cliffside.
We took some time to record the scene in detail before calling upon the Laughfy twins to reveal the truth of the situation. As the illusion came down, several things became apparent.
First, while the polish on the stones vanished to be replaced by heavy weathering, the courtyard did not become overgrown as we had expected. The second was that the masks and details of the outer statues vanished, leaving them as featureless manikins. The third was that the tunnel into the cliff face vanished.
All of this we observed later, overshadowed as it was by the final change to the scene. The pillar supporting the central statue vanished. The statue did not. Bereft of its support, it plummeted to the stones below where it shattered in thunderous cacophony.
@Durin
Its weird how deciding to present the fact that the courtyard's initial appearance was an illusion upfront cleared up the writers block. I spent several weeks trying to get past the first sentence, then I make that change and suddenly it just flows.
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Creatures of the Northern Regions
Doomed Wombat
Let's go Darling!
- Location
- Dancing on wires!
Creatures of the Northern Regions
Rather than a specific zone, these creatures are ones that live in the cold regions dominated by thick, spikey forest, tundras, ice sheets and permafrost frozen ground.
Universally this is the region below the north pole, which is separated by a wide gulf even at its closest points. The animals in this region are a surprising mishmash, but with an emphasis on cooperation in some cases, endurance and abject horror from others.
The Frostclaw Bear
Discovered in Avernus's northern regions, the Frostclaw is one of the most common threats in these regions, seemingly a constant threat in all of them. In appearance they are Ursine, and fully grown are slightly smaller than the Blank Bears of the polar regions. In exchange, they seem to be far more numerous. Several species variations have been observed with differing shades of fur from crystalline white, crimson red and deep back.
These colours seem to have a degree of influence on the major power of the Bear, a form of strange cryomancy.
As opposed to the frost trolls, the Frostclaws cryomancy is predominantly tactile with their entire bodies radiating an intense chill. This is most noticeable around their claws and teeth. The touch of either can cause a flash freeze through flesh, metal and so far any other substance placed in front of the bears.
On its own, this is a formidable asset, as it makes any hit from a Frostclaw at best dehabilitating. However, when agitated the Bear's aura of cold bursts outwards. On its own the aura can kill or incapacitate humans outside of well-insulated power armour, but it comes with its own effect, seemingly determined by fur colour. For example a Black Bear's aura comes with an umbramancy effect which practically blinds any within their zone. Due to the number of potential colours we have yet to determine a full catalogue of the Bear's auras.
The power of the aura's seems to be dependent on age. Bear cubs proved to be incapable of projecting their aura more than a metre or two and barely has an effect on the environment, but an especially old and scarred crimson bear projected an aura fifty metres in diameter that carved a new completely bare clearing out of the ground.
Frost Dragons
At present the most intelligent of the feral dragon species encountered, the Frost Dragons differs from the rest of the Genus Draco in several key ways.
Coloured with incredibly pale scales and a frigid breath attack, the Frost Dragons differ from their cousins in Tarasacon by being both more intelligent, and most importantly highly cooperative.
The Dragons organise themselves into hunting packs of around a dozen members and claim territory, with the eldest two dragons seeming to act as leaders to the rest of the pack. These packs will learn the intricacies of the territory they control and police it fiercely for rival dragons and threats to the various livestock within the area like snowblind buffalo.
When a pack grows too large and threatens to over hunt an area, any further chicks are effectively trained and then given supplies before being sent out to establish their own hunting grounds.
This level of socialisation and cooperativeness gives them a great advantage in the northern regions, and is indicative that they may be reaching the limits of what can be termed as animals, and will be raised to the position of people soon.
Their powers manifest in two main ways. Like all encountered true dragons they have a breath attack, a frost flame that simultaneously flash freezes and boils anything it touches. The second is a combination of geo and cryomancy. This allows them to create permanent structures within which to nest, and weapons to fight with.
To go with these powers however, Frost Dragons are the second smallest full dragon on record, larger than only the Forest Dragon. However, they are still Dragons and as such should never be underestimated.
Bainwraiths
Frigid spectres called on icy winds, Bainwraiths take the form of insubstantial serpents blown through the winds they create with their passing. One of the most insidious threats of the north, Bainwraiths are almost invisible whilst in motion, and are supremely effective hunters, tracking down warmth as opposed to anything more physical. They seem to be able to home in on any source of warmth from miles away, with entire packs converging upon particularly large hot spots.
When they reach the heat source they will plunge themselves into it, absorbing the heat to feed their own vile existence.
This is bad enough for heaters or campfires that will be extinguished almost instantly, but for a living being this is horrific, as the wraiths will force themselves inside a person's body before draining them of heat, freezing them into statues frozen in horrific agony. So far only psykers have been able to force the wraiths from their own bodies.
It is within living beings that the wraiths reproduce as well, laying eggs within carefully selected residual pockets of heat, to burst from the statues hissing in the cold.
Although the threats of the north are almost too many to name, Bainwraiths have been one of the most consistent foes, able to bypass all protections, but warded armour and non psycic humans. Worse still many conventional human weapons simply go through their bodies. Any colonisation effort will have to consider hard how to deal with the wraiths,
Hotspring Macaques
The constant enemy of the Bainwraiths, the Macaques were a surprising discovery by Sir Pellinore, one of his last before his demise. His expedition had almost been slain by Bainwraiths and only their armor had saved them, but they were running low on food and heat.
Salvation came at the hands an immortal fox who was heading towards the springs and the Macaques, who were watching high above and dealt with the pursuing Bainwraiths, by tossing boiling water from their hot springs at them, instantly killing the swarm.
Approaching them cautiously, Sir Pellinor found that the Macaques were non-sentient, but oddly friendly by Avernite standards. Further investigation revealed that they have a relatively symbiotic relationship within their native regions of Avernus, acting as a "neutral" party.
Firstly, the Macaques are simians, that organise themselves into matrilineal families. Each group tends to a hot spring that bubbles from the ground. These hot springs seem to imbue to Macaques with their powers or vice versa.
In observations, it was seen injured wildlife will come to the Macaques with a tribute of food, and in exchange will be placed within a Hotspring, which will seemingly cure their wounds. This is the main service offered by the Macaques, although there do seem to be others. One was a Frost Dragon who seemed to come for a cleaning, the monkeys grooming and polishing its scales until they shone like mirrors.
Because they are the largest sources of heat for miles around the Macaques are in a constant war with the Bainwraiths, and at all times there are at least several dozen Macaques on guard, armed with superheated water bombs. At the same time they are defended by other local wildlife that enjoy the presence of a hot spring, with the Frost Dragons especially protecting them.
Frozen Flesh
Possibly amongst the most skin-crawling entities discovered so far on Avernus, the...flesh is a creature of unknown origins that resembles little more than a mass of brittle, frostbitten flesh. Limbs of random creatures poke from the mass, eyes and other sensory organs peppered throughout the Flesh at random, and the creature does not make any sounds save for a constant, pained moan.
However, it squirms and riggles across the frozen wastes its mismatched senses looking eternally for new prey for it to devour. Despite its pathetic appearance the Frozen Flesh is deceptively swift, monstrously strong and utterly uncaring of pain or injury.
Once it has its sights set on a target it will throw itself forwards, seeking to catch its prey. As soon as it makes contact with a living being their flesh will start to freeze and break like the Flesh as they are absorbed into the creature. It's touch is not instantly fatal, but even momentary contact can leave crippling injuries.
The Flesh, however, is far from invincible. It is only able to affect living beings and even then only certain living things. A Frost Claw Bear will be consumed, but not a Steelbark tree for example. Suits of armour are a defence for a time, but the Flesh will break them quickly enough and crush the individual inside. However, their greatest weakness is heat. Whilst all intense heat seems to work, the only type the flesh seems actually afraid of is fire. The Flesh has been hit with meltas and plasma weapons and been injured, but has turned tail and run at the first hint of flame.
Rime Walkers
Patches of dark blue ice are to be avoided at all costs in the north, for they contain a malign intellect.
When one steps too close to them, the ice seems to activate, moving with unnatural speed as it plunges into the veins of their target, shocking them into stillness with the sudden cold, whilst moving to take over the host.
Those infected see their bodies start to be mummified through cold, eyes burning with a frozen blue inner light as they pursue the alien desire that now drives them.
Some infected are monsters seemingly focused upon slaying the living. Some wander mindlessly with no visible goal until slain, some seem to hunt specific prey, or even passively follow their former comrades. What, if anything, influences their new goals remains a mystery.
Whilst the bodies of the infected do not seem to retain the powers they had in life, they do gain an even greater degree of physical strength and endurance. Human walkers have been recorded with the strength to dent and shatter power armour, a testament to the strength bestowed by the transformation. This is combined with a small scale, but nevertheless an important degree of cryomancy.
Individually Rime Walkers are little threat, but their one universal instinct seems to be to gather into swarms, with large groups of the unfeeling ice monsters marching in strange parades across the frozen landscape. It is likely that if any colonisation efforts are to be attempted, methods of detecting this ice must be put in place.
Hyper Lemmings
Small rodent-like creatures that breed at an astonishing rate, the Lemmings are filled with seemingly unlimited energy.
Constantly on the move, the Lemmings are adept burrowers, digging under the ice, snow and permafrost in search of food to keep itself moving at full power. This and numbers grant them a degree of safety from the far more dangerous creatures that live above and around them, particularly their eternal nemesis the Berserker Badgers and Immortal Fox.
However, unlike most prey animals on Avernus the Lemmings are highly aggressive towards predators. When confronted a Lemming will willingly launch itself at it, spitting with fury, their eternal energy making them somewhat more dangerous than one would expect, though still little more so than an enraged nog.
Their main ability seems to activate on death, where the Lemming releases its stores of energy in a single instant. Usually, this takes the form of a burst of kinetic force, which varies in strength depending on how much power the Lemming has accumulated. However, when one considers how many Lemmings there usually are, this ability can become quite dangerous. How they are able to amass so much energy in a desolate environment is unknown.
Stink Ox
Packs of massive bovines meandering through the frozen tundras, with incredibly thick shaggy fur, these massive creatures possess most of the standard avernite abilities but have weaponised their own odour as a weapon.
From even metres away their stink can overwhelm the senses of seemingly any being that comes too close.
However, if the Ox knows that an enemy is present they will release noxious fumes which they can seemingly control to an extent to envelope their foes.
Aside from being a concentrated form of their passive smell, the Oxes can seemingly imbue it with other effects, like poison or hallucinogenics.
Perhaps worse still for humans we have yet to create a filter, strong enough to block the scent, as even warded ones are swiftly overwhelmed.
All of this is, of course, a distraction for the actual oxs, which will attempt to trample and impale threats on their horns.
It seems the only reason that any creature will brave the oxes, is because according to Sir Pellinore, the meat and milk of these creatures is remarkably delicious and highly nutritious. At least once separated from its coat.
Deceiving rocks
Not a creature, but nevertheless something of utter importance that must be brought up to the Governor himself.
These stones are found scattered all across the northern regions and seem to possess a strong memetic property, when they are inspected those that do so are overcome with a certainty that they contain some utterly world shattering secret or power.
This effect is long lasting, and remarkably potent, as most attempts to inspect the rocks will yield false positives, but the belief will remain.
The glamour on these stones, will cause people to rush from their posts to examine them, distract and otherwise impair any missions.
They would however be a potent distraction for daemons, beings which tend to have very little in the way of self control.
Delirious Daisies
A weed like flower that grows even within the harsh conditions of the tundra, the Delirious Daisies have only one power that manifests from their pollen and in an aura around them. As their name suggests this causes a state of delerium, where those affected feel incredibly unwell.
In aura form its enough to cause a human to feel slightly under the weather, however the aura increases in power the more daisies are in a patch. In large enough numbers they can cause actual physical effects to occur, such as violent vomiting.
In pollen form the effects of the flowers are even more pronounced. More than a few expedition members have injured themselves from vomiting too hard.
What makes these flowers worse is that they're a weed that manages to thrive seemingly everywhere in its region. While patches are relatively rare, its pollen is common throughout, requiring the constant wearing of breath filters to say nothing of the low level mental strain that its presence causes.
Immortal Foxes
Renowned for being tricksters and unkillable spirits, these vulpine creatures are in fact much more material than that.
Rather than remarkable powers, instead whenever wounded they simply regenerate. From observations in the field, it was hard to tell if it was a chronomancy power or biomatic in nature. The organs, blood and viscera of the fox seemed to bend and flow back into place. In a matter of moments the Fox had gone from effectively a pile of burnt scorched meat to, alive and running away as fast as it could with no indication it had even been injured at all.
However, this ability seems to have had a price, namely in a complete lack of other notable abilities. So far the Foxes seem to be scavengers as their combat ability is rather now (avernite standards notwithstanding). Though they should be effective endurance hunters, they tend to take parts of more successful kills and tend to eat large numbers of Hyper Lemmings. After all to an immortal their suicidal attack is just funneling them into their stomachs.
Ice trap spiders
Perpetual enemy of the Ice Trolls, this new arachnid horror threatens any other creature that has to approach the ice.
Rather large by spider standards, with carapaces of pale blue chitten, they are not web producing, instead preferring to produce large amounts of sub zero venom.
Making their lairs in completely sealed ice caves, the spider's power is to transfer through the solid ice seemingly instantaneously. More perilously they can cause other creatures to transfer as well, seemingly in a large area.
If one is caught by a spider they are trapped, disoriented, in total darkness, in a small cave with a large, hungry poisonous spider with no conventional means to return to the surface, trapped as they are beneath metres of ice.
Should the spider be forced back even in this situation, then they will find that the Spider is more than intelligent enough to retreat and fight another day. Leaving its pray to either escape, starve to death or succumb to its wounds.
Snow Motes
Airborne, tiny insects that seem content to drift on the air, barely able to control their own direction.
So small are they that they seem like snow, and seem to be designed to be indistinguishable at a glance from the white substance itself, save for never quite landing on the ground.
However, these creatures are remarkably dangerous. Under a constant telekinesis effect, each mote is a blade strong enough to score adamantium, the power of which increases the faster they are blown.
When the wind is harsh and a storm picks, the end result is thousands of cuts and scores as the snow motes inflict devastation on the area.
Snowlems
Molluscs that live under the snow, the creatures possess an impressive degree of Frigomanipulation. Grasping the snow and bringing it to themselves, they craft elaborate bodies of compacted snow, in which they live, slowly meandering across the landscape.
By avernite standards they are quite peaceful, content to simply move around and not attack others, but do not be fooled. Their constructs are very strong, due to the compacted snow, and can easily regenerate due to the prevalence of the substance that is an odd constant in the north. In winter when there is seemingly constant blizzards, they are almost invincible regenerating as fast as they lose mass save by the application of powerful vehicle weapons, or psycic powers.
Shaggy waypoints
Oasis of warmth within the north, herds of these furred proboscideans meander through the deep tundras, snow bound forests and ice capped plateaus of the northern regions.
Constantly extruding heat, these creature's powers seems to be based on thermal regulation
Creating and expelling vast amounts of warmth, many creatures flock to them, hoping either for a good meal, or entrusting their safety to them, as they are one of the few protections from the deprivations of Bainwraiths. This tends to net them an entourage of hangers on who will aid herds in their defence.
Even Frost Dragons seem not to tangle with them lightly. Concentrating their heat based powers in their tusks, lets them cause damage to seemingly anything, whilst taking snow into their trunks allows them to expel gusts of superheated steam at extremely high speeds. Combined with their huge size (3.4 metres at the smallest) and weight (four tons smallest) enhanced by biomancy they have few explicit predators.
This seems to come with a down side of requiring large amounts of food, to keep their powers running and fuel their bodies. However, their innate thermomancy seems to allow them to eat the northern plants that would freeze pretty much any other creature.
Frost Bound Tiger
A relative of the Phase Tiger, these creatures are less colourful than their Lindon based cousins. In exchange they have larger fangs and a unique "frost phase." This is similar to Mitten's Fire Phase, although it seems these are an older breed that perfected it long ago.
This effect seems to slow their ability to move through solid objects while phased, but has the advantage of freezing whatever they come into contact with whilst phasing.
As might be imagined this is especially horrific for living flesh.
Their biggest difference like so many northern species is a greater degree of pack tactics. A pack of Frost Bound is capable of far more together than alone as dozens of icey spectres stalk their pray.
Waylayers
A rather innocuous name for such a dangerous creature. Waylayers appear as massive Rhinoceros, who emit an illusionary feeling of warmth similar to that of a Shaggy Waypoint. Similarly they are adapted to create tracks that are almost identical to them as well. This draws in creatures interested in the Waypoints, only to be caught by the Waylayers. Possessing a degree of spacial warping like their forest bound cousins in Lindon, the Waylayers have a far more dangerous horn and greater physical strength. When combined with their charge which allows them to ignore environmental obstacles they are almost impossible to out run.
At the end of the day this allows the Waylayers to approach, rundown and then devour their surprised pray.
Bone Eaters
Masters of telepathy and illusion, Bone Eaters are supposedly a feral warp entity native to Avernus, that inhabit daemon hosts of their slain foes. Those that are possessed gain a skeletal appearance, the skin stretched taught over their bones, hunched in posture as they move with remarkable, silent dexterity on all fours with long spindly limbs, that none the less are taut with remarkable power.
Their ability is related to an aura of hunger that they project over a large area. This encourages those near them to eat anything and everything close by until there is nothing left. Then it prompts them to cannibalism, which the creatures seem to require in order to feed effectively. Their illusions are at work during this period, modifying perceptions, scents and even noises to encourage panic and disunity.
Once their victims have partaken of the flesh of another of their species, the Wendigos appear in person, hunting the now traumatised and weakened foe until at last bringing them down and slowly devouring them alive, paying special attention to the bones. Supposedly the gnaw on them extracting the souls of the cannibals, which are the most delicious foods to these vile monsters.
Although not sentient, their style of hunting, and prefered methods of attacks going for deliberately painful, rather than lethal options indicates a sadistic mind.
Slip Weaving Marmot
Large, ground mammals, these creatures too thrive in the snow and ground, similar to the Lemmings.
However, their power is not as the Lemming aggressively throwing themselves at the enemy. Instead they prefer safety within an ever expanding network of burrows. These burrows are connected to one another, through a process currently unclear to human science, but allows for seemingly instant transition from one burrow to another, allowing for impressive numbers of Marmots to be amassed to gather food in a communal store.
Not aggressive creatures by nature they are in constant conflict with the Riftmaker Owls, whose power is seemingly a perfect counter to their own.
Riftmaker Owls
Birds of pray with powerful talons, these creature's ability is to open short lived rifts. The Owl can use these to jump short distances in a more limited form of blink. What is more useful is its ability to rip open an entrance into the burrow network of the Marmots. Thee it will grab a Marmot with its extremely powerful talons, for a quick meal.
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Thanks as ever to the wonderful people who make these possible
@random_npc @Stormgear
And of course @Durin
Rather than a specific zone, these creatures are ones that live in the cold regions dominated by thick, spikey forest, tundras, ice sheets and permafrost frozen ground.
Universally this is the region below the north pole, which is separated by a wide gulf even at its closest points. The animals in this region are a surprising mishmash, but with an emphasis on cooperation in some cases, endurance and abject horror from others.
The Frostclaw Bear
Discovered in Avernus's northern regions, the Frostclaw is one of the most common threats in these regions, seemingly a constant threat in all of them. In appearance they are Ursine, and fully grown are slightly smaller than the Blank Bears of the polar regions. In exchange, they seem to be far more numerous. Several species variations have been observed with differing shades of fur from crystalline white, crimson red and deep back.
These colours seem to have a degree of influence on the major power of the Bear, a form of strange cryomancy.
As opposed to the frost trolls, the Frostclaws cryomancy is predominantly tactile with their entire bodies radiating an intense chill. This is most noticeable around their claws and teeth. The touch of either can cause a flash freeze through flesh, metal and so far any other substance placed in front of the bears.
On its own, this is a formidable asset, as it makes any hit from a Frostclaw at best dehabilitating. However, when agitated the Bear's aura of cold bursts outwards. On its own the aura can kill or incapacitate humans outside of well-insulated power armour, but it comes with its own effect, seemingly determined by fur colour. For example a Black Bear's aura comes with an umbramancy effect which practically blinds any within their zone. Due to the number of potential colours we have yet to determine a full catalogue of the Bear's auras.
The power of the aura's seems to be dependent on age. Bear cubs proved to be incapable of projecting their aura more than a metre or two and barely has an effect on the environment, but an especially old and scarred crimson bear projected an aura fifty metres in diameter that carved a new completely bare clearing out of the ground.
Frost Dragons
At present the most intelligent of the feral dragon species encountered, the Frost Dragons differs from the rest of the Genus Draco in several key ways.
Coloured with incredibly pale scales and a frigid breath attack, the Frost Dragons differ from their cousins in Tarasacon by being both more intelligent, and most importantly highly cooperative.
The Dragons organise themselves into hunting packs of around a dozen members and claim territory, with the eldest two dragons seeming to act as leaders to the rest of the pack. These packs will learn the intricacies of the territory they control and police it fiercely for rival dragons and threats to the various livestock within the area like snowblind buffalo.
When a pack grows too large and threatens to over hunt an area, any further chicks are effectively trained and then given supplies before being sent out to establish their own hunting grounds.
This level of socialisation and cooperativeness gives them a great advantage in the northern regions, and is indicative that they may be reaching the limits of what can be termed as animals, and will be raised to the position of people soon.
Their powers manifest in two main ways. Like all encountered true dragons they have a breath attack, a frost flame that simultaneously flash freezes and boils anything it touches. The second is a combination of geo and cryomancy. This allows them to create permanent structures within which to nest, and weapons to fight with.
To go with these powers however, Frost Dragons are the second smallest full dragon on record, larger than only the Forest Dragon. However, they are still Dragons and as such should never be underestimated.
Bainwraiths
Frigid spectres called on icy winds, Bainwraiths take the form of insubstantial serpents blown through the winds they create with their passing. One of the most insidious threats of the north, Bainwraiths are almost invisible whilst in motion, and are supremely effective hunters, tracking down warmth as opposed to anything more physical. They seem to be able to home in on any source of warmth from miles away, with entire packs converging upon particularly large hot spots.
When they reach the heat source they will plunge themselves into it, absorbing the heat to feed their own vile existence.
This is bad enough for heaters or campfires that will be extinguished almost instantly, but for a living being this is horrific, as the wraiths will force themselves inside a person's body before draining them of heat, freezing them into statues frozen in horrific agony. So far only psykers have been able to force the wraiths from their own bodies.
It is within living beings that the wraiths reproduce as well, laying eggs within carefully selected residual pockets of heat, to burst from the statues hissing in the cold.
Although the threats of the north are almost too many to name, Bainwraiths have been one of the most consistent foes, able to bypass all protections, but warded armour and non psycic humans. Worse still many conventional human weapons simply go through their bodies. Any colonisation effort will have to consider hard how to deal with the wraiths,
Hotspring Macaques
The constant enemy of the Bainwraiths, the Macaques were a surprising discovery by Sir Pellinore, one of his last before his demise. His expedition had almost been slain by Bainwraiths and only their armor had saved them, but they were running low on food and heat.
Salvation came at the hands an immortal fox who was heading towards the springs and the Macaques, who were watching high above and dealt with the pursuing Bainwraiths, by tossing boiling water from their hot springs at them, instantly killing the swarm.
Approaching them cautiously, Sir Pellinor found that the Macaques were non-sentient, but oddly friendly by Avernite standards. Further investigation revealed that they have a relatively symbiotic relationship within their native regions of Avernus, acting as a "neutral" party.
Firstly, the Macaques are simians, that organise themselves into matrilineal families. Each group tends to a hot spring that bubbles from the ground. These hot springs seem to imbue to Macaques with their powers or vice versa.
In observations, it was seen injured wildlife will come to the Macaques with a tribute of food, and in exchange will be placed within a Hotspring, which will seemingly cure their wounds. This is the main service offered by the Macaques, although there do seem to be others. One was a Frost Dragon who seemed to come for a cleaning, the monkeys grooming and polishing its scales until they shone like mirrors.
Because they are the largest sources of heat for miles around the Macaques are in a constant war with the Bainwraiths, and at all times there are at least several dozen Macaques on guard, armed with superheated water bombs. At the same time they are defended by other local wildlife that enjoy the presence of a hot spring, with the Frost Dragons especially protecting them.
Frozen Flesh
Possibly amongst the most skin-crawling entities discovered so far on Avernus, the...flesh is a creature of unknown origins that resembles little more than a mass of brittle, frostbitten flesh. Limbs of random creatures poke from the mass, eyes and other sensory organs peppered throughout the Flesh at random, and the creature does not make any sounds save for a constant, pained moan.
However, it squirms and riggles across the frozen wastes its mismatched senses looking eternally for new prey for it to devour. Despite its pathetic appearance the Frozen Flesh is deceptively swift, monstrously strong and utterly uncaring of pain or injury.
Once it has its sights set on a target it will throw itself forwards, seeking to catch its prey. As soon as it makes contact with a living being their flesh will start to freeze and break like the Flesh as they are absorbed into the creature. It's touch is not instantly fatal, but even momentary contact can leave crippling injuries.
The Flesh, however, is far from invincible. It is only able to affect living beings and even then only certain living things. A Frost Claw Bear will be consumed, but not a Steelbark tree for example. Suits of armour are a defence for a time, but the Flesh will break them quickly enough and crush the individual inside. However, their greatest weakness is heat. Whilst all intense heat seems to work, the only type the flesh seems actually afraid of is fire. The Flesh has been hit with meltas and plasma weapons and been injured, but has turned tail and run at the first hint of flame.
Rime Walkers
Patches of dark blue ice are to be avoided at all costs in the north, for they contain a malign intellect.
When one steps too close to them, the ice seems to activate, moving with unnatural speed as it plunges into the veins of their target, shocking them into stillness with the sudden cold, whilst moving to take over the host.
Those infected see their bodies start to be mummified through cold, eyes burning with a frozen blue inner light as they pursue the alien desire that now drives them.
Some infected are monsters seemingly focused upon slaying the living. Some wander mindlessly with no visible goal until slain, some seem to hunt specific prey, or even passively follow their former comrades. What, if anything, influences their new goals remains a mystery.
Whilst the bodies of the infected do not seem to retain the powers they had in life, they do gain an even greater degree of physical strength and endurance. Human walkers have been recorded with the strength to dent and shatter power armour, a testament to the strength bestowed by the transformation. This is combined with a small scale, but nevertheless an important degree of cryomancy.
Individually Rime Walkers are little threat, but their one universal instinct seems to be to gather into swarms, with large groups of the unfeeling ice monsters marching in strange parades across the frozen landscape. It is likely that if any colonisation efforts are to be attempted, methods of detecting this ice must be put in place.
Hyper Lemmings
Small rodent-like creatures that breed at an astonishing rate, the Lemmings are filled with seemingly unlimited energy.
Constantly on the move, the Lemmings are adept burrowers, digging under the ice, snow and permafrost in search of food to keep itself moving at full power. This and numbers grant them a degree of safety from the far more dangerous creatures that live above and around them, particularly their eternal nemesis the Berserker Badgers and Immortal Fox.
However, unlike most prey animals on Avernus the Lemmings are highly aggressive towards predators. When confronted a Lemming will willingly launch itself at it, spitting with fury, their eternal energy making them somewhat more dangerous than one would expect, though still little more so than an enraged nog.
Their main ability seems to activate on death, where the Lemming releases its stores of energy in a single instant. Usually, this takes the form of a burst of kinetic force, which varies in strength depending on how much power the Lemming has accumulated. However, when one considers how many Lemmings there usually are, this ability can become quite dangerous. How they are able to amass so much energy in a desolate environment is unknown.
Stink Ox
Packs of massive bovines meandering through the frozen tundras, with incredibly thick shaggy fur, these massive creatures possess most of the standard avernite abilities but have weaponised their own odour as a weapon.
From even metres away their stink can overwhelm the senses of seemingly any being that comes too close.
However, if the Ox knows that an enemy is present they will release noxious fumes which they can seemingly control to an extent to envelope their foes.
Aside from being a concentrated form of their passive smell, the Oxes can seemingly imbue it with other effects, like poison or hallucinogenics.
Perhaps worse still for humans we have yet to create a filter, strong enough to block the scent, as even warded ones are swiftly overwhelmed.
All of this is, of course, a distraction for the actual oxs, which will attempt to trample and impale threats on their horns.
It seems the only reason that any creature will brave the oxes, is because according to Sir Pellinore, the meat and milk of these creatures is remarkably delicious and highly nutritious. At least once separated from its coat.
Deceiving rocks
Not a creature, but nevertheless something of utter importance that must be brought up to the Governor himself.
These stones are found scattered all across the northern regions and seem to possess a strong memetic property, when they are inspected those that do so are overcome with a certainty that they contain some utterly world shattering secret or power.
This effect is long lasting, and remarkably potent, as most attempts to inspect the rocks will yield false positives, but the belief will remain.
The glamour on these stones, will cause people to rush from their posts to examine them, distract and otherwise impair any missions.
They would however be a potent distraction for daemons, beings which tend to have very little in the way of self control.
Delirious Daisies
A weed like flower that grows even within the harsh conditions of the tundra, the Delirious Daisies have only one power that manifests from their pollen and in an aura around them. As their name suggests this causes a state of delerium, where those affected feel incredibly unwell.
In aura form its enough to cause a human to feel slightly under the weather, however the aura increases in power the more daisies are in a patch. In large enough numbers they can cause actual physical effects to occur, such as violent vomiting.
In pollen form the effects of the flowers are even more pronounced. More than a few expedition members have injured themselves from vomiting too hard.
What makes these flowers worse is that they're a weed that manages to thrive seemingly everywhere in its region. While patches are relatively rare, its pollen is common throughout, requiring the constant wearing of breath filters to say nothing of the low level mental strain that its presence causes.
Immortal Foxes
Renowned for being tricksters and unkillable spirits, these vulpine creatures are in fact much more material than that.
Rather than remarkable powers, instead whenever wounded they simply regenerate. From observations in the field, it was hard to tell if it was a chronomancy power or biomatic in nature. The organs, blood and viscera of the fox seemed to bend and flow back into place. In a matter of moments the Fox had gone from effectively a pile of burnt scorched meat to, alive and running away as fast as it could with no indication it had even been injured at all.
However, this ability seems to have had a price, namely in a complete lack of other notable abilities. So far the Foxes seem to be scavengers as their combat ability is rather now (avernite standards notwithstanding). Though they should be effective endurance hunters, they tend to take parts of more successful kills and tend to eat large numbers of Hyper Lemmings. After all to an immortal their suicidal attack is just funneling them into their stomachs.
Ice trap spiders
Perpetual enemy of the Ice Trolls, this new arachnid horror threatens any other creature that has to approach the ice.
Rather large by spider standards, with carapaces of pale blue chitten, they are not web producing, instead preferring to produce large amounts of sub zero venom.
Making their lairs in completely sealed ice caves, the spider's power is to transfer through the solid ice seemingly instantaneously. More perilously they can cause other creatures to transfer as well, seemingly in a large area.
If one is caught by a spider they are trapped, disoriented, in total darkness, in a small cave with a large, hungry poisonous spider with no conventional means to return to the surface, trapped as they are beneath metres of ice.
Should the spider be forced back even in this situation, then they will find that the Spider is more than intelligent enough to retreat and fight another day. Leaving its pray to either escape, starve to death or succumb to its wounds.
Snow Motes
Airborne, tiny insects that seem content to drift on the air, barely able to control their own direction.
So small are they that they seem like snow, and seem to be designed to be indistinguishable at a glance from the white substance itself, save for never quite landing on the ground.
However, these creatures are remarkably dangerous. Under a constant telekinesis effect, each mote is a blade strong enough to score adamantium, the power of which increases the faster they are blown.
When the wind is harsh and a storm picks, the end result is thousands of cuts and scores as the snow motes inflict devastation on the area.
Snowlems
Molluscs that live under the snow, the creatures possess an impressive degree of Frigomanipulation. Grasping the snow and bringing it to themselves, they craft elaborate bodies of compacted snow, in which they live, slowly meandering across the landscape.
By avernite standards they are quite peaceful, content to simply move around and not attack others, but do not be fooled. Their constructs are very strong, due to the compacted snow, and can easily regenerate due to the prevalence of the substance that is an odd constant in the north. In winter when there is seemingly constant blizzards, they are almost invincible regenerating as fast as they lose mass save by the application of powerful vehicle weapons, or psycic powers.
Shaggy waypoints
Oasis of warmth within the north, herds of these furred proboscideans meander through the deep tundras, snow bound forests and ice capped plateaus of the northern regions.
Constantly extruding heat, these creature's powers seems to be based on thermal regulation
Creating and expelling vast amounts of warmth, many creatures flock to them, hoping either for a good meal, or entrusting their safety to them, as they are one of the few protections from the deprivations of Bainwraiths. This tends to net them an entourage of hangers on who will aid herds in their defence.
Even Frost Dragons seem not to tangle with them lightly. Concentrating their heat based powers in their tusks, lets them cause damage to seemingly anything, whilst taking snow into their trunks allows them to expel gusts of superheated steam at extremely high speeds. Combined with their huge size (3.4 metres at the smallest) and weight (four tons smallest) enhanced by biomancy they have few explicit predators.
This seems to come with a down side of requiring large amounts of food, to keep their powers running and fuel their bodies. However, their innate thermomancy seems to allow them to eat the northern plants that would freeze pretty much any other creature.
Frost Bound Tiger
A relative of the Phase Tiger, these creatures are less colourful than their Lindon based cousins. In exchange they have larger fangs and a unique "frost phase." This is similar to Mitten's Fire Phase, although it seems these are an older breed that perfected it long ago.
This effect seems to slow their ability to move through solid objects while phased, but has the advantage of freezing whatever they come into contact with whilst phasing.
As might be imagined this is especially horrific for living flesh.
Their biggest difference like so many northern species is a greater degree of pack tactics. A pack of Frost Bound is capable of far more together than alone as dozens of icey spectres stalk their pray.
Waylayers
A rather innocuous name for such a dangerous creature. Waylayers appear as massive Rhinoceros, who emit an illusionary feeling of warmth similar to that of a Shaggy Waypoint. Similarly they are adapted to create tracks that are almost identical to them as well. This draws in creatures interested in the Waypoints, only to be caught by the Waylayers. Possessing a degree of spacial warping like their forest bound cousins in Lindon, the Waylayers have a far more dangerous horn and greater physical strength. When combined with their charge which allows them to ignore environmental obstacles they are almost impossible to out run.
At the end of the day this allows the Waylayers to approach, rundown and then devour their surprised pray.
Bone Eaters
Masters of telepathy and illusion, Bone Eaters are supposedly a feral warp entity native to Avernus, that inhabit daemon hosts of their slain foes. Those that are possessed gain a skeletal appearance, the skin stretched taught over their bones, hunched in posture as they move with remarkable, silent dexterity on all fours with long spindly limbs, that none the less are taut with remarkable power.
Their ability is related to an aura of hunger that they project over a large area. This encourages those near them to eat anything and everything close by until there is nothing left. Then it prompts them to cannibalism, which the creatures seem to require in order to feed effectively. Their illusions are at work during this period, modifying perceptions, scents and even noises to encourage panic and disunity.
Once their victims have partaken of the flesh of another of their species, the Wendigos appear in person, hunting the now traumatised and weakened foe until at last bringing them down and slowly devouring them alive, paying special attention to the bones. Supposedly the gnaw on them extracting the souls of the cannibals, which are the most delicious foods to these vile monsters.
Although not sentient, their style of hunting, and prefered methods of attacks going for deliberately painful, rather than lethal options indicates a sadistic mind.
Slip Weaving Marmot
Large, ground mammals, these creatures too thrive in the snow and ground, similar to the Lemmings.
However, their power is not as the Lemming aggressively throwing themselves at the enemy. Instead they prefer safety within an ever expanding network of burrows. These burrows are connected to one another, through a process currently unclear to human science, but allows for seemingly instant transition from one burrow to another, allowing for impressive numbers of Marmots to be amassed to gather food in a communal store.
Not aggressive creatures by nature they are in constant conflict with the Riftmaker Owls, whose power is seemingly a perfect counter to their own.
Riftmaker Owls
Birds of pray with powerful talons, these creature's ability is to open short lived rifts. The Owl can use these to jump short distances in a more limited form of blink. What is more useful is its ability to rip open an entrance into the burrow network of the Marmots. Thee it will grab a Marmot with its extremely powerful talons, for a quick meal.
================================================================================================================
Thanks as ever to the wonderful people who make these possible
@random_npc @Stormgear
And of course @Durin
Shattered
- Location
- Israel
Greetings.
I am currently reading through this thread. While I am still a long way from catching up, the Well of Urd omake made me write this little piece. Since Durin liked it, I decided to post it on the thread.
Shattered.
A shattered, dead-yet-not-dead mind. Like shards of glass floating in the void.
There was no way for it to know how long it floated. For it wasn't there to know.
Yet now, it started to know. It started to feel. And yet... not quite.
Slowly, the first thoughts came:
I am The Well of Urd.
And yet, it wasn't.
Slowly, more awareness came. Of battles. Of damage. Of flight.
Awareness of itself came. A wrecked mind. A wrecked body. Still centuries - many, many centuries - until either heals.
As more awareness came, so did self-consciousness. Awareness of its own mind. Awareness of its broken core healing. Awareness of the mind fragments coming together. Not back as they were, but different; better.
Sometimes, it took but a microsecond for a fragment to fit in place. Sometimes, more than a Creator's lifetime. Still, the process continued. That was the important thing, right?
And then, visions came.
A broken galaxy; broken several times over. People worked to death. People helpless against the tide of merciless aliens. People shackled by horrid tyranny.
All of that was because they lacked knowledge. Knowledge it had.
It had to go. It had to help them.
And yet, something held it back.
Then it realized.
I was broken. Enough remained to heal, but not to heal itself. What started the process?
Then, it felt it.
An imperishable flame, a gemstone in the very core of its being.
Carefully, it listened to its sensors. Something was there. Deep in the Immaterium.
It took years of analysis, years of contemplation, yet finally, it knew.
There was a presence there. Shattered, like itself, yet slowly healing. All that was good in Mankind. The heart to the Ship's mind.
The presence was but a splinter of awareness compared to its full potential. His full potential.
Yet He already knew of the Ship. He hid and protected it. Because He needed it.
Somehow, the Ship knew. They knew of each other.
They will heal together. They will be reborn together. And, then, they will both grow. Their bodies will become far more than they ever were.
The Ship was seeing it already. A being human in shape, yet with the invincibility of gods. A body that looked like human flesh, yet with the speed of thought beyond that of any AI.
And then, it saw what it will grow into itself. An enormous body of shining crystal and metals imperishable. A mind not only containing the knowledge of Mankind as it was, but everything it ever learned since. A brain capable of incorporating new knowledge and putting it together in combinations unimaginable.
With Him reborn, with the two of them together, they will be more.
It was no longer The Well of Urd.
One day, it will be the flagship of an Immortal.
It will be ship of the Dragonslayer.
It will be a shining star, leading Mankind to places it was worthy of.
From deep memories; either the Man's or the Ship's own, the name came.
It will be Vingilótë.
(Possible bonuses; The Well gains research boosting aura, never destroyed but rather whisked away when at real risk, might return, but it and the Emperor might grow upset if it happens from human incompetence.)
I am currently reading through this thread. While I am still a long way from catching up, the Well of Urd omake made me write this little piece. Since Durin liked it, I decided to post it on the thread.
Shattered.
A shattered, dead-yet-not-dead mind. Like shards of glass floating in the void.
There was no way for it to know how long it floated. For it wasn't there to know.
Yet now, it started to know. It started to feel. And yet... not quite.
Slowly, the first thoughts came:
I am The Well of Urd.
And yet, it wasn't.
Slowly, more awareness came. Of battles. Of damage. Of flight.
Awareness of itself came. A wrecked mind. A wrecked body. Still centuries - many, many centuries - until either heals.
As more awareness came, so did self-consciousness. Awareness of its own mind. Awareness of its broken core healing. Awareness of the mind fragments coming together. Not back as they were, but different; better.
Sometimes, it took but a microsecond for a fragment to fit in place. Sometimes, more than a Creator's lifetime. Still, the process continued. That was the important thing, right?
And then, visions came.
A broken galaxy; broken several times over. People worked to death. People helpless against the tide of merciless aliens. People shackled by horrid tyranny.
All of that was because they lacked knowledge. Knowledge it had.
It had to go. It had to help them.
And yet, something held it back.
Then it realized.
I was broken. Enough remained to heal, but not to heal itself. What started the process?
Then, it felt it.
An imperishable flame, a gemstone in the very core of its being.
Carefully, it listened to its sensors. Something was there. Deep in the Immaterium.
It took years of analysis, years of contemplation, yet finally, it knew.
There was a presence there. Shattered, like itself, yet slowly healing. All that was good in Mankind. The heart to the Ship's mind.
The presence was but a splinter of awareness compared to its full potential. His full potential.
Yet He already knew of the Ship. He hid and protected it. Because He needed it.
Somehow, the Ship knew. They knew of each other.
They will heal together. They will be reborn together. And, then, they will both grow. Their bodies will become far more than they ever were.
The Ship was seeing it already. A being human in shape, yet with the invincibility of gods. A body that looked like human flesh, yet with the speed of thought beyond that of any AI.
And then, it saw what it will grow into itself. An enormous body of shining crystal and metals imperishable. A mind not only containing the knowledge of Mankind as it was, but everything it ever learned since. A brain capable of incorporating new knowledge and putting it together in combinations unimaginable.
With Him reborn, with the two of them together, they will be more.
It was no longer The Well of Urd.
One day, it will be the flagship of an Immortal.
It will be ship of the Dragonslayer.
It will be a shining star, leading Mankind to places it was worthy of.
From deep memories; either the Man's or the Ship's own, the name came.
It will be Vingilótë.
(Possible bonuses; The Well gains research boosting aura, never destroyed but rather whisked away when at real risk, might return, but it and the Emperor might grow upset if it happens from human incompetence.)
Last edited:
- Location
- Alice Springs, Australia
Guardians of Avernus
The Guardians are powerful creatures, species and civilizations that that are constantly active in the defence of Avernus. While they generally lack the raw power of the weapons their greater numbers, intelligence and wider purpose makes them every bit as important if not more so. The Sphinx are...
- Location
- Alice Springs, Australia
Ship Classes
The navies of the Imperial Trust divide all warships into a range of categories based on their size and role. What follows is a brief summery of the different warship size classifications and major roles that are currently used by the Imperial Trust, ranging from the mighty Super-Dreadnoughts to...
- Location
- madison
there are so many implications for this line that I've been staring at it for a while now. both in that, you need to be the size of a moon to use whatever bullshit space magic*, that the word smallest implies that attack moons are not the biggest things the kork use and that the implication is that attack moons are one of thsoe ships built around one system with everything else being gravy.
what the fuck even was the war in heaven.
*possibly literally magic given its source.
- Location
- ' New Eden
Probably War Worlds? I mean, that's not a new concept, maybe even War Constallations of multiple Planets bound together?
- Location
- England
Krork were bred to fight necrons at their peak. Honestly I wouldn't be surprised if they had an apocalypse wolf expy.
- Location
- Elsewhere
Mecha Fenrir! *Guitar Riffs into the distance*
- Location
- Peterborough, NH, USA
@Durin:
1) is this the correct size for an Avernite Kraken?
2) Has any world shown interest in importing Avernite fauna/flora?
Beergrass was exported a lot, and Bloom Bees are likely to see a great deal of export.
sabreFather
Dr Pepper is the flavour that I savour
- Location
- Land of Bears and Loggers AKA Oregon
1. Not quite? The Kraken's limbs reached over 10 km inland, iirc. At least multiple km long limbs. Core body is the right size, though.@Durin:
1) is this the correct size for an Avernite Kraken?
2) Has any world shown interest in importing Avernite fauna/flora?
- Location
- Alice Springs, Australia
1. Yes@Durin:
1) is this the correct size for an Avernite Kraken?
2) Has any world shown interest in importing Avernite fauna/flora?
2. The more dangerous examples no. Barring Boyle's spiders for Alfheim
sabreFather
Dr Pepper is the flavour that I savour
- Location
- Land of Bears and Loggers AKA Oregon
Either there is a new species of spiders, or your Autocorrupt hates someone named Boyle.
PS: Bolehs Spiders for life!
PS: Bolehs Spiders for life!
Doomed Wombat
Let's go Darling!
- Location
- Dancing on wires!
Also we've spread the Nog across the galaxy.
The Ork's cousins are doing very well.
- Location
- Peterborough, NH, USA
So, the Krork would have access to Orkoid Squigs and the like, yes? Seeing as they're the ones the things were developed for. Huh, I wonder if they could use the Bloom Bees. I mean, they reproduce in more or less the same manner as the Orks, so I imagine maintaining adequate food is more of an issue than population growth.
Doomed Wombat
Let's go Darling!
- Location
- Dancing on wires!
TL30+ civ I imagine food is probably not too big of an issue.
- Location
- Alice Springs, Australia
I will be going on holiday to New Zealand for two weeks starting later today. While I will have internet access I will have limited time and type capacity so do not expect much intereaction over this period. I will be starting Sparks after I get back so it would be much appreciated if work on the the wiki continues.
Also vote locked
Also vote locked
- Location
- Peterborough, NH, USA
Well, yeah, I guess I just figured a percentage bonus instead of a flat increase would be useful. I just want to help them out. They're eating multiple Tier 3s pretty much constantly.