From 9ded05c5379d98b5b42d8238a73f9d7e390ceb2f Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: KheirFerrum <102964889+KheirFerrum@users.noreply.github.com> Date: Sat, 20 Jan 2024 02:46:11 +0000 Subject: [PATCH] docs: Faction Lore Update (#3915) * Lore Update Based on stuff posted on the Discord * style(autofix.ci): automated formatting * Add disclaimers Will soon deal with once I have Old Guard lore hashed out --------- Co-authored-by: autofix-ci[bot] <114827586+autofix-ci[bot]@users.noreply.github.com> --- .../content/docs/en/game/lore/beginning.md | 167 ++------ doc/src/content/docs/en/game/lore/factions.md | 355 ++++++++++-------- doc/src/content/docs/en/game/lore/notes.md | 2 +- doc/src/content/docs/en/game/lore/timeline.md | 2 +- 4 files changed, 218 insertions(+), 308 deletions(-) diff --git a/doc/src/content/docs/en/game/lore/beginning.md b/doc/src/content/docs/en/game/lore/beginning.md index 4020ed43d141..70ef922b17c3 100644 --- a/doc/src/content/docs/en/game/lore/beginning.md +++ b/doc/src/content/docs/en/game/lore/beginning.md @@ -8,143 +8,30 @@ spoilers below! ::: -### Day -3 - -The nation goes to high alert. Reasons are sketchy. Rumours of an imminent attack abound. News media -briefly brings up stories of a few drug fueled maniacs attacking civilians, but they are quickly -buried under speculation on a possible invasion. - -### Day -2 - -Speculation continues. There are rumours of a new street drug turning people into violent, brutal -killers. There are sightings of strange, large, aggressive insects in the woods, but no official -confirmation. - -### Day -1 - -There are suspected reports that the killers may be under the influence of a biological attack -slowly creeping it’s way through the population, turning people into killers. Others dismiss these -rumours as nonsense. The government refuses to comment, saying they are investigating and looking -into things. A portal opens in a remote field in, but the government responds quickly and suppresses -information about the event. - -### Day 0 - -The bombs drop. Many cities in New England are hit with high explosives. The klaxons that are -supposed to warn of an attack never sound, and the strikes appear to be precisely targeted, though -there isn’t much special about the areas they strike at first glance. In reality, several of the -smaller labs that scatter the area providing relays for the primary dimensional manipulation -experiments have experience gateways opening in the immediate area, and their machinery refusing to -shut down. Those inside have quickly been overwhelmed by extradimensional horrors. The strikes are -against labs that have been overrun, or where the resonator equipment is still functioning, and -locations believed to have opened portals. It is hoped the high energy yield of high explosives will -collapse the portals, or at least destroy the equipment that makes it possible for them to open. In -many cases, this works. In others, the strikes make things worse, changing how the portals work -instead. - -From several of these strikes, the portals absorb the energy and create a larger, fluctuating rift -that allows noxious alien chemicals to billow forth in huge plumes. Those in the immediate area have -their skin blister, boil, and slough off, and the chemicals quickly enter the atmosphere. Other -areas have their portals turn into blistering infernos, or areas of extreme cold. It is hypothesized -by scientists in-the-know that disrupting the lab network has caused permanent dimensional weakness -and expanded our susceptibility not only to connections to the subprime plane, but also a number of -neighboring planes. This is all fairly meaningless to the average citizen, who is mostly under the -impression that life has turned into hell-on-earth. - -Additional portals begin appearing around the world, even as the number of new portals in New -England steadily dwindles. Creatures from the surviving portals, those expanded or missed by the -bombs, begin venturing forth and slaughtering those they find. One portal expands violently, causing -an explosion that erupts a cloud of spores into the air before closing permanently. These spores -begin floating on the breeze, and several eventually find a home. - -Finally, the klaxons sound, and a biological attack is announced. There is utter chaos, and many -mixed messages. The military is deployed to try to control the situation, and martial law is -declared. It is hard to ignore now that the dead rise again short afterward, and abominations roam -the streets. Many head to evac shelters and bunkers, others try to lock their doors and stay in -their homes. There is a huge migration of vehicles heading west. - -As day turns to night, the first caustic rain occurs, returning the alien chemicals to earth at -great distances even as they continue to pour from the portal rifts. The deadly rain lasts for -almost 9 hours, killing most of those caught outside while evacuating. - -### Day 1 - -Most of the monsters die off, seemingly only able to operate within a certain distance of the -portals, before the effects of the prime plane begin causing severe degeneration. Unfortunately, the -damage has largely been done. Worse, a few find the new plane perfectly comfortable, and begin to -expand aggressively, while others such as the ooze that causes the zombies adapt to find forms that -will let them expand beyond the range of their connection to another plane. - -Those who are killed by monsters, rain, or any of the other new threats to appear raise as zombies, -and even zombies that are killed with bullets or normal weapons will raise again soon afterwards. - -In an effort to combat the new threats of both large amounts of undead humans and various -otherworldly horrors, the automated security forces are quickly reprogrammed to behave much more -aggressively, killing threats instead of just trying to arrest them if they were supposed to, and -adopting a much wider view of what constitutes a threat. Unfortunately, this backfires - though they -do identify the undead as a threat, and in several cases successfully engage them, the new settings -also lead them to target the human “trespassers” running the security networks, and the networked -security systems identify almost any living human as a hostile threat to be eliminated. The larger -network itself collapses shortly afterwards, leaving no way to adjust the settings back, as each -security unit - police station, military turret, autonomous hunter vehicle - reverts to independent -control operating under the last instructions received - -The nation declares a national disaster, and FEMA camps are setup and a large-scale evacuation -begins, even as reports of portals opening in other locations begin to reach official ears. The -evacuation camps prove to be deathtraps, attracting the attention of deadly creatures and the -security forces who view them as “illegal homeless encampments”. - -### Day 2 - -National support is pulled out of New England, and the area is declared a lost cause as efforts -intensify to control the new appearances of portals throughout the rest of the US. - -Acid rain occurs intermittently. The acid breaks down fairly quickly after it falls to earth, but -several portals remain open that pour the caustic material into the sky. Like a volcano, some -portals remain quiet for a while before letting forth a huge belch of a toxic cloud, while others -release a steady, uncomfortable trickle. - -The first fungaloids are encountered by a small military patrol, and retreat to a nearby farmhouse -after one of the soldiers is killed by something erupting from the ground. They report the presence -of several large fungal growths, almost human height, and a haze that has settled over the area. -Fine powder seems to cover every surface within hours. By the end of the day, the spires will be -significantly larger, and the number of fungaloids surrounding the house grow endlessly in number . -The last reports from the soldiers indicate strange symptoms among the soldiers, and that fungal -growths from the engine are preventing their vehicle from starting. They are not heard from again. - -Triffids, strange plant-like creatures that seem to build upon the existing root networks in local -forests, are seen growing in multiple places, having been dropped by Triffid seed-runners that -escaped through one or more portals. They quickly attune to the new landscape, and many regions of -forest begin slowly converting into triffid groves. The Triffids and Fungals seem to be related -somehow. - -The giant insects begin spread as well, serving as a useful vessel for the goo, but maintaining many -of their primitive impulses. Construction begins on enormous hives, dens, and colonies. - -The Netherum - whether zombies, flaming eyes, kreks or migo - can best be seen as individual -specialized cells in a larger organism, like a human being, sponge or (perhaps the best analogy) a -slime mold. The ooze that infects zombies is akin to a kind of netherum stem cell, and can -eventually take many forms. As with stem cells turning into specialized cells, though, more advanced -netherum creatures like the Migo no longer have the versatility of the basic slime and are locked -into their form. - -Every basic component of Netherum contains the information for every possible Netherum creature, -but, just like with DNA, the information expressed depends on a variety of environmental stimulus - -including the proximity of a sufficient amount of nearby Netherum creatures of different types. This -is not the first time the triffids and the Netherum have encountered each other. - -Initially large nether creatures died quite quickly in our world if they stay far from the energies -of a portal or other subprime access point. But some of them were able to adapt to our environment -to a certain extent and gained the ability to survive far away from portals. Still hostility of -Earth 's environment limits the spread of large nether creatures. So far, no reproduction or young -versions were observed. But no one knows how long this limitation holds. - -On the other hand, the more distributed version of the netherum has quickly found its niche living -within the bodies of large native organisms, improving their odds of success in multiple passive -ways, and taking full control if the organisms life ceases to restart the organism’s basic functions -under the Netherum’s control. With a protective fleshy or carapacian shield between it and the -environment, the Netherum is able to comfortably persist in our world far from the portals. - -There is more than one subprime plane. The Netherum comes from a more distant plane than the -triffids and fungals, and is part of why the triffids and fungals can survive in our reality more -reliably than the Netherum. +### Cataclysm + +Many humans will remember the Cataclysm as a singular event, when the dead came to life and +unimaginable horrors took to the streets to pour death and carnage onto the Earth. However, it was +actually a fairly gradual process. Dimensional research, both by the United States and various other +nations, slowly weakened the dimensional walls separating our reality from the Nethereum, at least +on Earth. The effect of this was fairly gradual at first, with mutations becoming easier over time, +revivication near portals becoming faster and stronger, so slowly over the years that few even +noticed. + +The tipping point however, was when XEDRA decided to open one of the largest portals of ever devised +by their minds in New England. This weakened the dimensional walls enough for it to shatter, letting +a deluge of both XE037 and it's associated energies into our reality. The proceeding event is what +is now known as the Cataclysm, as horrific portal storms and all the worst nightmares of a few dozen +realities flooded onto our world for several days. By the time the tides settled, the Nethereum and +ours finally reaching an equilibrium, the world had been devastated, governments had collapsed and +civilization as we knew it was destroyed. + +The various portals throughout the world keep ours and the Nethereum connected, but this is not a +truly stable equilibrium. If the walls between our dimensions are not repaired, if not enough +portals are closed or stabilized, eventually the Earth will suffer a local dimensional collapse, +folding into itself like a used bandage to quarantine us and protect both the rest of our reality +and the Nethereum from further dimensional destruction. (Timeline unknown because if it's within a +lifetime I guarantee you some player will wait until that date just to make a bug report that +nothing happened.) + +## More expansion to follow. diff --git a/doc/src/content/docs/en/game/lore/factions.md b/doc/src/content/docs/en/game/lore/factions.md index ce6e0691e1c1..559cae1b4679 100644 --- a/doc/src/content/docs/en/game/lore/factions.md +++ b/doc/src/content/docs/en/game/lore/factions.md @@ -6,6 +6,9 @@ title: Factions spoilers below! +Also worth noting these include future plans, and is a framework for what future additions/lore +reworks should keep in mind, rather than what is currently already in the game. + ::: ## America @@ -34,120 +37,132 @@ unlikely to leave many survivors. Standing as empty unstocked, relatively insecu outskirts of the city reminding people of what could happen was the only service they were ever actually expected to provide. -## Blob - -### Origin - -The Blob, otherwise known as XE037, is a single-cellular organism formed of exotic matter -undetectable without specialized equipment. Through reckless dimensional experimentation, XEDRA -breached into XE037's homeworld, and exposed our world to the Blob. Evading conventional quarantine -procedures, the Blob has entered the Earth's biosphere, spreading and infecting the world via water. -Infection is characterised by the Blob being taken up by eukaryotic cells, in a similar manner as -the proposed model for mitonchondria. Beings that possess a sense of self, even insects and animals, -are relatively unaffected by the Blob, which mostly manifests in accelerated healing by catalysing -metabolic processes when injured. A large percentage of Blob infected creatures, human or animal, -display increased aggression and clouded judgement, a side effect of the integration of Blob into -the brain disrupting normal brain chemistry. Humans affected in this way are considered "feral", -though a small percentage of creatures are more resistant to these changes than others. - -## Effects of blob infection on living hosts - -In living hosts, the Blob is capable of restructuring the body, from simple things like increased -muscle mass, brain matter, or thickened skin to drastic changes like rapid bone restructuring, and -growth of organs that do not typically exist in the species. Some of these effects appear to be the -Blob reactivating dormant phenotypes (perhaps surprisingly gills are classified under these) or -over/under expressing certain genes, however, many of the more drastic changes seem to use DNA that -has never existed within the species. While similar to their earth counterparts, many of these -structures are subtly different, contributing to the theory that the Blob itself may hold a -repository of extraterrestrial or extradimensional DNA (or some equivalent using their exotic -material as base). Strangely, a subject's sense of self and consciousness appears to be involved in -the transformations, and to access the more advanced mutations a subject's sense of self must be -temporarily altered, this alteration however typically becomes permanent once the "threshold" has -been crossed. This strange limitation of ego has casually reignited philosophical questions of -consciousness amongst the more fringe scientists, who suggest that this could be a sign of the soul. -Animals and insects thus far have never been observed to have the same breadth of mutations, it is -suggested that their inability to reinvent themselves mentally contributes to this (Insert -commentary about how humans are capable of lying to themselves). - -## Effects of blob infection on dead hosts - -On death however the seemingly artificial limitations on mutation are removed. Regeneration is -initiated, with the corpse cannibalizing itself as the Blob takes drastic steps to reanimate the -host. The host however, is no longer in control of their body, with the Blob driving them to feed -and survive. The mutations begin to grow ever more bizarre, the Blob hijacking the cellular makeup -to replace normal cells with their own, repurposing the normal biology of the host toward more -aggressive purposes (acid/spitter zombies, skeletal juggernauts, etc). The Blob in this state also -seems capable of hijacking bionics within the body, utilizing power storage as sources of electrical -shocks, electromagnet implants in industrial workers, or utilizing the martial art subroutines -within Close Quarter Battle CBMs (explaining why bio-operatives seem capable of doing martial arts). -It is theorised that the mutations integrating bionics may not be unique to "zombies", but would -require a human with a distorted sense of self that considers the human and machine parts of their -body to be one and the same. Testing of this was prematurely clipped by the Cataclysm (partially -explaining the Prototype/Broken Cyborgs) - -### Countermeasures - -As the Blob has no higher consciousness and no collective it cannot be fought in the conventional -sense. However, humanity is capable of severely diminishing the threat of the Blob, at least in -regards to reanimation. Research prior to the Cataclysm has revealed that the energy deficit -incurred during reanimation and to some extent their activity after is sustained by nearby portal -activity. A certain threshold of energy must be reached before reanimation is even possible, further -explaining why only corpses of a certain size are able to reanimate. Deep underground in New -England, a central lab exists with the largest working portal on the continent. It's activation was -the tipping point of our dimensional instability, leading to rapid global reanimation of corpses and -accelerated mutation where prior cases had been completely limited to the local area within labs and -near portals. (Explaining how the Cataclysm could've gotten so out of control so quickly.) In the -aftermath, once dimensional fatigue had settled to a more stable state, it now generates the portal -energies needed to sustain much of the zombies throughout the continent. If this can be disabled, -zombie activity would become much reduced, as would their evolution. - -## Nether +### Nether -### Origin - -The Nethereum is a transitive plane, sequestered between realities. It is a malleable plane, -constantly in flux as it mirrors the various worlds that it borders. The rules and constants between -each reality vary wildly, and within the Nethereum it continuously swings between them, trying and +The Nethereum is a transitive plane, sequestered between realities. It is constantly in flux as it +mirrors the various worlds that it borders through XE037. The rules and constants between each +reality vary wildly, and within the Nethereum it continuously swings between them, trying and failing to find a balance. The creatures within are no different, each is a reflection of some creature from another reality, distorted, incomplete and uncanny. Most are unintelligent or -animalistic, incomplete snapshots. Despite this, greater, intelligent life does exist within the +animalistic, incomplete snapshots. However, greater, intelligent life does exist within the Nethereum, their forms stretching across the void with an intelligence that regards us with the same -foreign curiosity as a child. Unfortunately, this child is so incomprehensible to us that any true -contact would only cause madness, as they exist in accordance to concepts that make no logical -sense, and indeed do not exist on our world. Fortunately, our world is as difficult for them to -access as theirs is to ours, and they lack the focus and technology to ever succeed on their own. - -### Nether creatures - -Nether creatures are immune to the Blob's control, so alien and beyond the ken of life are they that -the Blob is unable to find purchase in their bodies. Indeed, their continued existence within our -reality is predicated on the dimensional instability that is currently affecting Earth, and if the -fabric of reality can be somehow stabilized many will simply die where they stand and wither away to -nothing. A good starting point for this would be the giant portal that has formed in the Central -Lab. - -### Subconscious connection - -The Nethereum itself has a strange connection to the subconscious mind of sapient life, and in -dreams and more traumatically, while in the throes of madness, it is possible to gain glimpses of -the Nethereum's chaotic plane. Such insights have inspired books across countless civilizations of +foreign curiosity as a child. Unfortunately, any true contact would only cause madness, as they +exist in accordance to concepts that make no logical sense, and indeed do not exist on our world. +Fortunately, our world is as difficult for them to access as theirs is to ours, and they lack the +focus and technology to ever succeed on their own. + +Nether creatures are utterly alien to reality, their bodies rely on the nearby gashes in reality to +sustain their impossible forms. Should the portals be closed and the bleed between realities stymied +in some way, the more fantastical nethereum creatures would likely die where they stand. + +The Nethereum itself has a strange connection to the subconscious mind of sapient life. In dreams +and more traumatically, while in the throes of madness, it is possible to gain glimpses of the +Nethereum's chaotic plane. Such insights have inspired books across countless civilizations of eldritch horrors and creatures that haunt beyond the edge of reality. In the same way, most contact with the Nethereum outside of portals is mental, even with the fabric of reality degraded as it is. Sometimes information from beings beyond our realm, helpful or not, seeps in through these cracks, if one is capable of deciphering it. -### Pocket dimensions - Pocket dimensions are constantly forming within the Nethereum, echoes and reflections of worlds far beyond our ability to percieve. Portal storms are locations where these pocket dimensions bleed into our own, and if the correct conduit can be created, and enough energy gathered, it could be possible -for humanity to reach into these broken reflections to seek out technologies and sciences developed -by othere realities. Be cautious, such dark reflections may not function as originally intended, and +for humanity to reach into these broken reflections to seek out technologies and materials developed +by other realities. Be cautious, such dark reflections may not function as originally intended, and it will be defended by dark reflections of other things as well... -## Mycus +### Blob + +#### Origin (What is it?) + +The Blob, otherwise known as XE037, is the basic building block of the Nether, all creatures and +structures within the Nethereum great and small are formed primarily of this substance. It displays +properties that do not conform to the standard theory of matter, able to change it's characteristics +and restructure itself seemingly at random. As the Nethereum itself has very weak, if any immutable +physical laws, XE037 structures itself in response to the weak interactions when the Nethereum and +other planes intersect. It is also heavily affected by consciousness, and in the very rare +occassions that minds intersect with the Nethereum it spawns worlds from their dreams... or +nightmares. It is the primary contributor to the state of the Nether being a roiling storm of +complete chaos. Post Cataclysm, the entirety of the Earth has been blanketed due to gashes in +reality caused by the Cataclysm. + +#### Infection and Effects on Living Hosts + +"Infection" by the blob is caused when organisms take up the blob into their cells, replacing a +portion of their regular mass with XE037. Saturation rates of XE037 in living creatures appears to +be a ratio affected only slightly by exposure, even immersed within the Nethereum itself only a +small portion of a creature's mass will be replaced. For lower lifeforms, this has very little +effect, XE037 functions as whatever mass it was meant to replace, seeming to stabilize in reaction +to whatever has taken it up. For animals, XE037 has the effect of improving their functions, making +them stronger, faster, more of whatever they were before, as well as improving their healing +abilties. Insects however show the most drastic changes, as the improvement of their oxygen intake +means that they grow much larger than we have seen in recent history, approaching or even exceeding +prehistoric sizes. + +In humans however, the effect is markedly different. XE037 appears capable of restructuring the +body, from simple things like increased muscle mass, brain matter, or thickened skin to drastic +changes like rapid bone restructuring, and growth of organs that do not typically exist in the +species. Some of these effects appear to be the Blob reactivating dormant phenotypes (perhaps +surprisingly gills are classified under these) or over/under expressing certain genes. However, many +of the more drastic changes seem to use DNA that has never existed within the species, possibly some +form of "memory" within XE037 regarding the other realities it has come into contact with before. +While similar to their earth counterparts, many of these structures are subtly different. A +subject's sense of self and consciousness appears to be involved in the transformations, and to +access transformational mutations a subject's sense of self must be temporarily altered, this +alteration however typically becomes permanent once the "threshold" has been crossed, causing the +subject to permanently identify more closely with the target specimen. This strange limitation of +ego has casually reignited philosophical questions of consciousness amongst the more fringe +scientists, who suggest that this could be a sign of the soul. Animals and insects thus far have +never been observed to have the same breadth of mutations, it is suggested that their inability to +reinvent themselves mentally contributes to this. + +#### Death of Hosts -### Origin +On death however the seemingly artificial limitations on mutation are removed. Regeneration is +initiated, with the corpse cannibalizing itself as the Blob takes drastic steps to reanimate the +host. The host however, is no longer in control of their body, with the Blob driving them to feed +and survive. The mutations begin to grow ever more bizarre, the Blob hijacking more and more of the +cellular makeup of the host, repurposing toward more aggressive purposes (acid/spitter zombies, +skeletal juggernauts, etc). The Blob in this state also seems capable of hijacking bionics within +the body, utilizing power storage as sources of electrical shocks, electromagnet implants in +industrial workers, or utilizing the martial art subroutines within Close Quarter Battle CBMs +(explaining why bio-operatives seem capable of doing martial arts). It is theorised that the +mutations integrating bionics may not be unique to "zombies", but would require a human with a +distorted sense of self that considers the human and machine parts of their body to be one and the +same. Testing of this was prematurely halted by the Cataclysm (partially explaining the +Prototype/Broken Cyborgs) + +#### Ferals + +In humans with abnormal mentation or brain damage, the changes wrought by XE037 are similar to that +of zombification, but only partially. Such "ferals" retain a lot more of their human intelligence +and tool use, and are not nearly as horrifically mutated, but are invariably psychotically violent +to all other living creatures around them. Zombies appear to consider them kin, and they in turn are +not violent to other zombies. It's unknown if recovery is even possible for humans affected in this +way, though it is theorized that XE037 may itself be trying to remedy the injury in it's own +undirected way. The proliferation and infiltration of XE037 into much of the host cells however, +means that it is highly likely that any attempt to strip XE037 from the subject would result in +death. + +#### Player Interactions + +As the Blob has no higher consciousness and no collective it cannot be fought in the conventional +sense. However, humanity is capable of severely diminishing the threat of the Blob, at least in +regards to reanimation and mutation. Research prior to the Cataclysm has revealed that the energy +deficit incurred during reanimation and to some extent their activity after is sustained by nearby +portal activity in a similar way to Nethereum creatures. A certain threshold of energy must be +reached before reanimation is even possible, further explaining why only corpses of a certain size +are able to reanimate. Deep underground in New England, a central lab exists with the largest +working portal on the continent. It's activation was the tipping point of our dimensional +instability, leading to rapid global reanimation of corpses and accelerated mutation where prior +cases had been limited to the local area within labs and near portals, and slow to ineffectual +elsewhere. (Explaining how the Cataclysm could've gotten so out of control so quickly.) In the +aftermath, once dimensional fatigue had settled to a more stable state, it now generates the portal +energies needed to sustain much of the zombies throughout the continent. If this can be disabled, +zombie activity would become much reduced, as would their evolution. + +### Mycus + +#### Origin (What is it?) The Mycus were once a species of parasitic brain fungus on their homeworld, taking control of various animals and using them to spread itself across the planet. Over time, the connection between @@ -159,22 +174,23 @@ existence they have never known the concept of individualism. There is only the Spreading across the universe, the Mycus found nothing, barren planets and occasionally more hosts, but no other minds for them to connect to, to commune. The Mycus turned their gaze beyond their reality, seeking others beyond their reality. Cautious about the world beyond, they never opened the -physical portals into blob space that would allow the Blob purchase. By luck, their first inhabited -universe was our own, in the midst of the Cataclysm. The Mycus watched as civilization was sundered -by the various Nether creatures and reanimated monstrosities, and mourned the passing of an -intelligence that might have finally been their peer. Yet as they watched, the tiny fleshlings -endured. Single fleshlings joined in communion with others, conclaves formed, yet were a pale shadow -of their former glory, while others were lost, wandering into a lost world. - -The Mycus rejoiced, the intelligence must still remain, fragmented between their myriad of hosts, -for them to be able to continue their function. If the fragments could be gathered, combined, they -might yet survive the possibility of local dimensional collapse, and through this the Mycus would -achieve Communion. They gathered their spores, readied their portals, and sent forth a legion of -spores into the Nethereum, toward humanity. Any of their flesh hosts would not be able to survive -the journey, but the spores would, even if many would be lost in the tumultous expanse all that was -needed was a single main node. The Mycus would grow. - -### Mycus infection +physical portals into the Nethereum until they had perfected their understanding of it, instead only +using it to observe other universes for sapient life. By luck, their first inhabited universe was +our own, in the midst of the Cataclysm. The Mycus watched as civilization was sundered by the +various Nether creatures and reanimated monstrosities, and mourned the passing of an intelligence +that might have finally been their peer. Yet as they watched, the tiny fleshlings endured. Single +fleshlings joined in communion with others, conclaves formed, yet were a pale shadow of their former +glory, while others were lost, wandering into a doomed world. + +The Mycus believe the intelligence must still remain, fragmented between their myriad of hosts, for +them to be able to continue their function. If the fragments could be gathered, combined, they might +yet survive the possibility of local dimensional collapse, and through this the Mycus would achieve +Communion. They gathered their spores, readied their portals, and sent forth a legion of spores into +the Nethereum, toward humanity. Any of their flesh hosts would not be able to survive the journey, +but the spores would, even if many would be lost in the tumultous expanse all that was needed was a +single main node. The Mycus would grow. + +#### Goal The goal of the Mycus is at its heart, altruistic, it wants to make humanity whole again. Unfortunately it has no understanding of individuality, and does not understand that humanity is not @@ -185,12 +201,14 @@ intelligence to comprehend it and have been reduced to hiding from the many mons world. It thus entices individuals and conclaves with fruit and the soothing promise of communion. It forgives humanity for attacking it and refusing communion because we just don't know any better. -The Mycus is capable of subverting the blob, but only partially. As the blob is inhibited by a -creature's sense of self, a Mycus infection uses the Mycus' own presence to take control of the -body. This is only temporary, and as a result the Mycus weakens the zombies it infects to dispose of -them more permanently later. +#### Blob Interactions + +The Mycus is capable of subverting the blob, but only partially. As a majority of the blob's effects +are inhibited by a creature's sense of self, a Mycus infection uses the Mycus' own presence to take +control of the body. This is only temporary, and as a result the Mycus weakens the zombies it +infects to dispose of them more permanently later. -### Countermeasures +#### Player Interactions The player should have several ways of dealing with this. The first is the obvious solution, to burn the Mycus to the ground, there is no Queen that controls the Mycus in its totality, but the @@ -198,15 +216,15 @@ destruction of groves, towers, and similar terrain will prevent the Mycus from p or replenishing their numbers. Another method is for the player that decides humanity's collective mind is best given to the Mycus, so that they may bring it back to their world where it will live with the Mycus forever more, all differences erased. The final solution is that of diplomacy, to -explain to the Mycus what it means to be an individual, and convince it that each person is a -precious, individual mind instead of a receptacle. If this can be achieved, the Mycus may be -persuaded to aid humanity in saving their home. Such aid could come in the form of allied -companions, skills loaded into one's mind, or perhaps, the ability to bring an individual anew into -the world by melding with their body before it is lost to the Blob. +convince the Mycus that we are both not a hive mind, and that our individuality is not a defect to +be removed. If this can be achieved, the Mycus may be persuaded to enter a symbiotic relationship +with humanity to aid it in its efforts to heal the world before it succumbs to dimensional collapse. +Examples of such aid include companions, skills downloaded from the collective mind, resurrection +using a prior template of one's mind, or bombs to infect and weaken zombies via Mycus. -## Migo +### Migo -### Origin +#### Origin (What are they?) The Migo are a species of carapace covered humanoids with what appears to be an eusocial caste system. Each individual is uniquely adapted to it's station, and if a unit is needed for a specific @@ -217,8 +235,6 @@ with nearby Migo, allowing them to exchange thoughts and emotions but not memori they lack a true ego and will do anything up to and including self-sacrifice if it serves their interests as a whole. -### Migo technology - Migo technology is highly advanced but bio-mechanically engineered, and cannot be directly used by non-migo. However, the underlying mechanisms and science can be replicated with the right materials and knowhow, allowing one with the appropriate knowledge to turn their weapons and technology onto @@ -226,44 +242,56 @@ their makers, whether this is resin production and manipulation or the reconstru "slaver beams" all their technology is repurposable. Their bodies do not tolerate cold well, and generally function best in what would be charitably described as a sauna for humanity. -### Migo society +#### First Contact In the distant past a group of Migo were stranded in the ice caps due to a failed dimensional jump. Prior to the Cataclysm the craft's remnants and a few migo stuck in stasis, were recovered by the -group that would eventually become Xedra. The incomplete workings of the dimensional drive they used +group that would eventually become XEDRA. The incomplete workings of the dimensional drive they used filled in gaps into the study of space and dimensional travel, though humanity is still a long way from the controlled travel that the migo themselves seem capable of now. Unbecknowst to them, meddling with the craft sent out a distress call, which called the Migo toward humanity. When the Migo arrived, they originally were meant to function in secret, gathering information on humanity to assess their threat level to the Migo and provide countermeasures should they ever -breach into true dimensional travel. It was during this operation that the Cataclysm began. In the -ensuing chaos it became abundantly clear to the Migo that humanity had been compromised by an -extradimensional threat. By performing their own research and a few targeted raids they came to the -conclusion that the Blob had infected the world and by extension, them. - -The current migo contingent has quarantined itself on Earth, and is currently looking to investigate -the blob and how it infects humanity. If possible, the Migo would prefer to have the Blob fully -analyzed, with the ability to purge it from themselves while keeping samples that they might -engineer for the species own benefit in the future. The blob has fully infiltrated the Migo, but -they have managed a rudimentary safeguard that prevents reanimation of their corpses upon death by -blocking out the dimensional energies needed for proper reanimation. As this is adapted to migo -physiology, it's unlikely to be usable for humanity. - -The Migo do not resent humanity for its role in experimenting on it's soldier units, as a society -they are unable to hate due to a lack of ego and thus personal investment in their enemy is -anathema. Despite this, the experimentation and mental instability displayed by remaining humans has -caused them to classify humanity as a threat to the Migo, and actions will be taken to prevent -humanity from threatening their home and their people. - -## Triffids - -> The triffids have a strict hive like hierarchy composed of dozens if not hundreds of organisms. -> Each individual organism was tweaked to a specialized task due evolution process from basic form. -> Despite individual triffid creatures relying on very basic instincts, overall triffid collective -> acts very efficiently and appears intelligent. - -### Origin +breach into true dimensional travel and meet the main body of the Migo civilization. It was during +this operation that the Cataclysm began. In the ensuing chaos it became abundantly clear to the Migo +that humanity had been compromised by an extradimensional threat. Further testing and several raids +confirmed that the Nethereum and the blob were responsible. + +As the Migo have mastered dimensional travel, their understanding of the blob is far above humanity. +Enough so that they have countermeasures in place to prevent their reanimation and mutation. As this +technology was designed for their biology it will not work on humanity without heavy modification, +and integrated into Migo biology as it is it will not be noticable to all but the most dedicated of +xenobiologists. + +#### Goals + +With the dimensional instability of the planet, the migo are cut off from their home, and much of +their current purpose is to reestablish communication as well as create a safe portal with which to +evacuate the planet prior to local dimensional collapse. The Cataclysm took them by surprise, as +while they were aware of humanity's experiments on dimensional travel, and had brought in a few of +their own scientists to observe their results, they were not prepared for the absolutely monumental +cock up XEDRA had facilitated. As such they lack the manpower and material with which to achieve +their mission. To make up for this, they are experimenting with conversion of the local population, +to manpower or material, such that they may form an appropriate beacon with which to escape Earth. + +The Migo do not resent humanity for its role in experimenting on it's units, as a society they are +unable to hate due to a lack of ego and thus personal investment in their enemy is anathema. Despite +this, the experimentation and mental instability displayed by remaining humans has caused them to +classify humanity as a threat to the Migo, and actions will be taken to prevent humanity from +threatening their home and their people. + +#### Player Interactions + +The player should mostly learn about the migo second hand, from things they find either in the +towers, testimony from captives, etc. The migo should never enter into diplomatic contact with +humanity, as it does not serve their goals, and in general humanity is considered too unstable for +any sort of partnership. The player should however be able to recover their technology and repurpose +it for their own use. + +### Triffids + +#### Origins (What is it?) The triffids are a species of humanoid plants, but it is more accurate to consider them an ecosystem unto themselves. The core of this ecosystem is the Triffid Heart, from it, a forest springs forth @@ -289,12 +317,7 @@ much interest, it could contain incalculable knowledge, whether in regards to th blueprints for weapons or the "magic" that the Triffid Queen wields, or perhaps other biological catalysts that could be of use to humanity. -### Fungals +#### Player Interactions -Fungals actually play a vital role in the triffid’s ecosystem, and are carried in small amounts on -most triffids. It is sometimes used by triffids to prepare an area with rich fungal remains before -the triffids move in. However, when it gets out of hand, the triffid’s respond with variants -specifically tailored to controlling and eliminating the fungus. The fungus also has an inhibitory -effect on the ooze, fighting it for dominance - this is how it can take control of infected -organisms, creating giant fungal bugs and fungal zombies. The fungus is mostly unthinking, but quite -effective at converting both enemies and the landscape into allies. +Players should be able to salvage Triffid Hearts and use them to unlock certain recipes or use them +as components for certain recipes. diff --git a/doc/src/content/docs/en/game/lore/notes.md b/doc/src/content/docs/en/game/lore/notes.md index 345c8fe97dbb..4c8dae245da1 100644 --- a/doc/src/content/docs/en/game/lore/notes.md +++ b/doc/src/content/docs/en/game/lore/notes.md @@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ title: Xedra Notes :::danger{title="spoiler alert"} -spoilers below! +spoilers below! All of this is to be revised to fit new lore introduced in Factions ::: diff --git a/doc/src/content/docs/en/game/lore/timeline.md b/doc/src/content/docs/en/game/lore/timeline.md index bc297e12cf61..f8afa1ca691b 100644 --- a/doc/src/content/docs/en/game/lore/timeline.md +++ b/doc/src/content/docs/en/game/lore/timeline.md @@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ title: Timeline :::danger{title="spoiler alert"} -spoilers below! +spoilers below! Heavily to be revised for lore changes in Factions. :::