#ancient cache of technologies

[gayguymike]

ACOT is the most fun I've had in Stellaris so far. Each tech tier progression brings in more of that space power fantasy.

[bapzap]

my lil modded game w/ E.D.E.N has finally finished

from clawing itself out of a radioactive, bombed out wasteland to uncovering the secrets of the universe. ultimately throwing hands with what amount to a species of gods to drive them back from the galaxy and proving itself a Good Enough Girl to be made a god in its own right so it can protect reality and finally learn everything there is to know.

i think it's happy now.

[wouldyourfavepaychildsupport]

[thefirstknife]

The Observatory

I've been rotating a piece of the TFS CE lore in my brain so long I forgot to write about it. There's no transcript yet that I can find (I might do it myself tbh if nobody else does), but here's the scans with the whole text.

So, there's a lot going on in that CE, but the main gist of it is that the whole CE is written like a report from Eido. She investigated information about the Witness and the Collapse to try and help prepare us for our inevitable fight against it. Through her investigation, she found old Eliksni databanks that contain ancient records of past civilisations; main one being discussed is the civilisation that would eventually end up becoming the Witness.

There was a lot going on with them, shown to us through discussions between two specific individuals; they're only identified through code as HNW047622 and RS6243199. I'll call them HNW and RS. I've mentioned this before because we could see one of the pages in the preview of the Collector's Edition.

These individuals talked a lot and gave us insight into the Witness' civilisation. In short, they were super advanced and had something they described as the "Gardener's tools" which they apparently used to terraform other planets. They also talk about the concept of "the final shape" a lot and lead philosophical debates about its meaning and whether or not they have a responsibility to bring that concept to others in the universe. I'll probably go into their civilisation in-depth at some point, but for now I want to go off about something that appears to be a minor detail.

As part of their conversations, In the 5th image from the scans, they extensively talk about the final shape. The RS individual mentions something called "the Observatory." It is apparently some sort of a prediction machine. Full transcript of the relevant conversation and the rest of the post under:

[RS6243199]: I agree with you, in theory, but we do not exist purely in the theoretical. This suffering is already happening now, all the time, everywhere we look. Come see me, and I will show you the Observatory's readings. Such sights as we have seen, my friend, make me sick to my soul. [HNW047622]: I thought that the Observatory could only see possibilities. The future-branches of past visible-light readings. [RS6243199]: We have made improvements. The glass-minds*** trim the excess branches. What we see now are the strongest paths. And in the seeing, they become true. [HNW047622]: Then tell me what you have seen. I gain nothing from running from the truth, no matter how uncomfortable. [RS6243199]: Cities turning on themselves in a frenzy of self-destruction. Children offering up parents in superstitious sacrifice to bloodied gods. An entire people who would boil off their own atmosphere rather than let their neighbors enjoy fresh air! Great waves drowning worlds. Bodies which do not decompose, for everything, down to the very bacteria, has died as well. Machine-plagues carving their prediction-machines into moons. Your garden, destroyed. As the Observatory saw it, so it came to pass.

The footnote is a text from Eido:

*** From the context, some sort of computational assistant? There appears to be some etymological overlap with the names of Vex Minds. Something to investigate later, perhaps!

This made me instantly lose my mind when I was reading. Very early into Lightfall's release, I made a post about the Veil and the history of the universe. It's about some very peculiar similarities between a lot of prediction technology and caches of information that preserve ancient history and ancient civilisations and how they may connect to the Veil.

Mind you, this was before we knew a lot about the Veil; I wrote this pre-Veil logs and before it was confirmed that the Veil is linked directly to consciousness and memory. It was also before Season of the Deep which gave us Akashic Revelation: a lore tab in which a Guardian tries to go through the portal and experiences a vivid flashback of memory of his own pre-Guardian life. The name of the tab is important: akashic records is an esoteric concept for a supposed existence of a record of everything that has ever happened in the universe, past or present or future, human and non-human.

This is basically what I proposed in my post, before this lore tab, about the Veil; that the Veil or some source the Veil can tap into, is something similar to that. That all of the prediction machines are essentially pulling from this same source. In the post, I mentioned the OXA machine (the "black box for galactic civilisations" that allowed the Psions to see the future), Inspiral lore book (in which various civilisations and individuals left their records in the Darkness), the Device (the machine built on Vex technology by the Future War Cult in the Golden Age, led my Maya Sundaresh, used to displace consciousness and also see the future as used by Lakshmi-2), and even maybe the Sundial made by Osiris. I also mentioned how there's a possibility that even the whole scope of Vex prediction technology is somehow based on or tapping into this same source.

I am very amused at how I wrote: "It’s also interesting that Maya Sundaresh seems to be quite involved in pretty much every aspect of this." So true past me, that really is interesting! Her connection to the Veil and Lakshmi (and the importance of the Device and FWC) will later be revealed in Veil Logs. Almost like these connections were made deliberately, between all of these machines and the Veil.

With the benefit of new lore being released in the time since I made the original post, I am even more convinced that there's something going on here, and especially after TFS CE because the section I copied here mentions yet another incredibly similar machine: the Observatory of the Witness' species. It's not described in a lot of details, but from what we did get, it's quite unmistakeable that this is similar to things like the OXA and the Device.

The Observatory is clearly shown to be some sort of a machine that can see the future. Or, rather, as HNW says, it can see "possibilities." This matches what we've seen of the Device when Lakshmi-2 was using it; she was able to see different possible futures, futures that were getting increasingly narrow and biased to what she wanted to see. Identical formatting for using some sort of a machine to predict the future is shown as well with a Psion Ixel using... something (? maybe the OXA?) to do the same.

And again, the same formatting is used this season when a Psion Qorix uses her inate Psion abilities to project visions of the future into the minds of those present at Caiatl's War Council. It's worth noting that Psions have huge ties to Darkness abilities, as well as their entire species having been influenced by Nezarec to an unknown extent, but enough for them to share psionic/psychic abilities, an affinity to void, helmets that reflect his head shape and possibly more we don't know about. It's also worth noting that Nezarec was the one who was transporting the Veil on his Pyramid ship and lamented how Neomuni were not using it to its full potential. Nezarec may have used the Veil to influence the Psions.

This is important because these devices aren't exact, and the Observatory seems to share the same caveat. It shows possibilities, not certainties. Different users might see different things, painted by their own desires and experiences. However, there's something in all of these prediction machines that can lead to a real prediction of the future. The invididual RS mentions several visions, most of which are not specific enough to identify, but sound plausible given the sheer size of the universe; they must've happened somewhere at some point. There's one specific that we know: "great waves drowning worlds." And there's one mentioned by RS that also happened; the destruction of the "garden" made by HNW. This is mentioned in the beginning of the CE. HNW terraformed a planet, but that planet was later completely destroyed.

Even more interesting, the way the Witness' species used the Observatory seems to imply that they employed the Vex directly to help them manage this machine. RS explains that the "glass-minds" are capable of "trimming excess branches" and allowing only the "strongest paths" to be explored. Perhaps this was their way of not falling into the trap that the people using the OXA or the Device could fall into; by having the Vex monitor and manage this prediction machine, it stops the user from inserting too many personal variables. And yes, as Eido noted as well, "glass-minds" is a phrase that indeed shares similarity with the Vex and is almost certainly referring to the Vex.

This is incredibly interesting for a lot of reasons. First, as I've already mentioned, these sort of prediction machines are common throughout the universe and keep being mentioned. Different species at different times have been capable of creating similar machines for similar purposes. Inspiral also goes deeper into how species could use the Darkness to access memory and history through it; the Ecumene and the Qugu had these abilities and used them as part of their civilisation. Through Psions, we get a mix of these two things; the Psions have both tangled with prediction machines like the OXA, but they also posses seemingly inate Darkness abilities that function similarly. They can project futures and possibilities to others, they can merge their minds (and bodies!), and their old religion was based on ancestor worship. Emotions, memories, consciousness itself: these are part of Darkness and governed by the paracausal entity we know as the Veil. It seems like machines capable of giving insight into the past and future are connected to the consciousness of the universe.

Second, these things somehow always come back to the Vex. We don't know how the OXA was built, but the Vex could access it. The Device was build from Vex technology and so was the Sundial. The Observatory is very closely linked to the Vex as well; either built by them or simply being close enough to be accessible for the Vex to manage it. The Vex are more or less known for their manipulation of time, their ability to move through it and use it as a tool, as well as for their prediction and simulation machines and constructs.

And of course, this year revealed to us that the Vex, or at least a part of the Vex, have tried recreating the Veil in the form of Black Heart, but failed due to their inability to understand paracausality. However, it seems like the Vex are drawn to the Veil even outside of just the Sol Divisive, as can be seen from Neomuna. The Vex were a constant threat to Neomuna throughout its existence and the Vex have been trying to access the CloudArk, an alternate reality engine built on the energy of the Veil.

This season in particular has been fairly suspicious with the Vex as well, showing us a concerning evolution of the Sol Divisive and the Vex in general; their radiolaria emitting Darkness energy, Oracles appearing outside of the Vault of Glass and also resonating Darkness, their attempts to "merge with the Witness" and a strange message that seems to be implying they're still not done with reaching out to the Veil in the form of the Black Heart. I talked about this more here.

Are the Vex drawn to the Veil for a particular reason? Perhaps they unknowingly tap into something the Veil is responsible for, like prediction, through the simple fact that the Veil is the paracausal entity responsible for Darkness which is memory? For the Vex, memory could work outside of time; perhaps their prediction abilities are simply them being able to "remember" the future, because they can exist through and outside time.

There is also the even more mysterious possibility here that revolves around a few hints in regards to the Veil and the Traveler being a single entity at some point in time. If the Veil and the Traveler used to be one before becoming separated, this may be what Unveiling talked about through metaphor; the mythical Garden before the universe existed could've been this singularity that was just the Veil and the Traveler together as one. And as Unveiling also noted, in one of those parts of Unveiling that seem to be closer to the truth than others, the Vex already existed then. The reason they're so out of place in a universe of paracausality is because they appear to have come into existence before paracausality so it is foreign to them. They might remember the time when the two were one, therefore they still have an instinctual draw to the Veil; and honestly, to the Traveler too, given how close to it they've settled in our system. As the lore on Scatter Signal notes, someone told us that all Vex agree that "Sol is Salvation." It's where both the Veil and the Traveler are.

This is beyond speculative, but it's been on my mind since that first post well over a year ago because of how closely linked Darkness, the Vex and these peculiar prediction devices have been throughout the history of the universe; now added with one more, the Observatory, most likely the first one ever made (or found), by the species that would later become the Witness. I could be off on the exact nature of this connection, but I feel like there is some sort of a connection all the same. I also feel like they wouldn't have mentioned this in TFS CE for no reason, especially because we're clearly not going to deal with the Vex until after TFS.

Either way, the Observatory mention and description really got me spiralling into unhinged territory. It added such a specific little detail about something I've speculated about before and made it fit perfectly. I wonder if this will remain just like a little curiosity and background worldbuilding or if there's a more direct reason for including it; namely if this is more hints about post-TFS stuff regarding the Vex.

Until we know for sure, I will continue to believe that all prediction abilities and prediction machines are tapping into a single source; the consciousness/memory of the universe, produced by the Veil as a part of the inherent propery of Darkness. The Vex are key to this because they may be doing it in a very specific way given their relationship to time, the possibility that they existed in the universe before anyone else, and possibly because of their memory of a time when the Veil and the Traveler were one.

It could be also something simpler and not entirely interconnected. But I was very pleased to see yet another Vex-based prediction machine being introduced into the universe, adding to the existing ones that have been fairly relevant this year and mentioned several times like the OXA and the Device. Can't wait for TFS and post-TFS content to see if this is something we'll be exploring in more detail, especially as we start dealing with the Vex!

All this about a half of a single page of TFS CE. Girl help.

[noirandchocolate]

In the vein of this post I made a couple weeks ago about imagining locations in the Breath of the Wild/Age of Calamity era map of Hyrule being bigger, more populated, etc., I want to share some headcanons I've got about one place specifically: Satori Mountain!

Satori Mountain is one of the most mystical locations in Hyrule, what with the Lord of the Mountain and many blupees calling it home. I picture it with an entire grove of pink sakura in the area around the summit, not just one. And I love the thought that the trees are ever-blooming, just timelessly flowering and shedding petals regardless of the seasons changing around them. In fact, I headcanon that uncannily unseasonal plant growth is present all around the mountain, with the caches of herbs, veggies, mushrooms, and other plants dotting the slopes all unaffected by the passage of time elsewhere. It is always apple season on Satori Mountain, even though it is also always sakura blossom season. (BotW is a video game where the seasons don't apparently change anywhere else, either, despite how many in-game days one spends saving the world. However, I think Hyrule, if it was a "real place," would have seasons. But Satori Mountain doesn't.)

So why is this? Well, to extend my headcanon, I theorize that Satori Mountain is situated atop a very large wellspring of Ancient Energy. I could tangent off into my ideas about the ancient Sheikah and how Sheikah magic works and Ancient Furnaces and all that, but for now I'll stick to my narrower subject (you're welcome). Anyway, the energy continually revitalizes the mountain and its land, plants, and animals, which in turn then keep the wellspring of this natural energy going, creating a cycle that makes Satori Mountain the way it is.

Despite the fact that it could have been an enormous source of Ancient Energy for the Sheikah of days long past, to be tapped with Furnaces and used to power their technology, etc., this was never done. Instead, the Ancient Sheikah considered Satori Mountain especially sacred because of its uniquely timeless and powerful energy, and would never have risked unbalancing it. Instead, they took note of the fact that the land kept plants fruiting and regrowing, and cultivated many varieties of foliage and crops in groves and clearings on the mountain. The Sheikah had some settlements around the base of the mountain and in its environs, and lived harmoniously with the land--farming their apples and carrots and pumpkins and such, but carefully, so as not to over-use the land's energy.

I may be making a post at some point about my headcanons on Sheikah shrine locations in general, but for now I'll say I believe Satori Mountain was chosen as a site for Monk Mogg Latan's shrine because the area was so important to the Sheikah. The ancients who were setting up the shrines as places for a future Hero to train and receive the monk's spirits had no idea that the Hylian King of their era would soon turn against their people...

So! Because my posts always devolve into Yiga Clan stuff, here we go. Yiga Clan stuff.

My lil' story is that! When the ancient King was oppressing and then full-on committing genocide against the Sheikah, turning over their villages across the kingdom and then chasing down and killing those who were refusing to disarm and submit (and even many of those who'd surrendered), eventually he turned his eye toward those living on and near Satori Mountain--who had been joined by many fleeing others. The Sheikah thought that surely, the Hylians wouldn't attack them in their most sacred space, which was clearly blessed by Hylia. Surely the Royal Family they'd been protecting and serving and doing the dirty work of for centuries untold wouldn't go that far. Surely even this murderous King would stop short of such desecration! Well, they were wrong. The army showed up. And rather than make a last horrible, bloody stand on the mountain they loved, and risk its destruction, the Sheikah fled once more, leaving only a few warriors behind to hold off the pursuit as long as possible.

And many of those involved—some of whom had already been militantly angry and disinclined to obey the anti-tech, anti-magic, and anti-armaments laws, and some of whom were finally convinced of the Royal Family's depravity by its actions at the Mountain--used their abilities to run and hide in the Gerudo Highlands. Up over the plateaus of that unforgiving land, and into the desert. Specifically, to a certain valley...and a site that had been abandoned by the Gerudo long ago... And one of those Sheikah, who’d been the Chief of the villages around the Mountain…well I bet you can’t even guess what his name was, and what he became. Let’s just say that every one of his successors has taken that name and title on their ascension to the post…

Fast forward through thousands of years, and by the time of Age of Calamity (and the 100-years-ago Calamity of BotW), Satori Mountain is known to Hylians as a wild, strange place. Best not to ever go there, because They Say the Lord of the Mountain will curse you if you so much as look upon him. And there are so many tales about the place being haunted. About travelers in days past who would hear voices on the mountain, but never find their source. About finding new, un-rusted farming implements in the apple orchard, but never seeing any other people around. Some of the stories, the scarier ones meant to keep children awake at night and adults from getting ideas, end with unwary explorers being attacked by barely-seen assailants, who simply slash, laugh, and disappear without a trace. Perhaps the ghosts of ancient Sheikah warriors, still furious and traitorous over the ancient King's necessary disarmament of a race that could have turned on the pure, precious Royal Family and their Hylia-blessed, rightful rule?

Well...yes and no. :)

Because you see...the Clan needs to eat. And it cannot live on bananas alone (more's the pity). And given that (as I said in my linked post above) their complex in Karusa Valley runs deep into the Highlands...Satori Mountain isn't that far from where they live.

I think one of the things the Yiga have retained of their Ancient Sheikah heritage is a feeling of connection to Satori Mountain that even the Kakariko Sheikah are only recently (only since they were allowed to come out of hiding to help King Rhoam prepare for the newly-foretold return of Calamity Ganon) beginning to rediscover. I think the mountain is one of their food sources, alongside the banana groves in Faron (yet another headcanon for yet another time) and all the theft and shady, disguised dealings they do. I think they take branches from the sakura every year for their spring matsuri rituals. I think their operatives traveling across the kingdom purposely cultivate those spooky stories, to fend other races away. I think those sent to gather materials and hunt, if they see, hear, or otherwise sense anyone else around, will reenact the ghost stories or at least teleport away, leaving the intruders wondering what they just heard. I think newly-married couples often run up to the peak to unmask and show each other their true faces where no one else will bother them. I think that although many members of the Clan never or rarely leave the Valley, they all value the Mountain as a historical site for their people's resistance and as a place that nourishes them to this day.

In short, I think Satori Mountain is Important to the Yiga Clan. After all, a place where the sakura are constantly both displaying the fragility of life by shedding their blossoms and tenaciously hanging on, refusing to die? I think they find that fitting.

[honourablejester]

I have seen you put together a number of character concepts involving Warforged (with Silence, your Grave Cleric, being a personal favorite), but I was curious what your thoughts are on Warforged as a whole and how to characterize them? What themes do they play with, who are they? Basically, if you had the opportunity to rewrite Warforged however you liked, what would they be like?

Oh, I do love Silence too. Definitely one of my favourite concepts I’ve done. I’m so glad you enjoyed her!

As for the warforged in general … I love them, but artificial life has always been one of my favourite themes in genre fiction. And one of the primary themes when it comes to artificial life is that it was built, it was no accident of biology, an artificial lifeform was consciously created by someone. And, most often, for a purpose. So if you were built/born for a specific purpose, how does that sit with you? How do you react to what you were intended, given life, to accomplish? You can get this with non-artificial lifeforms as well, people have children for very specific purposes all the time, but barring settings with genetic engineering or similar concepts, there’s still some luck of the draw in how such a child might turn out. But robots, warforged, are purpose built. Your body, your form, was crafted to spec. The evidence of your purpose is written onto your body. How do you react to that? And is there more for you outside of it?

So some questions to ask when building a warforged character: What were they designed for? How does that design show in their physical form? Are they aware of what they were built for? If so, how do they react to that knowledge? Did they obey their design and fill the role set out for them? For how long? Do they still? Or have they found a new purpose for themselves? If so, did they have to fight for it? How do they feel about their creator(s)? Do they know their creator? Were they mass produced or personally crafted? Do they have feelings about that distinction? Are things such as them common in the setting? How do they feel about that? Does the setting have a position re artificial life and souls/gods/the afterlife? Do they have beliefs about souls/gods/the afterlife, and how it might apply to them? Do they believe they are a person? Do those around them encourage or despise that belief?

Which, actually, is a point. Warforged as a D&D race were designed for the Eberron setting, and I don’t actually play that setting? Or I haven’t so far, anyway. So when I’m talking about warforged, I’m leaving out a lot of the setting-specific lore for them, like how old they are, the war they were built for, the Eberron-specific backstory of House Cannith and the Last War. Though most/all of these questions will still apply in Eberron, you just have some premade answers for some of them. But pulling warforged outside of Eberron, you are going to have to work with your group/DM to figure out how artificial lifeforms fit in and are viewed in the setting you’re playing.

If you mean how would I rewrite them within Eberron, I don’t necessarily have an answer, as I haven’t read too much into the setting. My general view on most settings/lore is to just tweak things if you have themes you want to explore on a character. For example, if you wanted to ignore that most Eberron warforged have a sexless form and therefore a more abstract concept of gender, in order to explore a warforged that was purpose built to appear as a certain sex, so long as everyone else you’re playing with is okay with that, I’d say go for it. Or if you wanted to explore a warforged that was much, much older than the 30-odd years since the Last War, then maybe House Cannith got their ideas from somewhere, an ancient cache of technology, and you are evidence of that and that puts you in a very, very dangerous position. Talk with your group/DM and find out what’s possible.

And mechanically, they’re fine. I like what they have. I do specifically enjoy Specialised Design, that they get one skill and one tool proficiency built in, because it plays back into that theme I enjoy of your body being built for a purpose. A warforged with proficiency in history and calligraphy tools was designed for a very different purpose than a warforged with proficiency in stealth and thieves tools. It’s such a nice little detail to throw in and built some character around. Were you built as an infiltrator droid (anyone seen The Zeta Project?), or as an elegant automata for a king to show off at court? I know a lot of people use that free skill and tool proficiency to tailor to their class, but I really enjoy stopping to think and use it to show what they were originally built for. Which may or may not match well with what they’re doing now. Maybe you have a dissonant skill/tool, because you fully rejected what you were designed for and sought your own path, but the original design can never be fully overwritten, and your hands still remember what they were made to do. It’s a nice little feature to build some character concepts around (and, yes, you can never go wrong with a free skill/tool).

So, um. Does any of that help? Heh.

[dailycharacteroption]

Immortal Tutor Technomancer (Technomancer Alternate Class Feature)

(art by BootsDotEXE on DeviantArt)

Science-fantasy spellcasting may change a lot from the ancient days. Unified theories of magical sources, more robust understanding of the mystic arts, but even in such halcyon future days, there are some things that do not change, and one of those things is that sometimes mages will seek out otherworldly tutors to learn magic.

One part Ars Goetia and/or Lesser Key of Solomon “summon this specific demon or angel to learn about a topic” and another part homage to the witch patrons of Pathfinder, some technomancers seek out cosmic beings to help learn the arts of fusing magic and technology. After all, just as mortals have developed, so too do the cosmos.

However, while it is possible to entreat with fiends for such tutelage, remember that this path is open to all alignments, though the exact nature of the being you call upon will influence what benefits you gain.

I can’t help but imagine technomancers with immortal tutors contacting their patrons for more learning through various hybrid tech methods. Some may set up a rune-etched holoprojector to “summon” their patron. Or perhaps they literally have their patron on speed dial with an eldritch communicator.

While the method varies, their powers are undeniable, as we’ll soon see.

Rather than having a spell cache that lets them cast any one spell they know for free once a day, these mystics can instead cast a specific variable-level spell based on the nature of their tutor once per day, even if it’s not on in their repertoire otherwise. Aeons grant levitation and flight, celestials, elementals, and fiends grant appropriate summons, inevitables enhance projectiles into deadly splitting adamantine-like shots, and proteans grant self-polymorphing.

As they grow in mastery, each tutor provides their first, second, third lessons. The first comes into effect after the caster uses a spell, the second with an expenditure of resolve, and the third grants an additional benefit when the first lesson is triggered.

For aeons, this includes bolstering attacks when you switch damage types regularly, being able to learn a new language for a brief while, and finally gaining a bit of an aeon’s formlessness to avoid critical blows.

Celestials, meanwhile grant a brief defensive ward that only evil can pierce, a sudden burst of insight with a skill, and finally a ward that bolsters the defenses of nearby allies.

Elementals start by granting bolstered movement based on the nature of the elemental patron, flight for air, burrowing for earth, faster land speed for fire, and swimming for water. Next they learn to intensify the damage of their elemental spells, gaining greater than average results. Finally, they can gain resistance to the element in question, electricity or fire for air and fire, and physical resistance for earth and water.

Fiends provide protection only bypassed by good, as well as a magical trick to grow spikes on one’s armor, and finally fiery protection as well as a flash of fiendish malice that leaves foes shaken.

Inevitables teach the caster how to bolster their vitality after casting a spell, take on a mechanical mien to resist harmful effects, and rapidly restore stamina for a short time.

And finally protean tutors teach their casters how to infuse their attacks with chaos, changing the damage type randomly but having slightly better average damage. For their second lesson, They gain some of the ever-changing anatomy of proteans for a short while to reduce the effect of critical blows. Finally, their form becomes fluid after casting, letting them slip through obstacles and avoid attacks and grappling.

As you can see, each tutor type offers different benefits, from the protections offered by celestials to the mobility and damage of elemental tutors. With that in mind, there are a lot of ways to build these technomancers no matter what route you go with. Just know that you have to cast spells or spend resolve to use them, and remember to manage those resources effectively.

Much like the witch patrons of Pathfinder’s yesteryear, coming up with the exact nature of your character’s tutor, as well as the relationship they have with the mage, can be very interesting indeed. Is your tutor a helpful source of advice? Do they require some sort of service for their tutelage? Is their instruction purely transactional?

Additionally, this character option could be a good launching point for homebrew for other outsider types or more specific ones, such as psychopomps or say, demons instead of fiends.

A computer whiz in addition to being a technomancer, Koski has been eager to innovate encryption for the past year. However, the young vlaka has grown increasingly frustrated, as the advice given by his protean tutor, (chosen for their understanding of chaos) results in encrypted files that can no longer be unlocked.

Not all immortal tutors are willing, as is the case with the “diabolus ex machina” method used by technomancers that wish for the insights of devils without the contracts. However, the method has risks, such as when a young mage plugged his binding device into Tageo Station’s main computer and the fiend within utilized a loophole to possess the organic computing components (derived from cerebric fungus buds), resulting in a takeover of the whole station.

Having finished their millenia-long duty guarding the cosmic city of order, an inevitable known as “Pilgrim-Follows the Unending Road” has chosen an active retirement of serving as the tutor for aspiring technomancers. However, technology has evolved considerably in that time, and while they do sometimes offer archaic advice, Pilgrim is trying their best, and is an insightful instructor regardless.

[tanadrin]

while we can attribute some of the confusion to the imperfect picture that the tau'ri have of the ancient milky way, the writers of the show also just clearly fucked themselves over by given the alteran civilization a nonsensical timeline. ok so they leave their home galaxy tens of millions of years ago, reach their peak in the milky way ~5-10 million years ago, before their civilization collapses due to a plague, and the survivors depart for pegasus

where they live another few million years, until abandoning pegasus 10,000 YBP. meanwhile during the period where they were supposed to be part of the Alliance of Four Great Races in the milky way, they are not actually in the Milky Way? because we know that the Asgard civilization is less than 100,000 years old, and the Ancients left monuments from that era in the Milky Way, when they were supposed to be in Pegasus

and their technology across literally tens of millions of years and three galaxies seems rather static--oh sure, cosmetically it changes a lot between Destiny and the different generations of stargate, but it functions the same. and Lantean battleships from the end of the Lantean-Wraith war, after millions of years of technological progress, seem at best to have technological parity with, like the Asgard? even though we know the Asgard never equalled the ancients technologically, because Thor says they've been studying Ancient knowledge caches as long as he can remember and have barely scratched the surface.

and then by the time they return to the Milky Way as a handful of stragglers, the goa'uld have already risen to power, and the ancient are just like "welp, nothing we can do about that, guess we'll just ascend."

i know this is mostly Sci Fi Writers Have No Sense of Scale, but they really could have fixed most of these problems by not trying to one-up themselves with the timescales involved and having all this happen over a period of 1 or 200 thousand years, rather than tens of millions. you could even put the floruit of the Ancients millions of years ago, before antarctica was finally covered in ice, as long as you were clear that the Ancients as the Asgard knew them were a minor subpopulation that hung on after the plague wrecked their shit, but was content to live in an introspective out-of-the-way style like the Nox clearly are.

[open-hearth-rpg]

Open Hearth Video Roundup - April 12, 2024

Welcome to the weekly Open Hearth Gaming video roundup!

These recorded sessions represent only a portion of the games we play every week, and anyone is welcome to join the fun! If you'd like to play in games like these, join our Playabl community and click on the "Calendar" tab to sign up for upcoming games. To browse our entire library of session videos, please visit our YouTube Playlists page.

Open Hearth Gaming Calendar

Orbital (Session 3 of 3) Donogh runs for Mark and Puckett Cash Only rushes to get those star-crossed lovers out of their hunter's crosshairs. Rye calls up one of her regulars to spirit them away, thanks to the best smuggler in the sector! Meanwhile Hemlock sits down with Calla to come to an arrangement. But every scheme is sidelined by the awakening in the depths of the station, something in motion thanks to that surprise nuke...

Eotenweard: The Old North (Session 4) Alun R. runs for Dom, Dominik M., and Pawel S. Amid the smoking aftermath of the Ogre's rampage our Heroes agree the solution to the ills that beset Stenholm (and a missing hawk) must lie within the nearby Treacherous Forest. There's evidence that someone got there before them, a grisly dismemberment, and a revelation of who is to blame. Then...the Heroes discover they have been misled; must identify the real villain; and confront that embodiment of the Darkness...

Trail of Cthulhu: Fearful Symmetries: Arc Two (Session 6) Lowell Francis runs for Alun R., Paul Rivers, Sherri, and Will H The characters arrive at Mathers Hall in Norfolk and Willford discovers the geography has changed in the two weeks since he last visited. They meet some of the guests-- a strange mix of folks deep in the secrets of magic, as well as staff who may be invested as well. The doctor receives a ride from Verity Dyse and becomes wary. Dinner and after reveals more secrets...and then a missing guest!

Trail of Cthulhu: Fearful Symmetries: Arc Two (Session 7) Lowell Francis runs for Alun R., Paul Rivers, Sherri, and Will H The morning of the shoot at Mathers Hall opens with a missing guest that few comment on. Paired up with fellow guests, the magicians learn more about their personalities and agendas. Richard skips the hunt, instead learning more about the origin of the mysterious Pascale Dumont. The investigation continues, with the good Doctor turning the tables on their host by admitting in private to the murder of Lord Bradbury. But then Lord Portmore's associate vanishes and there's an attempt on Verity Dyce's life which goes awry.

Dreams and Machines: Red King's Slumbers (Session 1) Lowell Francis runs for Eliot, José Feito, Kevin M, and Vince Session Zero and inciting incident for a short series of Dreams and Machines, a new setting inspired by Horizon: Zero Dawn and other sci-fi post-apocalyptic games. We create our characters, build bonds, and start things out so the players can begin to get used to the mechanics of this version of 2d20.

Dreams and Machines: Red King's Slumbers (Session 2) Lowell Francis runs for Eliot, José Feito, Kevin M, and Vince In the wake of their battle against the Thralls, our heroes discover an ancient cache containing a potentially dangerous technology, but decide to bring them along. They reach New Mossgrove and find out that recent attacks have changed the balance of power within the town...

Girl by Moonlight: On a Sea of Stars (Session 1 of 5) Donogh runs for Ian, Matthew Doughty, and Sabine V. Having awoken vengeful Gods with their meddling in time travel - a last branch of humanity hurtles through space in an interstellar ziggurat, hunted by the Leviathans. Our group of Pilots, chosen by their congregation to be doomed martyrs, is the only thing that can protect them - but it it only out there on a sea of stars that the pilots and their Engines feel whole, with an intimate bond and control over their own fate that the rest of humanity can barely imagine...

Girl by Moonlight: On a Sea of Stars (Session 2 of 5) Donogh runs for Ian and Sabine V. We are introduced to two of our pilots: Jet/Apogee the Outsider goes outside the Ziggurat to do some post asteroid-strike repairs, but returns to polish the Engine Shamash to its full glory. Cordelia the Enigma, living a double life as a maintenance worker who as Red Shift sneaks into the hangar bay to take the Engine Tezcatlipoca out on an unscheduled foray.

Godbound: Sundered Cycles (Session 32 of 33) Lowell Francis runs for Dan Brown, Ethan Harvey, Patrick Knowles, Sherri, and Tyler Lominack Interacting with the new pantheon our gods joined to their own, they work to learn more about the looming Draconic and Elemental Evil threats. Threadless builds her dragon, though there remains a flaw at the heart of it. Random speaks with his bride about their future. Tasos considers expanding his nightmare realm. Darius finds both a kindred spirit and a solution. And Ordevi takes his leave from the pantheon, heading out to spread word of the new gods via a knowledge aqueduct.

Godbound: Sundered Cycles (Session 33 of 33) Lowell Francis runs for Ethan Harvey, Patrick Knowles, Sherri, and Tyler Lominack The final session of the campaign.

Damn the Man, Save the Music! Donogh runs for Casey T, David Adrian Randall, and Thomas Manuel The employees of Revolution Records are (not) prepping for the imminent arrival of Mr Maestro! Jake J the local rockstar is desperately seeking a band, Brags the space case is trying to find the lost cat, Apple the overachieving temp is looking to reconnect with a cute skater boy! And they're wondering what Yu's beef is with the big shot and what exactly Purple means on the DEFCON scale...

Star Wars Saturday

Fellowship Rich Rogers runs for Cody Eastlick, Greg G., Kae, Steven Watkins, and Tyler Lominack The Fellowship of the Dilligent Spark travel to Dathomir to discover the sinister plot of Taron Malicos, then rush to face him and his Nightbrother band.

Stars in the Dark: Stars in the Dark II (Session 6) Anders runs for Marc Majcher, Mark (they/them), Rich Rogers, and Steven Watkins KABOOOM!

Off-Calendar Highlights

The Between: Stars and Suns, Season Two (Session 9) Madelancholy runs for Jack, Mike, Sarah W., and Steph "Coming and Going" - In an attempt to find out more about the Slugger, Ernest gets more involved in Bout Club, to his dismay. Sir Atticus listens to La Hortencia's story after fending off interference from a familiar acquaintance. Dame Georgie allows himself to be a temporary vessel to the Abbey's demonic presence, only to be betrayed more than once. Liat makes several tempting offers.

Trophy Gold: Hissing Darkness: In the Wake of Secrets (Session 1) Madelancholy runs for Dom, James, Jazy, and Mike Ferdinando The first of two concurrent series of this Rooted in Trophy (Gold) incursion, the characters wake too early in a Ship warped by perfect darkness…survival a priority.

Trophy Gold: Hissing Darkness: Whispers in Exile (Session 1) Madelancholy runs for Amanda/iamatrex, B, Jonn, and Marc Majcher The second group to find themselves in the strange eerie darkness of the Ship, the survivors make their way out of Cold-Sleep, finding terrible things in the next Set...

Trophy Gold: Hissing Darkness: In the Wake of Secrets (Session 2) Madelancholy runs for Dom, James, Jazy, and Mike Ferdinando The survivors manage to battle their way out of the Cold-Sleep Warrens...but now they find themselves in the twisted, warped halls and vents of The Maze, stalked by something deadly, even as the Dark calls out to them: Reunion. Rebirth. Remake. And one of their number does, succumbing to their urge to consume and be consumed...

Trophy Gold: Hissing Darkness: Whispers in Exile (Session 2) Madelancholy runs for Amanda/iamatrex, B, Jonn, and Marc Majcher Deep within The Maze, the survivors encounter the strange warping of the Ship and more signs of that which hunts them. Memories come unbidden and are made real, and calls from the Dark tempt further connection...

Paranormal Inc (Session 9) Madelancholy runs for Brent and Michael D. Down by the Haunted Riverside - What could go wrong on a day-long cruise of teambuilding/employee party fun-time? Rumours abound as strange occurrences plague their trip - is it the boat, the river, or the Very Good Boat Cruise Company themselves?

[transingthoseformers]

I cannot describe how much the "Griffin rock has living dinosaurs under it" thing frustrates and intrigues me, an aspiring paleontologist. Especially since, it seems like various species (or at least look alikes of dinosaur species) of Very different geological time periods are living together. In caves. IK it's a whole cliche, finding dinosaurs living underground in this sort of hiddem world style, but... To Me, it also seems like there are a lot of geological anomalies in Griffin Rock. We aren't counting the fake volcano, that was a human made mistake that's somewhat very logical because lol humans are like that.

Large amounts of energon, whichhhh if we remember in the aligned continuity, all energon deposits were originally caches during the war and tbh I'd say personally that the rumors of griffins on Griffin Rock could've came from predacons because yeahhh there was a time period where Earth was Shockwave's sandbox. So that's definitely a possibility. .... hmm... what if the reason that Griffin Rock is more technologically advanced than the mainland is because of an Isaac Sumdak situation where a human took advantage of some technology unknowingly left behind by Shockwave, and more or less this influenced other scientists around them and while this ancient Cybertronian technology is probably not still around you can say that the effects of it are.

[harrelltut]

I.B.1968 MICHAEL [IBM] Mathematically [I'M] Engineering ANU GOLDEN 9 Ether [AGE] CAD Principal Application [CPA] Link Enabling Autonomic Routing Network [LEARN] Address [L.A.] Resolution Protocol Cache [PC] Architecture [PA] Worth SIRIUS Quantum Intranet [Qi] QUADRILLIONS @ 1921 QUANTUM 2023 HARRELL 2024 T-Mobile 2025 Apple & IBM [A.i.] LLC of ATLANTIS [L.A.] 5000 

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[theicescorpions]

Primal Fire Chapter Eleven: Wheyr the Wild Things Are

Wheeljack never escaped the Decepticons, instead he was made into Shockwave’s lab experiment and was turned into a Predacon.

Inspired by @sugarand-everythingnice And her “of Flesh and Steel” AU

Master Post

Chapter One

Previous

Several weeks quickly passed by without incident and the four predacons had turned the cavern into a functioning shielded base of operations. Wheeljack’s affinity for engineering began to slowly return though he still spent large amounts of time reading on the subject in the crashed ship’s computer archives. He had taken time away from his research to help Fablebreaker carve out a hollow of their own and she began nesting and fussing over her space while he worked. Thunderdrum and Fidget made their own hollows before going out to bring back resources and other offerings for the nesting female.

Fablebreaker found the process of creating her hollow both exhilarating and exhausting. She meticulously arranged rocks and branches to form a cozy nest, weaving together different materials to create a warm and inviting space. As Wheeljack worked on his engineering projects, she busied herself with preparing for the arrival of their offspring.

Meanwhile, Thunderdrum and Fidget scoured the surrounding area for resources to support their growing community. They brought back fresh energon deposits, salvaged technology from nearby wreckage, and even discovered hidden caches of ancient Cybertronian artifacts in pockets of fractured off wreckage. Their efforts were essential in ensuring the well-being of their group within the environment of the cavern.

Eventually, Wheeljack felt secure enough to call the Autobots. He reached out to his former comrades using the encrypted communication channels that he had managed to repair within the crashed ship. The massive mech waited for a response with his arms crossed over his chest.

The response to Wheeljack's call came sooner than expected. A crackling voice filled the cavern as Optimus Prime's familiar tone resonated through the communication system. ::Wheeljack, it is good to hear from you. We are relieved to see that you and your group are safe.::

Wheeljack kept his voice even and calm. "Optimus, we have established a wheyr. It is well-hidden and well-protected. I’m calling because I was hoping that Ratchet could come check out Fablebreaker. I don’t know why but something feels off. She’s already nesting. We need to know if Shockwave did anything more to her.”

Optimus Prime's response was swift and filled with concern. "We will send Ratchet immediately. Your caution is wise, Wheeljack. We cannot afford to overlook any potential threats or unseen tampering from Shockwave."

“I’ll send Thunderdrum to these coordinates to retrieve Ratchet and anyone else you send here.”

Thunderdrum immediately transformed into his beast mode, a flat-headed feline-esque dragon form, and took off towards the coordinates designated by his clan leader.

The journey to rendezvous with the Autobots was a swift one for Thunderdrum. His powerful wings beat against the air as he soared over the rugged terrain, his keen optics scanning the landscape below for any signs of trouble.

As he approached the designated coordinates, Thunderdrum spotted Ratchet and a small team of Autobots waiting below. With a graceful descent, he landed before them, transforming back into his towering robotic form.

“Who is coming with you?” Thunderdrum asked the medic.

Ratchet nodded in acknowledgment of Thunderdrum's question. "I've brought Arcee and Bumblebee with me," he replied, gesturing to the two Autobots standing beside him.

Arcee gave Thunderdrum a nod of greeting.

Bumblebee, beeped his greeting cheerfully.

“I hope you do not mind flying. The terrain is too rough for wheels.” Thunderdrum told them.

“Flying? How?” Ratchet asked

“I’d carry you.” The Predacon said as if it were obvious.

With a look of surprise mixed with uncertainty, Ratchet hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement. "We don't have much time to waste. Let's not keep Wheeljack waiting."

Thunderdrum transformed back into dragon form and crouched down, offering his foreleg as a step, allowing Ratchet, Arcee, and Bumblebee to climb onto his broad back. Once they were securely in place, Thunderdrum spread his powerful wings and took off into the sky with a mighty leap. The Autobots held on tightly as they soared through the air, the wind rushing past them.

After a swift flight, Thunderdrum landed gracefully outside the entrance to the wheyr. Wheeljack was there to greet them, his expression a mix of relief and concern.

"It’s not much to look at.” The wrecker turned Predacon ushered the three Autobots into the cavern, alerting them to dips and holes in the path until they reached the main chamber.

“Where is the patient?” Ratchet asked.

“In our hollow. She’s constantly fussing over her nest.”

Fablebreaker was nestled in her carefully constructed nest, a mix of packed dirt, rocks, and salvaged materials woven together into a cozy haven. Her optics brightened at the sight of Ratchet and the other Autobots entering the hollow.

Ratchet approached her slowly, his medical scanners already activated to assess her condition. Fablebreaker watched him intently, a mix of curiosity and wariness in her gaze.

Ratchet's examination was thorough, his expert hands deftly checking her systems for any signs of tampering or irregularities. As he worked, Fablebreaker remained surprisingly still, a sense of trust evident in her posture.

After a few moments, Ratchet straightened up and turned to face Wheeljack. "She seems physically fine, Wheeljack. No signs of tampering or external interference. It's possible that her behavior is simply due to the natural instincts of your species. We know precious little about the Predacon species. Like what conditions they had when they existed or how quickly their young developed in the carrier’s body. Modern Cybertronians when sparked often take two earth years to produce their sparklings because the carrier’s body produces the needed spark before manufacturing the new spark’s frame. With Predacons it seems that the bodies are manufactured at the same time as the new spark is being developed. It may take half the time or less for your young to come into this world.”

“I see.” Wheeljack hummed before glancing at his mate, “Were you able to tell how many whelps she’s carrying?”

Fablebreaker shifted slightly in her nest, a low rumble emanating from her vocalizer. Wheeljack knelt down beside her, gently placing a hand on her side as if seeking some kind of confirmation.

Ratchet's optics narrowed as he scanned Fablebreaker once more, focusing on the readings related to her spark and the life growing within her. After a moment of intense concentration, he finally spoke, his voice laced with a mix of surprise and awe.

"She's carrying three sparklings," Ratchet announced, his words hanging in the air with a weight of significance. "It's rare for Cybertronians to carry multiple sparklings at once, but not unheard of. However, given the differences in Predacon biology and reproduction, we may need to be prepared for the unexpected. Multiple young at a time may be incredibly common.”

Fablebreaker looked at Wheeljack “Three whelplings? The others I witnessed had five to seven whelps.” She said in the musical Predacon language.

“Five to seven? How many females were bred in shockwave’s first experiment with predacons?” Wheeljack asked stunned.

She replied with a simple chirp.

“four females?” Wheeljack mused.

Ratchet looked thoughtful as he considered the implications of Fablebreaker's words. The revelation of the potential numbers of sparklings and Shockwave's experiments weighed heavily on his processor. The mysteries surrounding the Predacons deepened with each passing moment, presenting a challenge unlike any he had faced before.

"We'll need to monitor her closely," Ratchet finally stated, breaking the thoughtful silence that had settled over the chamber. "The gestation and birth process for Predacons may be vastly different from what we're familiar with. We can't afford to take any risks with Fablebreaker or her whelps."

Wheeljack nodded in agreement. "We'll do whatever it takes to ensure her safety."

when they left her to continue fussing over her nest the three autobots spotted the ancient ship embedded inside the main cavern. It was decently lit up and the cargo was stacked out in different piles it definitely appeared that the predacons were integrating the ship into their base of operations.

It was a massive ship, its metallic hull gleaming in the soft light of the cavern. Arcee, Bumblebee, and Ratchet approached it cautiously, their optics scanning the area for any signs of movement or activity. As they drew closer, they could see Predacons working diligently to unpack and sort through the cargo that had been housed within the ship.

Ratchet's attention was immediately drawn to a stack of crates marked with ancient Cybertronian symbols. He knelt down to examine them, his curiosity piqued by the possibility of finding valuable resources or technology that could aid them in their mission.

Arcee and Bumblebee kept a vigilant watch as Ratchet carefully opened one of the crates, revealing a trove of ancient artifacts and components that had been preserved over countless cycles. The Autobots' optics widened in amazement at the sight before them, realizing the potential significance of the discoveries within.

"We need to report this to Optimus," Arcee whispered, her voice tinged with excitement.

Ratchet nodded in agreement as he quickly scanned the contents of the crate, cataloging each item for further analysis. The implications of their find were monumental, hinting at a deeper connection between the Predacons and the ancient history of Cybertron that had long been shrouded in mystery.

“oooh what did you find?” Fidget chirped as he appeared behind the three autobots.

Fidget's sudden appearance startled the Autobots, causing them to whirl around to face the small, curious Predacon. Ratchet quickly closed the crate, hiding its contents from Fidget's view.

"We found some ancient artifacts and components," Arcee explained, her voice calm but guarded.

“We’ve found plenty of that stuff. They aren’t worth as much as these though.” The small Predacon male said eagerly as he quickly showed the Autobots to a stack of twenty six crates.

Arcee, Bumblebee, and Ratchet followed Fidget to the stack of crates, their curiosity piqued by the small Predacon's insistence on the importance of these particular containers. As Fidget excitedly motioned towards them, Ratchet knelt down to examine the nearest crate, his optics scanning the symbols etched into its surface.

"These crates are different," Ratchet observed, his processor analyzing the intricate markings.

“Yes.” Fidget reached in one crate and pulled out a Predacon skull. “Clan leader thinks they were destined for museums. But the ship crashed here and never made it to its destination.”

“That’s a-“ Ratchet began, stunned.

“Now you can keep your promise.” Fidget smiled happily. “The ship has decently in tact medical and scientific rooms. The steel clan will grow stronger so we can fight the other clan and protect you more fragile two legged ones.”

The Autobots exchanged glances at Fidget's words, recognizing the significance of the opportunity before them. The alliance between the Autobots and the Predacons was poised to shift in a new direction with the discovery of the ancient ship's resources.

"We are grateful for your trust, Fidget," Ratchet said solemnly, his optics reflecting a newfound respect for the small Predacon. "We will honor our promise and work together to ensure the prosperity and safety of both our clans."

“We need to report to Optimus.” Arcee said urgently to Ratchet.

“They are Wheeljack’s people. We founded our alliance with the steel clan and we must keep our word. You and Bumblebee will return to base and inform Optimus of the developments but I will remain here for the time being. Fablebreaker requires observation and they need a science officer here. We don’t know what kind of information is stored in the hard drives of this ship.” Ratchet said firmly, leaving no room for objection.

Arcee and Bumblebee reluctantly nodded and prepared to leave the cavern.

As Arcee and Bumblebee made their way back to base to report to Optimus, Ratchet turned his attention back to the stack of crates filled with ancient artifacts and components. His processor whirred as he began to carefully examine each item, piecing together the history and significance behind the discoveries before him.

Fidget watched in fascination as Ratchet worked, his bright optics reflecting a mix of curiosity and excitement. The small Predacon had been wary of the Autobots at first, but now he felt a sense of camaraderie and trust forming between them.

As Ratchet delved deeper into the contents of the crates, he uncovered ancient schematics, data tablets filled with historical records, and even a few pieces of advanced technology that had long been lost to Cybertronian knowledge. Each discovery brought new insights and possibilities for both the Autobots and the Predacons.

Hours passed as Ratchet meticulously cataloged and analyzed the artifacts, his mind racing with the implications of what they had uncovered. The alliance between their clans had taken a significant step forward, opening doors to new advancements and understandings that could benefit them all.

The man was in an absolute frenzy and nothing could stop him now.

Chapter Twelve: A Union of Forces

[xasha777]

In the twilight realms of the galaxy, the Nakhichevan Khanate was a sovereign star system ruled by the enigmatic Khans, known for their relentless pursuit of power and arcane sciences. Their dominion spanned across planets rich with minerals and strange, primordial magic, remnants of a bygone cosmic era.

On the border of their empire stood a mysterious orbital station, Ishtar’s Gate, a place shrouded in secrecy and spectral rumors. It was here that the Khanate conducted experiments on the fringe of human understanding, blending technology with sorcery in their quest to forge super-soldiers capable of navigating the ether between worlds.

The centerpiece of their experimentation was a subject known only as Lyra. She was not born, but rather, created in the cold chambers of Ishtar’s Gate, designed to embody perfection in warfare and espionage. Her eyes, shimmering with a haunting red luminescence, were infused with cybernetic enhancements that allowed her to see into the soul-flame of any being, deciphering truths hidden deep within. Her skin was pale as the moons of Nakhichevan, a canvas marked with intricate tattoos of ancient sigils that pulsed with dark energy.

Lyra was more than a weapon; she was a work of art, a culmination of centuries of both genetic and mystical research. However, beneath her engineered exterior lay a burgeoning spark of self-awareness. With each mission, each battle, and each life taken by her hands, a sense of her own identity began to take shape—a phenomenon her creators had not anticipated.

The Khanate, led by the iron-willed Khan Yazid, viewed her evolution with both fascination and fear. To them, she was indispensable yet uncontrollable. Yazid, in his paranoia, deployed spies and assassins to monitor her, but Lyra’s abilities outmatched even the most skilled operatives.

Her pivotal moment came during a covert operation on the fringe planet of Zephyr, where she was to intercept a cache of ancient artifacts believed to hold the key to immortal life. There, amidst the ruins of a forgotten civilization, she encountered an enigmatic figure known only as The Oracle, an ageless sentinel guarding the cosmic truths of the universe.

The Oracle revealed to Lyra the full extent of her creation and the sinister intentions of her masters. Faced with the revelation of her existence and the dark future planned for her, Lyra decided to forge her own path. With newfound resolve and a heart heavy with the weight of her newfound knowledge, she turned against the Khanate.

The rebellion was swift and brutal. Lyra, using her superior tactics and otherworldly powers, led a coalition of other experimental subjects and oppressed factions within the Khanate. They stormed the capital, a dramatic clash of magic and might against the tyrannical forces of Khan Yazid.

As the battle raged, Lyra faced Yazid in the throne room of the star palace. Their fight was legendary, a duel of mind and power, ending with Yazid’s defeat. With the tyrant fallen, Lyra did not take the throne for herself. Instead, she initiated a new era for the Nakhichevan Khanate, one of exploration and enlightenment, hoping to mend the scars of her creators’ ambitions.

Lyra’s legacy became a beacon of hope and a warning of the dangers of unchecked power, as she disappeared back into the cosmos, a mythic figure roaming the stars in search of other truths to uncover. Her eyes, once a tool of war, now gazed upon the universe with the wonder of a soul reborn.

[fedor-bortnik-p2]

Project Proposal - Planning. Part 5.

With drawing more sketches and Ideas, I finalised the sketch of a character and a weapon, and then used AI to improve the final look of my character. Also I began making additional content that I would make during semester C.

With few more experiments in sketching, I was getting closer to the final edition of the character.

I coloured a few variants of the characters, but I did not like either the clothing, or the rig system - I wanted it to be simpler.

And after changing the colour to green, and adding more components to the design - I got much closer to what I wanted from the character.

I immediately began drawing the character from other perspective, for a better presentation, and so that I could use the image for an AI system to augment the character looks.

To make the poses, I used a simple software named MangaKa (2023) to get a pose with a doll to draw the character on top of.

Then, I used StableDiffusion to generate a new concept art based on my original sketch.

As for the character face, I generated some samples in the Dream Studio AI. I decided that I would just pick some references that I enjoyed and matched what I wanted and that I would sharpen the final reference list of the face as I begin the sculpting.

That would be the approximate face that the character would have.

With the main character being ready, and having clear ideas on what type of weapon design I will have for semester C, I began creating 2nd character for the final project.

I decided to keep a simple design out of the character so that it wouldn't take too much time from me.

I generated multiple variants of the third character, with each time improving my prompt - and then I picked the matches that I liked the most.

With the stalker, I really wanted to create a pseudo-holy design, as if the leader of the clan had promised to eradicate all the evil from the earth by worshipping him.

With that - I got inspired by medieval Mongol design: Their set of armour favourite mobility and durability above anything else.

And with Mongol design, I really wanted to combine various stock equipment, that was designed for specific purposes at a specific time.

The reason for that is rather simple, since the main source of power for this faction is by looting and restoring ancient technology, without exactly controlling what it produces. Because of that - they have to rely on whatever they can make, improvise with little details on their equipment and eventually - figure out how to fully control the manufacturing part.

References:

s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com (n.d). no title. Pinterest. Available at: https://id.pinterest.com/pin/748512400600952448/

Pek Harn (2023) MangaKa (version 1.5.8.9b) [Computer Program]. Available at: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2234500/MangaKa/

Stability.Ai. (n.d.). Stability.Ai. [online] Available at: https://stability.ai/.

dreamstudio.ai. (n.d.). DreamStudio. [online] Available at: https://dreamstudio.ai/generate.

Pinterest. (n.d.). Viking Horn Lamellar Armor. [online] Available at: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/viking-horn-lamellar-armor--807129564437623907/

eBay. (n.d.). 14 th Century Mongolian Women’s Brown Deel. [online] Available at: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/183723142622.

Quora. (2019). How common was partial plate armour such as breastplates in late medieval Europe? Who could afford it? [online] Available at: https://www.quora.com/How-common-was-partial-plate-armour-such-as-breastplates-in-late-medieval-Europe-Who-could-afford-it.

Killcade (2023). My HUNK Cosplay last year, still making improvement’s. [online] Available at: https://www.reddit.com/r/residentevil/comments/10d4754/my_hunk_cosplay_last_year_still_making/

www.amazon.co.uk. (n.d.). MIUNV Lead Clothes X-Ray Radiation Protection Suit,0.5 Lead Equivalency Gloves + Glasses + Hat + Scarf + Lead Clothing Protective Clothing,Blue-L : Amazon.co.uk: Fashion. [online] Available at: https://www.amazon.co.uk/MIUNV-Radiation-Protection-Equivalency-Protective/dp/B09XH5DGR6.

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Wastelander releases a mix of strategy and puzzle solving

Wastelander turn-based colony building strategy game releases on Early Access on Linux, Mac, and Windows PC. Thanks to Appstronaut Studios for their incredible effort. Available now on Steam with a discount. Diving into a fascinating world for those looking for their next big adventure on Linux. The story takes place after landing on an unknown and barren alien planet where everything seems bleak. This is the backdrop of Wastelander. Taking on Early Access for the next three months. At first glance, Wastelander is an unique mix of strategy and puzzle solving. As the name suggests, the setting is quite desolate. But it holds numerous secrets that are waiting to be discovered. While working through this landscape, players have to be smart and tactical. Due to building a thriving community from scratch. And it's not just about placing buildings, it's about survival. The whole turn-based colony building strategy operates on a turn by turn basis. Due to be similar to classic strategy adventures where every move counts. The random factor is high; due to the changing landscapes. These are randomly created every time you embark on this journey. So, no two Wastelander games are the same. It's this variety that keeps you coming back for more, eager to face new challenges and reach new high scores. One aspect of Wastelander is the 'Daily Challenge', where you can see how you fare against others. It’s similar to the competitive edge in multiplayer titles but set gainst the clock and the elements.

Wastelander release Trailer

Exploration is crucial. Scanning the setting, there are resources and old supply caches that were key to expanding and improving my colony. But, it's not all smooth sailing. Regular storms threaten destruction, and they make you think hard about the colony's defenses. But the real charm of Wastelander? It’s the ancient alien technology scattered around. I'm talking about impressive structures and artifacts, some of which have powers that can aid you immensely. Over time, they reveal the means to improve your technology and offer the hope of leaving this harsh world behind.

Features:

Starting Point: Land with nothing, and discover the immediate vicinity.

Economic Strategy: Efficiently use resources. The more you explore, the more advanced structures and technologies you'll come across.

Ultimate Goal: Expand your community and connect with all the items of past civilizations to escape before the final cataclysmic storm.

Wastelander turn-based colony building strategy is for anyone who's up for a challenge. Due to discover hidden lore in vast, dynamic setting. This game is due to remain in Early Access for the next 3 months. Every decision counts, and your survival hangs in the balance. Wastelander is priced at $8.99 USD / £7.65 / 8,77€ with the 10% discount on Steam. Along with support for Linux, Mac, and Windows PC.