#cultist marauder

[cam2d]

Darkoath Savagers! A lot of work for cheap chaff, but I absolutely adore these models and had so much fun painting them.

[dailyadventureprompts]

Villain: Cult of the Earth in Arms

Camped out in remote mines and fortified wilderness compounds, these zealots toil and train and stockpile for a war that may never come, dreaming of the day they will march to glorious victory over their hated foe.. whoever that happens to be week to week.

The cult has many names and supposed patrons: deposed human kings, exiled gnomish geniuses, scornful aspects of dwarven gods. All of these are mere proxies for the cult’s true master Kurtulmak, a bitter god of warfare and mining who takes the form of a kobold who’s ire manifests as poison that dribbles from both his jaw and tailbarbs. 

Like many gods of wicked war, Kutulmak cares nothing for whatever cause his unwitting cultists call him to, feeding instead off of their resentment, suppressed fear, and ever mounting bloodlust. It doesn’t matter whether they are a paranoid militia prepping for a conflict they will never see, or bitter partisans waging guerrilla war against a populace long since seeking peace, they all feed Kurtulmak’s desire for intractable conflict and indelible resentments. 

The cult of the Earth in Arms tends to operate in isolation, pertaining to self sufficiency while raiding, extorting, or fleecing others for what they need. They entrench themselves in an area, filling it with traps and hidden fortifications, while sinking tunnels deep into the earth in search of resources that can help to fill their arsenals. Iron for blades and armour is obviously prized, but copper and tin for cannons and saltpetre for blasting powder are likewise prime targets. Often they will use captives to work these claims and the foundries they feed, as the cultists often consider drugework below the dignity of born warriors such as themselves. 

Adventure Hooks

An uptick in disappearances puts the party on the trail of a slaving operation, funneling bodies into a band of backwoods cultists working a hidden gem mine. After they’ve cleared the bastards out, the party might have the opportunity to make the operation legitimate if they put in the elbow grease and promise the authorities their due. 

The local lord thought he was very clever, operating a hidden foundry out of the old dwarven ruins to produce weapons and artillery in preparation for a campaign against his liege. As it turns out the reason the ruins were abandoned in the first place was because they sat on top of a magical layline, and all the smelting and quenching has attracted the attention of several rogue elementals.  Now there’s a scattering of earth-hulks marauding through the countryside and a team of mephits who’re flitting about with a cannon in tow. 

After suffering a crushing defeat, the general of the imperial army fell back into the mountains, her forces becoming little more than bandits in ensuing years until her scouts came back with news of drakes nesting in the region. Nearly a generation of arduous training and rearing since her defeat, she’s returned to retake the lands she lost with a flight of lesser dragons at her back.. Lands the party just happens to occupy. 

Artsource

[emmettkane]

Nameless Raiders Suck (In RPGS)

You know the ones I’m talking about, the random guys in a game that only exist for you to smash, stab, and shoot. “Raider”, “Marauder”, “Psycho”, “Bandit”. Who are they? Why are they here? What do they want? What do they have to do with the story?

The answer is ‘nothing’ most of the time, but why?

I like video games, particularly role-playing games and, if we want to get specific, CRPGS: Fallout, The Elder Scrolls, Rogue Trader, and other notable inclusions. To start though, I want to hone in on Fallout 3 and 4. I’ve played every entry in the series outside of one (shudders), and there is a specific issue that Bethesda just can’t seem to escape: The Nameless Raider.

The Problem

They just litter the place! Guys with no names and an endless supply of bad Halloween decorations! They shoot on sight and do all sorts of unspecified crimes when you aren't looking, so it's okay if you kill them!

“It’s a first person shooter, you need guys to shoot!” I hear you cry. Of course you do! Radioactive wildlife, feral ghouls, and malfunctioning robots all serve as suitable, ethically unambiguous targets. Other people, though?

The problem isn’t that it’s impossible for people to turn to irrational violence, but that Bethesda’s Fallout assumes that they will, and in massive numbers! It’s myopic: humans are no better than monsters, waiting for the slightest chance to break the shackles of civilization and visit sick torture on anyone stupid enough to step outside. They all do it in exactly the same way too, for some reason. It is a world fundamentally afraid of strangers and one uninterested in exploring what actually causes violence, or how to actually stop it.

Some people are evil.

Killing them is the solution.

That doesn’t just open a moral can-of-worms that Bethesda prevents the player from meaningfully interacting with, it also serves as a grand and embarrassing series of missed opportunities!

See, there'd be nothing wrong with this if these games weren't sandbox RPGs, where the goal is to create a believable and interesting world to get lost in.

Why don’t the raiders form proper gangs with names and recognizable cultures? That could really make the setting feel put together! Why don’t they try to rob people through intimidation, rather than jumping straight to murder? What a neat idea for an encounter! Could some of them offer their services as bodyguards or mercenaries? I bet a well-heeled, unscrupulous player character would enjoy having a couple genuine goons at their beck and call.

This problem is persistent in Bethesda titles (Skyrim’s bandits and Starfield’s space pirates), but also in other CRPGs. The Outer Worlds tries to make something of its unnamed marauders in the “Peril on Gorgon” DLC, but even the non-marauder ‘outlaws’ riddling the base game are decidedly lacking in purpose and definition.

The Why

Why do this? If it’s such a great opportunity, why do studios continuously manufacture unnecessarily sentient target dummies?

As simply as I can tell? It’s cheaper, it’s quicker, and it’s what the average player has come to expect. That is to say: most people will ignore it. That’s not good enough for me though, I think they can do better.

The Solution

Bethesda isn’t the only game in town when it comes to sandbox CRPGs, and some studios really work to justify their baddies!

Rogue Trader’s ‘Anver’ gang slots well into the ecosystem of their home station, Footfall, and the chaos cultists you fight throughout the game tend to be involved in larger plots, serving the strategies of your vile enemies (or allies, you filthy heretic).

The Great Khans of Fallout: New Vegas are united by a hatred of the NCR and a kick-ass biker aesthetic. The convicts in Primm are a splinter faction of the better-organized Powder Gangers, and even the small groups in the south, the Jackals and Vipers, are given gang names and spawn within defined territories.

Wasteland 3 delivers a cavalcade of bandit factions of varying sizes and complexities, but they are all named and granted a defined culture: The Dorseys, Los Payasos, The Gippers, The Godfishers, and more.

The How

That's a lot of examples, but how do they do it? There are many factors when it comes to defining a raider faction in a CRPG. Let's examine one in detail:

Fallout New Vegas, The Fiends.

Just to the west of Vegas proper live a group called The Fiends: too poor for the strip, too violent for Freeside, and too wild for The NCR. These dispossessed stragglers have clung together under a small number of tough, cold-hearted, and downright cruel leaders. Strength is power, and the only way for the members of this group to survive is to exercise that power by robbing travelers, stealing what they can, and killing what they can't. This is their uniting purpose, their shared history.

They fashion armor roughly out of whatever they can find, mostly old fabric, scraps of metal, and rubber. The aesthetic is unified by a cow-skull on the helm of each warrior meant to signify their brutality and indicate their belonging in the group. This is their uniting appearance.

Their fortresses are repurposed from the old world and decrepit, ill maintained. you won't find a fiend outside of their stronghold of vault 13 and a handful of outposts, plus the regions surrounding. This is their defined territory.

Combining these factors, (faction purpose, aesthetic, and territory) it becomes clear to a player when they are fighting fiends and when they aren't. Their crimes are known, their sins are tallied. Quests which take aim at The Fiends are unique from quests centered on other outlaw factions, and this clarity makes contact with The Fiends special. Crucially, this attention has been paid to every outlaw faction in the game, and you get a unique encounter no matter who you're fighting.

The end result is a world that lives and breathes. Even if you choose to play as a righteous justiciar who puts down marauder scum on-sight, never interfacing with these groups except at the barrel of a rifle, the subtle differences give weight to that decision. After all, who cares how callous or vengeful your character is when your targets are just that? Targets.

So What?

That's just it! Games like these, sandbox RPGs, thrive on having worlds you can fall into! The bigger story matters, the style is important, but the details are what create that sensation. Raiders can just be targets, most players won't consciously notice the wasted potential, but imagine if they weren't. Imagine getting out-played because you didn't realize you were up against a more elite gang, or winning out because you did your research and came prepared.

Imagine pitting two tougher groups against one another so that you could pick through the wreckage, or joining a weak gang to build it up into a real powerhouse. Imagine softening one group into upstanding mercenaries, or smashing them and driving them from their territory.

Imagine what these groups could be like, and then imagine making them that way.

---

Thank you for reading! If you liked this essay and want to get more of my thoughts, follow me on Tumblr or Ko-fi, or wherever else. and if you want a say in what I talk about next, join up as a Bunker Goblin for just a buck a month!

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Could you do a human soldier reader x a wounded and "dishonored" Marauder protecting him? Like a Marauder too wounded to defend himself gets saved by a human soldier that got separated from their troop, and is trying to stay sane in hell. Saw a Marauder, and went "Ah, demon I can talk to" and takes the guy out of desperate loneliness

"Well this day just keeps getting worse..how did I even get to this point?" You mumbled to yourself, standing before a tall decrepit church with an upside-down cross affixed at the top.

It was hard to fathom how you got into Hell itself.

One moment, you're playing cards with your troop, laughing and cracking jokes..

And the next, you're hopelessly alone in this infernal landscape with very little ammo and very little chances of survival.

This is definitely not what you signed up for when you joined the UAC. You wanted humanity to thrive, but didn't really agree with all the experiments and such the organization did to bolster its continued existence--especially when you knew damn well they let billions of people die already and didn't care.

Fortunately, your UAC division had some sane people and wasn't just full of cultists.

But unfortunately, one of them was not your commander--who thought that taking the fight to Hell itself like the Doomslayer did would somehow intimidate the demons and convince them to stop invading Earth.

He had always been a fanatic about him, ignoring your remarks that unlike him you were just ordinary people without the godlike powers that helped the Slayer survive. He believed rage alone enabled him to persevere, and he expected your troop to go in with that same mindset.

But if anything, your commander simply sent you to die and become new additions to the demonic army.

The moment your troop stepped out of the portal, you were ambushed on all sides by various demons. It's like they knew humans were coming.

So you did the only sensible thing and fled.

Unfortunately, nobody else thought the same, and before you knew it..

You were all alone.

You weren't sure how many hours or days have passed since, but somehow you're still alive, living off roasted meat from some deceased giant demonic beast.

Communicating with the other side was out of the question, given your radio broke and there's no WiFi service in Hell...so your cellphone was useless.

Curiously enough, there was ammo littered around the realm--probably left behind by soldiers who weren't as lucky as you--but none could replenish your rifle. There's only a single bullet left in the chamber.

You had a knife and grenades, but what if those weren't enough to protect you?

What if you accidentally pissed off one of those Titans you'd often see roaming in the distance?

Your knife will be like a little prick to them before they crush you flat.

Shaking your head, you decided not to think about the dozens of ways you could possibly die here, and tried to remain optimistic. You weren't even that scared anymore.

If anything, you felt....lonely.

You were so used to being around your squad, as well as all the interns at the UAC, but now that it's just you and your thoughts...how could you cope with that?

You certainly couldn't just talk to any demon here. They'd murder you on sight...and probably wouldn't understand what you were saying, anyways.

You sighed and proceeded into the church, hoping that nothing was lurking inside. All you wanted to do was rest your feet for a moment and see if you could make this place into some hideout.

Yet upon stepping through the doors, you were surprised to find not a single demon, but rather the remains of many.

Fresh blood and guts caked the walls, and dismembered limbs and skulls were scattered around--some frozen, others charred like burnt marshmallows.

It looked as though the Slayer himself charged through here, guns blazing-

'Wait...that's right..only the Slayer could have caused a massacre like this..' You realized, a feeling of hope fluttering in your chest for the first time in what seems like forever.

If you were correct, then he must've passed through here recently, which means he could still be somewhere in Hell..

He might be able to help you!

Meeting him would be a great honor. While many talked about him like he was some god or the living manifestation of humanity's rage, you simply saw him as just...a man that Hell pissed off one too many times.

'Damn, my commander would've been so jealous...I wonder if I could get his autogra-'

Suddenly, an ethereal howl startled you out of your thoughts, and you spun around in alarm, rifle trained on....

An orange wolf?

You blinked in bewilderment as it stared at you, realizing it was merely a ghostly image. But you weren't sure if it was some demonic entity ready to attack you, or if you were just hallucinating.

"Um...good dog..?" You didn't know what to say, although judging from how its ears perked up, you knew for a fact it was real.

The wolf spirit turned tail and began walking towards the front of the church. You were compelled to follow it.

But upon seeing what it led you to, you froze in fear.

It stood by the side of a wounded Marauder.

You've heard about them before: they were once Sentinels who were converted into demons after betraying their oaths to their people and fighting for the Maykrs. It's even said that they were previously allies to the Slayer himself...so they were nearly just as powerful as him.

Yet this one was just slumped against the wall, looking utterly defeated, covered in blood with a chunk of his flesh torn out, exposing the ribcage.

He still had fight in him, though, as upon seeing you he became alert. With a snarl, he reached for the shotgun attached to his leg. And you tensed up, stepping back to aim your rifle in case you had to return fire.

However he suddenly grunted in pain and stopped, allowing the shotgun to clatter to the floor as he clutched his bloodied arm. It's useless. I've already...lost..." He rasped, exhausted.

You blinked in surprise, partially because you forgot some demons can speak your language, and also because he was actually giving up.

"Y-You're..not gonna try to take my soul?" You carefully began, not wanting to provoke him in any way.

"I never asked for this life. I only thought...I was fighting for the wrong side, and so I betrayed my king, my brothers...myself." The Marauder lamented. "Now I am nothing."

Honest to god, you weren't sure what more to say to him in this moment. But he still seemed remorseful and hated being a demon, so...he had a little bit of humanity left.

You held just a smidgen of sympathy for him.

"You, come closer." He abruptly demanded. "Now."

Hesitantly, you stepped a few feet closer to him. "Why-?"

Your eyes widened as he suddenly grabbed the barrel of your rifle, holding the muzzle against his forehead as he sat before you, on his knees.

"Woah wait, wait....what are you-?!"

"I've led a life of dishonor and shame...and that turned me into this abomination." His large hands trembled. "Let me die with what little dignity I have left, human. You only have to pull the trigger."

You could only stare down at him, shocked by his request. But you just shook your head. "I-I can't do that. I'm on my last bullet."

"It shall be one well-spent. Please end this suffering...don't leave me to the Slayer's judgement." He begged.

You blinked. "He attacked you?"

"He desecrated me." In case you didn't believe him for whatever reason, he ripped off his face mask, exposing the rest of his skull and broken teeth. "And then he left with some urgency..but I fear he will return to finish the job, and if not, then I will surely be punished for my failure."

Yet despite his pleas for a merciful death, you hesitated, trying to pull your weapon away.

You weren't sure why, but despite him being a demon, the idea of him willing to die by your hand just made you extremely uncomfortable. He could crush your gun and rip you apart with his bare hands easily, and still he refused to.

"Well..my judgement says it's wrong to murder someone who's defenseless..."

"Wrong?" He repeated incredulously, glowing eyes becoming wider. "We've slaughtered billions of your people...I thought you'd rejoice at this opportunity for vengeance."

"I....listen. Let go for a second."

"Why?"

"Just...trust me. Please let go." You firmly commanded.

When the Marauder released his grip from your weapon, he watched you take a step back. Thinking you were going to finally execute him for his crimes against humankind, he closed his eyes and bowed his head, hoping that he'll never be resurrected again.

Wherever he went had to be so much better than this..

You loaded your last bullet into your rifle, aimed strategically...and fired.

But he felt no pain whatsoever.

There was a small explosion, and he snapped his eyes open just in time to see a Lost Soul shattering to pieces. One of its horns fell into your hand, and you examined it, finding it perfectly intact.

"Sweet." You chuckled, pocketing your little souvenir with pride, before looking back at the Marauder..who seemed shocked.

"You told me that was your last bullet."

"Yep, but now I have a reason why I can't kill you. I'm all out of ammo." You shrugged. "Sorry."

"......."

"What? That flaming skull would've killed me had I shot you first! It's not like I asked for it to be there in that exact moment..what do you call those, anyways?"

"A Lost Soul. Damned remnants of mortals who seek a final death." He explained bitterly.

"...oh, well...I'm glad I gave them some peace." You chuckled, although you fell silent as he scowled.

"Yet you'd deny me that same release?" He scoffed. "Why is that? Pity?"

"No, I just..I guess I was...lonely."

"..lonely?"

Sighing, you took a moment to set down your rifle, before reaching up to remove your helmet, inhaling the air.

Just as you expected...it was hot, humid, sticky, and reeked of death all around. You were already starting to sweat a little. But you resisted the urge to gag, instead putting it down on one of the seats.

The Marauder was surprised that you willingly showed your true face to him, although he was still unsure of your intentions.

"Look, I've been stranded here for god knows how long..and every other demon I met has tried killing me. And they can't talk. None except for you, of course." You kneeled down in front of him. "Call it pathetic but..I'm just glad to talk to someone."

"You took a great risk in approaching me, human." He huffed, leaning back against the wall. "If not for my wounds...this could have ended differently..and even still, I could easily-"

"I know, but I don't think you really wanted to. Otherwise, your little wolf spirit would've eaten me alive already."

He was silent for a moment, looking to the ghostly apparition beside him. "My Hellhound...did not attack?"

"Nope. It just led me straight to you. I thought it was a trap at first, but...it must've known you needed help-"

"Help? Granting me an honorable death would have been more than enough "help", but you're too soft to even do that.." The Marauder scorned you. "Just leave me be. Don't waste your breath..I am beyond salvation. Go home."

"That's the only problem...I can't. I'll die before I could even figure out a plan to get back home." You shook your head. "For now I just wanna rest, and since you're here..maybe I can patch you up. O-Or at least uh..patch whatever I can."

He blinked at your offer. "You..would do that for me? What would your leaders think of you aiding a demon?"

"....to be honest? I don't give a shit what they think anymore. They probably think I'm dead."

"I see..very well then.." Sighing, he put his mask back on and gazed at you for a few moments. "If you heal my wounds, I will give you protection until you find a way out of this accursed place..or until the Slayer finds me. I fear I cannot protect you from him."

"Yeah, same. I'm not sure if I can convince him to spare a demon's life, but I'll do my best to hide you." You awkwardly smiled.

He hummed in agreement, before he picked himself off the ground and gathered his weapons.

You grabbed your rifle and donned your helmet once again, breathing in the fresh oxygen your suit pumped out. "Ah, much better...no offense. But the air quality here is sh-"

"None taken, human." The Marauder looked to you. "I can still stand, but not fight...at least for right now. I do know some places the Slayer would not care to look."

"Alright, then..lead the way. I'm trusting you."

He quietly chuckled at the idea of a human trusting a demon so easily.

But he was still a solider with a built-in code of honor.

If his enemy spared him, then he'd have to spare them, too.

[infegeddon-main]

All 30 Ko'Tun regiments

1. The Engin (engineers and mechanics whom are cultists of Cogiatas, Druagur entombment Is considered ascendance)

2. The Northbound (honor guard of the Citadel; the chosen of The Dead Lord; well trained, higher amounts of drauger entombment)

3. The Polari (psi church of the Ko'tun, but is also the Chaplains of the Ko'tun)

4. The Firehawks (fire using infantry whom engage air targets with airborne infantry)

5. The Archivists (Rulekeepers, Historians, Scribes)

7. The Kra'kein (was the navy, now does monster killing and specializing in naval/water environment combat; have akraken logo)

8. The Steel Eagles (was the airforce, specializes in dogfights and airbone combat; has a steel colred wing logo)

9. The Marching marauders (was infantry, does rush tactics with brutal effeincy)

10. Hy'ona (sabotage and propaganda for demoralizing, [ @ocherednoe-dno 's suggestion])

11. Gry'Talpa (The tunnelers/tench fighters[thanks @systembug <3 ])

12. The Wardens (Uses ice powers)

13. The Eradicators (executioners)

14. Bo'arti (Resilient; Boar themed)

15. The 66th (Artillery)

16. The Ta'Kata (Tankers; Mechanized calvary)

17. Storm Heralds (Blitzkreig; Lightning/Tesla Weapons)

18. Blood Axes (Violent Barbarians that destroy everything; sent only when deemed that the threat is too great, [ @braindamagedboykisser 's suggestion for the name ] )

19. The Fal'anch (Defenders; high armor and Phalax tactics)

20. The In'filari (Snipers and Infiltrators)

Heretics: (as in, no longer aligned with the Ko'Tun, and declared heretics)

21. The Thunderblades (defcted from storm heralds, Fire hawks, and The En'gin)

22. The Pyraiders (Firehawks whom sided with the raider queen when the firehawks were brutally beaten back)

23. The Lazurites (healers/medics whom defected when the Ko'Tun

24. The Lyndwirms (Underground speialists anad heavy weapon specailists; defected to the Dwari)

25. The Errant Troope (Defected from the Ko'Tun, keeping the knightly values, typically are mercenaries or guards for hire; typically wear their armor with pride and Honor, taking care of their equipment with reverence)

Lost (not declared heretics)

26. Crusading Comets (Psi Regiment; Went into the dessert to study Psi meteors, Died, Became Ghosts attached to their former suits, totally not a JoJo prt 3 ref, also @ocherednoe-dno suggested a regiment of the Ko'Tun named after comets, were originally the Meteor crusaders, but comet crusaders work better because alliteration)

27. The Grail Knights ( The Knights Templar; defected but presumed dead)

28. The Tomb lords ( Presumed dead, Actullay defected to the neo necromancers)

29. The My'Rati (Martyrs of the Oil Wars; Mostly dead, and suriving members became part of other regiments)

30. The Fy'myr (Defected to the Magi; psi Regiment who know augment themselves to increase their power)

[pushing500]

The Grand Eureka Colony Tour!

It's here at last! The Grand Finale Colony tour! Woo! I'm very proud of this colony, I hope you like it too.

For a sample, let's begin with a shot of the whole of Eureka:

Ta-dah! Isn't it gorgeous? It's a very big colony, so once again I'm going to put the rest of it under the cut so it won't clog up people's dashboards with my screenshots and rambling.

Starting on the left, we've got our first animal pens. The large pen is home to a variety of animals, listed as follows:

Laser, Dominator, Tryst, Clementine, Quintin, Nikita, Safari, Excalibur and Ragdoll the alpacas

Devotion and Mozart the neutrolopes (like boomalopes but for neutroamine, from the 'ReGrowth: Core' mod)

Verona the Cyrenian hind (from the 'Alpha Mythology' mod)

Samson the teratogenic originator (from the 'Alpha Animals' mod)

Teacup, Hayley, Portia, Nadine, Aiko, Fraiser, Salty, Chaplin and Smarmer the horses

Also sleeping in the large pen's barn but not confined by the fences is:

Calvin, Honcho, Whoopie, Zombie, and Paprika the nightling cubs (from the 'Alpha Animals' mod)

Kiki the murkling (from the 'Alpha Animals' mod)

Bryanna and Marauder the red pandas (from the 'Vanilla Animals Expanded' mod)

Tommy Brock the badger, one of only two animals in the colony who does not have a randomized name (from the 'Vanilla Animals Expanded' mod)

Elegance the baby razorjack (from the 'Alpha Animals' mod)

The small pen is where we keep our ducks. They are named Olivia, Pepe, Shrimp, Dynamo, Zack, Tipsy, Augusta, and Adele. They're very useful for eggs, and we cycle through the duck population every few quadrums so we have fresh meat to make kibble (don't tell the ducks that, though).

Speaking of meat, next to the pens are our abattoir/kibble-making freezer, our nutrient paste dispenser, and the prison. Prisoners (and suspected-mime Eva) are put on a strict nutrient-paste-only diet, so the proximity helps.

You can also see three of our twelve chemfuel-powered generators and a teeny-tiny secret patch of smokeleaf that we're growing to keep hippie-drug-cultist Gracie happy. Below that are some decorative chemfuel barrels and our sewage treatment plant.

Next there's the hot tub room with its adjoining facilities, famous for its romantic pink lighting and for being the place where Wookshys proposed to Albina back when I didn't like him.

Also pictured is the children's bedroom, with high-tech illuminated beds, dresser, and end tables so they don't need to worry about being scared of the dark.

Moving on, we have the classroom that has seen so many of my colonists pass on their knowledge to the children in a variety of sweet and amusing interactions. Next to the classroom is the obligatory schoolyard vegetable patch, which provides most of the vegetarian component for the kibble made in the abattoir next to it.

Don't mind Jesse and his square, by the way. I was already drafting this post before a lovely anonymous ask helped me fix the Curse of Jesse's Box (I love you, anon)

Here is the ship we have worked so painstakingly to construct, pictured alongside the tomb for cuterpillar Bernie, a patch of opuntia (prickly-pear) cacti from when Albina was testing one of her psycasts, and the thrumbo barn where Pharaoh, Brandi, Big Dipper, Caramel, Bellboy, Ray, Belladonna, Dollie, Apollo, and Dallas sleep at night.

The Ancient Danger has been transformed into a delightful hybrid space, as it is one part laboratory for mechanitor Fafo to muck about in, one part rec room with a billiards table, a dartboard, and even a television set, and one part drug operation because it is where we grow our psychoid plants ready for when Hussar Henry is old enough to need them (along with some mint and uranium root for funsies).

There are also six more chemfuel generators, an infinite chemreactor, and the legendary monument that Fafo carved depicting her then-fiance now-husband Kaz, which is used as a meditation for all colonists with the artistic focus type.

This is the pool room, which comes with an arcade machine, longwave radio, and roulette table. Next to it are the last three chemfuel generators.

Underneath, there are two barrack rooms. The one on the left is home to Gracie, Emerald, Grump, Hot Minute, and Sam the razorjack. The barracks on the right is currently only home to Jesse and Kelorul, along with Beau the razorjack. There's also a bathroom close by for easy access.

The devil sheep pen is home to many adorable little red devilstrand-producing sheep from the 'Alpha Animals' mod. Sixteen of them to be exact! Their names are Blossom, Petit, Persephone, Tank, Clarence, Crockett, Stellar, Dudette, Violator (my favourite), Honed, Soldier, Heather, Seargent, Fabian, Adonis, and Cassandra. Ingrid the red panda also sleeps in the devil sheep pen for some reason.

To the right you can see a neat little dining area with some sculptures and an industrial radio for recreation, and below that is the temple used by followers of Wendy, Laurie, and Jesse's ideology. There's also a horseshoes pin, for anybody who feels like some low-tech recreation.

Then there are the boomalope pens, made out of granite instead of wood to avoid any potential fire mishaps. They contain the main providers of the chemfuel we use to power our twelve chemfuel generators. The top pen contains our two male boomalopes, Hunter and Dude, and the bottom pen has the three females, Margarita, Missile, and Liability.

I am of the opinion that "Missile" and "Liability" are the best randomly generated names a boomalope could ever have.

Here is our Wedding Chapel/music room, a lovely little space that the couples of Eureka like to frequent in order to enjoy some musical romance with one another (demonstrated here by Kaz playing the drums for his lovely wife).

Outside we also have a little barbecue and dining area for those few colonists who aren't vegetarian, and in the top left corner, you can see the band node that Fafo is tuned to so that she can hopefully get more mechs in the future!

This is Eureka's clothing closet (and where we keep the caravan bedrolls too). That long rectangle building in the bottom left is a "monument" we built for the Empire, which is now a fireproof chemfuel storeroom, and also where we brew chemshine to sell to traders (and to satiate Eva's chemical interest trait).

Fafo made both of those monuments, but only one of them (the pyramid) is of legendary quality. The other is only excellent quality, and depicts "a politician playing blackjack with a thousand hooligans".

Some of the planting zones are here, too, including our blueberry field and apiary, one of our chickpea patches, some rice, some cotton, and some sugarcane.

Some more planting zones (rice, chickpeas, potatoes, onions, more rice and chickpeas, even more chickpeas, gold fern, allspice, plasteel bulbs), along with our only wind turbine and the first solar panel we ever built.

The bedroom at the top right is Albina and Wookshys' room, they share it with Rogan the rottweiler (from the 'Vanilla Animals Expanded' mod). The bedroom below that is Kaz and Fafo's room, which they share with Kaz's bonded razorjack Roxy (from the 'Alpha Animals' mod). The bedroom in the middle is where Hazrov and Candlelight sleep, along with Reaper the razorjack and Anatoly the Tasmanian devil (from the 'Vanilla Animals Expanded - Endangered' mod).

Four more bedrooms here:

Top left is Wendy and Tamarind's room, shared with Stabber the razorjack (from the 'Alpha Animals' mod)

Top right is Kawoo and Andrei's room, shared with Frisbee the pulmonoscorpius (from the 'Megafauna' mod). Outside their bedroom are also three cheese presses, where we... ~drumroll please~... make cheese!!

Bottom left is Vu and Laurie's room

Bottom right is Baz and Zonovo's room, which they share with Jellybean the razorjack.

Moving on, we can see the temple of The Wavian Path (Wookshys' sub-cult), with the tomb we built for Wendy and Pearl underneath it. Pearl is still buried there, alongside Fafo's nephew Pinovo because Wendy was resurrected.

Across from the tomb is the landing pad for shuttles and such, along with our ground-penetrating scanner and long-range mineral scanner. In the top left corner, you can also see our main workshops, which contain our smelter, smithy, machining table, fabrication bench, and animal bionics tables. The room with the fabrication bench is also where Buccanneer the drebbbd (from the 'Ebbbs' mod) sleeps.

Outside the workshops are our weapons shelves.

I'm glad I eventually decided to like Wookshys, look how content he is hanging out here on his little fishing bridge. He's close by a lovely picnic table, some bathrooms, an obelisk, and some plantations of almond trees and water chestnuts. He's having a grand time. This site is so pretty, it's one of my favourite places in the whole colony.

There's also a bathing zone on the other side of the bridge, but I... Uh... I wouldn't swim there for a while. The recent raids might have polluted the water a bit.

Here's our natural meditation area, home to our beloved Anima tree, three Gauranlen trees, and a little jade nature shrine.

Connie is connected to one of the Gauranlen trees, and she has two berrymaker dryads named Herbert and Mortimer. They're very sweet, and I love them both.

Jesse is connected to another Gauranlen tree and currently has a medicinemaker dryad named Wiseguy. A big help to the colony and an all-around cute little guy.

The last Gauranlen tree is connected to colony leader Albina, and she has a funky little acidic spitter dryad from the 'Vanilla Ideology Expanded - Dryads' mod. His name is Rolland, and I adore him. He's so snakey and fun. I should try to draw him someday.

Here's our freezer, our kibble shelves with Colonist-Gracie's secret smokeleaf-joint-rolling crafting spot hidden between them, one of the bathrooms, the water pumping/treatment facilities for said bathroom, and our single mortar with the shelf that has shells for it.

This is the majestic temple for The Path of Animism, the one true ideology for The Animist Alliance. We don't do a whole lot in here, but it's nice to look at. Below the temple is the storeroom for things that don't have to be in the freezer, which is mostly wood and silver at the moment.

We also have the crematorium and some of our fruit trees (four lemon trees, two avocado trees, a blood orange tree, and an apple tree). In the weird divet in the wall of the crematorium is an animal sleeping spot for our geriatric salamander Orion, from the 'Alpha Mythology' mod.

Here we have the obelisk marking our crash-landing site, next to our patch of peas and our outdoor dining area. In the top left corner is Debby and Eva's bedroom, which they share with Polly and Limbo the nightlings (from the 'Alpha Animals' mod).

Beneath that room is the room Brennan used to share with Debby, but now sleeps in alone since the divorce. There are sleeping spots in there for Cinnamon and Moonstruck, Brennan's steel and rock constructs, but I don't think they actually sleep, so the spots aren't used. Behind her room is the stonecutting bench.

In the middle, above the pea patch, is Barghest's room. He's ascetic and doesn't care for fancy things, so it's just him, his bed, and a sleeping spot for Flicker the razorjack (from the 'Alpha Animals' mod). Sleeping along the outside of Barghest's room are:

Hood, Elias, and Huck the red pandas (from 'Vanilla Animals Expanded')

Sinbad the thrumebbb (from the 'Ebbbs' mod)

Witch the cave bear (from the 'Vanilla Animals Expanded - Caves' mod)

Echo the short-faced bear (from the 'Megafauna' mod)

Asset the ankylosaurus (from the 'Biomes! Prehistoric' mod)

And then on the right side, we've got the kitchen/dining room, alongside the art and tailoring benches.

Eureka has a very well-equipped hospital, with plenty of high-tech medical facilities and a sterile drugs lab which has been put to use making lots of medicine to tend injuries and go-juice for when Henry is old enough to be dependant on it.

The research lab is where Brennan spends most of her time, and often one of the kids will hang out in there with her, radiotalking to get their learning desire up.

You'll never be short a bathroom in Eureka, there are plenty to choose from, and most of them are quite nice (in my humble opinion). There's also a lovely hot spring surrounded by manicured lawn, should you choose to relax that way. It is situated quite close to our rock/bone pile, but I can't be bothered rearranging it, so it remains an eyesore, I'm afraid.

There are also some transport pods that are used for the occasional trip out-of-colony or to dispose of toxic wastepacks until we finish researching the wastepack atomizer.

If hot springs aren't to your taste, you could always relax in the saunas! They're found right beside the bedroom that Irwin and Connie share with Bartholomew the ripper hound (from the 'Alpha Animals' mod) and Energizer the angora rabbit (from the 'Vanilla Animals Expanded - Royal Animals' mod), who is the only animal aside from Tommy Brock the badger to not have a randomized name.

Next to Irwin and Connie's room is a small table and two more animal sleeping spots, one for Chianti the boombat (from the 'Vanilla Animals Expanded' mod) and Bernardo the dimorphodon (from the 'Biomes! Prehistoric' mod).

Eureka has plenty of guest rooms for hosting friends and family from other factions, mostly our allies from The Android Alliance. We don't charge for staying here, as the bounties of The Animist Alliance should be free of charge for everyone to enjoy!

In the top right, you can also see most of the water treatment facilities attached to the prison bathrooms and the hot tub room.

Finally, we have some more solar panels and our cocoa tree plantation, surrounded by coral coconut trees grown by another of Albina's psycasts gone awry.

And that concludes the endgame colony tour! I hope you like Eureka as much as I do. It's been a lot of fun playing with the City Builders meme, as I usually go for the "massive superstructure" instead of "quaint village", so it was a nice change of pace. I also think the end result is a very homey feeling community, so that's nice.

First | Next | Previous

[thewingedbaron]

Waterfall

A little Tav x Shadowheart as a treat :)

SPOILERS FOR SHADOWHEART'S ROMANCE BELOW.

Tav stalked cautiously up the path, her ears humming with the sounds of the night. Every step brought with it a sense of exhaustion. Despite her careful steps, she felt as if she were dragging herself up the rocky incline, blundering to and fro until the gravel underfoot threw her uncertain steps out from under her. It had been a long day, terribly long, as she had spent most of it stalking from shadow to shadow, gathering as much information on the goblin’s camp as she could. 

From a distance, one wouldn’t have even known that the marauding band of goblins were preparing for a raid. Word had it that the remaining supplies, stolen from the tiefling band and some other unfortunate caravan, were being prepped for a great feast. A multi day party for the lower members of the band while their leaders plotted their next move against the well fortified druid grove. Best that she could determine from what little whispers she had gathered, these leaders were more of the “True Souls”, like the cultists her party had encountered on the road a few days earlier. There were three of them, best Tav could tell. 

The goblins spoke of a priestess of the Absolute with some kind of holy reverence, as if she could hear their every word. They also spoke of a hobgoblin, a fearsome warchief spearheading the attack on the grove. Finally, the darkest whispers were of a drow, the mastermind of the operation. What little the goblins spoke of her was often whispered in the deepest shadows, and her name was always accompanied by nervous glances over the shoulder, as if the drow would materialize behind them like some kind of wraith. Minthara, they called her. 

Yet for all the goblin’s talk, there was no mention of the druid Halsin. 

Tav pinched the bridge of her nose, forcing herself back to the present. Those are tomorrow’s problems, she reminded herself. There are still others to attend to tonight. 

Shortly after they had returned to camp, Tav had found herself cornered by Shadowheart. They had hardly spoken save for a few comments here or there since Tav’s misstep the night before, but when she approached, Shadowheart had asked Tav to meet her outside of camp tonight, after the others had gone to sleep. In the moment, Tav had eagerly accepted, seizing the chance to repair the rift between them. But as she climbed the narrow animal path, following the whisper of Shadowheart’s footprints on the soft rock Tav’s stomach clenched with unease. 

“Settle yourself,” Tav hissed. “You’ve faced wolf packs with more confidence than this. Mielikki save me, it’s a conversation, Tav.” 

Yet her own words rang hollow in her mind. She would have gladly faced a dozen wolf packs with night but her crossbow and dagger at her side than try to untangle her confused feelings regarding the dark haired cleric. People… people were so much more confusing. None so much as Shadowheart. A wolf did not hide its intentions when its hackles raised and teeth barred. But some people would smile as they drove a knife between your ribs. Surely Shadowheart did not intend… no. 

Tav sighed, failing to dismiss the maelstrom of emotions that clouded her mind. Better to just get there. She thought. The only way out is forward. 

Tav tilted her head as a new sound reached her ears. The merry roar of a waterfall. Whatever Shadowheart wanted to discuss, she had picked a wonderful spot for it. 

* * *

“Tav! Care to join me?” Shadowheart sat on a large, flat rock beside the crest of the waterfall. Beyond her, the water pooled at the top of the fall, as if waiting its turn to be cast from the rocks into the twisting creek beyond. The water glowed with silvery moonlight, casting its rays back up from the water, giving Shadowheart an almost otherworldly glow. Or, perhaps that was just Tav’s imagination working overtime as she dropped onto the rocks next to the half-elf. Tav was grateful for Shadowheart turning aside to retrieve a half empty wine bottle so she wouldn’t see the dark flush to Tav’s cheeks. 

“A drink for our hero?” Shadowheart asked, producing two silver goblets. Her lips pursed as she poured a measure of wine into each. Tav tried her best not to stare at them as she accepted her glass. 

“Hero?” She asked, eyebrow cocked as she swirled the wine in her glass. 

“But of course,” Shadowheart smiled. Something stirred in Tav’s chest. “I would have been dead half a dozen times today, were it not for your crossbow. Though I think I more than evened things against that bugbear and the ogre.” 

“I didn’t realize we were keeping score.” Tav replied, flushing a shade deeper. 

“We really shouldn’t. Afterall, I would hate to leave you so far behind.” The cleric’s lips lifted into a light smirk. “A toast then. What should we drink to?” 

“To us.” Tav grinned. 

“To us.” The goblets made the most wonderful clink as they taped together. The wine tasted of sweet berries with a hint of vinegar. 

“Tell me something about you, Tav.” The tiefling nearly spit out here wine as Shadowheart smiled at her. “I don’t want to hear about goblins, or tadpoles, or near death experiences. Tell me something about you.” 

Tav grinned sheepishly, a sudden touch of anxiety sent a shiver down her spine. “What would you like to know?” 

“Anything.” 

“Alright,” Tav cocked her head, thinking for a moment while she tried to ignore the burning sensation of Shadowheart’s eyes on her face. “When I was a child, there was this little bakery on the corner of the street. Madam Poppet’s, or something of the like. She was a nasty old witch, always screaming at us kids for lounging about in the street. So, in the early mornings, I would scale the side of her shop and steal the pastries she left to cool in the window. I got pretty good at hiding just from her chasing me down the street with at wretched ladle of hers.” Tav grinned as she touched the back of her head where the wooden ladle had fallen so many times before. “She used to call me a devil blooded child, tried to report me to the fist a few times, but they could never find me.” 

Shadowheart’s giggle lit a spark in Tav’s chest. It was an unexpected sound from the Lady of Shar. High pitched, lighthearted, freeing. It was wonderful. 

“Alright, your turn.” Tav said quickly, concealing the blush to her cheeks with a deep draft of wine. 

“I’m not sure how interesting I could be.” Shadowheart replied, “I told you already that I do not remember much.” 

“Surely there must be something that you remember.” 

Shadowheart pursed her lips as she thought. She’s definitely doing that on purpose. Tav was glad their tadpoles seemed inert for the moment, preventing them from slipping into each other’s minds. 

“I love night orchids.” the half-elf’s eyes widened slightly, as if she were remembering the memory as she spoke it. “And…”

“And?”

“You mustn’t laugh.” 

“I won’t” 

“Swear it.” 

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” Tav replied, crossing her heart with a finger. 

“Very well.” Shadowheart took another draft of wine, as if to steel herself. “I can’t swim.” 

“You can’t?” 

“Is that so surprising, oh mistress of the woods?” Shadowheart demanded, eyebrow cocked. Were it not for the silvery moonlight, Tav would have sworn the half-elf’s face was beat red. Her eyes dared Tav to say something about it. The effort was ruined but a moment later when they both broke down into laughter. It was a good belly aching laugh. For the first time and days, something in Tav’s chest unraveled, as if all the tension she had been carrying within herself had suddenly popped and released. Tears streamed down both of their faces as they feel, side by side, onto the cool stone. From there, they laughed at the stars. 

They stayed by the waterfall for the rest of the night, drinking and talking about every topic that didn’t have to do with goblins, or tadpoles, or mindflayers. 

“Its nearly light, the others will be up soon.” Shadowheart whispered long before Tav was ready to hear the words. But, when she opened her eyes, she saw it was true. A soft blue had crept over the horizon, the first light of dawn had begun to take the sky. 

“Surely they can wait a little longer.” Tav glanced at her companion, surprised as her gaze met Shadowheart’s.

“Is that so?” A ghost of a smile touched the cleric’s lips. “Thank you for this. For last night.” 

“You’re welcome.” Tav returned the soft smile. “I hope there are many more to come.” 

“Me too…” Tav could have sworn she saw something pass through Shadowheart’s eyes. Anxiety? Sadness? Regret? Desire? She kicked herself. The cleric remained as unreadable as the night sky above. A flood of anxiety washed over Tav as her heart began to pound. No time like the present. 

“If you want something, Shadowheart, take it.” Tav breathed. 

Shadowheart’s lips pursed. Then, she smiled as she shifted to fully face Tav. Tav could feel Shadowheart’s breath on her face. She could smell her perfume. Their foreheads were nearly touching as Shadowheart murmured. “I think… I just might.” 

Her lips tasted sweeter than any berry Tav had ever known.

[oblivions-dawn]

SEXIEST SKYRIM FACTION POLLS MASTERPOST

Currently in: Round 5, the Grand Finale

Round One! Tribunal Temple vs. Morag Tong Khajiit Caravan vs. Vigil of Stendarr Frostmoon Pack vs. Skaal Bards College vs. Silver Hand Pentius Oculatus vs. Blackblood Marauders Blades vs. Synod Crimson Dirks vs. Volkihar Clan Imperial Legion vs. Blackwater Brigands Blood Horkers vs. Skyrim Guard Thalmor vs. Greybeards Warriors of Thirsk vs. Miraak's Cultists College of Winterhold vs. Forsworn Thieves Guild vs. Summerset Shadows Dark Brotherhood vs. Solstheim Pirates Psijic Order vs. Dawnguard Stormcloaks vs. Companions Round Two! Volkihar Clan vs. Penitus Oculatus Imperial Legion vs. Morag Tong Miraak's Cultists vs. Companions Dark Brotherhood vs. Greybeards College of Winterhold vs. Bards College Skaal vs. Dawnguard Skyrim Guard vs. Thieves Guild Khajiit Caravan vs. Blades Round Three! Khajiit Caravan vs. Dawnguard Dark Brotherhood vs. Thieves Guild College of Winterhold vs. Volkihar Clan Morag Tong vs. Companions Round Four! Khajiit Caravan vs. Morag Tong Volkihar Clan vs. Thieves Guild Round Five! THE GRAND FINALE! Khajiit Caravan vs. Thieves Guild

[doom-nerdo-666]

Crazy idea: Doomguy possessing demons

Yes, comparable to Super Mario Odyssey.

But also an extension to 2016 MP/BattleMode and that Cultist Revenant section.

Some expect it as a pickup like the Demon Rune in D4T.

But an idea i had was part of a game over/death related mechanic: If Doomguy dies, he becomes a "not-so-lost soul" and must possess a demon for a while.

And then you choose to stop controlling the demon, causing said demon to explode and you become Doomguy again: Almost like a telefrag lol.

Possessable demons range from fodder types to some bosses/super heavy.

If this idea is in a game with Doomguy being UAC related, maybe the Zombiemen would be "traditional" and have a more "familiar" HUD, as if they're closer to Doomguy to the point their weapons even have limited ammo in the HUD ammo count.

But demons get more demonic HUD's and even the Marauder gets a Sentinel themed HUD or something.

A crazy idea would be HUD faces like in classic Doom.

Even crazier is if a Doom game had "customizable demons", both playable or as enemies/AI.

So you'd affect their skins or gameplay, therefore you'd see different faces for playable demons in the HUD or whatever.

Arch-vile's HUD face could either be the eerie HR Giger-like beast from D2 or the smug chitin design from DE.

Maybe a sandbox type spin-off or something or a multiplayer mode building upon BattleMode.

Also, playable demons will always have abilities not present in enemy/AI form: maybe make it so the demons you possess end up getting attacks because of that.

Like, you possess an Imp, get a different kind of fireball that other Imps don't have and after you become Doomguy again, the later Imps you fight get that new type of fireball.

[hurgablurg]

spoilers for deltatraveler section 2

Despite the fangame’s overall excellent quality, high effort and orchestrated emotional hits, Iiiii have some issues with the way the game handled it’s Earthbound content.

First off chronologically, is triggering Obliteration by killing the various robots in the valley, even using the no music spookiness of other evil routes. Those robots are Giygas’s minions, and in Earthbound, you do kill them. The Cute Lil’ UFO is described as being “destroyed” when defeated, along with the other robots. The aliens are “defeated”, but in story moments where they get to talk after being beaten, they quite clearly die just after from their wounds. Just about the only enemies that aren’t killed by the Heroes are humans and Earth animals because, fun fact, Earthbound is about a war, an alien invasion. It’s not a very fast-paced or desperate one, but every danger in the game, from the crazed animals to the zombies to the Mani Mani statue is caused by Giygas’ assault on Earth. The various enemies will literally beat the children into ghosts if they have the chance. Earthbound is no stranger to death, and never has a chance to examine how it all affects the heroes (beyond homesickness and melancholy (something the third game fixes)), and it’s weird that this game treats Earthbound with UTDR’s sensibilities about death and killing in defence.

The concession I’ll make is that it at least fits with the Deltarune characters, and the first meaningful kill of the snake is perfect because like, that’s just an animal, driven mad or not. They didn’t need to stomp it, the only purpose of that is to confirm cruelty, and in doing so it properly introduces the Obliteration route.

But the next part with the cultists - while I agree whole-heartedly that killing people would be traumatizing for the teens, and I understand that Genocide routes alway like to empty the map and induce a feeling of loneliness, but the Happy-Happyists wouldn’t retreat en masse after someone dies. The cult is controlled by the Mani Mani statue. They are lost in the illusory delusions provided by a psychic evil that is literally stronger than any one person’s influence, including the player’s. Happy Happy Village should’ve been a blood bath as the cultists refuse to let pass or give ground, driving the three into anguish as the Soul pushes them onwards.

And like, how are the devs going to handle this line of thinking with A Link to the Past? It’s not like Link befriends his enemies when he hits them with the sharp end of his sword. You can’t exactly start a Genocide route there and make it a dark, weird, or traumatic thing to be killing dead-eyed guards, jabbering, spike-adorned marauders, undead corpses, and unholy monsters. It’d just be a fantasy isekai played steel-straight.

Also, Toontown? Hm?? Death literally does not exist except for Cogs, and even that is debatable. It’s fucking Toontown. The Town of Toons. Inspired by the setting in Who Framed Roger Rabbit where the only way for a cartoon to die is to be dipped in paint thinner, sorry, “Dip”. A cartoon gets hit with an anvil dropped from 50 feet and they just walk around silly for a few seconds. They get shot with an actual gun and a ghostly version of them wearing a robe, a halo and a harp floats up to heaven for a few seconds before getting shoved back into their body. Donald has been sailing his dumb little boat for 20 years now, no food or water or rest, and only stopped because the private servers had to take him out for copyright reasons. They’d have to try EXTREMELY HARD to make Toontown evil and corrupted, or to even cause one casualty.

Lastly, but BY FAR MOST IMPORTANTLY FOR ME is the Obliteration boss fight against Ness and Paula. Is it almost perfect? Yes. Paula’s rage is fantastic, as is basically making her the ‘main character’ (though I kinda wish she would have used Prayer once or twice), as is accurately having Ness be the healer keeping everyone but himself alive. But one big sticking point is Ness’s final words: “Finish the fight... for me...” Like he’s flying to Earth on the Forerunner Dreadnaught to stop Truth from getting to the Ark and firing the Rings. That’s not Ness’s character. And it’s especially not what he’d say if he were about to die.

Ness’s character is driven largely by his pluck, his friends, and his family most of all. All of his Sanctuary memories are of home. If he were about do die, he wouldn't ask that “the mission would be complete” or whatever.

He’s a child.

He’s scared half the time, but puts on a brave face and raises the V for photos.

He only set out on his journey to protect his family.

Him getting homesick and needing to call or visit home is an actual gameplay mechanic.

The franchise is fucking called “Mother” and love is a reoccurring and powerful force throughout the trilogy. It is what saves lives, redeems others, and literally saves the world in it’s last minutes. Every. Single. Time.

What should the dying boy’s last words be? What should his last thoughts be of as he realizes he’s failed to save his world, his friends, his family?

“Mom... Dad... Tracy... Paula, please.. L-look after them...”

And that. That, would inspire Paula’s rage, desperation, and determination to stop us, more than anything else. She loves her family too, and now she needs to protect them from us.

And if the game really wanted to hurt the players, they’d make some contrast or comparison between LV and love.

The fangame obviously has a LOT of effort put into it, and it is very good and nothing is ever perfect, but it just feels like the devs only played Earthbound to get the gist of it, or to “see Toby’s inspiration”, y’know?

[solomage-a]

@triickst asked: “i’m  going  up  to  my  tent  now,  where  i  may  die.”

Dark eyebrows raise briefly. Not in genuine surprise—he knows better than to take anything Midge says too seriously. Melodrama is simply a hallmark of her nature, and he’s quickly coming to appreciate her peculiar vintage. His own response is a touch theatrical; he feigns concern, as though the threat of some unknown assassin looms just beyond the safety of their fire.

( Yes, there are real assassins after them—gith and cultists and devils and probably a few wild fey just tagging along for the show. They’re of no concern right now. Not when there’s play to be had. )

“Well, we certainly can’t have that,” he says, clapping his hands together. Jeweled fingers steeple before him, almost sagely in his regard. "For one thing, I like you better alive than I would dead. I’ve known a few dead people in my time, and they never smell right.”

Meandering footsteps carry him over to Midge and he slings an arm around her shoulders. He’s not especially bulky, but he is tall—and it’s all too easy to tuck her in comfortably to his side. “You should stay with me in my tent,” he says, his voice dripping with too much concern. “No marauding assassins in the night, guaranteed. Safety in numbers and all that.”

[melancthe]

look the goblins might be evil marauders or absolute cultists or whatever but they did invent beer pong so let's hear them out

[clonesupport]

thank you @natesofrellis for tagging me to do this picrew! finally getting to these in between busy school weeks TwT

Seph Wilde | UC | you’re sam and you were caught staring so seph adorably strikes a cute little pose, making your heart melt

Ronnie Kana | TOW | new cig, a loaded gun and a fresh attitude to kill some beasts and marauders

Mateo Harlowe | FC5 | deputy matty ready to fight some peggies and look cool and cute doing so

Mateo Harlowe | FC5 | cultist matty doing her cult leader duties to please johnny

[crimechannels]

By • Olalekan Fagbade Two pwrson reportedly killed as suspected herdsmen clash with vigilantes members Two people were killed and another was arrested when a gang of marauders suspected to be herdsmen clashed with a vigilante group in Ubulu Uku, Aniocha South council area of Delta State, on Monday. The assailants had laid siege along the Ubulu-Uku-Issele-Uku road, where they attacked the vigilante men, resulting in the death of one of them, identified as Sule Ukah. Besides the casualty on the vigilante side, a motorcycle operator commonly called ‘Okada’ was also shot, and his motorcycle was burned to ashes by the marauders. “The Okada man is, however, receiving treatment in an undisclosed hospital. We don’t know what prompted the attack because, at the end of the day, we cannot say the hoodlums are robbers,” an eyewitness account stated. Further investigation revealed that the action sparked off a massive protest by youths in the community, prompting some indigenes of northern extraction to hurriedly relocate for fear of a reprisal attack. Confirming the story on Tuesday, the State Commissioner of Police, Wale Abbas, said a tactical team from the command was immediately deployed to the community, which has restored peace in the area. Meanwhile, the police commissioner disclosed that the command, in the month of September, arrested 13 kidnappers, 7 robbers, and 72 cultists, recovering 54 firearms, 286 ammunition, 195 cartridges, and rescuing 9 kidnapped victims. During a briefing with newsmen in Asaba on Tuesday, CP Abass commended the various sister security agencies for their continuous collaboration with the Command. He condemned the act of jungle justice by members of the public. “Apart from being an act of self-help, jungle justice is barbaric. It fosters a circle of violence and lawlessness, thereby sabotaging the prospect of having the fundamental human rights of the victims protected. “In several instances, victims of self-help are attacked based on frivolous allegations without being allowed access to a fair hearing. The Command will no longer tolerate this human rights abuse, as anyone who engages in such practise will be identified, fished out, and dealt with in accordance with the law.”

[mommylilith]

DIABLO IV: MONSTERS (all) Monsters by family, with archetype and special abilities if applicable. ⚡️ = lightning 🔥 = burning ❄️ = frozen 🦠 = poison

LAST UPDATE: 7/14/23 10:00 PM EST

FAMILY: BANDIT (human) 🦸‍♂️ Marauder (melee) 🦸‍♂️ Arsonist (ranged • 🔥) 🦸‍♂️ Firebrand (bruiser) 🦸‍♂️ Scorcher (bruiser • 🔥) 🦸‍♂️ Slicer (melee) 🦸‍♂️ Outlaw (melee) 🦸‍♂️ Clifflurker (ranged) 🦸‍♂️ Bloodletter (melee) 🦸‍♂️ Blighthand (bruiser)

FAMILY: CANNIBAL (human) Flesh Ripper?

FAMILY: CULTIST (human) 🧔 Serpent Cultist (melee) 🧔 Serpent Cult Magus (ranged) 🧔 Serpent Caller (summoner) 🧔 Mother's Chosen (melee) 🧔 Mother's Disciple (ranged • 🔥) 🧔 Mother's Herald (bruiser • 🔥 • summons Fallen)

FAMILY: DEMON 😈 Oppressor (bruiser) 😈 Flesh Thrasher (swarmer) 😈 Bilefiend (ranged) 😈 Succubus (ranged) 😈 Crusher (bruiser) 😈 Infernal Sister (ranged • ⚡️) 😈 Hellion (swarmer) 😈 Fleshless Warrior (melee) 😈 Fleshless Impaler (ranged) 😈 Rot Wielder (melee) 😈 Blight Bringer (summoner) 😈 Bloodhawk (melee)

FAMILY: DROWNED 💧 Deckhand (swarmer) 💧 Wretch (ranged) 💧 First Mate (bruiser) 💧 Shambling Corpse (bruiser) 💧 Tidewalker (?) 💧 Vileblood (ranged) 💧 Marauder (melee)

FAMILY: GHOST 👻 Wrathful Phantom (ranged • ⚡️) 👻 Wraith (ranged • ⚡️) 👻 Banshee (ranged) 👻 Vengeful Spirit (ranged)

FAMILY: GOATMEN 🐐 Ice Clan Mauler (bruiser) 🐐 Ice Clan Impaler (ranged) 🐐 Ice Clan Marauder (melee) 🐐 Ice Clan Shaman (summoner) 🐐 Blood Clan Mauler (bruiser) 🐐 Blood Clan Impaler (ranged) 🐐 Blood Clan Marauder (melee) 🐐 Blood Clan Shaman (summoner) 🐐 Moon Clan Mauler (bruiser) 🐐 Moon Clan Impaler (ranged) 🐐 Moon Clan Marauder (melee)

FAMILY: FALLEN 👽 Carver (melee) 👽 Carver Lunatic (swarmer) 👽 Carver Overseer (bruiser) 👽 Carver Shaman (summoner) 👽 Fallen (melee) 👽 Fallen Shaman (summoner) 👽 Vile One (melee • ⚡️) 👽 Vile Lunatic (swarmer • ⚡️) 👽 Vile Overseer (bruiser • ⚡️) 👽 Vile Shaman (summoner • ⚡️)

FAMILY: NANGARI 🐍 Nangari Longfang (bruiser) 🐍 Nangari Oracle

FAMILY: SKELETON 🦴 Bone Wall (N/A) 🦴 Bone Warrior (melee) 🦴 Bone Warrior Archer (ranged) 🦴 Bone Warrior Captain (bruiser) 🦴 Bone Warrior Corpse Axe (bruiser) 🦴 Bone Warrior Corpse Bow (ranged) 💀 Skeleton (melee) 💀 Skeleton Archer (ranged) 💀 Skeleton Captain (bruiser) 💀 Skeleton Corpse Axe (bruiser) 💀 Burning Dead (melee • 🔥) 💀 Burning Dead Corpse Axe (bruiser • 🔥) 💀 Horror (melee) 💀 Horror Archer (ranged) 💀 Horror Captain (bruiser) 💀 Horror Corpse Axe (bruiser) 💀 Horror Corpse Bow (ranged)

FAMILY: SPIDER 🕷 Hatchling (swarmer) 🕷 Spider (melee) 🕷 Spiderhost (bruiser • summoner) 🕷 Spiderling (swarmer) 🕷 Plagued Creeper (swarmer • 🦠) 🕷 Toxic Lurker (melee • 🦠) 🕷 Arachnid Horror (bruiser • summoner)

FAMILY: VAMPIRE 🧛‍♂️ Ghoul (melee) 🧛‍♂️ Vampire Bat (swarmer • melee) 🧛‍♂️ Revenant (bruiser) 🧛‍♂️ Blood Magus (ranged • summoner)

FAMILY: WEREWOLF 🐺 Warg (melee) 🐺 Mangy Hound (melee) 🐺 Lycan Terror (bruiser) 🐺 Lycan Firewalker (bruiser • 🔥) 🐺 Storm Warg (melee) 🐺 Prowler (melee/bruiser?) 🐺 Volkodlak (melee/bruiser?) 🐺 Winter Hunter (bruiser) 🐺 Werewolf (melee)

FAMILY: WILDLIFE 🌳 Arctic Bear (bruiser) 🌳 Wildwood (bruiser) 🌳 Wood Wraith (bruiser) 🌳 Grizzly Bear (bruiser) 🌳 Thorn Beast (ranged) 🌳 Large Bat (swarmer) 🌳 Spike Fiend (ranged) 🌳 Plague Maggot (melee • 🦠) 🌳 Young Plague Maggot (melee • 🦠) 🌳 Plague Swarm (swarmer • 🦠) 🌳 Swamp Walker (melee) 🌳 Putrid Wasp (ranged) 🌳 Plains Wasp (ranged)

FAMILY: ZOMBIE 🧟 Putrid Remains 🧟 Rotting Corpsefiend (bruiser, explodes on death) 🧟 Risen Miner (swarmer) 🧟 Shambling Corpse (melee) 🧟 Bloated Corpsefiend (bruiser, explodes on death)

[chaosprinceundivided]

The First Crusade

“Gracious Bolleumon!” The guttural call from one of his exalted champions gave the Great Unclean One a momentary gasp from his most delicate meal. The squirming of man-worms trying to escape his leathery grasp whilst the ghastly daemon looked down at the armoured man in question. The lipless smile of black teeth clenching as thick pus of blood rolled down his jaw onto his rotting shroud. The Lore of Death shaping the daemon more noticeably in his lack...bountiful obesity that most of his brothers have. “Yes, dearest Malarax?” 

The eyeless sockets glown with shyish witch-fire, giving the barest hint of infested brainmatter behind them as if it truly mattered to the great creature of the Rot-Lord. “The rot-fliers have brought news, the Bretonnians come in grander numbers than ours. Brotherhood of knights leading their peasants to mean to halt our advance towards the accursed elves.” However, this news didn’t bring the expected effect from Bolleumon. 

Bollumon, the Warden of the Sarl Coast, smiled even more as he bubbled a burst of dark laughter. “Hohoho oh, what wondrous news! I was in need of plentiful ingredients. A plague worthy of our conquest. Praise the Grandfather, for he provides hahaha! Prepare your warbands, and inform Beloved-Cousin Headborn. This will bring light onto his dour mood, yes?” In the question, he threw his head back and let the shrill-screaming mutants fall into his long toothy tongue and jaws.

The general's nurglite camp was a circus of apothecaries, tents and great gatherings around cauldrons carried by wagons and platforms with the tallybands of daemons and blight-maddened, constantly oozing with flies and disease-shriveling animals following in a brain-death they aren't even aware of.

Beyond his commanding presence resting on the murky coast of Bretonnia, the Khornate regiment of the Howling Mountain was preparing the next incursion after fighting the vampiric defenders of Mousillon under the guise of valiant knights. Khreidon Headborn, Bloodreaper under the Death-Wyrm banner, stalked over the corpse of his newest challenger. The daemon glutton of iron-cored muscles and a sullen face of constantly sneering fangs, eyes wide of burning intensity.

The headless body of the whelp-champion was forgotten the moment it fell, a mortal cultist lifting the severed head up to glorify the reaper's presence before the howling chaos warriors. Their praises meant nothing, their screams and skulls to be apart of the pile inevitably. Khreidon felt his scaled hide itch, there were parasites feeding on his eternal rage and someone popped from underneath. A perversion of the Nurglish daemons trying to cultivate a fine plague from his very essence and unleash a blood-virus that will throw the entire region into a madness seeking nothing but violence.

If it wasn't for its lacking honesty, Khreidon almost applaud the Unclean One. Then he halted. Something was moving. More than something. Hundreds. Perhaps thousands? The prospect stirred something in the daemon and his kindred felt.

"A earthquake?" A marauder question. "No, mortal..." Khreidon growled with a growing smile, hand grasping tighter on his hellblade. "War."