Art of Domination Thread 04

Woah just caught up but yikes there is a lot missing from the archive!

So why don't we have spy satellites orbiting this planet? Something like a walking factory seems like a thing we should have noticed.

How big is this factory and how does it respond to space-bullets?

So why don't we have spy satellites orbiting this planet?

Remember that in game the alliance only been on 117 for 7 weeks now. We're the invasion force here. The only thing that's in orbit is the Enderfist, and it's only one thing so it can't spy everywhere, (even if planet 117 is anormaly small for a life bearing planet)

We do have a number of spy drones (and I believe gloomy way back raised to option of getting some spy planes plans from R&D) but they can't be everywhere at once, especially since we're already maintaining a close knit surveillance on region 3 (for traces of he rebellion) and 4 (for what remains on Smith movement troops)

Also, last but not least, region 5 was mostly covered in storm clouds due to the brain trees/storm drones combo that kept frying everything under. You may remember we had to manufacture some basic anti air rocker launchers so that they could shoot the cloud generating drones. So peeking inside from above was probably almost impossible.
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but if they're not actual monstrosities or carrying weird infectious agents, they're a manageable problem.

Well the fact any refugee from region 5 could be carrying brain trees spores in their clothes was the reason we established that checkpoint in the first place.

(Not to mention that horrible virus that turns you into an infectious mindless zombie. And now we know about pretenders, living nanotechs colonies, emissaries of hope and despair, fedora stalkers and tiny lung authors, if anything the screening should be, if anything, even more throurough)

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>Dossier on agents such as Gulls

Actualy, Gulls isn't an agent.
He's our number 2 and Adjutant. (aka the guy who relays out orders to our troops, gives status report, offer strategic advice and take care of administrative matters) and the Enderfist navigator.

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SpoilerHe's been part of our local command since the very start of the invasion. Also if memory serves he's Vora cousin with his family/clan serving vora"s from generations hence why he doesn't mind being bossed around by her and tend to be overly formal with her.

He's been on terrain a grand total of once so far, due to an ambush and survived hectically due to a mixture of having wkeyes with him, bluff, dumb luck and being rescued soon enough.
He's been described as "book smart/.Bullet dumb" for a reason, although due to this he's been training to get better (that and that led him to have coffe with hakweye now in an unlikely romance.)

He's trained to used a small black ops pistol (and Vora taught him two special 'moves', "quick cover" and 'quick reload' if it comes to that) but he's very far from being a field agent

He's been described as having "a mind like a steel trap", attentive to details, highly cautious and has a lot of general knowledge. He can participate to prisoner integrations. He's not however a scientific or hacker, so he's not either a cyber agent or such

Oh and he's also the only one who officialy actually got exposed to the art of domination. He got,as an an experiment, to read and copy only a single first page. It almost drove him violently insane as he wanted to copy more of it. And he shouted and was very angry
(which apparently means that despite his wealth of knowledge and sharp and cautious mind 'like a steel trap', the book didn't judge him 'intelligent' for or 'scientifically minded' enough; Unless that'd been retconed and it's just a matter of exposure now)

Due to that he had a tiny author baby growing into one of his lungs for a while. Apparently it's what the art of domination does to people reading it. (which got someone to make a funny post cling them self insert hacks, heh).
It was surgically removed through nanotech surgery with Feather and Francoise help and there is no detected long term psychological changes after period of observation. (which is why he's still even allowed to keep his position)

Lists of actual agents includes:

Haweyes
(Demoliton and trap expert)

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Spoiler
First appeared in region 3, as a mercenary helping Smith resistance troops
Which she promply offered to betray and then got hired on our side as she blew up the resistance force.

(same page also has her dossier, summed up:
Anna ‘Hawkeyes’ Reznov is a Saramis but she was raised among humans (so she blend beter with humans than saramis) by some kind of old loner chemist. But she though science was borring so she became a mercenary instead
She's a decent shooter but her nickname seems to refer to her talent to and avoid detect trap. she's mostly a demolition expert who can impovise explosives and explosive amo on the field.)

When North took control, she was taken prisoner as a test subect in one of Number 1's ab (where she met amnog other the "real president Smith" who gave her a disk to give to Vora in person). Smith forces offered her life in exchange of helping them. It ended as well as can be imagined (aka the betrayal mentioned above)

She cost us 1000 RP per week (kinda steep) but so far she's been serving us pretty well, in no small part thank to her infor about Smith montrosities early on and her advice to rig explosive (mostly in barbarosa). Though she ain't been in the field much sicne the whle thing with Ghuls

Talbat
(Assasin)

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Spoiler
First appeared when out troops entered the first of Smith VIP bunkers in region 3 where the minister of finace and his family were hiding. .. Only to find them dead and splatered over the walls by Talbat's hands

Part of the "Circle of Justice", a group of rescued (and armed by an unknown federation source, which has been revealed later to be a pair of Federaion scientists described as 'ethical sociopaths) survivors from north genocides having vowed to murder the North regime and everyone associated with it

Also found, after interogation, to be controled into revengfull toughts by brain implant creating schyzophrenia like 'voice in the head'.
May (probably) have suffered mental damage as a result.

After being operated, joined our forces as an agent

First mission was to go against his former teamates (see Leon and ventica), allowing us to neutralize and capture them,. shown to be able to decieve quite well (although the 'false info' was from haweyes.)

Trained assassin and inflitrator, work pretty much like a one man spec ops team

Infiltrated Cyrano citadel while it was bandones b Smith troops and taken over by a bunch of human refugees, fought two of the poluted that were there (ex doctor Castor and an unknown Saramis corpse)

Leon and Ventica
(Human spies)
(presumably also trained as assassns similar to talbat. Counting them as a pair because so fair they've alway been together when apearing on screen)

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Spoiler
Part of Talblat assassination team from the circle of Justice.
Recuperated the same way with his help, catured and neutralized, then their implant was removed.
May suffer from the same kind of psychological damage as a result. though they seems to have recuperated fine by now

They've served as human spy for us once by infiltrating Cobalt city for two days, disguised as Smith forces and got us ont he gas defense of the city and made contact with a bunch of lieutenants willing to turn coat.
Seem to be resourcefull and capable to lend in witht he population.
PS: ...Leon has the manliest way to order a drink ever. Vodka drinkers are dime a dozen but Would you mess with a man who orders "the clear piss out of the dong of Satan ? ... Wonder how he'd order a plate of freid eggs ?")

Linesman
(cyberwerfare specialist)

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Spoiler
First appeared in his own POV,

Hacker. Secretive and pretty cocky. extensive inteligence though his 'own network of spys' robotic bugs.

Once employed by Smith forces, fled into hiding as soon as he could
Alway appeared so far as a personalized cartoon character to hide his (if a 'he', they even be)'true' appearance.

Possibly not human, seeing as it was mentioned Sm.. North would have eliminated him sooner or later once his usefullness was past. (then gain it's not like North forces haven't been experimenting and illing other humans so who knows)
(probably) not an AI either.

Has helped the Saramis aliance three time as an 'independent agent' from the shadows, albeit in pretty underhanded ways:
-Leaked important Smith research files to the Aliance. including bout project Skhive, the develloping superweapon
-Manipulated the Servant of Saramis cult into attacking a gang in region 4, the Axe clan who would otherwise had the potential to get human federation millitary grade anti personall weapons (which would have included stuff like 0.70 cal rifles, hand held raillguns snipers and multi biological weapon tinted sniper bullets "The federation sure likes overkill")
-Made a deal with Olpho back in Barbarossa to actualy hide some nfor from the allaince (but there was a "good" reason for it (although that was pretty pointless in retrospect since the whol thing about Lagan 'rebellion' was blown into existence like a couple of days after anyway...))

Hacked Rheynar computer for kicks and giggles and played a game with him

At some point, made contact with our CWS forces and now officialy work as an agent for us.

Kuroda
(cyberwerfare specialist)

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Spoiler
Part of a group of Smith forces officiers in Cobalt city who decided to defect to the Aliance (okay details were a tiny more complicated but it should be noted of the four he as one fo th to that were most open to defect from the start)

Communication specialist. And hacker.
knew stuff about Pionner base and the red Note

...Alway wear a furry cat like suit and never show is true face but is good enough at what he does he can get away from that kind of excentricity

Grenda
("Doomcat". (Stealth Infiltrator, heavy armed, assasin))

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Spoiler
Gift from the human federation
Grenda is part of the highly secret 'doomcat', that is to say.. an uplifted sentient cat piloting an heavily armed stealth battlesuit;

The suit is quadrupedal with some serious firepower, plating and stealth capabilities.

The stealth work differently from the way our stealth commando work.
Our stealth teams can keep stealthed for very long periods or time but get disrupted for a while as soon as they get in certain conditions (such as firing or entering in contact with water (high humidity too perhaps)) or can still be heard with very acute hearing
Her suit stealth work continuously. Even if she fires, as long as it got enough energy, up to one hour.

(Her suit can also act as a com really or at least as a hacking proxy, if memory serves ?)

To keep in mind though: the way she's been acting, she appears as something I'd describe as close to sociopathic from a humanoid POV
(since she is uplifted a from a predatory species that's not exacly suspiring she'd enjoy the thrill of hunting and killing, still could be dangerous if she ever decide to go rogue or disobey orders)

Reward with fish after each mission

but if they're not actual monstrosities or carrying weird infectious agents, they're a manageable problem.

Well the fact any refugee from region 5 could be carrying brain trees spores in their clothes was the reason we established that checkpoint in the first place.

(Not to mention that horrible virus that turns you into an infectious mindless zombie. And now we know about pretenders, living nanotechs colonies, emissaries of hope and despair, fedora stalkers and tiny lung authors, if anything the screening should be, if anything, even more throurough)

My point there was "ask the AIs if there's some way we can speed up the screening for biological agents and stuff". I am in no way downplaying the risks.

Though, now that I think about it, distributing Poisonbane to the refugees once we have it could be a big help. Might not catch everything, but it would be good against a lot of the possibilities.

My point there was "ask the AIs if there's some way we can speed up the screening for biological agents and stuff". I am in no way downplaying the risks.

Though, now that I think about it, distributing Poisonbane to the refugees once we have it could be a big help. Might not catch everything, but it would be good against a lot of the possibilities.

It'd be nice but with the number of stuff we have to look for increasing everytime we discover a new horror , it just seems unlikely the process could be significantly sped up, short of a really huge breakthrough.
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As for poisonbane well..., it sounds good, kinda too good to be true but I have to ask:

1)The description make it sounds like it stop toxins from spreading in the body, (and since t can protect against pretender worms and pretender spores, that means it can fight infectous agents as well) but how exactly does it recognize what's a 'toxin' and what's not ?
Is it like nano machines pre programmed with 'normal' physiologcal parameters and it neutralize everything that 'isn't supposed to be there'. how does it account for physiologcal differences between species or even speific indivuals ina same species ?

Isn't there a risk it could cause alergies and something akin to autoimmune problems if it eroneously detect something as poisonous (not to mention substances that are poisonous at a certain doses but vital in certain controolled bracket, (... aka 90% of the stuff circulating in your body, really). culd it adapt to a new, yet unknown toxin hene ncoutring it for the first time.

Okay none of these questions are really important per se, I'm just trying to emphasize that given the complexity of what such a thing as perfect 'poison counter' pill involves, the idea that it's going to be develloped in less than a week makes me very very very warry of the actual efficiency, genral compatibility and potential sde effect , even with some very smart AI doing it.

Amusing as it would be (I may have a dark sense of humor), it'd be somewhat embarassing if in the epilogue of the adventure we learn that it turned out that the barely tested hastily devellped nanotech we deployed en masse caused mass cancer and sterility for those who took it. woops

Mind you, with nanotech and cloning and brain transplants is a thing in this setting (that's how the painmechs and crippled woman from barbarosa we're saved) it's not like it'd be that huge a deal (or at least beats dying of poisoning or being turned into a worm puppet) but still...

2)More simply and more relevantly perhaps, assuming it'd develloped without a hitch and works like a charm, just how 'easy', costly and long would it be to mass produce and distribute ?

3)Also, is it like an instant cleansing or does it offer some lasting protection in your system as well ?

Sorta important to ask because since it's in pill form, what if the toxin work faster than a person could put it it their mouth ? (at whiwh point wuld it be possible to swallow it before exposure and hop it'll still be effiient) or what if the toxin is something with continuous exposure ? (like a gas for example)

Maybe see if it could develloped in other forms, like auto injectors a part of the auto medikit we already possess or easy to use aerosol coupled with gas masks and protection suits.

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And finaly beyond the medical aspect, on a more strategic plan, I have to ask, do we really want to speed up the process of screening and integrating refugees into zone 4 and 3 ?

And it's not like we won't have to take Region 5 eventually, and that'll mean sending those people back in region 5 (who even before the braintrees and walking factory was still a conflict riden poisoned wasteland BTW)

(Remember that as per previous repports, everyone in region 5 was dangerous and a combatant of some sort, even women and children, an). With a strong idependent streak and And they have no particular move for the Saramis aliiance (even if they probably hate Smith's troops a lot more now after the braintrees and all), and they wanted to have a territory that reamins of their own.

So not to sound horribly cold here; but maybe rather than letting more people with an history of criminal violence into region 3 in 4, why don't we use all that to our advantage. Let's strnegthen the perimeters, give support and let Freedom organize them and let help with the reconquest of their own region alongside our troops.

And yes, I'm aware arming those that could be future rebels is genral not a good idea but here i beleive there are three elements why it's still a good idea:

1)Even if they are not fond of our eventual conquest of the planet, we're still neatly superior to North genocidial, insane governement, so i hve no doubt they'll side with us for this conflict and even for a while after.

2)Priorities. We have much bigger fishes to fry in region 1. And we need all the help and troops we can get.
I'll glaldy tke te risk of rebels armed by our hands in five years if it let us disrupt region 1 earier and means less new nightmare in two weeks

3)Their number dropped a lot with the braintrees and it'll probably drop a lot more while retaking region 5 so y'know...

I know this isn't the focus at the moment, but are all regions covered in clouds?

Are the day/night cycles of 117 roughly similar to Earth's?

It seems Enderfist's orbit is geosynchronous, in order to give constant monitoring to regions 3 and 4.

I'm surprised that there hasn't been any attacks on the Enderfist directly, considering that orbital mechanics is much lower on the tech tree than fully functional nano-bot AI. Perhaps, though, I'm just a little jarred from the gap from now and where the adventure left off on the mirror. Things have escalated quickly. I'm certain it was very well paced, but I just found out the Art of Domination was an actual magic book that can make Ghulls all pissy.

Did we ever find out what the deal was with those electromagnetic creatures that apparently really want to help destroy those magic books?

Why are the people on the border living in huts made of zinc?

If we can get a lock on the walking factory, how quickly can we blow it up?

I'm just a little jarred from the gap from now and where the adventure left off on the mirror. Things have escalated quickly. I'm certain it was very well paced, but I just found out the Art of Domination was an actual magic book that can make Ghulls all pissy.

Oh you' just missing ...about... oh... two threads and a half worth of updates, I think ?

.. Yeah the MSPA forums disapearing so suddenly and without warning hit this adventure hard as there was apparently no backups, sadly.

I really want to type a summary of everything you missed in details and files of all the character and bestiary for people new to the adventure but it'd take a while and i'm really feelng tired so uh... sorry, latter.

That said the little summary in the first post does sort of say the most important details. Namely that the art of domination is a major element of the plot

And the stakes of the adventure have been gradualy shownto be much bigger than just planet 117. Wih basicaly most of the high Saramis hgh command and monarchy being infected by the AoD while part of the human federation is as well, pushing both species to a genocidal war, which would be just the last of a long of a long sring of such conflicts where two species suddenly anhilaed each others and vanished without leaving any traces.

And behing this are the 'Authors', full fledged eldritch bomination who warp lives to create storries (usualy involving death war and murders) for a cosmic publishing house (we also know that 'Redactors' and 'Auditors' are a thing even if they don't appear directly, only through proxies), lest the 'Audience' gets bored and hungers... (annd whatever /that/ means, even the authors seem to find it ominious)

And the Aod and the string of mutual genocide is the Author masterpiece in production...

Still while the stakes have augmeted quite a bit, plnet 117 still seems to be at the /center/ of the conflictfor now, so hence why it's still sorta important.

And, yes it's a fair assessement to say that even with knowlege of the full storry, the pacing had got a little progressively faster and a little hectic at some point. So with so much of it missing, yeah I can understand it's seriously jarring.

It seems Enderfist's orbit is geosynchronous, in order to give constant monitoring to regions 3 and 4.

To clarify in case it necessary, the Enderfist is not just a satelite, it's a warship (as in full fledged space travel tech spaceship, not a rocket). So it's orbit and position can be ajusted and changed pretty much as will.

I'm surprised that there hasn't been any attacks on the Enderfist directly, considering that orbital mechanics is much lower on the tech tree than fully functional nano-bot AI.

1) As mentioned, the enderfist is a fully functional flagship made to be the lynchpin of a planetary invasion force, it likely has some point defenses and shields so counteract such atempt.
So unless they were sure to take the Enderfist out with their attack (or really desperae, which for example would have been the case had we chosen to attack region 1 on our first day), it'd be just a waste of resource

It's not like the bigger warships evar, there was amoment where we knew a federation 'fleet killer' class warship was comming and it could have destroyed the Enderfit in a snap. But thankfully it turnd out to be friendly, gave us grenda and some intel

2)It's not just a a matter of tech lelvel but also a matter of avaliable resources. By comparaison, planet 117 is a small colony on the brink of economic and social colapse with a laughaubly oudated millitary (well outside of the weird science that is)

And everyhing that was high tech and was pulled into region 1 to participate into the superweapon research

3)
Basically a good part of the tech the enemy deploys comes from the AoD who is indeed a Lovecratian magic book. Basicaly people who are 'scientifically inclined' enough who read the book become:
1)Complelty amorral with a sadiditic streak
2)'Inspired' by the book to create things that borders of magic and can break physical laws as they are known or run on psycic powers.

The thing is, the creatures who wrotte the AoD are definitively called "Authors" and not "Engineers", for a reason.
They tend to have a near fetichistic love for the gory, the psychologcal harmfull and spectacular over the bluntly efficient (after all what makes for a better 'story' ? Fighting a horde or fleshy monsters or mind controlled people or just a bomb that explode and kill everyone in an intstant)
and it does tend to reflect on the scientist they 'inspire' and their creation

But dodn't think it means they can't create things that are bluntly efficient or jsut sheerly destructive, (for example weaponized wormholes) it's in fact their end game and their strategy is buying time for it.

As for 'Author tech', well.. it's closer to psychic narative driven techno black sorcery than outright science...

I know this isn't the focus at the moment, but are all regions covered in clouds?

Seeing as we've made extensive use of the enderfist orbital strike with no probs, presumably not.

Region 5 is kind of a special case due to the braintrees and Stromdrones (okay the drone never got an official name)

Basicaly soon after we invaded region 4 (so around week 5), some weird fleshy trees with eyeball and brains isntead of fruits and leaves appeared in region 5 (from the coast facing region 1, suprise, surprise). they very quickly started to multiply, but while hey were weird no one really payed attention because they were very busy fighting.

Then after a while, sudden stromclouds appeared out of nowhere and deadly lighting storms started happening, triking not only unaturaly often but also with deadly precision peoples and habitation alike around the braintrees who kept multiplying.
The population went from 4 millions to a few thousands in a matter of weeks

That also explain why everyone not afiliated with Smith triple cores are now hudled against the border to regions 3/4 where the braintrees haven't advanced yet (mosty because we tanks patrolling that shoot molten metal to burn anything looking even remotely like a braintree in a miles radiius) in zinc huts.

breaking or cutting braintrees is no good, they jsut regrow or worse, they explose in cloud of spores that stick to skinn and clothes (hence why the strict border control). Only way to get rid of them is burning (qick freezing ?) or lots and lots of deadly chemicals

As was dicovered later however, the braintrees don't work alone, there are actualy drones flying over region 5 that actualy produce stormclouds around them (the exact way of how they or the braintree work in tandem is not known)
But the drones can be easily shot down, which is why a number of cheap 'shaterking' rocket launchers (with special mesure so they can be remote desativated if turned agaisnt us and can only be used for a limited numbers of shot tho) where produced and distributed to the 'Freedom' local resistace group so they may clear things.

The walking factory is a new things tho, first we hear of it.

Did we ever find out what the deal was with those electromagnetic creatures that apparently really want to help destroy those magic books?

the creature (single actualy even if it an create 'projections of itself, which are refered as 'limbs')) is known as 'Alone'.

As far was pieced out:
It comes from another universe (which it refers as 'Seas'). It is unkown weither it was already 'Alone' then or if there were more of it's kind at the time.

the authors founfd it, it welcomed them and they tried to use it in their stories (details are unknown). Alone ...didn't take it well.. at all.

It litteraly teared an author called 'Nadir' apart and killed them. Nadir's mind/tomb (it's weird) is the moon of planet 117 and it's body is somewhere inside planet 117, undeground..
(possibly even the core, ...which would go a long way to explain how such a small pant can yet support an atmosphere or the condition for life and also why it's the start of this whole of this whole mess in the first place.)

It doesn't just want to destroy the Aod, it seems to genuinely want to kill all Author as well as everyone it deems twisted by them, in a mixture of rage and 'mercy'.

It came in our universe through a blackhole and it's presuably the only way to send it back ,as well.

It's been captured by Smith forces and kept in check by Magnetic fields which seems to be the only thing that can affect it.

Recently, earlier during the attack on region 1 on which this threads opens on, it seems to have escaped it's magnetic prison but hasnt been able to go kill Nroth or even go on a rampage, not that it wouldn't want to but it has been considerably weakened.
According the the AIs, whatever sustains it doesn't exist in our universe so it's been starving to death slowly.

Supposedlywhatever left of it is in our custody now. Unless we find how to send t back home, it'll die soon-ish.

Intruder the rogue author's likey knows more and will soon fill in the gaps.

As I continue working on the next update, I have a question for everybody:

Would you like a dropbox folder that has every single entry I've made for AoD, along with the images?

Also, thank you smuchmuch, I was already in the process of writing character recaps but you've done it before I finished. I'd like to copy and paste the character summaries to the first post, if you're okay with that. Of course, I will edit and add some of the missing information.

Would you like a dropbox folder that has every single entry I've made for AoD, along with the images?

Welp, sure for me.
You may want to give it a link in the first post that way, people who are new to the adventure (and the rest of uswho want to check out stuff) can catch up.

Question: How hard (and long) would it be to reformat it (even a sloppy job will do, maybe clump some updaes together) and reupdate the mirror from there ?

but you've done it before I finished. I'd like to copy and paste the character summaries to the first post, if you're okay with that. Of course, I will edit and add some of the missing information.

Sure thing, happy to help. I've only done Ghuls and the agents tho (since it was relelvant to LoverIan post), there's a lot of characters missing.
I intended to cover the rest later but I'm guessing if you were working on character profile, that won't be necessary ?

Would you like a dropbox folder that has every single entry I've made for AoD, along with the images?

Welp, sure for me.
You may want to give it a link in the first post that way, people who are new to the adventure (and the rest of uswho want to check out stuff) can catch up.

Question: How hard (and long) would it be to reformat it (even a sloppy job will do, maybe clump some updaes together) and reupdate the mirror from there ?

but you've done it before I finished. I'd like to copy and paste the character summaries to the first post, if you're okay with that. Of course, I will edit and add some of the missing information.

Sure thing, happy to help. I've only done Ghuls and the agents tho (since it was relelvant to LoverIan post), there's a lot of characters missing.
I intended to cover the rest later but I'm guessing if you were working on character profile, that won't be necessary ?

I'm not certain how long it will take to update, but it should be easier to do with everything I got written down for the series. Here's the link:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/98cq20heceo0e...T2VAa?dl=0

I'll update the first post with the link as well.

I'll put up what you got and I'll continue the rest. Thanks.

Thanks,
I notice there are a few images missing, though. Every update from 164 to 250, roughly. (from Addlebear city to the arival of the 'ral' Iggy). Did something happened ?

Thanks,
I notice there are a few images missing, though. Every update from 164 to 250, roughly. (from Addlebear city to the arival of the 'ral' Iggy). Did something happened ?

Oh, right. Those were kept in a different folder. I've added them to the dropbox folder now. Thanks for noticing!

Next update should be up by 25th October 2016

EDIT: A lot of things have happened this month. My grandmother passed away and my dad almost died on the same night due to internal bleeding; he had lost half of his blood. Things are less hectic now, so the next update should be before Halloween arrives.

edit part deux: still working on it.

Seeker Drone surveillance reveals the form of the Walking Factory:



Ghulls: We’ve designated it as ‘Chaos Bed’. There are braintrees attached nearby.

You: I’m assuming those balloons floating around are lightning relays?

Ghulls: Yes. They direct lightning to anything on the ground and in the air that gets close, as we’ve seen birds get fried as well.

Rainhar: So the monsters just pour out of its ass like some kind of super-diarrhea?

Ghulls: Uh, kinda. Chaos Bed seems to have a set pattern to produce units every four hours. The problem is that every time it produces, there are slightly more creatures in it than the last batch. We haven’t found any evidence of a portal being involved, though.

You: What about the monsters themselves? Do they look like they’re going in a specific direction?

Ghulls: From what we can tell, the creatures spread out in random directions, walk a few kilometers away then hide in sheltered areas like houses, caves, abandoned vehicles, ruins…

You notice Lagan is in deep thought.

You: Lagan? You got any ideas?

Lagan: Hmmm… the walking factory is going in circles, right Ghulls?

Ghulls: Yes sir.

Lagan: I think the Chaos Bed’s guarding something. It’s not behaving offensively, and neither are the things it’s making. Can we get a seeker drone closer to the center of the factory’s loop route?

Ghulls: On it. I’ll tell the drone controller to keep away from the factory itself.



You: There’s a hole!

Ghulls: The drone is moving into it. Okay, so at the bottom…



Rainhar: A missile?

Ghulls: Scans indicate that it’s highly radioactive. Leaking, even. It’s in no shape to detonate, but even if you just left it in the middle of a city, people will die very quickly.

Lagan: Ghulls, tell the drone controller to go deeper.

The drone moves deeper into the facility. There are no people here, just more and more leaking missiles.

Ghulls: All of their propulsion systems are still functional.

You: Ghulls, get me in touch with Iggy Smith.

Smith: Commander, how can I help?

You: We found a facility full of leaking radioactive missiles in Region 5. Do you know anything about it?

Smith: Oh shit, it’s still there? That’s the Waste Vault for a failed weapon project. It’s called Vault Ghastly. A few decades ago president Johnny Carmichael and his cabinet were trying to build nuclear weapons using a different kind of design, but ultimately it didn’t work out. When it was clear the whole thing was a bust, they tossed them down a hole in Region 5. Or rather, they just drove the missile launchers into it.

You: The old administration just left them there?!

Smith: Region 5 was always meant to be the dumping ground for the colony. From the beginning, it was designated as a waste disposal zone. However, during the first few years of the colony’s founding, there wasn’t much trash yet and some people started moving there because they were feuding with the other colonists. Also, some people just couldn’t afford the taxes in other regions.

Lagan: And they never left.

Smith: The people still in Region 5 are the descendants of families with feuds long forgotten, or those simply too poor to anyone else. The only reason they’re stuck there is because none of them can even buy a can of soup in the other regions. The whole place is just… trashland. The only sustainable kind of food they got there is just mushrooms and insects, which can deal with all the toxic stuff. Everything else is smuggled in from the other regions. Most of the water is collected via moisture from the air.

You: Okay, so these missiles in Vault Ghastly, are they operational?

Smith: Well, they can’t detonate, but you can certainly still launch them. The project was abandoned because the guiding system wasn’t accurate enough and the hulls were brittle. But yeah, you can definitely send them to another region if you wanted to.

You: Could our mutual enemy be trying to launch these things? There’s a walking factory going in circles around this vault, making more and more guards.

Smith: It’s possible, but I don’t know how they’ll do it. The missiles have no form of remote control; you have to be inside Vault Ghastly to launch the missiles, and anyone who gets close will just die from radiation poisoning.

Rainhar: What if they’re not planning on launching the missiles?

You: What do you mean?

Rainhar: We’ve seen portal tech work, right? Maybe they’re trying to set up a portal machine and just transport the missiles.

Smith: Shit, you’re right. They could just make a portal under a missile and have it drop somewhere else.

Lagan: But if that’s the case, why haven’t they started ‘porting these missiles?

Rainhar: Beats me, chief. Maybe they’re still preparing the portal machine or something.

Ghulls: Vora, what should we do about Vault Ghastly?

-We should get rid of that factory first. Eliminate Chaos Bed. (Form a plan of attack on the walking factory)

- Drop an Enderfist strike into the crater (Warning: Very strong chance of radioactive material being dispersed all over the Region and beyond)

- Send in Sonic Mechs to destroy or bury the missiles.

- Continue gathering intel about Chaos Bed and Vault Ghastly (Skips to Week 6 Day 6, also get reports on results of ongoing and completed operations like Operation Angry Nurse)

- Land the Enderfist on the crater, blocking its only known entrance. (Prepare for ship-to-factory battle with Chaos Bed)

- Something else.

>_

YOUR CURRENT FORCES

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Spoiler
Saramis Alliance Regular Army Troops

From General Madnas Kotoro Each battalion, saramis and human alike will now be provided with rapid combat vehicles (Sahela-9). The Sahela-9 has room for 6 people; 5 soldiers per squad and 1 passenger. More information on the Sahela-9 can be found in the Ground Vehicles Section of the Omni-Factory Production List.

Battalion 1 - Lt. Malino (960 out of 1000 troops active)
Battalion 2 - Lt. Fadar
Battalion 3 - Lt. Kassar
Battalion 4 - Lt. Jagal
Battalion 5 - Lt. Marad
Battalion 6 - Lt. Hatak - Currently guarding Fortress Cyrano in Region 4
Battalion 7 - Lt. Lais
Battalion 8 - Lt. Zoko
Battalion 9 - Lt. Sivo
Battalion 10 - Lt. Varas - Currently guarding Fortress Cyrano in Region 4
Battalion 11 - Lt. Magaro
Battalion 12 - Lt. Habruk
Battalion 13 - Lt. Veris
Battalion 14 - Lt. Kando

Spec Ops 1 - Cpt. Selev
Spec Ops 2 - Cpt. Krad
Spec Ops 3 - Cpt. Filis

Commander’s Vanguard - Maj. Gordov

Saramis Alliance Human Army Troops

Human Battalion 1 - Lt. Mirrorsmith
Human Battalion 2 - Lt. Carve
Human Militia 1 - Sgt. Saval

Saramis Alliance Ground Vehicles

Volcano Tank - Sunshine
Volcano Tank - Lollipops - Currently guarding Fortress Cyrano
Volcano Tank - Rainbows
Volcano Tank - Screamer

APC 1 - Boxcars
APC 2 - Ferryman
APC 3 - Taxi Cab
APC 4 - Butler
APC 5 - Splinter

PMCs

(Millatech Corporation)

MillaTech Cyborg Sniper Team 1 - Slender
MillaTech Cyborg Sniper Team 2 - Shuriken

(Solaria)

Solaria Artillery 1 - Monago
Solaria Artillery 2 - Evvas
Solaria Artillery 3 - Yonko

(Aflong Legion)

Aflong Vine Brigade 1 - Gerund
Aflong Vine Brigade 2 - Tempo

Aflong Grenadier Platoon 1 - Blaster
Aflong Grenadier Platoon 2 - Popcorn


Agents

Hawkeyes: Explosives expert and adept at trap detection.
Talbat: Assassin.
Ventica: Human Spy.
Leon: Human Spy.
Linesman: Cyberwarfare Specialist.
Kuroda: Cyberwarfare Specialist.
Grenda: Doomcat, cat in mobile combat suit. Excellent at sudden strikes and assassinations. Shock Unit.

Drones

(Intel Drones)

Seeker-1
Seeker-2
Seeker-3
Seeker-4
Seeker-5
Seeker-6
Seeker-7

(Supply and Extraction Drones)

Savior-1
Savior-2
Savior-3

(Aerial Combat Drones)

Hunter-1
Hunter-2
Hunter-3

(Ground Combat Drones)

For brevity, Sonic Mechs are referred to as ‘SM’

SM-1
SM-2
SM-3
SM-4
SM-5
SM-6
SM-7
SM-8
SM-9
SM-10
SM-11
SM-12
SM-13
SM-14
SM-15
SM-16
SM-17
SM-18
SM-19
SM-20

(Drone Command Center)

Airblob-1 (Co-ordinates drones and boosts their abilities)


Naval Units

Armored Amphibious Carrier - Madhouse
Armored Amphibious Carrier - Swordvan

Needlefish Submarine - Dreamer
* Needlefish Submarine - Trophy
* Needlefish Submarine - Goalpost

Manned Air Units

Reaver Gunship - Lovebird
Reaver Gunship - Blender
Jester Fighter Craft - Cyclops
Jester Fighter Craft - Talon

=======

RESEARCH PROJECTS COMPLETED:

Automated First Aid project complete!

Unlocked:
Automated First Aid Device

A first aid pack attached to armor that will automatically activate if its wearer is injured. Administers painkillers, disinfectants and wound sealants in an instant, reduces the number of deaths and allows wounded troops to continue fighting. Can also be used to deliver sedatives in the event of a Brainbeast attack.

Organic EMP-proof Radios project complete!

Unlocked:
Brain Radios

Altered and cloned cat brains are now used as standard equipment. All tests show no loss of data between the Brain Radios, as long as the radios remain undamaged. EMP and other forms of interference have no effect.

Leads to: Organic Signal Jammers (Research Project)

Alliance Laser Rifle project complete!

Unlocked:
Alliance Laser Rifle, ALR-01
All squads will be supplied with two ALR-01 weapons each. In a squad of five, three will continue to use conventional firearms with a pair in the rear to provide fire support if the target is impervious to bullets. ALR-01 will be given to those assigned as marksmen and heavy weapons specialists.

Also unlocked: Laser Drone, Laser Tank, Laser Urchin (Research Project)

Tumorhide Armor project complete! All base buildings now very resistant to laser fire and extreme heat.

from me:

Show Content

SpoilerSorry for the long wait, everyone.

Okay, it's safe to say we can rule out the Enderfist strike.

Waiting for intel means waiting for tomorrow. By which time we expect to have a weather machine. This seems like a decent option, but we run the risk of having something else pop up in that time.

If we want immediate action, I'd go for the Sonic Mechs option. We're more likely to have a full-on crisis if North suddenly starts teleporting those missiles than if the factory produces a previously unseen abomination.

Okay, it's safe to say we can rule out the Enderfist strike.

Well that depends how desperate we're feeling but yes, not a god idea to endefist the vault itself. the factory might till be a viable targer tho.

I do have a question about that: Would the braintree' lighning be able to detonate the Durangium charge while they're being dropped ion the facory ?

I mean it feel like it shouldn't (it's asolid rod of metal evn if an explosive one) but doesn't hurt to check

-----------------------------------------------

If we want immediate action, I'd go for the Sonic Mechs option. We're more likely to have a full-on crisis if North suddenly starts teleporting those missiles than if the factory produces a previously unseen abomination

Sonic mechs should be great against Smith biological montrosities and don't fear radiations indeed but lightning is still going to do a number on them (depite what fiction tend to forget a lot, a surge will fry electroncs for good) unless they are proprely insulated (and even then...) so braintrees and the factory itself are a big risk if we attack now

If we attack it would be best to have a way to 'distract' Chaos Bed itself.

Possible plan:

Have our engineering departement prepare quickly some flying drones and a few sonic mech to better resist lightning so they may last a while. Have them attack chaos bed, hopefully disturb it's pattern.

We could also try sending in the ocver of the attack an inflitrator (Granda or a spec ops team) inside and destroy the thing from the inside. (as well as gather info on ow thos monsters are created)

Then from another side, the rest of the sonic mech rush in the vault.

Pro:

• By acting now, we a least eliminate the threat of the missiles, that's good and done.
  
• We can concentrate on Pioneer after that, the sooner we do that, the less surprise they can pepare in region 4
  

Con:

• We act with very little inteligence, expect surprises
  
• We'll likely loose a lot if not all of the sonic mechs invollved in the assault and we do have a lot of use for them as both frontline shields (and with attacking Pioneer on the horrizon those 'll come in handy) and they also help law enforcement and human cadets. Replacing them is possible but somewhat costly
  (they may be cheap a piece but 20 of them still woth 16 000 RP, would be nice if we still had some standing)
  
• We'll also loose some flying drones.
  
• Really whish we could have a good thing to stop chaos head. infiltrator seems the best bet here but we'll very likely loose the infiltrator as i can't think of a way to evac efficiently.

-------------------------------------------
If we wait tomorow, we might be able to use the weather machine to counteract the effect of braintrees. They can call the ligning down but they still need some ionised clouds (generated by drones before, could be they improved the system) to work effectively. if we can disipate those, the braintrees should effectively be useless

Also those legs on Chaos bed can't be that stable, very stong winds or seriously heavy rain (causing heavy flow of water and mud) should be able to hamper it's movement if not outright imobilize it.

Possible plan:

We could try alternating heavy storms for about half a day (to trap the factory) then drought with no clouds (to neutralize the braintrees) in sucession if the weather machine can do that

Then we can either enderfist Chaos bed (if it isn't too close from the Vault) or air strike it something fierce. Sonic mechs can come in from an opposite side, mop up the mosnters and get in the vault to desroy the missiles.

There's also a possibility of getting a infiltrator/saboteur in Chaos Bed and ee what's going in there before destroying it (or destroy it from the inside even). Grenda might be up to snuff here.

Pro:

• Extra inteligence to help plan the assault
  
• Should be relativaly low cost in lives and even in sonic mechs if it works
  
• Should still be relatively low cost in live even if it fails as we rely mostly on drones for this
  
• A good occasion to test the weather machine and what it can do.
  
• The vault is neutralized and Chaos bed is neutralized at best, or at least impaired for a while at worse. Net benefit

Con:

• It heavily rely on the weather machine and we have no idea what it can really do yet or how much (or if it'll even really work)
  
• If we go (and can) with neutralising the braintrees with the weather machine, we don't know what other defenses the factory has. (though since we'll have waited on the info, that may be correted by then)
  
• If we go with heavy rain to paralyse the factory but can't enderfist strike it, then there's a risk of loosing planes to lighning (maybe using hunter drones
  
• waiting a day, even just a night, is at least 2/3 more groups of increasing size pooped by the factory
  
• We have no idea what new things could happen if we wait untill tomorow

(Oh also if we could secure the vault, and Raheynar is indeed right about North's force plan, this could be a second chance to recuperta portal tech for ourselves)
---------------------------------------------

There is one thing we should ask ourselve about the weather machine tho. if it is that greatand functional.. why haven't North forces used it against us even once already ?
It seems weird really, especialy given how much we've been rellying on floating troop transports and air support, sriously a hurricane, some whirlpools, maybe even just simply chaotic weather to sap moral and cause small mechanical malfunctions, any of those could have hampered us a lot.

So why not ? There's gotta be a catch.

Okay, it's safe to say we can rule out the Enderfist strike.

Well that depends how desperate we're feeling but yes, not a god idea to endefist the vault itself. the factory might till be a viable targer tho.

I do have a question about that: Would the braintree' lighning be able to detonate the Durangium charge while they're being dropped ion the facory ?

I mean it feel like it shouldn't (it's asolid rod of metal evn if an explosive one) but doesn't hurt to check

Darangium is highly volatile, and immediately explodes when it hits something solid. Electricity can also cause explosion, but we don't know how quickly the Braintrees can react. If the explosion happens close enough to Chaos Bed, there might still be substantial damage without a direct hit.

Thank you.
Second question then: If we do hit Chaos bed or close enough with an enderfist strike or needlefish missile, based on it's usual trajectory and distance from the crater, what are the chances of the explosion triggering a chain reaction in the vault ?

edit:
@V: Good. then Chaos bed is a prefectly viable target for Enderstriking, particulary if we can get it to stay immobile for a few seconds.
I maintain my plans

Thank you.
Second question then: If we do hit Chaos bed or close enough with an enderfist strike or needlefish missile, based on it's usual trajectory and distance from the crater, what are the chances of the explosion triggering a chain reaction in the vault ?

Extremely low, since the missiles are buried deep enough underground for them to not be affected by explosions above ground.

I kind of REALLY want to see an enderfist to factory battle, but also don't see the point in getting so close as it's not like we can have anything good happen.

How would *we* deal with the radiation if it just kills anyone who gets close? Unless Grenda's mech would be enough to protect her?

By sending the sonic mechs to do the job as previously said. And other dones.
They're robots, radiation won't affect them. (well okay it can, but it's a very different thing from being cooked inside and having your DNA broken like it'd do to living being.)

Once Chaos Bed is dealt with, the Smith horors moped up and the zone clear, there'll also be time and possibility to send some non combat specialy shielded utility drones, same way we explored the "Moon" with the rediation that iled all living being.

Hrm...
There is the possibility that the walking factory is a trap.
What if they are waiting to use the nukes not just because of setting the teleports up
But what if the plan is to lure us into an engagement with the factory, and have a constant wall of forces to fight us off so we cannot get to the nukes.

And with our forces divided trying to defeat the walking factory, they'll know it's the perfect time to launch the nukes.

I feel that a longterm engagement is risky, and not fighting it is just as risky.

We haven't even considered if the factory is fully automated in a way that it could handle radiation.
What I'm saying is what if the walking factory is Enderfisting Bait

I can't think of any way we could weaponize the nukes before our enemies do, so I feel the sonic mech disarmament method may be the most prudent, safe, and practical method.
However....
I also like the idea of disarming and disabling the nukes, and notation to in the future seal them all in via mass concrete or lava.
He'll the only weaponizable method I can think of way to use the nukes is to
>could we have a sonic mech attach itself to one, and have it run around the monster perimeter, using radiation to ferret out the enemy and funnel them into an easy kill zone
Assuming the sonic mechs are actually able to handle high radiation exposure, they can handle near constant, or carefully controlled doses
And if we assume that there is no nuke inside the walking factory to spread radiation on impact with an Enderfisting strike, we can assume numerous of the monsters are vulnerable to it, and not only weaponize it but use it to take apart the walking factory from the inside

>have a seeker get close to the walking factory but not close enough to set off the brain trees to see the chances of a nuke being stored on the factory

This will determine if the ferret method and the enderfist strike are valid options. If they are we can go ahead and do the siege with less worry, and he'll we might be able to get the nukes to a more secure containment facility so we can weaponize them

small though here
factories (normal ones) are built with multiples factors in mind, one is fuel availability

Since its a walking one, and implied that no one has been seen to come with supply, where does it get the energy?

Either weird author tech, constant portal transport or maybe using the brain tree lighting for power?

if its brain tree, stopping them should make the factory stop from lack of energy
if its portal, do we have the tech to disrupt it or maybe hack the lighthouse one to send a team directly inside
Author tech, i dont have ideas

also could it be possible to fool the brain trees with a bait to hit and destroy the legs with lightning?

(after thinking about weapon, quick questions: we got the living nanite factory girl from the house, could we use that technology to create nano blades to upgrade the close combat weapons? Lots of potentials unlocked with that girl, especially to fight shapeshifters and parasites))

(after thinking about weapon, quick questions: we got the living nanite factory girl from the house, could we use that technology to create nano blades to upgrade the close combat weapons? Lots of potentials unlocked with that girl, especially to fight shapeshifters and parasites))

This will be considered!

Next update coming on 20th November 2016, thereabouts.

What if they are waiting to use the nukes not just because of setting the teleports up
But what if the plan is to lure us into an engagement with the factory, and have a constant wall of forces to fight us off so we cannot get to the nukes.

If we don't neutralize chaos bed it will keep pooping a constant wall of force anyway. It's what it's /already/ doing.
By fighting or at least bombing the factory, we can get them concentrated in one spot whike we send a column of drone by another side to take care of the nukes.

As for the factory containing a few nukes itself, that actualy wouldn't be that much of a problem, i'd create a small radioactive cloud but nothing big enough to go futher than region 5 which is already a toxic radioactive wasteland.
What makes the vault dangerous is the sheer number of missiles that'd get popped at once and the likeliness of a chain reaction due to critical mass

Ha-ha! Well, I'll be damned. Was wonderin' if this thing would ever pop back up again. Mind, I s'pose I shoulda checked the TVTropes page a bit earlier than I did. Ah well~

In any case, I'm... not exactly sure what to do at the moment. Still a bit addled with rust, even after reading what's been added in so far. Hopefully getting to see this in action once more'll help. Though, from what I can tell, as tempting as it is for me to say 'Let's Skies of Arcadia this shit and and engage in ship-to-death fortress combat', there's a part of me that thinks it may well be wiser to, well... not do that. That aside, it seems like you guys seem to 'ave got this down pat.

(Also, apologies, I hadn't realized this thread had been untouched for over a week. Entirely my bad. Was just glad to see this back up, is all.

...Ah, and another thing. Looking at the RTFs, I see a few things I rather plainly don't recall being in the original posts. My memory just incredibly shoddy or were those just bits that were cut out in the final draft, or...?)

ALSO also, while I'm at it: I remember there being a huge expenditure of RP on various things. One that I suggested a few ages back, and am still kinda surprised was the one that was picked. While I know the list is going to eventually be updated all proper-like, I'd like to remind folks that in addition to what Mayu has already listed, we should also have... Courtesy of this rtf.

Show Content

Spoiler
Infantry:
10x Regular Army Battalion
4x Spec. Ops
2x Commander's Vanguard
5x Human Spy

(Yeah, suffice to say, we pretty much rejoiced when the option to get more infantry units was once more made available)

Ground Vehicles:
3x SASAPC-12
2x Volcano-4 Tank
10x Sonic Swatter
10x Sahela-9 Rapid Combat Vehicle (I definitely recall my reason for getting these being 'even if all battalions start with one of these, we should have more for the express purpose of trolling the hell out of the enemy.')
30x USM-1 (To clarify in this particular case, we shouldn't have 50 USMs altogether, but, like. 10 more in additional to the 20 that've already been listed.)

Aerial Vehicles:
3x Seeker Drone
2x Hunter Drone
3x Laser Drone
2x Airblob
1x Skyshadow
1x Reaver Gunship
2x Jester Fighter Craft
1x Bloodprince Fighter Craft

Naval Vehicles
1x Needlefish Submarine
2x AAC
10x Skinner Hovercraft

...Add to it, before the mission where we struck at various undefended parts of R1, we built another Skyshadow on top of all that.

Hi, thank you for coming back to the ride, Dis_Aster! I'm still busy dealing with day-job stuff (we got two major presentation events in the same week) so there's unfortunately going to be a delay until the end of November 2016. Regardless, I've noted that there are indeed some inconsistencies that I'll address once the update comes.

Thank you again for staying with this adventure!