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xerox
Promising
Undefeatable Hero
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posted January 29, 2009 07:36 PM |
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Edited by xerox at 01:31, 02 Feb 2009.
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ICTC 4: The Hive
Annhiliate. Destroy. Eradicate
Destruction has many names, but only one true name...
THE HIVE
The Swarm has Returned...
In the wastelands of the Shrouded South not much lives. But it had not always been like that. No, the Shrouded South was once a lush and beautiful land.
Untill the Swarm came - the Insectoid.
The Insectoid was created by one powerful beign, buried under the land. It is only known as the Hivemind.
The Hivemind slept for a very long time, untill a group of Faceless priests sensced him through their powerful magic.
Foolishly, these followers of Malassa started an expedition to find the Hivemind who they belived to be Malassa.
This was the end of the Faceless.
The Hivemind contacted the minds of the Faceless, and told them the it was indeed Malassa. The Hivemind told the Faceless disciples to bring their people to it, and so they did.
They gathered near the supposed location of the Unseen One. The Hivemind said that it would bless them with its powers.
The Priests and the people accepted.
This was the rise of the Hivemind.
The Hivemind already knew that it had gained a new army and new servants, but it wanted to give them better and stronger shapes. So the Hivemind made the Faceless his avatars, he adopted his own blood into the Faceless and filled their minds with fury and hate. The Faceless soon mutated, to become his avatars of annhilitation.
They evolved. Some to warriors, some to leaders and some to workers et cetera. The Hivemind had mutated the Faceless into the Insectoid, created from his own soul and image.
The orgins of the Hivemind is shrouded in mist, it is not even safe for one to claim that most Faceless mutated into the Insectoid. Some things scholars are pretty sure on though - the Elemental Dragons chained the Hivemind deep below the earth long ago. Each Elemental Dragon set up their own ward.
The only thing that prevents the Hivemind from getting released and perhaps bring the apocalypse to Ashan is six articats, each one was used by one of the Elemental Dragons to chain him.
This is why the Swarm has been moving offensive - to find the artifacts and release the Hivemind.
The only documented facts about the Swarm has been made by an scholar from the Silver Cities. The scholars name is Zerez. Zerez was one of the few who offered himself to investigate the Swarm (that was recently discovered on the northern parts of the Shrouded Souths). His documations of the creatures of the Swarm has bringed new hope to the Ashanian Union since it tells both the strenghts, nature and weaknesses of the most fearsome creatures in the Swarm.
Description of the Swarm
The Swarm is the faction of the Insectoid. The Insectoid has evolved to several diffrent shapes. Among the most intelligent insectoid are the Antroid and the Chu'tul.
Colors: Brown, Red, Black, Orange
Capital: Zyxoth, the Queen Hive
Emblem: The Razor Claw
Land: The Shrouded South and several regions beneath Ashan
Religion: Worships the Hivemind
Enemies: Anyone within their grasp.
Motto: "One, United, Combined - Connected in Destruction".
Magic Schools: Dark and Summoning
Creatures
The armies on the Swarm are connected to the Hivemind. Thus, Hive troops cannot flee or be affected by morale. The Hivemind controls all. The Hivemind is the Swarm - he is the Insectoid.
The Swarm troops are cheap and many, although they are a bit weaker then other creatures on the battlefield.
The Insectoid have an outer skeleton, which also serves as a kind of armor and are therefor a bit more durable then the average unit.
All Insectoid creatures have this ability:
Insectoid: The creature is Insectoid and connected to the Hivemind, thus this creature cant be affected by morale or by fear effects. In addition, the outer skeleton of the Insectoid reduces damage taken by 5%.
1. Grub-Drone/Devourer
2. Solifugae-Razorclaw/Terrorclaw
3. Fire Bug-Bombardier Beetle/Scarab Beetle
4. Lurker-Deep Lurker/Armored Lurker
5. Acolyte-Shadow Disciple/Swarm Avatar
6. Beholder-Facehugger/Mindseeker
7. Giant Worm-Earth Borer/Sand Reaver
Lv1 Walker. Grub
These larvae are the lowest caste of the Insectoid. The Grubs are mostly used for quick metamorphis, so that they can evolve to higher castes and more powerful troops.
On the battlefield the Larvae doesnt do much, but it is durable and poisonous making them great support troops.
Attack: 1
Defense: 3
Health: 6
Damage: 1-1
Iniative: 7
Speed: 4
Shots: N/A
Growth: 25
Cost: 12g
Abilities: Insectoid
Poisonous Embrace: This creature weakens enemy target surroanding it, reducing iniative and speed by 1.
Has a 2 tile radius surroanding it.
Comment: The Grubs are good support troops and their slow aura can be comboed with the Fire Beetles. Their main purpose though is upgrading them to higher tiers with the might hero Metamorphis racial skill.
Grub Upgrade. Drone
Drones are Grubs that have evolved to gather the mystical Shalyx crystals. The crystals calms down the Swarm troops when they are far away from their masters. The Drones are more defensive then their lesser forms and use their web to catch otherwise unreachable rescourses. But their web is so powerful, that it can make even the largest creature struggle to get out of it.
Attack: 1
Defense: 4
Health: 8
Damage: 1-1
Iniative: 8
Speed: 5
Shots: N/A
Growth: 25
Cost: 32g
Abilities: Insectoid, Web Wrap
Web Wrap: When this creature attacks there is a 15% chance that the enemy target will be wrapped in web which will make it unable to move for up to 3 turns or untill the web wrap is destroyed. The Web Wraps defensive stats scales with the heroes level.
Starts with 50 health and 10 defese. Gets an additional 50 health and additional 2 defense per hero level.
Comment: The Web Wrap thing makes the creature even better to combo with Fire Beetles. Note that the Bombardier Beetles area of effect damage can damage the Web Wraps too, so be careful. You can split your Drones into several stacks to increase the chance of Web Wraps.
One of the Drones. They use the horns to carry minerals with, but also with their web wraps. The Drones are large, but not as large as on the picture.
Grub Alternate Upgrade. Devourer
Devourers are the offensive morph of the Grubs. Devourers are used in battles because of their ability to well... devour people.
They have huge mouths and can strecth out their "head" to devour creatures several meters away. A devoured poor soul not only has to get stuck in its tiny belly, but also get affected by all the venom within it.
Attack: 2
Defense: 3
Health: 6
Damage: 1-2
Iniative: 8
Speed: 6
Shots: N/A
Growth: 25
Cost: 32g
Abilities: Insectoid, Devour
Devour: When this creature attacks there is a 30% chance that it will devour the enemy for up to 2 turns, making them stuck inside the creature and taking damage equal to 25% of the enemy creatures own damage each turn. Only one creature can be devoured at a time.
Comment: The Devour ability is basically an offensive version of Web Wrap. Its great fun to see your little Devourer swallow an entire stack of Cyclops, and watching them kill themself for 25% of their own damage.
____________
Over himself, over his own
body and
mind, the individual is
sovereign.
- John Stuart Mill
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skeleton_king
Disgraceful
Famous Hero
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posted January 29, 2009 08:37 PM |
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I like it, but you must explain the abilities etc.
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xerox
Promising
Undefeatable Hero
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posted January 30, 2009 02:57 PM |
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Im not finished yet 
____________
Over himself, over his own
body and
mind, the individual is
sovereign.
- John Stuart Mill
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Lexxan
Honorable
Undefeatable Hero
Unimpressed by your logic
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posted January 30, 2009 03:28 PM |
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Aha!
This should prove to be interesting 
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Coincidence? I think not!!!!
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kipshasz
Undefeatable Hero
Elvin's Darkside
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posted January 30, 2009 05:42 PM |
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Inspired by Silithid and Qiraji right? Good job on the story 
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"Kip is the Gavin McInnes of HC" - Salamandre
"Ashan to the Trashcan", "I got PTSD from H7. " - LizardWarrior
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xerox
Promising
Undefeatable Hero
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posted January 30, 2009 06:09 PM |
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Edited by xerox at 00:20, 31 Jan 2009.
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Both yes and no.
The Hivemind is based on C'thun in Warcraft, I admit that (but also of the Overmind in Starcraft). The race itself orginally came from another user on the Weekly Faction Contest.
I used this faction in my HoMM6.
But yeah, some things are based on the Qiraji/Silithids/Nerubians in WoW but it was certainly not there I got the idea from and I would say thats its like 25% inspired from Warcraft (Hivemind, High Priests).
Im also inspired by Cthulu and Lovecraft.
____________
Over himself, over his own
body and
mind, the individual is
sovereign.
- John Stuart Mill
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xerox
Promising
Undefeatable Hero
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posted January 30, 2009 06:58 PM |
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I have updated with Grubs, Devourers and Drones.
The creature line-up has also changed slightly, most notably the Android has been scrapped and replaced by Scarabs.
I felt that the Arcons/Disciples/Templars should be the only humanoid insectoids. And Scarabs fits the sand/wasteland theme.
Plus the name "Behemoth Beetle" just screams awesomess.
____________
Over himself, over his own
body and
mind, the individual is
sovereign.
- John Stuart Mill
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blizzardboy
Honorable
Undefeatable Hero
Nerf Herder
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posted January 31, 2009 12:28 AM |
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Something I would say to everybody: if you know how to use a photo editor, go in and touch up your pictures, and make them fit with your color theme and whatnot. It seems tedious, but it’s pretty fun once you get into it. This faction is insectoid so you should be able use real photos of certain insects for most of your creatures (there are some freaky insects on this planet) and then color/alter them in photobucket. Presentation means a lot and let’s the judges visualize your faction much better. I think Heroes is aching for this kind of faction, so I'll be interested to see this develop.
And yea, I'd definitely further develop the desert theme with your insectoid theme. They go nicely together and puts some spice into the faction instead of just being a generic "bug" faction.
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xerox
Promising
Undefeatable Hero
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posted January 31, 2009 12:46 AM |
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Yeah, I plan the town to look like some kind of huge biological pyramid. I have some experience with photoshop and perhaps I will color pictures if im not lazy enough
And if people wonder what the racial skills are then its Metamorphing for might heroes. Its similar to Havens training, and I have yet to brainstorm about it.
The other one will be "Blightning" or something (have not figured out a good name yet), but basically the magic hero corrupts an area. The corrupted area takes additional spell damage etc.
I will defintly try to develop the wastleland/sand/desert theme. The Scorpoid for example are insectoid scorpions (surpise!).
I might add some kind of Locus unit.
Also the Beholders will be completlu melee and not shoot lazor beams
The Beheloders will look very cthuluish and will be the Hiveminds children or something like that.
____________
Over himself, over his own
body and
mind, the individual is
sovereign.
- John Stuart Mill
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xerox
Promising
Undefeatable Hero
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posted January 31, 2009 12:48 AM |
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Edited by xerox at 10:06, 31 Jan 2009.
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Also the infamous Camel Spider is very likely to be introducetd somehow, perhaps it will be a grail creature (although I planned the grail creature to be the eldest son of the Hivemind).
RACIAL SKILLS CHANGED
The Blight skill is boring and like the traditional Naga racial skills. Instead the magic hero will get Metamorphis and it will something like that.
"Increases creature growth by 4% and allows them to Metamorph into higher tier creatures. In addition, the number of creatures in army grants the hero additional power from the Hivemind - increasing spelldamage dealt by 5%"
Or something like that.
And Might heroes would get Burrowing.
"Allows creatures to burrow under the groud, restoring energies. In addition, burrowed creatures can launch suprise attacks on the surface. Burrowed creatures can even move under ground"
The ultimate could be so that all creatures in heroes army automatically tunneled when they moved - making all creatures flyers basically.
After some thinking I figured out that the grail creature would look like the jaw/sand monster from Star Wars on Tatooin (spelling?).
I have replaced the Scorpoid with Camel Spiders. Rumors say that they screech and attack humans IRL and are pretty big.
The Camel Spiders are basically hybrids between Scorpions and Spiders anyway and live in the desert.
edit: creature line-up changed again. The Scarab has moved as an alternate upgrade of the Fire Bugs and Bombardier Beetles.
The Lurkers has replaced the others.
The Lurkers are based on the Lurkers from Starcraft because I think they are awesome and fit with the sand theme.
____________
Over himself, over his own
body and
mind, the individual is
sovereign.
- John Stuart Mill
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