xerdux
Bad-mannered
Famous Hero
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posted March 21, 2009 11:53 PM |
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ICTC 4: Hive
Yeah, im double posting the thread. But since my mum and dad are separated and I have other things to do in my dads apartamento then my mums, I will post the Hive on this user.
I do not think I will be able to complete this, even less score high. But if I do win and get a QP then please give to Xerox.
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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 sensed 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. He receivded in an undergroup temple. But the Temple seemed infested... and its guardians were large tentacled beasts. Beholders. Facehuggers. Mind Searers. The Hivemind said that it would bless them with its powers if they joined him.
The Priests and the people accepted.
This was the rise of the Hivemind - and a new tide of destruction which would influence the world with violence.
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 created Avatars of the Faceless, he adopted his own blood into the Faceless and filled their minds with fury and hate. The Faceless became a twisted reflection of himself. They evolved. They mutated. To become his Pawns of Annhilitation...
Some to warriors, some to overseers and some to workers. 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.
An ancient document from the first Dragon Knights is the only clue.
Eye of the Storm = The Eye is an round shaped crystal shouded in mist. One could look endlessy into it and die observing it. The Eye has been kept by the most powerful Tribes of the East for generations and is probably kept under the rule of the local mystics and elementalists.
Fury of the Oceans = The Fury of the Oceans is an azure blade. The Naga warlords kept it to themself since the race was created. It is said that the Fury is kept under the Emperor of the Naga. The Naga have kept themself hidden beneath their waves and have had thousands of years to reinforce their empire, so the blade is persumed to be in safe hands.
Maw of Oblivion = The Maw is an dark orb that is similar to the Eye but more siniste looking. The Faceless kept close watch under it before an Unseen Enemy consumed them. Legends say that the few High Priests of the race that had not gone mad threw it down to the Abyss and the realm of Sheogh.
Tranquility of Balance = The Tranquility is the name of a scepter used by the first elven druid-kings. The Scepter was given to them by Sylvanna herself to give the Wood Elves power to keep balance over the world and to allow them to control nature itself.
The Scepter is still in the hands of the elven druids and locked inside their capital city.
Crown of the Prophecies = The Crown was given by Elrath to the Angels to allow them to see far into the future. The Crown was then given by the Angels to the humans as a gift and the Clerics stored it inside the religious capital city of Silvercrest. However it was later stolen by thiefs and sold to the Silver Cities as artifacts of great power.
Anvil of the Giants = The Anvil is huge and according to the legends created by the ancient Fire Giants. The Fire Giants were the Avatars of Arkath and it said that over millions of years, the Giants evolved to Thanes and then to Dwarves today.
The Anvil is still kept within the most secure dwarven vault, which location is hidden from the rest of the world.
It is said that only a handful sect of Dwarves knows its real location but unlocking the Vault would be difficult, because it would require one to claim one key from each dwarven clan. The keys would then be formed to one even larger key to open the Vault.
The only documented facts about the Swarm has been made by an scholar from the Silver Cities. The scholars name is Zeuro. Zeuro 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%.
Doucmentions of the creatures are made by Zeuro.
1. Grub-Drone/Devourer
2. Scorpoid-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 appeaers to be the lowest caste of the Insectoid. After managing to sneak into the Xi'zavi hive (with the help of some highly useful illusion magic), im very convinced of that the Grubs are useless for the Swarm and mostly used for quick metamorphis. I have duelled with many of these and I can already tell you that there exo skeleton is actually rather durable. Their very prescense sickened me though and slowed me down though so I have high suspections that they bring some kind of transparent poison cloud with them."
Attack: 1
Defense: 2
Health: 5
Damage: 1-1
Mana: N/A
Iniative: 7
Speed: 4
Shots: N/A
Growth: 25
Cost: 10g
Abilities: Insectoid, Poison Cloud
Poison Cloud: 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
"The metamorphis stages disgusts me but proves to be very interesting. Think the Havens tradtional training process... but slightly more slimy. I call them Drones because they really look mindless while they gather some mysterious crystals. I have seen higher castes of Insectoid construct Pylons of these crystals. Do these crystals possible channel out their leaders energy and prescense? Time will tell. Im very impressed by their web though. They spin their web to sacks to easier carry around these heavy crystals. Im brining a sample home to the Silver Cities for sure!"
Attack: 1
Defense: 4
Health: 8
Mana: N/A
Damage: 1-1
Iniative: 8
Speed: 5
Shots: N/A
Growth: 25
Cost: 30g
Abilities: Insectoid, Web Wrap, Poison Cloud
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 2 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. It is however possible for you to heal your own Web Wraps through spells, abilities and skills.
Grub Alternate Upgrade. Devourer
"Metamorphis can go in different ways, that im sure off. While the Drones seem more defensive, their other twisted and giganticly fanged counterparts feels very intimidating and ferocious. I call them Devourers and you will understand why. I was very close to get devoured by one myself! I stood several meters away from it, preparing an simple spell to finish it off when it strecthed out its gigantic tongue and tried to swallow me! Although they are not poisonous on the outside, the Devourers seems very poisonouses on the inside. I only survived because I good quickly Flash Warp out and kill it with an Eldritch Arrow. I did feel sick for hours though! Think about the poor souls thats going to spend their lives inside there stomach... slowly suffering to death."
Attack: 2
Defense: 3
Health: 6
Damage: 1-2
Iniative: 8
Speed: 5
Shots: N/A
Growth: 25
Cost: 30g
Abilities: Insectoid, Devour
Devour: When this creature attacks there is a 20% chance that it will devour the enemy for up to 2 turns, making them stuck inside the creature and taking damage equal to 15% 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 their numbers get reduced for 30% of their own damage, without luck and additional damage modifers of course.
Show us your teeth! Good boy! But wait! This isnt your whole mouth? Eww... the whole face is actually split... the mouth covers the entire face!
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