Mr. Slice
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I'm going to post it! I will take up the torch!


Gazers, or "Aumlichs as people call them, are a very strange thing. As the empire used extremly advanced mineral-ware to create a new kind of golem, they accidently created an aumlich beam. By using pure light, the farther enhanced the beam until it could stun. They then realized that strange robes could do the exact same thing. The Empire then recruted a new job as Gazer. 1st Gazer then went on a look for new things, but found a pool of poison instead. He gazed at it. It did weird things to him. He was a bloodthirsty thing. He then corrupted his fellow Gazers, turning them one by one into Aumlichs.


I think that may be a tad long, but that's what I came up from my brain. Sorry if it broke the rules but, shucks. That's what could have happened.

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Jatopian
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My only issue with Jeff_Ray...'s article is that I doubt most persons need to be told the definition of "carnivore".

I can't say I care for Mr. Slice's I'm afraid.

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CuriousShyRabbit
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I have a general question about the purpose of these articles.

Are they just "for fun?" Then most of these articles are pretty cool.

Or are they also supposed to give players some hints about killing and manipulating these monsters? If so, some key points are missing from each article and I would like to make some suggestions.

Jatopian
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...I think CuriousShyRabbit makes a good point. We should address the in-game mechanics as with the articles on other elements. Look at the wraithwing article if ye doubt that we should be as thorough as possible.

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Mr. Slice
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Heyy! I just provided information about aumlichs, that's all! I don't see any flaws in my logic so far. Tell me if you see a lot.

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Ravon
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Well, I had quite a bit of trouble keeping track of it all. It seems that you have some interesting plot ideas, but maybe some trouble getting them across. For example, your second sentence, the one about the empire creating a new kind of golem doesn't seem to have much to do with aumtlichs. I think if you explained it better it could be a good article. Probably in this case, more is better.

Mr. Slice
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That's a lot to explain! And I don't think it goes with this topic. I could put it else. Why don't you start a new topic and I'll post.

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Mattcrampy
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Ideally, these articles should have some relevance to how to kill the monster, although they can be somewhat subtle about it.

I'm going to have a crack at aumtlichs:

After the well-publicised failure of 39th Slayer and the Poppy Brigade in keeping the Empire's borders safe, the Archivists devised a new defense mechanism that was more directly under their control. Exhuming the bodies of former Empire citizens that had been buried in the early days of the civilisation (when no-one can remember who you were, you become Historical), they used their genetic material - along with nearly a dozen other, secret ingredients - to create the dreaded aumtlich.

The aumtlich now patrols sensitive areas of the Empire's inner territory, freezing anything it looks at. Some 'features' have cropped up during the combat testing of the aumtlich - if the aumtlich looks at a reflection of itself, it freezes; and the aumtlich is not capable of freezing creatures behind inanimate objects, such as swords. The Archivists ensure us that these 'features' will be deprecated in the second version.

Eh, bit clunky, but it's okay.

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calamarain
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I would mention the aumtlich gaze having more power than was originally intended. Burning fuse ends, and blazing through orbs?

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NoahT
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I'm not sure if there is really anything more to add to the gel article, unless I brought back the bit about gel mothers that I deleted, and perhaps added something about the fact that when gel is cut, newly created vulnerable points are always on the same color square as that of the square of gel that was cut.

-Noah

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CuriousShyRabbit
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About both guards and aumtlich:
They use some of their turns to move and some of their turns to turn. They will turn to face Beethro first. Then, if they are facing him in their current position, they will take a step towards him. This leads to lemming-like mass suicide if Beethro is waiting just around a corner.

  G
###
###B

A guard (or aumtlich) will face SE in the situation shown above, and then step SE if Beethro's sword is not in the way. Bye, bye guard!

Also, if Beethro chooses his path carefully, he can back across a room without being followed by a guard. It's possible to make the guard stay in one position swinging his sword back and forth like an idiot.

About guards:
When they can reach Beethro, they know what they want to do: go get him. When access to Beethro is blocked, they get all stupid, like roaches.

Ezlo
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Okay, my responses, post by post.

Mr Slice's Article: I'm sorry to say but I seriously can't imagine that's anywhere near canon when you take into account some of the information given about Aumtlich in TCB, so I can't quite take your article. But thanks for trying!

CuriousShyRabbit: Very good point, I forgot to take that into account, thanks for reminding me. I think then that the Guard article and the Waterskipper need a little more work in that respect, but the others seem fine to me.

Mr. Slice's Second and Third Posts: Mr Slice, do you mind if I call you Slice? Well, anyway, Slice. Take a look at some of the other articles in this thread, the Rock Giant article in particular. They are about maybe, 4x as large as yours? So your one paragraph definitely has plenty more room for you to expand upon your original ideas. And this thread was made exactly for people posting things like it, so post it here!

Mattcrampy: I think your idea certainly has some potential, but it could be added on to as well, do you want to do it or should someone else edit it?

NoahT: One possibility is to add a link to the Use and Abuse of Tarstuff article, that might answer some of the cutting questions as well.

CuriousShyRabbit's New Post: Good info, it definitely should be added somewhere. I remember taking five minutes trying to kill my first guard, I didn't know how stupid they were. It would be good to remind people of that.

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RoboBob3000
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The aumtlich article should make mention of their dislike of improper pluralization.

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bflatjeff
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RoboBob3000 wrote:
The aumtlich article should make mention of their dislike of improper pluralization.

The aumtlich have formed a club with this focus. The seep are the other charter members.

BbJ

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ErikH2000
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Mattcrampy wrote:
I'm going to have a crack at aumtlichs:

I feel like pointing out that this is actually Crampy's second Aumtlich entry. He originally had them as a kind of religious cult based around a worship of Mothingness, if I remember correctly.

-Erik

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TFMurphy
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If I make a suggestion: canon regarding the Aumtlich says that this probably isn't the first time Aumtlich have been made. The conversation in Holding Vats: 1S2E is quite important in this respect.

Oh, and naturally, the conversations in the Forgotten Ruins are helpful on speculating the outlook of your average Aumtlich, which can be interesting.

---

[Last edited by TFMurphy at 11-09-2007 07:34 AM]

Mr. Slice
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I've seen a lot of people try to explain what exactly an Aumlich is. But it's just like explaining Drod, nearly impossible.

I'm not going to have another go at the Aumlich, but I agree with Erik's post: they are a race of religious cult that warship the mothingness.

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calamarain
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And as worshipers of the flaming pit of mothingness, a small amount of it has entered into them, allowing them to burn with their gaze?

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Mattcrampy
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ErikH2000 wrote:
I feel like pointing out that this is actually Crampy's second Aumtlich entry. He originally had them as a kind of religious cult based around a worship of Mothingness, if I remember correctly.

-Erik

As the following discusses thoughts that might lead one to piece together events in The City Beneath, including a detailed description of the Mothingness, the following is secreted.



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Jeff_Ray...
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Ezlo wrote: CuriousShyRabbit: I think then that the Guard article and the Waterskipper need a little more work in that respect, but the others seem fine to me.

I have edited my article with a tip and removed the carnivore definition.

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calamarain
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Ezlo wrote:
CuriousShyRabbit: Very good point, I forgot to take that into account, thanks for reminding me. I think then that the Guard article and the Waterskipper need a little more work in that respect, but the others seem fine to me.

I've edited mine too.

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Ezlo
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Okay Jeff, mention something about waterskipper nests spawning every ten turns and I think you got it done.

And calamarain, I think yours is good now too; Nothing else could be considered basic movement.

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Jeff_Ray...
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Is 'three times faster than a roach queen does' ok?

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[Last edited by Jeff_Ray... at 11-09-2007 08:01 PM]

NoahT
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Ezlo wrote:
NoahT: One possibility is to add a link to the Use and Abuse of Tarstuff article, that might answer some of the cutting questions as well.

I have edited my article as well.

-Noah

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[Last edited by NoahT at 11-09-2007 08:02 PM]

Ezlo
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Cool! Now if we can finish up the Aumtlich article the whole thing will be done! Thanks for helping guys! I would ahve modded up more but I kinda ran out of points to give.

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bflatjeff
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I don't mean to be picky with my editing. I'm sure you all realize I'm trying to help, and I help not by coming up with the original content, but by (I modestly believe) improving the work of others.
I submit my alternate version of Jeff_Ray's "Waterskippers and their nests":

Waterskippers are carnivorous animals, occuring naturally throughout the Eighth. Recently, the Rooted Empire has engineered Waterskippers to live underground, and has employed them to defend their tunnels. When Onsuary floods strike dungeons, the Empire uses the underground lakes to insert waterskippers. [I'd like to clarify this sentence; I'm not sure I understand the intended meaning with "insert". Is it that the Empire is introducing waterskippers into dungeons? I also couldn't find a good explanation of the Onsuary floods. Point me?]
After reaching maturity, two Waterskippers will make a nest on the water, scavenging branches from nearby areas and solidifying them into rough piles with their saliva. After the nest is finished and a brief mating dance is performed, the female occupies the nest and begins to spawn offspring at a prodigious rate, three times faster than the roach queen, itself no slouch in this department. The offspring immediately begin to look for food, seeking any nearby prey. Waterskippers do not leave the water as a rule but will leap onto land to attack. The Waterskippers' unwary prey can easily become overwhelmed by the sheer number of attacking beasts.

Use or omit whatever you like.
BbJ

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Jeff_Ray...
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bflatjeff wrote:
Waterskippers are carnivorous animals, occuring naturally throughout the Eighth. Recently, the Rooted Empire has engineered Waterskippers to live underground, and has employed them to defend their tunnels. When Onsuary floods strike dungeons, the Empire uses the underground lakes to insert waterskippers. [I'd like to clarify this sentence; I'm not sure I understand the intended meaning with "insert". Is it that the Empire is introducing waterskippers into dungeons? I also couldn't find a good explanation of the Onsuary floods. Point me?*]
After reaching maturity, two Waterskippers will make a nest on the water, scavenging branches from nearby areas and solidifying them into rough piles with their saliva. After the nest is finished and a brief mating dance is performed, the female occupies the nest and begins to spawn offspring at a prodigious rate, three times faster than the roach queen, itself no slouch in this department. The offspring immediately begin to look for food, seeking any nearby prey. Waterskippers do not leave the water as a rule but will leap onto land to attack. The Waterskippers' unwary prey can easily become overwhelmed by the sheer number of attacking beasts.

I liked this version. It's much better than I did.

*What I mean is that when Onsuary Floods strike, pits are filled with water, and thus are used by the Empire as new waterskipper habitats.

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[Last edited by Jeff_Ray... at 11-10-2007 05:41 PM]

coppro
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Actually, architects build their dungeons to be proof against the Onsuary floods. No one quite knows how, but they do it through some means.

Jeff_Ray...
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>_< Yeah, it's true. bflatjeff, you can remove the part about the Onsuary Floods if you wish.

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Parse
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In an attempt to create an aumtlich description that closer matches the in-game data revealed...

Rumors of unknown monsters are common in any society that sets great store on daring deeds done. Most can simply dismissed as 'The roach that got away;' but the most experienced smitemasters know that there is a grain of truth in every rumor. Some of these ancient rumors describe a species that exists in the deepest dungeons - one with a burning hatred of all people, a burning hunger for slaughter, and a burning gaze that instills a petrifying fear into everything it sees. It is believed that these gaunt beasts have been extinct for many generations, if they exist at all. Other people claim that they still live, lurking under the beds of naughty children who refuse to finish their leaf juice.

Recently, the journal of the noted dungeon-fauna-documentary producer Jaato Scrikely was discovered, which gives some weight to this rumor. Though badly burned, the last few pages were barely legible. The last recorded entry ends with: "The citizens called this area 'The Aumtlich Training Grounds.' There are thin, green beasts that are working on focusing their gaze into a steady, firey gaze. I mustn't let them see me; some of what they looked upon was starting to smoulder! Though I wonder, what is the proper plural form? Aumtlich? Aumtliches? Aumtlichen - Hah, that sounds like some kind of plant. Wait, did I say that out loud? They're turning towards me, and aren't looking happy. I should get" -

The rest of the entry is badly burned and beyond recognition. Many Smitemasters hope this journal is fake made in poor taste, as no such creatures have been seen. Almost all Smitemasters, though, have taken to checking under their beds each evening - just to be safe.

Thanks to RoboBob for the idea of improper pluralization, as well as all the other ideas I've lovingly (yet unknowingly) have stolen from other posts.