Ezlo
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Okay folks, the results of my poll over on the Site board seem to show that people want more people to write content, and that the most important thing people seem to want is a complete Monster Reference, so lets get started!

Here is a list of Monsters that don't have References:

Aumtlich



Articles should be anywhere between 50-500 words long and should be written in the perspective of a Abovegrounder from the Eighth, so don't go comparing Adders to cars or anything like that. Try not to use too much information that you make up off the top of your head. If you can stick completely to information you find from the current canon, even better.

Once we have enough written, we can combine the best of each into the official Monster Reference and we'll have a complete Monster Reference.

(Note: I may or may not start shoulder-tapping writers who help to make more articles for the site if they are so inclined. So this might be a good place to start showing me what you are made off.)

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[Last edited by Ezlo at 11-08-2007 10:28 PM]

hartleyhair
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Here's an article on Adders:

The Empire created the green Adders after Serpents and Rattleserpents, when it transpired that both Rattleserpents and Serpents could essentially be rendered useless by being lured into dead ends. Luring an Adder into a completely sealed dead end will result in the delver not being able to dispose of the Adder, as the head is unreachable.

The Adder is a green Serpent. It moves in the same manner as Serpents and Rattleserpents - that is, alternating between vertical and horizontal movement preference every five turns or, if under the influence of a Brain, every turn. Like other Serpents, the Adder will also weigh down any platforms it is on so that they cannot be moved.

Unlike other serpents, Adders have enlarged heads which allow them to consume other monsters, with the exception of Rock Giants and all types of serpent. They grow one tile for each monster eaten. Adders will also eat the pile of boulders that is left when a Rock Golem or Giant is killed.

Unfortunately, this dramatic increase in size made the head a vulnerable area. With each stab to the head, the Adder will shrink one tile. There are other methods of killing them, however: they will explode if a bomb or Fegundo explosion affects their head; they can be dropped from bridges; and Adders will shrink like Serpents if trapped by their own bodies or that of another Adder.

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[Last edited by hartleyhair at 11-08-2007 07:45 AM]

NoahT
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I'll take a stab at the Forbidden Gel:

Long ago, the Empire engineered live gel, a substance similar to the Living Tar. At some point, though, the gel was considered to be too dangerous, and the Empire's powerful Tar Authority didn't want competition, so they forbade the use of it.

Much later on though, the gel started appearing again. Several accounts have suggested that not only has the Empire started using gel again, but some on the surface have as well.

This green substance is much stickier and more viscous than its tar and mud counterparts, and because of that, it is only cuttable on its inside corners. Additionally, gel has two unique major differences from tar and mud, as a result of its high viscosity. The first major difference is that its babies, being extra sticky, follow the movement logic of wubbas and rock golems, unlike tar and mud babies, which use roach logic. The other major difference is that gel mothers, with their ability to expand their influence hindered by the gel's increased tension, can only expand masses of gel they're contained in, as opposed to tar and mud mothers, which grow all tar or mud in the room.

Useful tips for clearing gel can be found in the Use and Abuse of Tarstuff article.

-Noah

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[Last edited by NoahT at 12-26-2007 11:38 PM]

Dex Stewart
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I think the article on the Forbidden Gel would fit better if it were designed before Tar. This way there would be a better reason as to why babies are so stupid(they weren't such good bio-engineers in that age) and why it was forbidden (at that time, it happened that people found it dangerous. This is unlikely to happen in a world in which Tar (and Mud maybe) already exists).
And yet another effect of them not being such excellent bio-engineers as they are now would be the fact that they couldn't expand a mother's influence to Gel with which it has no connection.

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[Last edited by Dex Stewart at 11-01-2007 07:42 PM]

Jatopian
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Dex Stewart wrote:
I think the article on the Forbidden Gel would fit better if it were designed before Tar.

This doesn't work with the canon that the powerful Tar Authority suppressed it.

hartleyhair wrote:
The head was enlarged, however, in order to make it more vulnerable. This led to a far larger mouth and the Adder's peculiar ability to eat other monsters.

The JtRH level introduction for the first rattler level indicates that they don't mean to introduce vulnerabilities, presumably because Megaherpetologists have other means of control. Rather, serpentine vulnerabilities are the result of the apparently well-known "vulnerable end" problem. I think this would be fine if we reversed it to say that they gave it greater eating capacity intentionally, and the hinging jaws make the cheeks and gullet vulnerable.

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[Last edited by Jatopian at 11-01-2007 11:08 PM]

calamarain
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Something about the rock giants.

Back in the days when the Empire was just beginning to figure out mineral based life, several thousand experiments were carried out. Of course, not all of these were successful, but they did lead to the creation of rock golems. This lead to thousands and thousands more experiments trying to solve the problem of golem intelligence.

But what happened to the rejects? Uncounted rock creatures were stored underground, tightly packed together. Combine this with the rock golem's ability to very slowly rebuild itself over time, and it was perhaps inevitable that the remains of these creatures did not always remain... entirely separate when reconstructing. And once bound together, the Rock Giants were not eager to fall apart again.

The whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and these titanic creatures display far greater intelligence than their golem components (though four times a golem brain is still dumb). They understand simple commands and can carry them out reasonably well, so rather than being used as brute force defenders, rock giants are used as heavy lifters, miners and construction engineers.

Though unable to fit through the smaller passages, they are formidable in combat. Even a direct sword strike is not enough to kill one, as the giant will break apart into its component golems who will then continue the attack. Aside from the use of heavy explosives or collapsing/heating the floor on which they walk, it is very difficult to do more than break a rock giant apart into a few very angry golems.

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Mattcrampy
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Try not to use too much information that you make up off the top of your head.

Secret: most canon is invented like this.

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Ezlo
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Sshhhh!

mrimer
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Gel babies are not stupider than tar/mud babies -- they're just stickier. Gel as a whole is more cohesive and viscous than tar+mud, which is why it has a more limited set of vulnerabile points. So gel babies get stuck when moving against walls, slowing to a virtual standstill. Likewise, the mother is not able to affect disconnected gel blobs due to the insufficiently strong connection between them.

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zex20913
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Is the strong tarstuff force one of the Eighth's natural forces? (Gravity, electricity/magnetism, strong nuclear, weak nuclear?)

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Mattcrampy
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Glue isn't a natural force, it's just chemical bonding. I'd guess it's the same here.

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Ezlo
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Okay, I like the Adder article, but I think we're going to have to work it around to fit it into the Serpent and Rattlesnakes article since they are both in the same article. Just a thought.

I like the Gel article a lot, nice and simple and it leaves a lot of the story details for the reader to imagine themselves.

Rock Giant article is also good. No comments on changes, which is REALLY good.

Keep going guys!

hartleyhair
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Maybe we could give each Serpent a separate article - after all, Tar and Mud are separate and they're just as similar to each other as Serpents and Rattleserpents.

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[Last edited by hartleyhair at 11-06-2007 07:40 AM]

NoahT
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Ezlo, if you don't mind, could I make a couple of small adjustments to the gel article before you include it in the reference?

-Noah

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Ezlo
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Not at all! I'm not uploading these until we have all of them done anyway. Go wild!

calamarain
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Guards

While the Empire and Beethro Budkin would disagree on many aspects of life, the universe and everything... there is one thing on which they would both at least partially agree. Namely, the use of a sword. A Really Big One, or otherwise.

The formation of the Guards of the Poppy Brigade predated the first Slayer by several years, and their tactics are substantially different. They are not grown in vats, but recruited from the uncounted number of Empire citizens, and trained in pathfinding tactics and the use of a sword, engaging in weekly mock battles with each other until they are proficient at fighting both sworded and unsworded beings. They still suffer from a tendency to always keep their sword pointed towards an enemy at the expense of moving, which ironically enough makes them easier to be flanked. They lack the acute self-preservation and caution instincts of a Slayer, and are untrained in hand-to-hand combat, making them weaker when fought one-on-one and helpless if they cannot use their sword. However, while there are only a few hundred Slayers at any one time, there are many thousands of Poppies, often allowing them to overwhelm their opponent with sheer numbers.

They fulfill a vital role in controlling the non-human denizens of the Empire, if a roach infestation or a goblin is out of control, then a squadron of Poppies are sent in to slice up the problem. When off-duty, some patrol ceaselessly, looking for trouble, but most just relax and rest.

The phenomenon of Poppies and the Dugandy Royal Guards being so similar in both uniform, tactics and outlook is still under investigation, and has lead to the formation of a new but small department, lead by 1st Coincidence Investigator

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[Last edited by calamarain at 11-09-2007 05:39 PM]

NoahT
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Ezlo wrote:
I like the Gel article a lot, nice and simple and it leaves a lot of the story details for the reader to imagine themselves.

Just updated it. Hopefully it isn't too wordy or complex now, just to be certain.

-Noah

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My stuff:

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[Last edited by NoahT at 11-08-2007 01:11 AM]

bflatjeff
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I have a couple small suggestions for improving the Gel article:

Several accounts have suggested that not only the Empire has started using gel again, but some of those on the surface as well.

I suggest a minor rewording: Several accounts have suggested that not only has the Empire started using gel again, but some on the surface have as well.

One similarity gel has with tar that isn't shared with mud is that gel mothers, like tar mothers, always leave behind empty spaces when killed.

At first I couldn't understand what this meant, as I hadn't noticed this before. Can you clarify this? I have no suggestion for you. (Does it really bear mentioning?)

The other major difference is that gel mothers, with their ability to expand their influence hindered by its increased tension,...

The referent of "Its" is slightly unclear; I almost thought it should be "their" (to mean tar mothers'), but I realize you really mean "gel's". I'd write "gel's".

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NoahT
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Thanks, I've included these changes.

-Noah

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Ezlo
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Again, I like it a lot! The changes are nice and since they are what Mike said you can be as sure as anyone can be that it's canon.

bflatjeff
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Here I go editing again. Adders, this time:

Luring an Adder into a dead end will generally result in the delver not being able to dispose of the Adder, as the head becomes out of reach.

This isn't precisely true. Lure an adder's head into a "dead end" that is open at a diagonal- It cannot move, but it can be slayed. Maybe "Luring an Adder into a completely sealed dead end will result in the delver not being able to dispose of the Adder, as the head is unreachable."

The Adder is a green Serpent....

For a stand-alone article, I'd move this paragraph to be #2, as it has general information. If the Adder info is to be added to the same page as the other Serpents, I'd cut this paragraph, mentioning the Adder's color in the first paragraph. The platform info is good, and likely deserves mention applying to all Serpents.

Unlike other serpents, Adders can consume other monsters ...

This belongs after the original paragraph #2, which talks about the Adder's head. I'd combine the two into one paragraph.

My rewrite:
The Empire created the green Adders after Serpents and Rattleserpents, when it transpired that both Rattleserpents and Serpents could essentially be rendered useless by being lured into dead ends. Luring an Adder into a completely sealed dead end will result in the delver not being able to dispose of the Adder, as the head is unreachable.

Unlike other serpents, Adders have enlarged heads which allow them to consume other monsters, with the exception of Rock Giants and all types of serpent. They grow one tile for each monster eaten. Adders will also eat the pile of boulders that is left when a Rock Golem or Giant is killed.

Unfortunately, this dramatic increase in size made the head a vulnerable area. With each stab to the head, the Adder will shrink one tile. There are other methods of killing them, however: they will explode if a bomb or Fegundo explosion affects their head; they can be dropped from bridges; and Adders will shrink like Serpents if trapped by their own bodies or that of another Adder.

BbJ

____________________________
"Stupid, stupid roach creatures!"
- Beethro Bonekin

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[Last edited by bflatjeff at 11-08-2007 04:28 AM]

Mattcrampy
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The phenomenon of Poppies and the Dugandy Royal Guards being so similar in both uniform, tactics and outlook is still under investigation, and has lead to the formation of a new but small department, lead by 1st Coincidence Investigator

I support this joke.

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hartleyhair
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bflatjeff wrote:
Here I go editing again. Adders, this time:

Luring an Adder into a dead end will generally result in the delver not being able to dispose of the Adder, as the head becomes out of reach.

This isn't precisely true. Lure an adder's head into a "dead end" that is open at a diagonal- It cannot move, but it can be slayed. Maybe "Luring an Adder into a completely sealed dead end will result in the delver not being able to dispose of the Adder, as the head is unreachable."

The Adder is a green Serpent....

For a stand-alone article, I'd move this paragraph to be #2, as it has general information. If the Adder info is to be added to the same page as the other Serpents, I'd cut this paragraph, mentioning the Adder's color in the first paragraph. The platform info is good, and likely deserves mention applying to all Serpents.

Unlike other serpents, Adders can consume other monsters ...

This belongs after the original paragraph #2, which talks about the Adder's head. I'd combine the two into one paragraph.

My rewrite:
The Empire created the green Adders after Serpents and Rattleserpents, when it transpired that both Rattleserpents and Serpents could essentially be rendered useless by being lured into dead ends. Luring an Adder into a completely sealed dead end will result in the delver not being able to dispose of the Adder, as the head is unreachable.

Unlike other serpents, Adders have enlarged heads which allow them to consume other monsters, with the exception of Rock Giants and all types of serpent. They grow one tile for each monster eaten. Adders will also eat the pile of boulders that is left when a Rock Golem or Giant is killed.

Unfortunately, this dramatic increase in size made the head a vulnerable area. With each stab to the head, the Adder will shrink one tile. There are other methods of killing them, however: they will explode if a bomb or Fegundo explosion affects their head; they can be dropped from bridges; and Adders will shrink like Serpents if trapped by their own bodies or that of another Adder.

BbJ

Yes, you're right. Updated.

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mrimer
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Quick note: Poppies (and Stalwarts) don't use a Really Big Sword. They use smaller blades.

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Gandalf? Yes... That's what they used to call me.
Gandalf the Grey. That was my name.
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And I come back to you now at the turn of the tide.

Chaco
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Can the hooks that Slayers use be classified as Really Big Hooks?

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hartleyhair
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Chaco wrote:
Can the hooks that Slayers use be classified as Really Big Hooks?

I'd say that's probably a safe assumption.

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Jeff_Ray...
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Water Skippers and their nests

Waterskippers are part of the Eighth's fauna, as well as their nests. However, they are carnivores, unlike other animals of the Eighth fauna.

Recently, the Empire has engineered their own underground waterskippers for defending purposes in their tunnels. When Onsuary floods strike dungeons, the Empire uses the underground lakes to insert waterskippers.

After fecundation, a waterskipper couple will make a nest out of branches they find near or in the water, and use their drool to solidify. When finished, the female will flee in the nest, and start spawning eggs 3 times faster than a roach queen does, which will hatch and emerge shortly and go on the surface if there's a menace.

Waterskippers rarely leave their pond except when they leap to feast on their prey. As such, one can limit their movement by blocking the path to the prey with an obstacle or sword.


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[Last edited by Jeff_Ray... at 11-09-2007 08:00 PM]

calamarain
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mrimer wrote:
Quick note: Poppies (and Stalwarts) don't use a Really Big Sword. They use smaller blades.

Have updated the entry to reflect that.

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Briareos
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mrimer wrote:
Quick note: Poppies (and Stalwarts) don't use a Really Big Sword. They use smaller blades.

Really Average Swords, then?

np: The Orb - O.O.B.E. (U.F.Orb Remastered)

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Ezlo
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Nice Jeff_ray, I like that article a lot!

One monster left people! Who dares to write it?