War, War, War, Explosions, Lovecraft, War

[Flood]

I've been writing a sci-fi book and I thought it'd be a cool idea to introduce a very bizarre race here and rope in a few people for some conflict. So here's what I got.

For those of you who haven't read about my character (obviously not mandatory and in no one should you feel the need to or offended about what was just stated), there's a robot named Jyr made from an alien race who was supposed to set off a bomb that would warp the star cluster out of existence, and would create a portal. Jyr didn't know why he should wipe out all of this unique and crazy life, so instead, he set off the bomb on the ship where he was created and drifted away in his little own ship before waking up a thousand or whatever years later to the current time.

You saw that little bit of "alien race?" Well, we are in a sci-fi/fantasy universe, and I just love detailing things to the point a history teacher could kill his own class with boredom, a terrible neuro-toxin-- Anyways. This alien race comes from my book, and they're called The Uthjad. For the story surrounding them here, my idea was that they were a species that was in a whole other existence that didn't have the same laws of physics, nature, and space like the one the Spirits of the Earth universe is set in. There's only four of them and they're at a certain state of power that they could be considered gods. They each tried to make their own form of existence, but instead, opened a gateway to other existences. Which one did they pick?

BINGO, YOU GOT IT! This one. However, when they approached the portal of this existence, their capabilities were severely limited. They landed on other worlds as apex species, each Uthjad having its own unique form, and watched life in silence and an attempt of understanding. Over the millions of years that they've watched and tried to replicate, they've practically started hating just about every bit of physics and natural selection out there. I mean, think about it. You're a god who gets to make whatever he wants, and when it inevitably breaks, you just make a new one. No death, no loss, no grief, nothing bad ever happens. Then you come to a place where in order to make a difference and still exist, you turn from a creator to a destroyer. You cause death, loss, and grief. You also lost all of your cool universe-creating abilities, that probably really sucks.

So, these four Uthjad all made four different legions of the creatures they were surrounded by and genetically altered them to a point of making faceless bipedal creatures that teleport everywhere and make spaceships just for these colossal four strangely shaped gods to fit in and traverse the stars.

Here's where Jyr is important. Yeah, I'm that egocentric that my guy has to be the special snowflake main character. Just hear me out. So, Jyr was made, didn't kill everybody, instead wrecked his creators, and drifted away just to find himself with a bunch of knowledge of several different planes of existence, and also the knowledge of natural life. Also, Jyr isn't a fan of nature. Even though he's meant to kill things and, quite frankly, has a short history of killing a few NPCs, he hates killing. He doesn't like the idea of dying by starvation or thirst. So, the Uthjad still know of him since their legions built him, and since he's the closest source of info, they wanna get him. Oh, and finish his job.

Here's why they want to finish his job. Know how everybody hates artificial intelligence right now because it's supposedly "smarter than everybody" and somehow, smarter means "wipe out all humans?" That's dumb, but here's the reasoning. Uthjad want to kills humans. They're not stereotypical robots, they're organic. I mean, they're partially "magical" but still very organic. They think animals that are sentient will support the consumption of all things and lead to the end of all life. So, Uthjad and their legions go about, picking up whatever organic life that they can, and turn them into more of these legion things, known as Ulthane.

Ulthane are faceless creatures that open up their chests to suck in all the blood and a few bits of DNA of anything that has red blood cells, then spits out a tiny egg that's just a giant blistering bubble of black and red swirling liquid, which then bursts open into another Ulthane. They also have organic weaponry that spits black liquid which sears through most things, just about as enough damage as most bullets.

Following that, Uthjad still have a few shards of their "existence-making" power, which allows their legions to teleport about and use giant ships. Their ships are massive metallic and jagged things that look somewhat like jellyfish, just like the Ulthane even though they're bipedal and have arms, and every time somebody looks directly at an Ulthane ship, it looks like it's shimmering and continuously falling apart, leaving behind a trail and having an aura of constellations, static, and ashes.

So, main story: Four gods plop into our existence a few million years ago, hate it all, and want to reconstruct it. They want to implement themselves into the physical laws of our existence, and also abolish nature and put in something that's a little less deathy. They destroyed a whole star cluster by making a portal there and unleashed a massive armada of about twenty-seven Ulthane ships, which are huge, mind you. They come a bit to close to our star cluster, and Jyr's like, "You gotta believe me bruh, space jellyfish men came from a land of perfection and wanna kill us!" A lot of people don't believe him, some astronomers see those giant ships and are like, "Eh, just asteroids bruh," and Jyr tries to make an army of soldiers and whoever could attempt to contribute to stopping these Uthjad and defeating them.

[Flood]

On top of this, lemme give you a few ideas I had.

Recruits: Recruits in this campaign of destroying lovecraftian horrors will be Ulthane creatures that agree to stopping their legions and ripping apart the Uthjad. Uthjad are all about free will, though they made creatures that don't really have the same instincts, urges, and struggles that we do, so their only reasons of helping is because they were like Jyr and think co-existence would be better, or because there's something attractive about a certain few characters that they respect. It will most likely be information as Ulthane are more intelligent creatures instead of emotionally driven creatures.

Upgrades: Ulthane pieces can assist both organic and synthetic individuals. Ulthane parts can naturally grow on a person and into their systems as a form of beneficial cancer, where several tumors will grow inside the applied area. The first part will allow regenerative abilities that can resist most attacks except for flame abilities and rounds. The second part will allow teleportation and warp abilities, where enemies can be torn apart into glowing debris and floating shards of what they once were. The third part will allow the one using it to replicate a momentary version of him or herself for thirty seconds. Any other parts after that will turn the user into an Ulthane stuck in insanity as it tries to figure out what is real and what isn't.

For synthetic beings, the organic matter inside of Ulthane weaponry and armor is majorly synthetic. With only two allowed applications, synthetic beings can create walls around themselves, which then morph into blades and shoot out before slithering and drifting towards the user. This can only be used twice before starting a thirty second cooldown. With a second application, they can craft Ulthane rifles to shoot through anything with twenty-four rounds. This will also allow them to translate whatever the Ulthane say and tiny parts of what the Uthjad whisper. Only two applications can be done. Nothing after that is physically possible.

Missions: So far, I only have an idea for four missions, which take part in four different areas.

First mission: Upon This Ground, I Build My Portal
The first mission is Jyr and his army, named The Corrective, coming into the star system where the Ulthane armada is. All characters will be on his ship and they'll breach one of the Ulthane vessels to get some more info on what this threat is and completely wrecking it. The Ulthane ship's interior is very geometric, composed of organic metal that takes shape of hexagonal pillars and rectangular prisms that seem to "blink" to other spots of the ship. There will be hundreds of Ulthane soldiers, along with hundreds of Corrective soldiers storming in and fighting. We'll be gathering data to find out about these Ulthane, I'll offer some lore bits on conversations with Jyr, and we'll fight two powerful Ulthane Legionnaires.

Second mission: Invasion
The second mission takes place after capturing the ship and cutting a path through the armada. Something takes hold of the ship and causes it to crash into a world where Ulthane had just landed and started growing numbers. This will lead to the first major fight with a certain "big baddy" that will lead to the third, and albeit pretty trippy mission.

Third mission: A Bride Between Worlds
Won't be giving too many details. If you like The Fade from Dragon Age, Twisting Nether from World of Warcraft, the cities in the most recent Tron movie that was live action, or any other bizarre realm that tells physics to screw off, you'll love this.

Fourth mission: The Enemy Of My Enemy
Last Uthjad. Big philosophical conversation. Corrective may or may not be disbanded. Also, medals, medals, medals. War is over for the moment.

If you have any ideas, please gimme gimme dat good sturff.

[Flood]

CORRECTION: The name of the character is not Jyr, it's Kotathe. Oops.

[Stardancer]

This might work with a plot I am going to set up with @ARAD V1.0 with my character Briia (listed in my signature) and Arad's character by the same name as his username. I was thinking the two would be on a mission to save a planet from destruction from a powerful foe, but we can certainly expand it to an entire star system, which would also work really well.

Let me know, thanks.

[ARAD V1.0]

I see everything. My name has been stated and so I came forth.

Nah, I read the thing through, it seems fairly interesting. I can see Arad trying to swipe some of their technology and such for study and try to get more powerful from it on his own.

I'd be interested in joining up in this.

[Flood]

I'd be more than willing to give you a powerful foe *cough* (second mission) *cough* and spread the whole conflict over a star system. I'd also love to have you two join. A few more would be great, but I wouldn't want to be too picky. Now, as a warning, there will be lots of... Gore. And detail. And something that might test your political beliefs, but meh. I might add a few more concepts and quite possibly just start the first mission today. Not sure where to post it, but again, meh.

[Stardancer]

Well, I was actually trying to tag you Arad, LOL, but I don't think the tagging system works on here like it does on SOTE? Or maybe I just did it wrong which is entirely possible.

Anyway, yeah, I leave the reins to you Flood on starting up a thread for the three of us, and anyone else who wishes to join. Though I might suggest limiting it to no more than 5 people but that's your prerogative. As for where to put it, if it takes place in the main solar system then the 'Solar System' board is where to put it. If elsewhere in the universe, then 'Open Space'. I would also suggest making these missions separate threads, especially if the locations will change with them. That might make it easier to decide where to put them.

[ARAD V1.0]

I hear my name echoing through the systems. The faithul calling upon me. And thus I rise. And thus I prepare to slay the infidels who do not believe. And thus I put on my crown as the Heretic King. My blade will soon be unsealed from the void's sinister grasp. And it shall taste the blood of the unbelievers.

Yeah. Just passed by the thread, saw my name. No worries. Tag or not. You had my attention

[Stardancer]

Ever thought of making the above a character, Arad?

The Heretic King. Now there's something.

[ARAD V1.0]

It was actually a character of mine. Limadan of Harmaa, The Heretic King.

There was an entire inquisition made for me.
His reaction? He pranced into the church and challenged their leader to a duel and killed him with his broken sword. The inquisition leader had an enchanted godsword. Then proceeded to butcher each and every inquisitioner with the godswprd he corrupted by just touching it.

[Stardancer]

That could work for the SotE setting.

[ARAD V1.0]

Deal.

[Flood]

Yeah, was hoping for five or six people. And all missions will be separate threads. And I'll start tomorrah.

[GIR]

Well, if you don't mind part of this taking place is space claimed by them, I have a race that would be more than happy to go to war against what they would see as false gods.

There's also the Draconains, who would be more than willing to step up and help stop a fleet whose intention is to wipe out all life.

[Flood]

I'm sorry but the post has already started, GIR. http://remnants.spiritsoftheearth.net/smf/index.php?topic=5790.0 Also, the third mission requires the destruction of a world to begin some portal stuff into what is pretty much... Know how some people think that the universe and all the dark matter surrounding it is infinite, but there's still something beyond, and it's just white space-- Nah, forget it, no spoilers. But still. I'm not sure if your race could be included due to the necessity of a world being destroyed and if they have space travel or not. If these Draconains have space travel, then by all means, let them come.

[GIR]

Actually, both the Hestari (the race I mentioned) and the Draconians have space travel, as well as multiple colonies. They're also in a sort of cold war with each other (or, rather, the Hestari are in a cold war with the Union of Andromedian Human Holdings (different galaxy), and therefore in a cold war with the Draconian Empire by proxy), which means the latter would be drawn into the conflict by the simple fact that the former isn't keeping as close an eye on them anymore (I hinted at that here, though I had something else in mind originally.).

Fair warning, though. Draconian and Alliance ships come heavily armed. Also, how big would the larger Ulthane ships be? There are a couple ships in the Draconian fleet that I'm not sure whether or not should be included (The smaller of the two is large enough to need magitech to prevent its gravity from throwing off entire systems.). Your thoughts?

[Flood]

An interesting conflict... Kotathe would've had to make a treaty with the Draconian and Andromedian humans just because of numbers and the force they present. Kotathe couldn't actually assist in the war as The Corrective will only exist for this conflict, and then disband and be forgotten to avoid corruption, betrayal, tariffs, and other forms of sabotage or knowledge of being.

Standard Ulthane ships are quite large, being a bit larger than our real moon, and have tentacles which they sink into planets and drain them of most matter all the way to the crust, which takes about a month. The only larger type of ships, which there will only be four of, are cages to hold the overly large Uthjad. Three of them are the size of Earth and eat stars to keep the Uthjad alive, while the fourth one is about the size of Jupiter. I would've said Uranus, but to avoid puns... I'm sure you understand. The idea was to make them seem impossible to kill. Though, SPOILER ALERT, if anybody watched Star Wars and remember how one little torpedo went into a hole and caused a shipgasm... You can figure out the rest.

[GIR]

K. Then I'll have to find an excuse to keep everything larger than Draconian light dreadnaughts out of the fight (With Joined Hands, the Alliance meteor cruiser currently reinforcing the Imperial colonisation attempts on Orias (and therefore out of the fight by default), is only midway through the 'regular' cruisers in the Alliance fleet, and it's already about a twelve of the size of Earth's moon. There are three ship types larger (battlecruiser, supercarrier, dreadnaught. Four is you count superdreadnaughts). Some of the heavier Union and Alliance ships would be out of the fight as well, which could be justified if the action's taking place in an area of space claimed by the Hestari (not wanting to provoke them is a good excuse to stick with the smaller ships, as well as mutual distrust.). Same issue with Hestari dreadnaughts. They're all between Luna and Earth size-wise.

Might also have to keep Draconian battlecruisers out, as well. Generally speaking, Draconian vessels are designed to be able to go toe-to-toe with ships one step up from them (frigates, in addition to their anti-fighter role, are designed to be able to stand up to carriers/destroyers, destroyers to cruisers, cruisers to battlecruisers, battlecruisers to supercarriers/dreadnaughts.).

[Flood]

I'd say anything can join the fight. Despite their sizes, they all have open weak spots since no Ulthane ship is meant to be a war vessel except for the four carrying Uthjad. Where they might break physics, they don't. They "glitch" reality, so physics has little to no point around them, though bullets still work. The ships also incredibly slow. It's the crew inside and what they're doing is what makes them such a large threat. I mean, if a tentacle manages to touch an enemy vessel, then yeah, it's screwed, but the tentacles are pretty slow. However, if the crew comes out, then that's kind of the end of most things. So making a beachhead on most of their ships is a sound plan. Given how fast the Ulthane can replicate themselves, and their horrifying way of reproducing is also easy, they can swarm the inside of whole ships and turn it into another Ulthane vessel.

The main idea of the Ulthane's drive to live is to harvest and change life into what they are. The closest examples to this would be like the Borg or Reapers. They think of themselves as just farmers instinctively farming. Bees just doing what they're supposed to. Fire burning because that's just what fire does. The only tactic they use is "clone self, fly/charge/glide real close, gobble gobble, rinse and repeat until shot in the chest." If a dreadnought had enough bullets, they would quite easily destroy an Uthjad ship from a distance if their position wasn't detected. But once the Ulthane know a position, the fleet just glides off of the ship and charges unbelievably fast for enemy ships. Their bullets dig through most things, including shields and dense metal, allowing them to climb inside and start an infestation. Then their spinal cord attaches to pieces of the enemy vessel just as the Ulthane ships attach world, and they change it.

So, though the Ulthane are a horrifying force, they are thwarted easily if somebody has some expensive stealth shit. Reality being broken or not, their vessels are weak. Excluding the four carrying the Uthjad, 'cause Uthjad are gods and it's really hard to explain them...

[GIR]

K. The Ulthane would be a huge problem for the Hestari, then. Hestari ships are built to employ a similar tactic to the Ulthane, with the exception of replication. Basically, the idea with Hestari tactics is pull the ships to knife-fight distances, usually by ambush, then use their armor and shields to absorb anything the enemy throws until they can latch on to the enemy vessel. From there, it's a matter of breaching, crippling the ship from within, and taking the crew as slaves. Obviously, that wouldn't work with the Ulthane, (which is what the larger Hestari ship classes are for. Hestari battlecruisers and dreadnaughts tend to hang back and hammer the enemy from a distance while the smaller ships move in for the kill.

As for Alliance tactics, the Ulthane would actually be weak to their preferred tactic of catching enemy ships in long-range crossfires. Be interesting to see an Ulthane fighter go up against a Draconian starfighter, though. Draconians tend to build their fighters to reflect their own speed and power. Definitely keeping the Gotte-class vessels out, though. They rarely fight in-system due to their size, which pretty much forces them to take the role of snipers.

So, should I join in, or wait until the next thread?