Assimilate IC [1]

[TooManySecrets]

ASSIMILATE
"You have what I need."


Contrary to what human science and experience tells us, life is a very common universal phenomenon. Without outside factors, the galaxy would be abloom with untold strange and exotic species. But the universe, it seems, isn't without it's humor ... or malice.

Currently, one of those outside factors is hurtling through space at a significant percentage of light speed. A goopy conglomerate, emitting almost no heat or radiation, essentially invisible against the backdrop of space. It is the far flung broodlings of a species which has absorbed untold worlds.

And it is now entering the wavering warmth of a solar system, the outer shell slowly being heated, and somewhere deep inside consciousness thought stirs.

spacedream. flashes of light. streaks of color. cold. cold. the long sleep. only unwake.

stirring. warmth. waves of whispers. the hive. hive:approach life. hive:time of purpose. become more (PENALTY: DESTRUCTION).


_/ _/ _/ _/ _/

The being glances down at the viewscreen as the meteorite streaks through the atmosphere. Strange, it thinks to itself, something that size should have burnt up in re-entry.

As it stands up, it motions to another one of it's species to follow it. Something is not right.


_/ _/ _/ _/ _/

While travelling through space, you and your brethern exist in a state that other species would describe as hibernation (though it's a bit more complicated than that). In this state, you can survive for hundreds of thousands of years without air, water, energy, or any other resources required by lesser beings. And it is in this state that you crash onto the planet.

All is dark as you slowly re-create the complex node of sensory organs required by your species, but in the recesses of the mind you can feel your fellow brood nearby. The thoughts of the main hive are also there. Far away and distant, they are still an ever present chorus of commands and emotional aggregates speaking in many voices but one meaning.

You slowly detach yourself from your "ship" (though, in actuality, it's little more than a skeletal framework that you were attached to and then flung into space). You are all at the bottom of a small crater formed by re-entry. You can't see any lifeforms from your vantage point, but your olfactory-equivalent organs can definitely smell something organic.

energy. warmth. activity.

near:brood. far:hive.

become usable.

visual: soil, life no. olfactory: life yes (NONDETERMINATE). become more (PENALTY: DESTRUCTION). hive:search.

[Demons_eye]

The dog like thing shakes it head and starts to smell around. He quickly cilmbs the crater and looks for living things before signaling to the others.


Search spot and survival?

[roll0] search
[roll1] survival
[roll2] notice
[roll3] stealth

[Matar]

An amorphous blob squirms in the crater. It's form is dark pink and smooth, with two long tentacles helping pull it's way out of the crater. A sweet, intoxicating smell begins to flow from it.

It desires assimilation.

Unlike the wolf, it's brood mate, it is not capable of stealth or fighting. It stay close, for now. Letting it's tentacles squirm and wander from it's body, in search of food and a safe a haven.

[TooManySecrets]

Skill checks aren't really all that needed for right now, since I want to get you accustomed to your role first

At the top of the crater, you see you are surrounded by organics. Non-animated, by the looks of it.

Up above, past the branches of some large organics, is a deep blue sky. Looming large in the sky is a another planet. Details are indistinct at this distance, blurring into nondescript greens and blues.

visual: life yes (NONDETERMINATE, NONANIMATED).

sky. another planet. probability of life: high. local distance: considerable. hive: ignore (PROGNOSIS: UNREACHABLE NEARFUTURE).

hive: search.

[Demons_eye]

The organism lets out two sharps screeches before moving on to the large organic thing. It trys to assimilate it before deciding it was to much trouble, it gives it one more try before moving on. It is easy to see its eager to take over but does not know what to do, maybe the crash messed with it?

[smuchmuch]

Yet another creature emerge slowly from the crater.

It's body is a white, rather indistinct, oblong shape, like a rugby ball mounted on four amphibians legs. The two hind legs seems longer and muscular and give an impression of velocity, the two fore legs are shorter and possesses three fingers each terminated by succion cups. The other end , wich should be the head by comparaison, assuming such familiar logic could apply for such alien creatures, sports four long tendrils buzzing in the wind at the search of sounds of odors.

Priority: Search life. Hunt. Feed. Grow.
Hive: Mission:Become more.

After a small time of adaptation to the ambiant condition and making a short contact with the others, the creature start moving around the carter, searching for organic material to streghten itself. (To increase efficiency, it will move int the opposite direction from it's wolflike hivemate).

[Matar]

The tentacles swarm over the landscape, attempts to assimilate the inanimate organics. Like a baby attempting to take it's first steps it attempts to have them join with it. Touching, rubbing... and it eats. The taste, however, is plain. There is nothing to really gain from it, no true value.

The conclusion is simple: It is a waste of time.

It takes note of this, and begins to feel for and search for other organics. This body is new to it. It does not understand all the capabilities it holds. How would it? This is a first, a cherry that has yet been popped. But it will find something, either through with it's tentacles or it's intoxicating smell.

[TooManySecrets]

Note: You can assimilate the plants - that's what they are, obviously - if you want to. But it probably won't help much. You'll need to absorb a lot - like acres - to get any assimilation points. The only ability they have is photosynthesis, but it's no more effective than the low-level energy absorption you already have (and is incompatible). Though, if you get hungry, they're fine to eat.

You can revise your post if you want, before i go on

[Matar]

I'll make a small edit saying how it's not worth assimilating the plants, instead of what I posted.

[RandomLunatic]

A fourth creature emerges from the crater, easy for an observer to miss at first glance, for it was translucent. Behind its veil, it had no real discernable form-just a mass of protoplasm oozing along the ground.

Task. Consume. Grow.

In in obedience to its simple priorities, it flows and envelopes the nearest available organic matter, consuming it in seconds.

Weak. Unappetizing. Too slow.

It reaches out in search of animate matter. Which, hopefully, were more appealing.

Using Telelocation.[roll0]

[Lothmar]

Like a snake through the grass another figure emerges from the crater. This one in a semi solid but not entirely liquid state and fairly translucent; in fact it almost aids it in blending in with the environment. Cresting the ridge it joins its brethren to observe the area its body hugging the ground as it slithers across any surface it comes in contact with; if it has difficulties it either flows around it or pulls itself over with its new found appendage.

Task - Replenish Nutrients to prepare self for further Assimilation.
Solution - Assimilate environment and vegetation.
Result - Ease of hunger, No tangible gain.
Possibility - Enhance concealment if I carry or do not completely assimilate material inside self.
Possible Objective - Attempt to lure animate organics who assimilate such environment close to either intake me if viable or into striking range...
Possible Effect- Assimilate vessel from inside without a fight and use to advantage while doing so for the brood and hive.
Probability - Unlikely.

Current objective - Denote location of any animate organics or more nourishing inanimate organic matters perceived.

Its tentacle attempts to snatch vegetation, branches, leaves, fruit; anything as it attempts to judge the substances that would present the most appetizing fair to possible animate life on this planet. If there is particularly high vegetation like a tree it will climb up the vertical surface with little trouble and examine the area below attempting to locate signs of life.

Uses supersense infravision to gauge heat sources of the area and checking for possible body heat (in the tree's as well, birds, eggs and insects are things i'll probably search for as well), after absorbing the environment to make itself a suitable disguise (As much as a Gilly suite/camo is a disguise...).

Notice 15 (skill mastery)
Stealth 24 (skill mastery (used a 10, no roll. Feel free to on either if you feel it doesn't apply.)

(I have a feeling I may need to edit a bit of the thought pattern but it's late here and I just wanted to get a post in.)

[TooManySecrets]

RandomLunatic: There is a rather faint presence of a at least slightly sentient mind nearby, about 10 feet away.

Lothmar: There are a number of tiny flying organics buzzing around. In addition, about 10 feet away, there is an organic slightly smaller than you. It appears to be laying down behind some of the inanimate organics.

[Lothmar]

Detected - Body heat of animate organic.
Response- inform brood, prepare to assimilate.
Discovery- Primary Target located.
Response- Prepare to assimilate if another attempt misses.
Detected - Secondary Targets located.
Response- do not assimilate these until certain such an action will not alert my primary target. Inform brood who can reach after primary target is assimilated

The creature communicates the information that there is a target available, 'that' way and to proceed carefully as it makes its way through the tree branches to find a proper roost from which to strike down upon its target. Once in location it aims and coils itself preparing to lunge, it is highly tempted to eat a few insects but the hive and the brood come before such selfish desires; he will insure the others who cannot act as he does have suitable prey.

Basically I slither into position and take an aim action from above on the ground target. My attack is held if it seems like the creature becomes alert and/or attempts to escape, or if another party member attacks and it doesnt look like an insta kill/assimilate. If the primary target is assimilated by another and I am not forced to leave my tree post I will start assimilating bugs with my tentacle.

[smuchmuch]

The creature we'll call stalker to distinguish it from his hivemates walk slowlly. Percieving the thought from the hive, it doesn't waste time trying to assimilate the vegetation around him.

Assimilation process too slow.
Need: better target. Search. Hunt.

Instead it stops on a suelevation of terrain and start lisening for an aceptable target of its own.



Using Accute extended hearing to search for a living creature.
Not sure if it's fall under Search [roll0]
or Notice [roll1]

[Demons_eye]

With dog like blob shakes itself. It seems if new orders were now gotten as if some old instinct finally kicked in.

Assimilation!:Assimilate!

The blob heads over to the others seemingly running up the tree. It jumps off the tree attacking the first none broodmate it sees. Trying to grapple it and ASsimAILate!



[roll]1d20+3[roll] Attack
[roll]1d20-10[roll] Grapple Free if attack hits

[Demons_eye]

Damn the no edit in dice thing.....
[roll0] Attack
[roll1] Grapple Free if attack hits

[RandomLunatic]

Excited by the prospect of meatier prey, the translucent ooze, well, oozes to the left, towards the marked target, and tries to scramble its primitive mind with its power.

Going to head over to the... whatever and Mental Blast (Auto-Hit, doing non-lethal damage) it, then try to snipe [roll0].

[Matar]

It begins to squirm to the places it's tentacles have already crossed over. It lets it's smell draw in anything that's close. It lashes out, clumsily at anything near by, except for it's own brood mates. Insects, worms, lizards, whatever. It's scent has grown full force, filling the area with an indescribably intoxicating aroma.

It also communicates with It's brood mates. Careful. Do not split up too far. Assimilate. Assimilate.

[TooManySecrets]

Since your creatures don't have enough sentience/individuality to have names, I'm just going to refer to them as {Whatever you named the character sheet}. If you get names later (not saying will), then we'll use that. But for ease of use, we'll do this for now.

Also, smuchmuch, it would be Notice

{Slither} squiggles up one of the inanimate organics, finding a high-place in the hard protrusions. Down below, you can see some sort of organic at the base of the smaller inanimate organic. It appears to be light brown and has not noticed your presence - or doesn't care.

{Slither} is in a good spot to attack with surprise, when {Zug} surges in and onto the organic. It didn't try to move until the very last moment. Maybe, despite all evidence, it didn't think you could see it. Foolish. {Zug} grabs hold of the organic and stays on. You feel the organic stiffen when it's mind is assaulted by {Liquid Mind}, though the organic remains conscious and struggling.

{Tentacle} you try to assimilate some of the smaller organics. They're quick, flighty, provide little nourishment, and their brains are primitive even by organic standards. You have a feeling you're not going to get much out of them.

{Stalker} ignores the others, following it's own path. In the distance you can hear short, high-pitched sounds. Probably organic in nature. The noise is coming from up above, on the tall inanimate organics, about 20 feet away and 10 feet up.

[Matar]

It moves on. Going against it's own advice it breaks away from the group and continues searching for... something. It's tenticles continue to lash out at anything that moves, and it uses it's scent to draw... something in.

[Lothmar]

Observation - Resistance
Conclusion - Lend Aid and Assimilate.

Having taken time to properly aim and prepare itself for a strike with its coiled but now elongated tentacle it attacks. It will then attempt to join the cluster of grappling in an attempt to better bring down its foe. If or When it makes contact its instinct for possession will kick in (aura) and it will attempt to join with the creature. If it manages to do so it will make contact with its brethren in the new form as it attempts to better understand this creature in hopes of better hunting it if it has any abilities worth their time to assimilate.

(Im going to put it in a new post... I've failed five times on this one...)

[smuchmuch]

(Clarification: he isn't ignoring the others, he just volontary spreaded apart to cover a bigger range of exploration)

/Stalker ?/ decide to test somme of his new form's abilitiesm by hunting the noisy life form above. After a quick sending a quick mesage to it's hivemates about the existence of possible /small lifeforms in the bigger lifeforms ?/, it proceed slowly to the inanimate organic where the noises seems to emanate from.Once there, It raises front /paws ?/ and presses them again the hard /skin ?/ of the inanimate lifeform. As they quickly change to adhere to the bark, he is rady to start his slow ascention. He'll creeps up slowly and silently to avoid alarming the potential target.


Stealth [roll0]

If he gets close enough without being spotted ,he will leap on the noisy ceature to get her by surprise and try to pin her against a branch for assimilation.

Attack roll [roll1] (+2 if I take it by surprise and it count as a sneak attack.)
Grapple check [roll]1d20[roll] -? (I'm not sure how the grapple malus is calculated due to our shrinking.)

[TooManySecrets]

Lothmar, you gotta reroll there. One of the rolls didn't stick.

Smuchmuch, the penalty is just as if you were Tiny, so -8 (on top of the low Str).

Roll and I'll update.

{Tentacle} releases it's pheromones into the air. They're weakly diffused, but organics are so weak. As expected, in a few seconds, you see a rather big organic start to wander over. It appears to be the same type of organic as the one the others are attacking, but much larger.

The organic seems curious.

[Demons_eye]

Zug thrashes the thing trying to not kill it. Its foot, if you could call it that, smacks the organic.


[roll0] Attack if needed
[roll1] Grapple

Assimilating

[TooManySecrets]

Attack roll isn't needed since you're already grappling.

You easily pin the organic, but it resists your assimilation attempts - though just barely. You can feel it's pulse beating in fear and the distant voice of the hive urges you onward.

hive:become one. become one. become one. become one. become one.

[RandomLunatic]

{Liquid Mind} once again attempts to aid its broodmate by blasting the organic into submission.

Mental Blast again.

[Matar]

It let's it's tentacle's surround the Organic and strikes when ready. It's new to this, and it's clumsy. Unaware of the powers that it's scent holds. The only thing on it's mind is to... become more.



tentacle's attack. Do I roll for them? What's there +? Hmm...

[roll0]
[roll1]

The main body doesn't attack, it just keeps releasing it's scent.

[Demons_eye]

Zug seems to go into a rage of sorts. It barks sharply two times if to say come on while it looks for another organic. It readies itself to attack the organic and trys to disable it for one of other hive members.


Waiting for another organic, which I am assuming is a animal, and trying to pin it.

[roll0] Attack
[roll1] Grapple
[roll2] oppose Grapple for the pin and as I have improved Pin they get a -4 to resist pin

[smuchmuch]

(QUOTE] Smuchmuch, the penalty is just as if you were Tiny, so -8 (on top of the low Str).[/QUOTe]

OH ok so that's.
Grapple
I've got impoved pin so that's a -4 to resist.

[Lothmar]

Dangit, all the dieroll threads im reading say im doing this right... ~sigh~ But im not seeing it. Would you be willing to roll for me until I get this straight TMS, if I figure it all out before I get a response i'll fix.
1d20+4+10 (To Hit for tentacle, Possession attempt via Aura)
1d20+4+2 (Grapple automatic attempt if I hit unarmed (only using if I do not possess it)

Slither continues to attempt a tentacle attack, grapple if it hits with tentacle, assimilation and possession aura go off if it hits/grapples.
[roll]1d20+4[roll] Bare tentacle strike
[roll]1d20+4+2[roll] Grapple if striking creature (You take no size penalty if your opponent is the same size or smaller. In fact we gain a bonus +4 per category difference if the creature is a smaller size category.)

[TooManySecrets]

No problem Lothmar. Are you previewing the post before you post? That sometimes causes problems. Also, you can't roll in a thread you've already posted. I believe it's to keep people honest, but it's a bit of a pain.

[roll0] (To Hit for tentacle, Possession attempt via Aura)
[roll1] (Grapple automatic attempt if I hit unarmed (only using if I do not possess it)
(You also can only add one constant value. That's why I prefer using rollv)

Don't know if you want to continue possession given what happens below.

To note: unconscious creatures still get a save against assimilation, but they're unconscious so it's not like they're going anywhere or anything. It shouldn't really come up unless you guys are pressed for time or something.

Also, for some reason this thread didn't show up as updated in my subscriptions. Weird.

{Liquid Mind} fires a blast of mental energy, knocking the weak organic unconscious. {Zug} is free to assimilate the creature without complications.

One of {Tentacle}'s tentacles hits the creature [what's the damage bonus?]. This greatly surprises the creature, which starts to run off [assuming you don't knock it out or kill it]

{Stalker} is able to work it's way onto the inanimate organic's protrusions and get close to the noisy organic creature. Just as it spots you and starts to fly off, you reach a pseudopod and swat it down, grabbing onto it tightly.

If I'm missing anyone, remind me.

[smuchmuch]

Holding the creature tight, /stalker/ sends a signal to his hivemates confirming his discovery of flying smaller potentialy interesting lifeforms in the big inanimates ones. (Capacities unknown /flight ?/) before starting the proces of assimilation.

To keep it pinned during the assimilation process [roll0]

[RandomLunatic]

Seeing its broodmates happily assimilating away, {Liquid Mind} heads off in the direction indicated by {Stalker}. Looking up, it tries to blow one flying organics out of the sky overhead in an effort to bring it down to its level.

Mental Blast again...

[TooManySecrets]

Within a very short time, you're all able to find a good number of organics to assimilate.

The feeling is almost indescribable. You are doing exactly what you were created to do and each assimilation greets you with an exalting chorus of the hive. The crunch and squish of the organic as it gives in is exquisite.


The following are the creatures that you are able to assimilate (this is based off of your hunting abilities, how you described your strategy, and a bit of randomness). If you wish to give your prey to another one of your broodmates, that is within your ability. Otherwise, I'll tell you how your stats are affected.

Flying organic: Brightly colored, winged
Smaller flying organic: Similar to above, but smaller
Large organic: Brown, short fur.
Small organic: Similar to above, but smaller
Very small organic: Mottled brown and white, longer fur, very quick

{table=head]Creature | Player | Prey
{Zug} | Demon_eye | 1 flying organic, 2 large organics
{Slither} | Lothmar | 2 small organics, 1 large organic
{Tentacle} | Matar | 1 large organic, 1 small organic, 3 very small organics
{Liquid Mind} | RandomLunatic | 2 flying organics, 1 very small organic
{Stalker} | Smuchmuch | 1 flying organic, 3 smaller flying organics[/table]