State of the Art

Life has gotten more difficult for those in the U since their main tunnel into the parking garage was discovered by Deus. The orks had to seal the shaft, and they lost several good people in the process. Somehow, though, they've managed to make a new inroad into the arcology. If anyone still has doubts about the courage or character of our downstairs neighbors, they'd better not be pointing any fingers on my watch.

The original Shadowland posting on the Ork Underground could be what tipped Deus off to the existence of the passage, so I'm not even going to speculate on how the orks are getting into and out of the arc these days. Certain otaku (you know who you are) could be listening, and I won't allow that information to leak out again.

I met with Hazel in person, and during that meeting she handed over an optical chip that contained new intel from Peregrine. As Perri and others in the Resistance feared, Deus has been pushing the state of the art. The AI has manufactured new constructs that are even more formidable than his first generation drones. He is beginning to produce subverted humans that go beyond the Blues, the Greens, and the Whites. Even the Matrix inside the arcology is being transformed as Deus' children, his own new breed of otaku, begin to assert their power.

We have had direct encounters with six new types of drones. Three of the six are suited solely for combat. The others function in a support capacity, like the doll and spider.

Shade

Combat Construct

The shades are designed for heavy assault and therefore work well with packs of the smaller and faster medusae. The shade is humanoid with a height of approximately 2.5 meters. It has clawed hands and feet, and its joints are extremely flexible. Although it might look humanoid, do not make any assumptions about the shade's movement capabilities. It doesn't move at all like a human. The creature has a wolflike head with glowing red eyes and pointed ears. Again, however, don't be fooled into believing the eyes and ears are the shade's only sensors. It doesn't see or hear like a human either. The shade's offensive weaponry and its ability to blend in with its surroundings are what make it such a dangerous opponent. The creature's outer skin (including its eyes) can change to any color and can have an amazing range of patterns mapped onto its surface. This ability enables the shade to blend seamlessly into nearly any kind of surroundings. If it needs to lurk in the shadows, it will be jet black. If it is prowling through the jungle near the FunZone park, it can be forest green. The construct usually accompanies a group of light combat drones and remains hidden while the smaller drones attack. It then launches its offensive weaponry into the fray, and it is this offensive weaponry that is so deadly. The shade is capable of launching and of remotely controlling small combat spheres. It launches these spheres from sheaths on its arms and legs. Because the shade has complete control over the spheres, which in turn contain sensors that feed information back to the shade, it is capable of using these weapons with deadly effectiveness. These spheres can carry a variety of weaponry. Some are filled with a hyper cocktail, and the shade can shatter the spheres on command to unleash the gas. Others are linked with monowire strands, and the shade can position the spheres to slice open an unwitting opponent. A sphere can also function as an offensive grenade, filled with explosives that the shade can detonate remotely. A single shade can have five of these spheres in the air at once and still control them all simultaneously. It is imperative if you spot any of these spheres that you immediately find and attack the shade that is responsible for them. Once the shade is engaged, it has difficulty controlling the spheres, since it has to concentrate on protecting itself from a direct assault. A lone shade is usually not difficult to dispatch. Unfortunately these constructs are almost never alone.

Phoenix

Combat Construct

The phoenix is the most devastating aerial drone we have ever encountered. Like the shade, it usually accompanies lighter combat drones. The main body of the drone is roughly batlike in shape, consisting of a lenticular central shaft with two fanlike wings attached. This "mother drone" is surrounded by a swarm of smaller bats, each capable of emitting an aerosol spray from pores on its wingtips. The larger bat can then ignite the sprays to create flame attacks. The smaller bats can move with incredible speed, and the phoenix can synchronize their movement to create incredible formations. Essentially the phoenix is capable of molding flame into whatever shape is best suited for its attack. The range of this ability is phenomenal. The phoenix can move the smaller bats into its main body to create a fireball. In addition, we've seen it create flat sheets, bolts, and long thin ribbons of flame. In order to defeat this drone, you must target the main body. If this portion of the system is incapacitated, the smaller bats will self-destruct. Do not waste your time on the smaller bats. The phoenix has an ample supply of the smaller drones, and it can continue to emit more to create the flame effects it needs. When undeployed the bats sit on top of the wings of the main body, where they go to refuel before being launched once more.

Gorgon

Combat Construct

The gorgon is a modified version of the medusa. It is twice as large as its smaller cousin and much more deadly. Like the medusa, the gorgon has four legs, two arms and two prehensile tails. It is covered in cilial fur. The gorgon has fineblade claws on all limbs, and it can unleash an electrical discharge to incapacitate its prey. Unlike the medusa, the gorgon is jet black in color. It also has a distinct head that is covered in cilia. As if the medusae weren't bad enough, the gorgon has the following additional abilities. It can spray a freezing gaseous mixture from its mouth. This spray is a very long-ranged attack, and the gorgon will frequently emit a continual stream of the stuff while it is engaged in combat. Because the gorgon is immune to the effects of its own spray, we have found that the outer skin of an incapacitated gorgon can make an effective shield against this attack. The gorgon can also project a high-pitched and potentially crippling sonic wail. Unless you come equipped with sound dampers, this attack can be devastating. Thankfully the gorgon cannot scream while it is unleashing the gas. Also, the scream seems to require much of the gorgon's concentration. It will usually only engage in this tactic if it has the element of surprise. Typical medusa packs usually have a single gorgon in command. If you find yourself engaged by such a pack, target the gorgon first. Because it sometimes directly commands the medusae in combat, the destruction of the gorgon can confuse the medusae for a few seconds... and sometimes a few seconds is all you need. These constructs are incredibly dangerous. Do not engage in combat with a gorgon unless there is no other alternative.

Starfish

Support Construct

The starfish is a smaller and smarter version of the spider drone. It is radially symmetric and usually has between four to six limbs. Like the spider, the starfish's arms are completely configurable and can hold anything from grippers to saws to specialized weaponry. The starfish contains a pouch for holding tools or accessories that it needs to complete the task at hand. Unlike the spider, the starfish is fairly intelligent. When confronted with unexpected situations it has greater adaptability. This drone will even engage in combat when cornered. These drones also communicate more effectively than the spiders do. They can be quite dangerous when encountered in large groups. Unless you're dealing with a small number of these critters, I strongly recommend staying away from them.

Centipede

Support Construct

The centipede is another support construct, like the spider and the starfish. A single centipede drone actually consists of several linked segments, each of which use cilial "feet" for propulsion. The construct's processing power is divided among its segments, and it is capable of decoupling segments at will as needed. Individual segments can communicate even when not connected, and this makes centipedes nearly impossible to kill. The moment you strike one, the centipede simply dissolves. Its segments run off in every direction. Eventually the centipede will reassemble itself, or the segments will be absorbed by the remaining centipedes that might be present. Segments vary in size and function, but they follow the same general rules as the spider and starfish arms. In other words they're highly configurable. A segment's primary purpose can be anything from propulsion to processing power to construction work. Segments can have small tools attached to them just as with the other support drones. The centipede is typically deployed in areas where fine motor skills are required. Its small size and the delicate nature of its tools make it ideal for such work. This drone is relatively harmless. If you leave it alone, it is unlikely that it will cause any trouble for you.

Plasm

Support Construct

The plasm is the most technologically advanced piece of engineering we have seen from Deus to date. It is a highly flexible nanotechnological distributed computing system, which has the capability to form itself into an incredible variety of shapes. It consists of long-chain polymers suspended in a viscous liquid. Nanites ride the polymers and make up the "brain" of the creature. Nanites on the same polymer can communicate through electrical pulses, and for cross-polymer communication they use the electrolytic liquid as the communication medium. As required individual nanites can glom together, either on the same polymer or on different polymers. In effect the plasm entity can connect its polymer chains as it sees fit, and it can thus mold itself into whatever shape is necessary. It can ooze through the smallest cracks to escape an adversary, or it can form a portion of its body into a club, which it can use to bludgeon its prey. Plasm is extremely difficult to combat with conventional methods. Because the plasm is a distributed network, if it is broken apart or separated into multiple entities, each can still function independently, albeit with somewhat reduced effectiveness. Many smaller plasm entities can sometimes be even more dangerous than one large entity. Extreme heat and cold are the most effective weapons against these constructs. Liquid nitrogen can shut down the system, and similarly intense heat, such as that from a portable laser, can disrupt the matrix. In general, the best tactic against plasm is not to fight. It cannot move very quickly and is typically used as a defensive measure in a small space.

The Rules