The visual I get in my head of these guys is phenomenal: white bone wrapped in green and brown, colorful flowers bursting from eye sockets and in between ribs. Big thumbs up. Go to Comment
A challenging creature... not so much for the heroes' swords, but for their sense of decency. Me likes scary creatures that turn out to be different. I also like the second plot hook... no need for gods to intervene, when other priests can... and suddenly there is a religious conflict in the making.
They are worth considering, and using. Good work here. Go to Comment
It's possible, but most of the time the Forsaken still don't recognize the gods even as they're 'fading' - the despair comes from a sudden realization that souls exist, and that they're trapped in their own corpse rather than slipping into oblivion like they expected.
On the other hand, one who realized that it was bound by divine will might well end up with an aura of furious anger, and I'd say it'd be a lot more dangerous than the despairing Forsaken - probably liable to attack priests and holy places on sight. Go to Comment
Yeah, I doubt the Forsaken are anything less than very rare, but I'd expect they'd happen occasionally; more malevolent churches, if they found one, might trap it and use it as a proof that one should bow to their will, for defiance of the divinity/divinities they worship leads to such fates. Go to Comment
I like that notion enough to update the second plot hook with it. Thank you for pointing out that it doesn't even have to involve the gods responsible for the curse in the first place, just mundane religious politics. A holy war! Go to Comment
Given that, protests of certain groups aside, there's no evidence of 'active gods' in our world - I think you're probably rather safe from becoming one of the Forsaken.
Me, I'm a Discordian. I'm half-agnostic, half-atheist, and forever harassed by wellsprings of chaos in my life. We've taken over Limbo, once the Catholic church dropped it, so you're welcome to drop by and stake a claim to a chunk of the infinite metaphysical real estate! Even atheism can use metaphysical real estate. Go to Comment
Given the circumstances required, IE a true atheist in a realm of living gods, I would expect the Forsaken to be rare things, more boogeymen used by the church to bring rebellious and doubters beck into the fold. Still, there would be some, very interesting Kassil. Go to Comment
This critter could be used in many ways I think. One idea would be for the spirit to feel other emotions other then dispair - perhaps anger that the Gods would slam the door on it in such a manner.
Thanks, Kassil: now I'm afraid that I'm gonna be some walking sack of bones when I die! Yes, I'm atheist. Very interesting. I like the idea that they won't attack unless first attacked themselves- it makes me think of how atheists usually aren't the ones who start all the wars, but end up dying in them anyways. Cool! Thanks for a peak into my own afterlife, mate! Go to Comment
Why isn't everyone using it? Chiefly because whenever it chooses to bloom, the next several months involve anyone with a garden lacerating themselves trying to keep it out of the garden, regular appearances by all manner of orcs, and anyone foolish enough to burn the stalk being uselessly drugged-out for the next day or so, depending on how much smoke they've inhaled.
Each stand only blooms for a few weeks; during this time, the seeds get spread by the flies, but once the blooms dry, there aren't any seeds for them to spread, even though the flowers retain their smell for a while. Orcs tend to home in on the stands during blooming season as well, which cuts down on the amount of flowers left to bloom and produce seeds when the entire stand gets cut down for the tribe's use.
I did add a vulnerability to fire, and a 'oh please kill it before it dies naturally' aspect. Go to Comment
Adjusted it a bit; it'll repel infantry and most cavalry will have trouble convincing their animals to charge it, but a determined enough charge could get through, if they don't mind being lacerated.
I expect a fair number of cavalrymen to get bucked off into it, though. Go to Comment
Another living wall like Qanquen Trees. These types of things allow for a variety of natural forts/ keeps/ etc.
I find this one quite interesting. Magical Genecrafting by Orcish Shamans, there is something you don't hear about every day. I do find that the plant seems to be wearing a red cape, as it is soo super. Perhaps only slowing down a charger or ram, rather than being a near invuneable elastic wall.
It should be somewhat vunerable to fire or something.
Given its properties, why isn't everyone using it? Sure it is annoying stuff and the flies would simply require a large supply of fragrent ointments and tinctures to keep them away, but it is a cheap, relatively easy to make and maintain, fortification wall. Now imagine this stuff augmenting a thinner real wall.
So what is slowing the spread of this down? It seems like kudzu on steroid. It seems like the seeds are spread by being stuck to flies and grazing things. But it should spread easily enough. Go to Comment
Interesting plant and backstory, with good uses for who can stomach the smell (or is an Orc). Though I miss a description of how the flower looks like.
The notion of Shamanic gene-crafting opens the possibility of more: maybe the Orcs themselves are a engineered race, or dire-animals are created as "properly Orcish" animals..
I know get an idea for a setting of steampunk Humans and Dwarves versus Orcish hordes supported by genecrafting....
Meanwhile, how do Half-Orcs see the plant? Go to Comment
I agree with it being vulnerable to fire, and not able to 'bounce off' charging cavalry. It would certainly shred them good though, and it'd take one heck of a rider to get his horse to charge into a mass of this stuff. So, it still provides solid defense, but if you get enough fanatics together (or undead, or elementals, or...), it probably won't hold for exceptionally long.
A good, solid submission. I like it, good job. Go to Comment
This is quite good! I do have a thing for magical and odd plants and I think I'll be adding this in my next revision of the Unseen Fortress! It will fit in well. Go to Comment
Lifeforms (Third Kingdom) (Forest/ Jungle)