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Dwarf Fortress => DF Dwarf Mode Discussion => Topic started by: Schizotek on February 18, 2012, 03:47:13 am

Title: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Schizotek on February 18, 2012, 03:47:13 am
My first fort of DF2012 has hit a snag. A badly timed creeping dust storm converted 20 war dogs and 11 livestock into "Creeping Dust Husks". I managed to save all but 2 of my dwarves by quickly walling off the sole entrance to my fort. With my remaining dwarves I have decided to convert Voidbreach into a dwarven science research station, as there seems to be no available info on this new form of undead. I hope that the info I find will eventually be used to update the Magmawiki. At least if Husks are and different than other zombies. I profess to know very little about the preexisting undead.

Current findings:
Husks will not be on the map when you embark. They originate from various freakish weathers.
-Husks are NOT contagious, but the substance that they originate from is. Avoid dust covered Husks until a rain storm/waterfall cleans them.
-Husks are VERY durable. I've only seen one die. There is a Ewe Husk missing all of its limbs still writhing around chasing migrants.
-Husks (at least initially) HATE each other. Most of my husks are missing tons of body parts from long battles with each other. These battles eventually end and it seems they no longer attack each other at some point. Too crippled perhaps? Or evidence of progressive hive mind behavior?
-Husks can give birth if pregnant during turning.
-Husks can go insane
-Husks will only attack if they are relatively close to their prey and can see them. Even if every other Husk on the map is chasing said prey.
-Husks seem to be immune to headshots. This makes Husks one of the most horrifying enemies in the game.
-Only the main body of a Husk is a Husk.
-Husks keep the abilities they had in life. That legendary axedwarf will rape your fortress if he gets Husked.

State of Voidbreach
-Unleashed the HFS. Husks more or less won. Only a few demons survived due to the insane amount of webs they spread over the map during the battle. The main fort had 25 ecstatic dwarves with a virtually unlimited food supply. They watch the demons and undead fight every evening as entertainment. Happily ever after and all that jazz.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Mitchewawa on February 18, 2012, 03:57:39 am
Do husks have a weakness? Blunt or sharp?
Can they drown? Can they burn?
Do husk creatures (such as GCS) still carry their abilities?
Is it possible to capture evil mist (or whatever procedurally generated name they get) to unleash later on?
Is there anything immune to evil mist? FB? Clowns? Vampires?
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: trees on February 18, 2012, 04:03:20 am
Here's some generated raws of mist that causes enthrallment, to aid in your scientific endeavors. Extracted with this script (http://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php/User:Quietust/beastextract_34.php) by Quietust. Everything beginning with "CE_" is the important bit.

Code: [Select]
inorganic_generated
[OBJECT:INORGANIC]
[INORGANIC:EVIL_CLOUD_3]
[GENERATED]
[SPECIAL]
[STATE_NAME:ALL:cursed fog]
[STATE_ADJ:ALL:cursed fog]
[STATE_COLOR:ALL:SPRING_GREEN]
[DISPLAY_COLOR:2:0:1]
[MATERIAL_VALUE:1]
[SPEC_HEAT:4181]
[IGNITE_POINT:NONE]
[MELTING_POINT:NONE]
[BOILING_POINT:NONE]
[HEATDAM_POINT:NONE]
[COLDDAM_POINT:NONE]
[MAT_FIXED_TEMP:10000]
[MOLAR_MASS:1]
[TEMP_DIET_INFO:SLIME]
[ENTERS_BLOOD]
[SYNDROME]
[SYN_NAME:cursed fog sickness]
[SYN_AFFECTED_CLASS:GENERAL_POISON]
[SYN_INJECTED]
[SYN_CONTACT]
[SYN_INHALED]
[SYN_INGESTED]
[CE_FLASH_TILE:TILE:165:3:0:0:FREQUENCY:2000:1000:START:0]
[CE_DISPLAY_NAME:NAME:cursed fog husk:cursed fog husks:cursed fog husk:START:0]
[CE_PHYS_ATT_CHANGE:STRENGTH:300:1000:TOUGHNESS:300:1000:START:0]
[CE_ADD_TAG:NO_AGING:NOT_LIVING:OPPOSED_TO_LIFE:EXTRAVISION:NOEXERT:NOPAIN:NOBREATHE:NOSTUN:NONAUSEA:NO_DIZZINESS:NO_FEVERS:NOEMOTION:PARALYZEIMMUNE:NOFEAR:NO_EAT:NO_DRINK:NO_SLEEP:NO_PHYS_ATT_GAIN:NO_PHYS_ATT_RUST:NOTHOUGHT:NO_THOUGHT_CENTER_FOR_MOVEMENT:NO_CONNECTIONS_FOR_MOVEMENT:START:0]
[CE_REMOVE_TAG:HAS_BLOOD:TRANCES:LIKESFIGHTING:MISCHIEVIOUS:START:0]
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Schizotek on February 18, 2012, 04:09:26 am
Husks are more vulnerable to sharp weapons as far as I can surmise. This is due to amputation being their only "weakness" as far as I've seen. Still trying to figure out if head/brain destruction is an instakill on them. Testing is a lengthy laborious process, as my single soldier rarely gets in more than a few hits before being turned. They do not rot, so I assume they can still burn. Drowning is an unknown. Will build a drowning trap in the caverns and a system to transport the evil bastards down there.
The dust storm is uncollectable as it dissipates on its own.
I assume the typical undead immunities apply to Clowns. I'll hope for a FB and a vamp migrant for the last two questions.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Schizotek on February 18, 2012, 04:12:05 am
Would the "no connections for movement" tag mean that head destruction of the brain is pointless?
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: arzzult on February 18, 2012, 04:16:09 am
Quote from: Schizotek on February 18, 2012, 04:12:05 am
Would the "no connections for movement" tag mean that head destruction of the brain is pointless?

No, that's what [NO_THOUGHT_CENTER_FOR_MOVEMENT] is for.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Loud Whispers on February 18, 2012, 10:50:54 am
Well they can't bleed out like conventional zombies then, so killing them until they stay dead is not a good option.

Did the elves/goblins turn into husks upon contact with the husks, upon biting or just being near them?
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Genoraven on February 18, 2012, 11:18:32 am
Oh god. This is terrifying.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Sting_Auer on February 18, 2012, 11:24:13 am
So, from current research, Husks are impossible to kill with weapons. Is this correct?
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Schizotek on February 18, 2012, 11:27:21 am
It seems the you must be physically wounded to turn into a husk. I had a legendary speardwarf last quite awhile against a swarm of about 20. Then he got a bruised leg. Goods news is that he still hates Husks. Suggested strategy for tradional combat methods is to drop in a heavily armored sword/axe dwarf in on his own, as in groups you'll eventually get one turned and then he'll slice your army a new one. Don't bother training marksdwarves, despite Husks making great target practice, as everything above ground will soon be a Husk.
I believe that, short of excessive dismembering, Husks are effectively immune to normal combat.
If you embark on a site with Creeping Dust ensure quickly that all parts of your fort, even theoretically "outdoors" areas are airtight. Make sure your fort can be closed off from the outside world at the drop of a hat. Kill ALL animals you were foolish enough to bring with you. A kitten is as dangerous as a bear when its an immortal plague machine. Plan on having a relatively small fort. One day RNG will make a cloud pass over an invasion force or a horde of migrants. You will never receive another migrant once this happens, as they will be quickly huskified.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Loud Whispers on February 18, 2012, 11:28:16 am
Quote from: Sting_Auer on February 18, 2012, 11:24:13 am
So, from current research, Husks are impossible to kill with weapons. Is this correct?

Oh they're killable, it's just they normally kill whoever's attacking them first.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Girlinhat on February 18, 2012, 11:33:02 am
Holy mother of god this is probably one of the most terrifying things DF has ever thrown into the game.  It appears that Husks are immortal, endless, extremely contagious... sins against nature, which according to the raws, should maintain their equipment.  Caravan guards turned into husks will be, just...  Oh my god.

Your only defense appears to be cage traps, as [TRAP_AVOID] appears to be missing.  Once caged, I suggest 10x serrated disk traps in a grinder to test the endurance of a husk.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Shootandrun on February 18, 2012, 11:37:32 am
Meh. Insta-kill rains are much, much worse. Especially since dwarves have the time to reach the fortress before they die, and once they're dead they return as zombies.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Schizotek on February 18, 2012, 12:05:16 pm
Quote from: Shootandrun on February 18, 2012, 11:37:32 am
Meh. Insta-kill rains are much, much worse. Especially since dwarves have the time to reach the fortress before they die, and once they're dead they return as zombies.
Zombies are vaguely killable. These things make clowns look like pussies. Hmm...should test that....

Update: I've decided that Voidbreach has reached the end of its usefulness. I'm going to seal a single miner off from the fort and create a link from the surface to the magma sea and breach the circus.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: MasterMorality on February 18, 2012, 12:09:46 pm
Where is your God now?
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: ASCIt on February 18, 2012, 12:17:42 pm
I have to say, I think I just decided not to embark on terrifying for...a while...
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: AnimaRytak on February 18, 2012, 12:31:59 pm
Dwarf Fortress 2012:  When Clowns and Zombies are an Insufficient Challenge.

But seriously, that is some scary shit.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: daggaz on February 18, 2012, 12:32:59 pm
Quote from: MasterMorality on February 18, 2012, 12:09:46 pm
Where is your God now?

I worship Huskor, the Husk God of Hubris and Vanity.  He is currently raping this fort.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Urist Da Vinci on February 18, 2012, 12:54:22 pm
Quote from: Schizotek on February 18, 2012, 04:09:26 am
... Drowning is an unknown. Will build a drowning trap in the caverns and a system to transport the evil bastards down there.
...

NOBREATHE

Don't bother, it won't work. The undead don't need air. Use a magma bath instead.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Hotaru on February 18, 2012, 12:58:45 pm
You could try capturing a magma man, fire man or fire imp from the magma sea, and letting it loose on the husks. Preferably after coating the map with lignite or coal.

Fire imp might turn into a husk, but might still be able to throw fire. Burning may kill even what weapons won't. From testing I and Broseph Stalin did in the arena, it would be workable as a weapon against the continuously respawning zombies too as it destroys their corpses even if they die to conventional weapons while burning.

Also, magma-coating the world is
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Lord Dullard on February 18, 2012, 01:14:03 pm
Yeah, aren't these still killable via magma moat/trap?

If so, you *should* theoretically just be able to magma-toast them with an entrance trap or a retractable drawbridge over an entrance moat or something. That would pave the way for migrants to get back in.

Admittedly it would be a bit cheap, but it hardly seems unfair against THOSE things.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Intro1827 on February 18, 2012, 01:18:54 pm
With the burning/heat damage rehaul, magma should be a solution. If they're anything like mummies in adventure mode, bisection and decapitation will also kill one.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Girlinhat on February 18, 2012, 01:19:14 pm
Your best bet may be to bridge-drop them into a pit and then just close the bridge.  Just...  close the damn bridge.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Hotaru on February 18, 2012, 01:19:52 pm
The husks probably aren't very large, so if you want to do it cheap they could just be smashed with a bridge. But it's so boring  ::)

Also they could be trapped into a huge pen with like a cat, and then have the ceiling dropped on their heads, which should also do it for anything in the game.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Lord Dullard on February 18, 2012, 01:21:21 pm
Hm. This thread has got me thinking, anyway, that a DF: Lovecraft mod is a lot more plausible in DFVD...
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Girlinhat on February 18, 2012, 01:25:42 pm
I don't think you'd need to make a mod.  Just embark on evil.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: ASCIt on February 18, 2012, 01:31:08 pm
Alternately, set your dwarves to [SPEED:0], and let them run circles around the unholy spawn.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Uronym on February 18, 2012, 01:36:52 pm
This reminds me of Syrupleaf.

"unholy spawn",
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

If Syrupleaf was done in DF2012, then there could have been...
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Uthric on February 18, 2012, 01:51:49 pm
Quote from: MasterMorality on February 18, 2012, 12:09:46 pm
Where is your God now?

planning something worse
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Talvieno on February 18, 2012, 01:53:11 pm
I've gone up against husks a couple times... One giant badger husk is capable of killing all its giant badger cousins in the group. They can apparently also breathe underwater and survive longer falls than you would expect without going unconscious... My last fort died as I was building a roof - the ash crept in, and everyone above ground turned zombie. My militia might as well have been unarmed.

Quote from: Uthric on February 18, 2012, 01:51:49 pm
Quote from: MasterMorality on February 18, 2012, 12:09:46 pm
Where is your God now?

planning something worse
Also, this.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Girlinhat on February 18, 2012, 01:55:14 pm
Husks cannot be stunned and they do not breathe.  Dropping them will only cause falling damage and drowning them will only make them slightly more moist when they come to rip you open.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Schizotek on February 18, 2012, 02:05:10 pm
Update: I unleashed Hell upon the Husks. Guess who's winning......
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Loud Whispers on February 18, 2012, 02:06:33 pm
Quote from: Schizotek on February 18, 2012, 02:05:10 pm
Update: I unleashed Hell upon the Husks. Guess who's winning......
I'm hoping it's the HFS...
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Girlinhat on February 18, 2012, 02:07:09 pm
Are they fighting each other?  Combat logs plz!
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Old Greg on February 18, 2012, 02:07:30 pm
Oh god. Are you getting clown husks?

Also, how do husks compare to thralls? A badly timed cat-thrall just single-handedly crumbled my fort, even though my seven drafted dwarves broke every bone in its body.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: xaldin on February 18, 2012, 02:08:19 pm
Quote from: Schizotek on February 18, 2012, 02:05:10 pm
Update: I unleashed Hell upon the Husks. Guess who's winning......

I'm going out on a limb here and say the husks. They've got lot of resiliency tags on them.

That said: Seriously? Hell itself beaten back by husks. Now there is an enemy worthy of planning your fort around.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Schizotek on February 18, 2012, 02:13:30 pm
A demon composed of fire set the world aflame and wiped out probably 40% of the smaller husks. Guess we figured out the primary weapon for them. The giant dingo Husks didn't give a fuck. The demons are putting up a good fight, but now that there's no more trees to burn, and the fact that theres more or less constant reinforcements for the Husks...... as of right now the only surviving demons are 5 flying, webshooting pterosaurs, and the aforementioned "Demon of tears" composed of fire. His currently fighting 3 Giant Dingo husks who have a full screen of scars and wounds, and are missing every bit of fat on their bodies.
Oh and Blizzard Spirit in the shape of an aphid. It only has one leg left.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Hotaru on February 18, 2012, 02:18:26 pm
So maybe this would also work as an anti-husk fortress:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Are the giant dingo husks on fire at least?
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Schizotek on February 18, 2012, 02:25:47 pm
Yeah they are. Looking at its EXTENSIVE list of injuries it appears to be no more than a giant charred and flaming skeleton. I think the demons may win this, if only because of the stupid demon composed of flames. Hes yet to take an injury. All the other demons are horribly mutilated, kept alive only because they're in a sea of webs that the Husks have to claw through to get at.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Loud Whispers on February 18, 2012, 02:28:28 pm
Poor demons, I'm actually sympathizing for an old foe :(
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: peskyninja on February 18, 2012, 02:47:23 pm
 :'(
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: YetAnotherStupidDorf on February 18, 2012, 02:47:37 pm
So, husks (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/husk) and thralls (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/thrall)* (stronger version (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/UpToEleven) of husks?) are new HFS? Well, not exactly hidden, but certainly very FUN stuff.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Schizotek on February 18, 2012, 02:48:48 pm
Quote from: YetAnotherStupidDorf on February 18, 2012, 02:47:37 pm
So, husks (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/husk) and thralls (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/thrall)* (stronger version (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/UpToEleven) of husks?) are new HFS? Well, not exactly hidden, but certainly very FUN stuff.
I haven't encountered thralls yet, what makes you say they're stronger?
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: peskyninja on February 18, 2012, 03:14:01 pm
What kind of weirdish weather exists? Fog, rain and dust storm? In wich biomes they occur?
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: YetAnotherStupidDorf on February 18, 2012, 03:15:26 pm
Quote from: Schizotek on February 18, 2012, 02:48:48 pm
I haven't encountered thralls yet, what makes you say they're stronger?
I seen two reports of cats. Huskified cat (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=100818.msg2988030#msg2988030) was not very big problem, but enthralled cat (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=101438.msg3004395#msg3004395) wiped out young fort alone.

And talking about demons, they barely hold at all only because they cannot be infected.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Casp on February 18, 2012, 03:24:55 pm
I think we may have stumbled on the one force of nature that dwarves cannot defeat, and cannot weaponize. By no means of steel or trickery shall the bloodlust of the husk be stayed. They may only be delayed...

So yeah, my career as a novelist is going well. On topic, I would actually like to see someone defeat the husks. Remember, people,

If Toady implements it, we can kill elves with it.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Hotaru on February 18, 2012, 03:29:22 pm
It would seem to me that OP has already, in a way, weaponized husks by using them, in a way, to defeat the HFS.

Defeating them should be as hard as using fire to kill things. Finally, a good use for it. Or the cheaper options.

If the giant badger husks are burning now, they should eventually burn out. However, this may take an incredibly long time. In arena testing, a burning elephant was vaporized by fire almost immediately while a burning eagle skeleton burned for 5 hours real life time.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Shootandrun on February 18, 2012, 03:35:44 pm
1) Find a place with giant sperm whales
2)Capture a giant sperm whale
3)Turn the giant sperm whale into husk or thrall
4) ???
5) gg

Seriously. A giant sperm whale is 3333 times bigger than a dwarf. Turn it into a thrall, and you have a world destroyer.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Talvieno on February 18, 2012, 03:42:20 pm
Quote from: Shootandrun on February 18, 2012, 03:35:44 pm
1) Find a place with giant sperm whales
2)Capture a giant sperm whale
3)Turn the giant sperm whale into husk or thrall
4)??
5) Profit

Seriously. A giant sperm whale is 3333 times bigger than a dwarf. Turn it into a thrall, and you have a world destroyer.
ftfy.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Old Greg on February 18, 2012, 03:58:24 pm
Quote from: YetAnotherStupidDorf on February 18, 2012, 03:15:26 pm
Quote from: Schizotek on February 18, 2012, 02:48:48 pm
I haven't encountered thralls yet, what makes you say they're stronger?
I seen two reports of cats. Huskified cat (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=100818.msg2988030#msg2988030) was not very big problem, but enthralled cat (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=101438.msg3004395#msg3004395) wiped out young fort alone.

To clarify, the thrall cat actually wasn't able to do more than mangle a few limbs (though he was invulnerable to seven elite wrestler dwarves). He just lured one of the drafted dwarves into another cloud of ash, who promptly punched the rest of them in the brain.

It seems that thralls and husks are fairly comparable. The only difference I can see is that the thrall didn't seem to be contagious (after months of wrestling, none of my dwarves turned).
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Loud Whispers on February 18, 2012, 03:59:34 pm
Quote from: Casp on February 18, 2012, 03:24:55 pm
I think we may have stumbled on the one force of nature that dwarves cannot defeat, and cannot weaponize. By no means of steel or trickery shall the bloodlust of the husk be stayed. They may only be delayed...

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Girlinhat on February 18, 2012, 04:24:32 pm
WTB>Flat, non-aquifer embark with husk clouds.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: YetAnotherStupidDorf on February 18, 2012, 04:30:21 pm
Quote from: Old Greg on February 18, 2012, 03:58:24 pm
It seems that thralls and husks are fairly comparable. The only difference I can see is that the thrall didn't seem to be contagious (after months of wrestling, none of my dwarves turned).
So it is other way around, with husks being way more dangerous...
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Nyotor Lizardhammers on February 18, 2012, 04:35:54 pm
So Husks are the Romero-Type zombies of Dwarf Fortress now? Interesting....

I wonder how they would do against the infinitely re spawning normal zombies...
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Argonnek on February 18, 2012, 04:57:03 pm
Have you tried catapults?
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Old Greg on February 18, 2012, 05:00:56 pm
Any notion of the means of contagion for husks? Do they need to injure you?
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Eddren on February 18, 2012, 05:17:24 pm
Quote from: Loud Whispers on February 18, 2012, 03:59:34 pm
Quote from: Casp on February 18, 2012, 03:24:55 pm
I think we may have stumbled on the one force of nature that dwarves cannot defeat, and cannot weaponize. By no means of steel or trickery shall the bloodlust of the husk be stayed. They may only be delayed...

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED
Have a Necromancer Zombify a Husk. Hell, have a Necromancer raise everything the husk kills.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Casp on February 18, 2012, 05:18:04 pm
Quote from: Argonnek on February 18, 2012, 04:57:03 pm
Have you tried catapults?

If the Husk shares the vulnerability to blunt weapons with zombies, that may work, as a catapult is simply massive impact (which would make it an excellent regular-zombie killing tool). The Ballista, however, will be completely useless.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Schizotek on February 18, 2012, 05:21:08 pm
I had a caravan hammerdwarf fight a vulture Husk for about 5 minutes realtime before he got unlucky and was turned by a gosling husk who hit him from behind. Smashed the skull through the brain like 50 times.Severed both wings, both legs, its guts, its beak, and its tongue. Limbs don't huskify though, so swords/axes are the way to go.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Sting_Auer on February 18, 2012, 05:28:22 pm
Could you pit a husk forgotten beast against the HFS, 1 on 1?


THAT would be scary...
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Hotaru on February 18, 2012, 05:30:18 pm
His husk goslings and badgers actually pretty much decimated the HFS already. Although he didn't say whether the fire demon eventually died.

To be honest, I don't think Toady overdid it at all, this is a brilliant thing. Now nobody can say the game is always too easy.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Shootandrun on February 18, 2012, 05:51:46 pm
Quote from: Hotaru on February 18, 2012, 05:30:18 pm
His husk goslings and badgers actually pretty much decimated the HFS already. Although he didn't say whether the fire demon eventually died.

To be honest, I don't think Toady overdid it at all, this is a brilliant thing. Now nobody can say the game is always too easy.

Well, the fact that soldiers can't kill them at all is a little frustrating. When I design the defence of my fort, I'm like "Traps? Silly elves, I have dwarves!" (aka I only use soldiers to deal with my enemies). I don't want to have to build atom smashers and extremely complicated magma systems to deal with a bunch of Husks.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Reelya on February 18, 2012, 05:54:23 pm
I got "fiendish fog" which caused "fiendish fog husks" to roam around. That fog was a killer!

Mine were

- instakill "fiendish fog", no exceptions noted.
- fog could flow over walls at least 2-Z high, and seemingly down corridors. building outside was too risky / savescummy so i couldn't test much. But you could build a "sky city" at the second level above ground, and the fog / mist should flow UNDER your building zone.
- cage-trappable husks resulted
- husks of wild-life often left the map quickly
- husk zombies were not contagious at all as far as I saw, I only got husks from direct fog exposure, but my evil map also lacked auto-reanimation.
- i didn't observe any husks fighting each other, only the living, but i might just be unobservant.

EDIT: about to go over this thread fully, will edit here if i have any info not reported.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Hotaru on February 18, 2012, 06:00:34 pm
Quote from: Shootandrun on February 18, 2012, 05:51:46 pm
Quote from: Hotaru on February 18, 2012, 05:30:18 pm
His husk goslings and badgers actually pretty much decimated the HFS already. Although he didn't say whether the fire demon eventually died.

To be honest, I don't think Toady overdid it at all, this is a brilliant thing. Now nobody can say the game is always too easy.

Well, the fact that soldiers can't kill them at all is a little frustrating. When I design the defence of my fort, I'm like "Traps? Silly elves, I have dwarves!" (aka I only use soldiers to deal with my enemies). I don't want to have to build atom smashers and extremely complicated magma systems to deal with a bunch of Husks.

You shouldn't have to. Just capture a magma person from the sea, or another fire-casting thing and use him for defense. Is this idea somehow non-interesting that nobody notices it?
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Archereon on February 18, 2012, 06:03:24 pm
Well, I think YheAussieDwarf can no longer claim to have beaten dwarf Fortress.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: YetAnotherStupidDorf on February 18, 2012, 06:11:28 pm
Quote from: Archereon on February 18, 2012, 06:03:24 pm
Well, I think YheAussieDwarf can no longer claim to have beaten dwarf Fortress.
No one will take away his win of DF2010. We shall see about DF2012 - Girlinhat works on horrors of evil regions, after all.
By the way... anyone managed to get to Hell in new version to check if it is still colonizable?
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Splint on February 18, 2012, 06:12:36 pm
Quote from: Archereon on February 18, 2012, 06:03:24 pm
Well, I think YheAussieDwarf can no longer claim to have beaten dwarf Fortress.

Yeah he can.

He beat the HFS with not but dwarf-power, seige engines, and walls. This was a case of seeing which evil was worse, and it turns out husks are FAR worse than the demons.
 and like that guy above me said, he did it on DF20!0. 2012 is a suitably worse place.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Broseph Stalin on February 18, 2012, 06:48:22 pm
Quote from: Splint on February 18, 2012, 06:12:36 pm
Yeah he can.

He beat the HFS with not but dwarf-power, seige engines, and walls. This was a case of seeing which evil was worse, and it turns out husks are FAR worse than the demons.
 and like that guy above me said, he did it on DF20!0. 2012 is a suitably worse place.
Look on these doings and despair, know that in the old times the books spake of loaves and fishes but the harbinger has arrived now bringing with it only plagues and pillars of salt.... Also wagons.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Splint on February 18, 2012, 06:51:11 pm
Quote from: Broseph Stalin on February 18, 2012, 06:48:22 pm
Quote from: Splint on February 18, 2012, 06:12:36 pm
Yeah he can.

He beat the HFS with not but dwarf-power, seige engines, and walls. This was a case of seeing which evil was worse, and it turns out husks are FAR worse than the demons.
 and like that guy above me said, he did it on DF20!0. 2012 is a suitably worse place.
Look on these doings and despair, know that in the old times the books spake of loaves and fishes but the harbinger has arrived now bringing with it only plagues and pillars of salt.... Also wagons.

So.... Alien invasion?
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Graebeard on February 18, 2012, 11:05:43 pm
I would love to know whether the flaming dingo husks ever sputtered out before they died or were eventually consumed by the flames.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Schizotek on February 18, 2012, 11:08:57 pm
Quote from: Graebeard on February 18, 2012, 11:05:43 pm
I would love to know whether the flaming dingo husks ever sputtered out before they died or were eventually consumed by the flames.

about 2 hours of combat in and there had been no noticeable changes. They were still on fire. The literal ocean of pterosaurs webs made were constantly catching both the Husks and the demons. I abandoned out of boredom.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Graebeard on February 19, 2012, 12:00:36 am
Fair enough.  I imagine that if the fire did not extinguish or kill the Husks after two hours real time then it can't be a cure-all where larger creatures have been husked.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Girlinhat on February 19, 2012, 12:07:05 am
Give me a save, and let's see what dangers the husks pose to the Girly Legion!
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Schizotek on February 19, 2012, 12:13:09 am
Fort was abandoned. Just gen worlds and embark in terrifying biomes till you happen upon the proper weather.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Girlinhat on February 19, 2012, 12:15:18 am
I tried a dozen worlds, doesn't seem to hate me quite enough to give me husks...

Perhaps I haven't slaughtered enough children in .34?  Am I not a monster so indiscriminate that only Husks and Soot befit me?  Surely my reputation needs to be sullied further...
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Broseph Stalin on February 19, 2012, 12:17:01 am
Quote from: Girlinhat on February 19, 2012, 12:15:18 am
I tried a dozen worlds, doesn't seem to hate me quite enough to give me husks...

Perhaps I haven't slaughtered enough children in .34?  Am I not a monster so indiscriminate that only Husks and Soot befit me?  Surely my reputation needs to be sullied further...
It's possible that you are getting husks but they recognize you and flee.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: graklyn on February 19, 2012, 12:13:37 pm
I managed to spin up a world last night that meets the aforementioned requested criteria - relatively flat embark (it's on the coast... husk sea serpents anyone?), eerie ash clouds that produce husks, and it's technically on an aquifer, but there are large swaths of the coast you can dig down into and miss the aquifer completely.  I'm willing to share it in the name of husk science if someone can tell me the preferred way to upload saves.

Also, apparently husks can gain skill ranks?  I had an untrained fisherdwarf get turned into a husk by a cat-husk and he's been locked in an unending wrestling contest with the cat for almost 2 months.  He managed to train up to legendary wrestler in that time. 
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Reelya on February 19, 2012, 12:47:59 pm
Quote from: Girlinhat on February 19, 2012, 12:15:18 am
I tried a dozen worlds, doesn't seem to hate me quite enough to give me husks...

Perhaps I haven't slaughtered enough children in .34?  Am I not a monster so indiscriminate that only Husks and Soot befit me?  Surely my reputation needs to be sullied further...
How about dropping the types of evil rain down in worldgen, so you get evil clouds more often?
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Sting_Auer on February 20, 2012, 07:04:43 pm
‼SCIENCE‼ will be carried out on my newest embark in a terrifying forest if I get husks/thralls. I will report my findings here.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Schizotek on February 20, 2012, 07:51:47 pm
Quote from: graklyn on February 19, 2012, 12:13:37 pm
I managed to spin up a world last night that meets the aforementioned requested criteria - relatively flat embark (it's on the coast... husk sea serpents anyone?), eerie ash clouds that produce husks, and it's technically on an aquifer, but there are large swaths of the coast you can dig down into and miss the aquifer completely.  I'm willing to share it in the name of husk science if someone can tell me the preferred way to upload saves.

Also, apparently husks can gain skill ranks?  I had an untrained fisherdwarf get turned into a husk by a cat-husk and he's been locked in an unending wrestling contest with the cat for almost 2 months.  He managed to train up to legendary wrestler in that time.
I just today gen'd up a world with 100 volcanos and about 50% of the land area being evil. Got a volcano with husks. About two years after  a migrant wave arrived and got huskified one of the bitches gave birth. Husks are pretty much immortal dwarves with a hatred of everything so she caved her babies skull in immediately. And then the baby was husked and they fought each other for awhile. Or rather mommy beat her child until her limbs were all gone.
Since they can give birth it seems to make sense that they can learn skills as well.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Girlinhat on February 20, 2012, 08:54:22 pm
It appears that they can learn skills, yes.  If they could at all.  IE - Dwarf Husks can, Dog Husks cannot.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: ibot66 on February 20, 2012, 11:52:07 pm
Wait, so if husks can turn other dwarfs into more husks, if your adventurer got husked, could he infect cities?

Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Girlinhat on February 20, 2012, 11:53:46 pm
That's an extremely good question.  More importantly, if your adventurer is a husk, can you ever die?  Although how would you contract it, exactly?  Do mists appear in adventure mode?  Husks never seem to come from the map's edge, they're always turned on-site, so would you ever get "Ambush!  Wolf Husks!" while fast traveling?
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Reelya on February 21, 2012, 12:12:48 am
Maybe just play fortress mode until you can abandon a husk-infested site, somewhere easy to find (follow a river). Then send your adventurer in to get husked.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: nightwhips on February 21, 2012, 12:23:24 am
Quote from: Reelya on February 21, 2012, 12:12:48 am
Maybe just play fortress mode until you can abandon a husk-infested site, somewhere easy to find (follow a river). Then send your adventurer in to get husked.

Would you retain control???
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Vgray on February 21, 2012, 01:03:15 am
Wait, is a husk the same thing as a thrall? if so, I've become one before. I fought the legions of Elf corpses in the Necromancers tower and learned the secrets of life and death. And promptly went on a rampage. The Necromancers minions still attacked me though. Even when I raised them myself.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Eric Blank on February 21, 2012, 01:06:08 am
There are reports from this thread (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=101821.0) pertaining to husks in adventure mode. Search it for 'husk' and read up, I suppose. On page two some players report successfully becoming husks.

I say begin !!SCIENCE!! with a haphazard sampling of evil regions. Just create an adventurer, collect a companion or two, and wander into evil regions until you find evil mists. If we completely fail to locate any in any region within a few days, then msits probably don't appear in adventure mode.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Enki on February 21, 2012, 06:38:16 am
Any reports on blighted dust husks? Got some on my glacier map, woodworker got caught by a giant weasel man blighted dust husk and fought it. In the end he got off. His thoughts show an unhappy thought about enduring heavy injuries lately, but he has not even a scratch. He hasn't transformed yet but I sealed off my fortress with him outside. So anyone having experience with blighted dust?
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Broseph Stalin on February 21, 2012, 06:40:49 am
Quote from: Enki on February 21, 2012, 06:38:16 am
Any reports on blighted dust husks? Got some on my glacier map, woodworker got caught by a giant weasel man blighted dust husk and fought it. In the end he got off. His thoughts show an unhappy thought about enduring heavy injuries lately, but he has not even a scratch. He hasn't transformed yet but I sealed off my fortress with him outside. So anyone having experience with blighted dust?
I don't think the first part matters so much as the husk part.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Enki on February 21, 2012, 06:45:32 am
Are you sure? Maybe there are differences between husk types. At least I hope so. Said woodcrafter is still no husk despite being definitely bitten and scratched by the husk.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Hotaru on February 21, 2012, 06:52:39 am
I don't know what he's basing it on, but in that thread about husks in adv. mode that da Vinci guy said huskification can be transmitted with contact with material. Husks would turn others into husks by being covered in husk-creating material, then striking. Now, if a husk has been caught in the rain or in the water it would no longer be contagious. Similarly husks might not be contagious at all if the mist was of type gas rather than type vapor, as that would not leave a covering on the creature.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Enki on February 21, 2012, 06:55:01 am
I think I just risk it. Would be too bad to lose on of the starting seven right away. Especially after he got some decent training with his axe.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Immacolata on February 21, 2012, 07:26:59 am
Is this "huskification" effect not overdone a tad? As you describe it, the world should more or less be huskified in a couple of generations if the husks are so contagious and tenacious as described.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: YetAnotherStupidDorf on February 21, 2012, 12:08:16 pm
Quote from: Immacolata on February 21, 2012, 07:26:59 am
Is this "huskification" effect not overdone a tad? As you describe it, the world should more or less be huskified in a couple of generations if the husks are so contagious and tenacious as described.
You say it in game where physics wake up only when you go with adventurer to on-water city (forced by raw manipulation).
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Dalkar on February 21, 2012, 01:29:09 pm
I take it there is no way of getting husks in the arena?
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Splint on February 21, 2012, 02:34:20 pm
Husk. Based on this thread, I can now safely class them as necromorphs sans the mutating.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: rtg593 on February 21, 2012, 02:55:32 pm
Hmmm... So husks > vampires. Don't suppose your husk dwarves still do work? Lol

*dreams of immortal husk warriors*
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Kilroy the Grand on February 21, 2012, 03:25:55 pm
Quote from: Splint on February 21, 2012, 02:34:20 pm
Husk. Based on this thread, I can now safely class them as necromorphs sans the mutating.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Reelya on February 23, 2012, 05:50:30 pm
The thing about husks being coated with dust etc explains why my "fiendish fog husks" were not contagious

Fog and mist, not contagious, dust = the killer, but can be washed off. e.g flooding the surface with water or having a shower you lure the husks through.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Schizotek on February 23, 2012, 06:36:59 pm
Hmm...the material being the transmitter might explain why the Husks in Voidbreach were so fucking contagious. They were all formed by "creeping dust" and I was in a desert, so I never got rain as far as I can remember. And even if I did, the dust storms were common enough to leave a new powdering on the Husks every once in awhile.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: keyreper on February 23, 2012, 07:42:51 pm
this CAN BE WEAPONIZED!!! it says you can eat it and be turned into a husk! so just out some food outside, let the cloud go over it, pick it up and feed it to a prisoner and release him into the wild (and if goblin) and send him home!
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Psieye on February 23, 2012, 08:05:17 pm
I'm reminded of undead in the early versions of DF2010. Toady hotfixed them with the pseudo HP system that lets you 'defeat' zombies after whacking away at them for some time. Sounds like Toady forgot to apply those "how to deal with zombies" code to Husks.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Immacolata on February 24, 2012, 02:20:46 am
It would be nice if you could - eventually - chop a husk into smatter. This should prevent hilarious stuff like when a leg-less, tooth-less kitten husk brings an entire fortress to a halt (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=102249.msg3024139)!
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: ThtblovesDF on February 24, 2012, 03:29:19 am
Wait wait wait...

Rain makes husks no longer contagious? (Same for a ditch with 1/7 water?)
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Rask on February 24, 2012, 03:37:19 am
Great information in this thread. I expect it to become very useful in my current fortress - a nice 3x3 embark on the intersection of a terrifying mountain, a terrifying forest, and a terrifying hill (I multiplied the desired number of evil and savage tiles by 10 in worldgen settings).

So far, the hills have rains that induce fever and vomitting, the forest has rain that induces fever, bruises, and temporary blindness, and the mountain has evil fog. I'm not sure yet if the fog huskifies stuff, because it only hit some wandering zombies so far (wich took some red and yellow damage and started bleeding). It's only a matter of time until some of the various animal people around will be hit.

The fort is still young, so my defences consist mostly of cage traps and one axedwarf. So far, I have lost two dwarves to construction-related accidents, and both rose as undead. One got caught by a cage trap, the other by the axedwarf. I disposed of both by dumping them down a deep pit with a drawbridge at the bottom. Since my evil clouds are neither dust nor ash, I conclude that I won't have to install a thrall/husk washing machine before fighting them. This map may just be survivable, after all.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: miauw62 on February 24, 2012, 09:59:01 am
Quote from: Casp on February 18, 2012, 03:24:55 pm
If Toady implements it, we can kill elves with it.
Sig'd
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: CatalystParadox on February 24, 2012, 12:59:37 pm
Hey, GirlInHat - I think I have a save for you.  I played it a bit and confirmed there is thrall-generating soot in the region, but I also have the initial post-embark save.  It's a completely flat region - sparse trees, there's an aquifer, but you can get around it, just avoid the sand, and otherwise good.

I'd be more than happy to hand to you Fortress Lancehour for your !!Science!!
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Enki on February 24, 2012, 02:27:05 pm
Some ideas how I can deal with husks in my fortress? Never thought the dust might reach my dwarves through a small opening 7 z-levels above a small part of my fortress and now my carpenter, farmer and cook turned into husks (as well as one cat but the cat owner already put it out of its misery). Two of the husks are sealed off (never thought forbidden doors might stop them, maybe because they are dwarven husks they still abide dwarven rules).

Edit: Now all three husks are in closed rooms and no longer a danger (for now). A group of harpies spawning killed two of the arriving migrants (first wave). One was a child and the other its father fishery worker, so not much of a loss right there even though I could use every pair of hands right now.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: eataTREE on February 24, 2012, 02:52:01 pm
Quote from: Enki on February 24, 2012, 02:27:05 pm
(never thought forbidden doors might stop them, maybe because they are dwarven husks they still abide dwarven rules).
Actually even invaders obey forbidden doors, so I think "forbidden" really means physically locked. The fact that only goblin and kobold master thieves (who presumably can pick locks) can pass through them, supports this view.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Rask on February 24, 2012, 02:54:37 pm
So, merchants arrived and ran straight into an evil cloud. I appear to be quite lucky in that it doesn't create husks. Instead, it causes this:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Enki on February 24, 2012, 02:57:16 pm
Nevermind, this fortress is just going nuts. First a child threw a tantrum, had a fist fight with my expedition leader and finally calmed down again. Next thing my migrant farmer threw a tantrum but immediately calmed down. Then an elk husk jumped down (!!!) 8 z-levels, broke nearly all its limbs and now scared the hell out of my dwarves. Next moment the aforementioned famers goes berserk, brutally beats the elk husk to near death and immediately gets killed with one hit by a miner. And how does the expedition leader feel about this all? He is ecstactic and satisfied at work lately. Great job, lad!
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Enki on February 24, 2012, 02:58:21 pm
Quote from: Rask on February 24, 2012, 02:54:37 pm
So, merchants arrived and ran straight into an evil cloud. I appear to be quite lucky in that it doesn't create husks. Instead, it causes this:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
But did they die from it? If not, weaponize!
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Rask on February 24, 2012, 03:00:42 pm
They are still in the trading depot, every body part covered in foul dust, rotting, and dispensing miasma. Every body part is yellow, except for the eyes which are blue, and small things such as ears and noses, which are brown. I don't know yet if they are going to die or not.

Edit: now they have left the map, still alive, and the "swollen with blood" parts of the description is gone. Apparently, this is a survivable dust. But now, what to do with it? All that rotting meat sounds like a great way to train surgery...
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: acetech09 on February 24, 2012, 03:10:12 pm
I've been embarked on a thrall zone for quite a while now. In this thread, after the storytime, is a little anecdote about a thrall and the first autumn caravan. (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=102445.0)

Thralls are non-contagious. There is no dust, only smoke. The product, as a nearly unkillable undead creature, though, is the same.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Enki on February 24, 2012, 03:15:49 pm
Hm ... I think someone has to do some !!SCIENCE!! regarding the idea of training soldiers by putting them against smaller animal husks. The last four living dwarves of my fortress fight a kestrel husk for some time now and since have become legendary wrestlers and fighters. There should be some way to weaponize / utilize the dust or smoke or whatever it is!!!
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: CatalystParadox on February 24, 2012, 03:20:23 pm
Contagion depends on the thrall - from what I can tell neither husks nor thralls are typically contagious directly, but infect others from their coating of dust/soot/ash, if that was the type of cloud that turned them.  If they are washed clean, they become non-contagious.

My thralls were contagious, but they were created by a type of soot, so I think that was the cause.  I've also seen husks reported as both contagious and not contagious so I think that's the same.  As far as I can see the difference between the two types is not yet clear.

It seems possible some types of husk/thrall randomly might be able to infect via blood/bite/other fluids or attacks, since their traits are randomly generated, but this is just speculation.  What we definitely know is that smoke and dust can create them, so the simple answer is that lingering coatings of dust cause the "contagion" or lack thereof.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Geekkake on February 24, 2012, 03:25:53 pm
Need a place to test thralls? I have you covered.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

They're pretty much everywhere, along with volcanoes. Shamelessly stolen from some goon.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: CatalystParadox on February 25, 2012, 04:10:23 am
Similarly, I uploaded Lancehour (http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=5690) so if anyone wants an existing embark that is confirmed to generate thrall-producing soot repeatedly after roughly the first year, download and go for it! 

The save is right after embark.  There are no trees, so conserve wood obsessively at first, but so long as you do that, you're fine.

Edit: Yeah... that was a big ol' FAIL on my part.  The link actually works now.  Sorry.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: miauw62 on February 25, 2012, 05:02:44 am
Quote from: Rask on February 24, 2012, 02:54:37 pm
So, merchants arrived and ran straight into an evil cloud. I appear to be quite lucky in that it doesn't create husks. Instead, it causes this:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Wow, complete body necrosis, dont get these guys into battle, i heard that a single cut will cause instant death by bleeding.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Loud Whispers on February 25, 2012, 06:26:36 am
Quote from: miauw62 on February 25, 2012, 05:02:44 am
Quote from: Rask on February 24, 2012, 02:54:37 pm
So, merchants arrived and ran straight into an evil cloud. I appear to be quite lucky in that it doesn't create husks. Instead, it causes this:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Wow, complete body necrosis, dont get these guys into battle, i heard that a single cut will cause instant death by bleeding.

This is exactly the sort of syndrome I've been looking for  :o
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Muttonhawk on February 25, 2012, 07:34:15 am
Quote from: trees on February 18, 2012, 04:03:20 am
Code: [Select]
[CE_ADD_TAG:NO_AGING:NOT_LIVING:OPPOSED_TO_LIFE:EXTRAVISION:NOEXERT:NOPAIN:NOBREATHE:NOSTUN:NONAUSEA:NO_DIZZINESS:NO_FEVERS:NOEMOTION:PARALYZEIMMUNE:NOFEAR:NO_EAT:NO_DRINK:NO_SLEEP:NO_PHYS_ATT_GAIN:NO_PHYS_ATT_RUST:NOTHOUGHT:NO_THOUGHT_CENTER_FOR_MOVEMENT:NO_CONNECTIONS_FOR_MOVEMENT:START:0]

I read this while watching The Terminator, when the man mentioned the various facts about how the terminator would never stop, does not feel pain, etc. etc. It was rather fitting I think.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Salmonpunch on February 25, 2012, 08:06:17 am
The only plausible thing I can think of is to unleash a giant sponge on them (essentially invincible to all forms of weaponry including [supposedly] throwing, able to one shot dorfs with its shove). But now that I think about it, husks probably wont die from a spine snapping shove.

Damnit.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: blue sam3 on February 25, 2012, 08:38:27 am
Quote from: CatalystParadox on February 25, 2012, 04:10:23 am
Similarly, I uploaded Lancehour (http://Lancehour) so if anyone wants an existing embark that is confirmed to generate thrall-producing soot repeatedly after roughly the first year, download and go for it! 

The save is right after embark.  There are no trees, so conserve wood obsessively at first, but so long as you do that, you're fine.

That link doesn't work.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Dalkar on February 25, 2012, 08:39:20 am
If a zombie gets the husk dust/soot/ash on them, do they turn into a husk?
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Loud Whispers on February 25, 2012, 08:45:13 am
Quote from: Dalkar on February 25, 2012, 08:39:20 am
If a zombie gets the husk dust/soot/ash on them, do they turn into a husk?

Not seen this happen, so I'm going to hazard a guess and say no. Anyone know how other creatures on team undead react to this mist?
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: blue sam3 on February 25, 2012, 08:45:50 am
Quote from: Geekkake on February 24, 2012, 03:25:53 pm
Need a place to test thralls? I have you covered.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

They're pretty much everywhere, along with volcanoes. Shamelessly stolen from some goon.


Are they infectious?
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: miauw62 on February 25, 2012, 08:53:34 am
Quote from: blue sam3 on February 25, 2012, 08:45:50 am
Quote from: Geekkake on February 24, 2012, 03:25:53 pm
Need a place to test thralls? I have you covered.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

They're pretty much everywhere, along with volcanoes. Shamelessly stolen from some goon.


Are they infectious?

As said in the original post, husks and thralls arent contagious, but they usually will have dust coverings, and those are infectous.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Rask on February 25, 2012, 09:00:43 am
Update on my mist that rots everything: I sent out a soldier into a cloud so my surgeons could get some practice. Just as planned, the poor rotting wretch immediately runs to the infirmary. He is diagnosed, cleaned, and hauled over to the surgery table. The doctor approaches, blood coats the wall, and the patient gets up and leaves, all the rot gone. The treatment history only mentions rot having been removed from the upper lip. Hmm.

Further examination of the problem ran into a tiny little snag. Being rather lazy, I simply used a burrow to send everyone out into the next cloud so I could have more test subjects. The problem with that being that I sent out EVERYONE, so everyone went to the hospital, rested, and waited for treatment. With no doctors available to provide food or drink or treatment, well...
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: miauw62 on February 25, 2012, 09:04:21 am
Quote from: Rask on February 25, 2012, 09:00:43 am
The doctor approaches, blood coats the wall, and the patient gets up and leaves, all the rot gone. The treatment history only mentions rot having been removed from the upper lip. Hmm.
magic snort snort.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: blue sam3 on February 25, 2012, 09:08:47 am
Quote from: miauw62 on February 25, 2012, 08:53:34 am
Quote from: blue sam3 on February 25, 2012, 08:45:50 am
Quote from: Geekkake on February 24, 2012, 03:25:53 pm
Need a place to test thralls? I have you covered.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

They're pretty much everywhere, along with volcanoes. Shamelessly stolen from some goon.


Are they infectious?

As said in the original post, husks and thralls arent contagious, but they usually will have dust coverings, and those are infectous.

I was in fact asking if these particular thralls had said dust coatings, or if they were produced by gas.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: miauw62 on February 25, 2012, 09:23:49 am
Quote from: blue sam3 on February 25, 2012, 09:08:47 am
Quote from: miauw62 on February 25, 2012, 08:53:34 am
Quote from: blue sam3 on February 25, 2012, 08:45:50 am
Quote from: Geekkake on February 24, 2012, 03:25:53 pm
Need a place to test thralls? I have you covered.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

They're pretty much everywhere, along with volcanoes. Shamelessly stolen from some goon.


Are they infectious?

As said in the original post, husks and thralls arent contagious, but they usually will have dust coverings, and those are infectous.

I was in fact asking if these particular thralls had said dust coatings, or if they were produced by gas.

Oh, sorry, i didnt see :P
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: CatalystParadox on February 25, 2012, 11:14:51 am
Woo, sigged by salmonpunch!

Edit: Hah, woo cross-thread pollination!
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Aik on February 28, 2012, 09:26:03 am
I have something similar to a husk - a 'creeping gloom zombie', created by walking into a cloud of creeping gloom (in an otherwise non-zombieing map). They're ridiculously, insanely tough. Two of my dwarves were zombied and slaughtered about 50 others before I walled them off.

Here's where things get kind of interesting. I'm not 100% sure, but I'm fairly certain that the bastards are healing. One of them was nearly dead (I presume - dark red and dark yellow on all parts of the body - yet still moving and still killing). Now, however, there's much less red. The detailed description shows a great deal of old scars which I doubt were there before.

They also don't behave quite as I'd normally think zombies would - for a long time it ran away from my military instead of fighting. Only when it got into the fortress did the indiscriminate slaughter of everything commence.

So, can anyone with dwarf husks/other weather-induced undead confirm the healing?

Edit: Also, it seems they're still able to move despite missing most of their body including legs. wat.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Sting_Auer on February 28, 2012, 09:30:13 am
Quote from: Aik on February 28, 2012, 09:26:03 am
I have something similar to a husk - a 'creeping gloom zombie', created by walking into a cloud of creeping gloom (in an otherwise non-zombieing map). They're ridiculously, insanely tough. Two of my dwarves were zombied and slaughtered about 50 others before I walled them off.

Here's where things get kind of interesting. I'm not 100% sure, but I'm fairly certain that the bastards are healing. One of them was nearly dead (I presume - dark red and dark yellow on all parts of the body - yet still moving and still killing). Now, however, there's much less red. The detailed description shows a great deal of old scars which I doubt were there before.

They also don't behave quite as I'd normally think zombies would - for a long time it ran away from my military instead of fighting. Only when it got into the fortress did the indiscriminate slaughter of everything commence.

So, can anyone with dwarf husks/other weather-induced undead confirm the healing?

That is fascinating! I'll see if the mists on my map do anything similar by chucking a turkey out of the bridge-a-pult airlock.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: CatalystParadox on February 28, 2012, 04:58:01 pm
Err sorry about the complete link FAIL there.  And that I only noticed it now.  :-\

Lancehour (http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=5690) save - confirmed thrall-creating soot blows in from the north.

Corrected it in the original comment as well.  Looks like I just hit the "hyperlink" button then forgot to actually paste the link in >.>
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Malarauko on February 28, 2012, 06:15:00 pm
So fire is the only thing that has a real effect, they can heal themselves, they're death machines in combat (and potentially highly infectious), they feel no pain, need no sustenance, force you to lock yourself in and can function despite being almost completely pulverised. I give them a week before someone is building a fort with Husk butlers or something.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: DungeonJerk on February 28, 2012, 06:50:47 pm
In my dealings with Haunted Ash Thrall's I have found that yes, they are pretty much completely unstoppable. I had modded dwarves go up against them. Speed 100, hammers, axe's, spears. A few got hacked up. But they failed to bring them down and just created more. In-fact the soldiers beat them till they were exhausted and it cost most of them their lives.

Also, I've found that when the dust gets spread across the terrain, it doesn't always infect dwarves when they move through it. I'm almost certain it depends on length of exposure, and or how they are moving through it. IE, the dwarves I saw getting turned into Haunted Ash thralls were being chased by Zombie thralls. So, perhaps this kicked the dust up. Where as moving at a normal pace wouldn't?.

Animals however always get turned when passing through the haunted ash trails. Perhaps its because they are not only lower to the ground, but in the way they move.

I've also found that cages do NOT stop the spread of the infection. a cat passed by a caged HA Thrall that had the dust coating, and was infected. Almost had a serious outbreak happen at that time. But I managed to contain it.

So far, the only means I've found in truly dealing with thralls is to catch them in cage traps and lock them up. And or dump the cages into a place they can't escape from.

And for mists, completely seal up your fortress. And pray that your dwarves don't develop sock lust for something outside like mine did at PantsPalace.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Mekboy on February 28, 2012, 07:03:08 pm
Dungeon Jerk, how old is your fort? It's possible that some dwarves are lacking boots, therefore are being infected, whereas the rest are fine with it. It would explain why the animals are instantly huskified.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: DungeonJerk on February 28, 2012, 07:13:41 pm
Quote from: Mekboy on February 28, 2012, 07:03:08 pm
Dungeon Jerk, how old is your fort? It's possible that some dwarves are lacking boots, therefore are being infected, whereas the rest are fine with it. It would explain why the animals are instantly huskified.

That fort lasted about a year and few months give or take. It would have lasted longer, but a migrant wave showed up, and I stupidly decided to use my emergency entrance to allow them in. And suddenly all my dwarves poured out like morons to gather something for the stockpiles. Even after I forbade everything on the map and removed the stockpiles.

Then it became a game of watching idiots bouncing around like demented pachinko balls and avoiding every single chance they got to run back into the fort because the zombies were 20 feet+ away from the door and they were right next to it.

And the ones that DID run back in, ran back out, cause, y'know, the Zombies were scary as hell.

In the end all but 8 were turned into Zombies. So I decided to cut my loss's and let the zombies in for a snack.

Then I decided to use adventure mode, game crashed, and then every fort I made on that world and tried to save on resulted in a crash. I think that world is corrupted and useless now.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Frogwarrior on March 25, 2012, 08:31:23 pm
Found a spot for y'all! Should be a challenge with decent potential for a good fort. I plan on making a serious fort here, build me some nice digs.
Site:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Worldgen:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
I generated my world with vanilla raws except the addition of elf diplomats.

FEATURES:
2-layer aquifer on the non-evil part
Shallow limonite and magnetite under the non-evil part
First caverns are about 10 z's down. Second cavern is 56 z's down, and is full of marble. You will be able to make steel.
Lots and lots and lots and lots of trees.
The embark SAYS there's salt water, but I've had dwarves take water from the stream, the murky pools, and the aquifer, and none of it was salty water, so I dunno.
Stream has mussels; no need to worry about shell moods.
White sand and fire clay. I also did an assay when I generated a world with the same seed in .05 and there was plenty rock crystal; there probably is if you generate in .06 as well but no promises.
Lots of nasty critters to sacrifice tamers to.
And... an evil fog that huskifies things. It is fog, so it leaves no residue and is thus not contagious.

Have fun.

Oh, and by the way - decapitation and bisection both kill husks, so much slashing damage is suggested.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Spinal_Taper on March 25, 2012, 10:08:31 pm
Let's just buff HFS!
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Urist Da Vinci on March 25, 2012, 11:21:11 pm
On reading the game raws, I found it odd that all husks and zombies have near-identical stats, yet some are much stronger than others. My proposed explanation follows:

Necromancer/Region/Mummy animated corpses:
- The animating effect doesn't link the original soul, so skills and mental attributes are lost.
- Prone to collapsing at slight damage.
- By definition, has already died at least once.
- Empty inventory, since bodies drop all items.
- Typically somewhat decayed.
- Always named "______ Corpse"

Evil weather "husks":
- Never actually died yet, was simply corrupted.
- Retains equipment that was carried.
- Retains soul, skills, and ability to learn.
- Retains initial health and ability to heal.
- Requires decapitation or bisection to destroy.
- Named "a b c" (see below)

"Husk" Naming convention:

cursed
wicked
evil
creeping
haunting
abominable
devilish
fiendish
heinous
nefarious
profane
vile
accursed
blighted
execrable
infernal
unholy
eerie

dust
soot
fog
gloom
murk
smoke
vapor

husk
zombie
thrall
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: ydaraishy on March 26, 2012, 10:28:19 am
(Warning: Long post follows!)

After being frustrated with having to resort to cage traps to deal with husks and wanting to find some way to beat them more directly, I decided to test some husks in the arena. You can't normally create husks in arena mode, but with some easy modding you can simulate them.  To simulate husks, use this custom interaction:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The syndrome is copied from generated husk-clouds in world.dat, and RESURRECT instead of ANIMATE ensures that they'll have no arbitrary damage thresholds like zombies.  I pitted the husks against dwarves first with Competent military skills (what most migrants have), then Great ones, all wearing steel armour and wielding steel weapons of different sorts.

Small husks like cats and foxes easily go down to a single swordsdwarf or an axedwarf.  They do take inordinately more damage than a non-husk would have, and occasionally even land bruises and scratches, obviously because of the huge increase in strength and toughness.  A pack of creatures, which is more usual, is much more challenging.  You might get lucky and get the dwarf into a martial trance, but don't count on it.  Generally it's best to match their numbers at the bare minimum, and outnumber them at least twice whenever you can.

Anything with a blunt attack can give you trouble.  Punches from even a small animal-man can collapse skulls through steel helmets.  Anything the same size or larger than a dwarf will probably kill you, at least one-on-one.  Axe Lords and Swordsmasters fare much better than regular soldiers, of course, and two dwarves fighting one husk are much more likely to win than one fighting one. This is why bringing more soldiers than there are husks in a group is important.

I've found that contrary to what's often said (and my worst fears), it's actually quite possible to beat husks in combat.  You just need lots of dwarves, really good equipment and a bit of luck.  And a danger room.  And something to wash them off if you need to.  I personally like to run Spartan war-fortresses in some husk biomes (with gas, not dust) so every dwarf can defend himself should he need to.  Might be overdoing it, but this is husks we're talking about.  (Of course, if you get something like elephant thralls, or dust in a freezing biome, you're better off not even trying)

Watch out for your soldiers getting tired.  Husks are EXTREMELY durable and especially larger ones will take hits for weeks on end before its head finally gets chopped off.  Sometimes it's better just to walk away from it once it can't stand anymore.

When the dwarf wins, always, the husk is either decapitated or cut in half.  Those are the only ways to directly kill a husk.  This means blunt weapons are completely useless against them, unlike zombies.  Spears aren't very good either.  And, unfortunately, marksdwarves won't even make a tiny scratch on them.

Please bear in mind that I didn't replicate syndrome-causing dust here.  Just to reiterate what many of you might know, you need to make sure there's not a single speck of dust on them before you take them on.  Otherwise dust will rub off on your dwarves, infect them, and leave you with a band of dwarf husks with all its armour and weapons on.  Normal rain will clean it off if it rains, otherwise you need to do drastic things like flood the map from an aquifer.

Some other fun facts about husks:
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: blue sam3 on March 26, 2012, 11:43:15 am
Quote from: ydaraishy on March 26, 2012, 10:28:19 am
(Warning: Long post follows!)

After being frustrated with having to resort to cage traps to deal with husks and wanting to find some way to beat them more directly, I decided to test some husks in the arena. You can't normally create husks in arena mode, but with some easy modding you can simulate them.  To simulate husks, use this custom interaction:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The syndrome is copied from generated husk-clouds in world.dat, and RESURRECT instead of ANIMATE ensures that they'll have no arbitrary damage thresholds like zombies.  I pitted the husks against dwarves first with Competent military skills (what most migrants have), then Great ones, all wearing steel armour and wielding steel weapons of different sorts.

Small husks like cats and foxes easily go down to a single swordsdwarf or an axedwarf.  They do take inordinately more damage than a non-husk would have, and occasionally even land bruises and scratches, obviously because of the huge increase in strength and toughness.  A pack of creatures, which is more usual, is much more challenging.  You might get lucky and get the dwarf into a martial trance, but don't count on it.  Generally it's best to match their numbers at the bare minimum, and outnumber them at least twice whenever you can.

Anything with a blunt attack can give you trouble.  Punches from even a small animal-man can collapse skulls through steel helmets.  Anything the same size or larger than a dwarf will probably kill you, at least one-on-one.  Axe Lords and Swordsmasters fare much better than regular soldiers, of course, and two dwarves fighting one husk are much more likely to win than one fighting one. This is why bringing more soldiers than there are husks in a group is important.

I've found that contrary to what's often said (and my worst fears), it's actually quite possible to beat husks in combat.  You just need lots of dwarves, really good equipment and a bit of luck.  And a danger room.  I personally like to run Spartan war-fortresses in some husk biomes so every dwarf can defend himself should he need to.  Might be overdoing it, but this is husks we're talking about.  (Of course, if you get something like elephant thralls, or dust in a freezing biome, you're better off not even trying)

Watch out for your soldiers getting tired.  Husks are EXTREMELY durable and especially larger ones will take hits for weeks on end before its head finally gets chopped off.  Sometimes it's better just to walk away from it once it can't stand anymore.

When the dwarf wins, always, the husk is either decapitated or cut in half.  Those are the only ways to directly kill a husk.  This means blunt weapons are completely useless against them, unlike zombies.  Spears aren't very good either.  And, unfortunately, marksdwarves won't even make a tiny scratch on them.

Please bear in mind that I didn't replicate syndrome-causing dust here.  Just to reiterate what many of you might know, you need to makes sure there's not a single speck of dust on them before you take them on.  Normal rain will clean it off if it rains, otherwise you need to do drastic things like flood the map from an aquifer.

Some other fun facts about husks:
  • Husks indeed heal damage.  It's possible that your squad will beat down on a crippled husk for days straight while it heals all its wounds.  On the plus side, this is a great way to train melee soldiers.
  • Husks keep the combat skills they had in life.  Terrifyingly enough, husks of sentients are still capable of learning.  Any of your dwarves who got enthralled can and will get stronger with each kill.  Watch out.
  • Husks can get enraged.
  • Trapavoid creatures that get husked are still trapavoid.  Kobold husks are probably the worst of the lot.
  • It's quite common to see one husked animal attacking a non-husk of the same species, before they all get turned as well.  There's usually heavy damage which tends to result in crippled husks.  This can make things a lot easier to handle.
  • Invaders who turn into husks will break the invasion and leave.  The same goes for merchants.

There is something enormously problematic that you've neglected here. Dusk husks are infectious. Attacking them just makes you have a load of dwarf husks attacking you.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: ydaraishy on March 26, 2012, 11:58:59 am
Quote from: blue sam3 on March 26, 2012, 11:43:15 am
There is something enormously problematic that you've neglected here. Dusk husks are infectious. Attacking them just makes you have a load of dwarf husks attacking you.

I thought I had mentioned syndrome dust already?  I'll clarify that and mention the infection danger.

It's better of course to wait inside until the rain washes the dust away.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: TheStratovarian on March 26, 2012, 12:28:31 pm
Can you use a bait animal to lure them through points like saw traps by opening and closing a floor grate with a glass wall set? So they get a peep show of the next meal, rush to it, and not see the things hacking them to bits below?
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: GuyInCorner on March 26, 2012, 03:51:50 pm
The following is a page from the journal of Thoram Gravespine, a famous explorer from the Restful Plains. His body was found washed up onto the shores of the River of Squelching, just outside of his hometown. The search party that found him saw no noticeable wounds on the body, save for those that came from it being tossed downriver. We have assumed suicide. This is the final entry:
My name is Thoram Gravespine. I have been to thousands of holds across the Eternal Dimension, I have explored the icebergs to the north, the forgotten woods far west. I thought I had seen the secrets of this world of ours. I thought I had. Voidbreach was our destination, and to Voidbreach I traveled. My closest friends were with me; it was to be another routine investigation of an abandoned fortress, just to make sure that all of the undead or dangerous beasts had been exterminated. Upon arriving, we new the place was deserted by our gods. The winds howled and bit at our covered faces, and all life seemed to be gone. At the entrance was evidence of some great struggle. We thought that perhaps some goblin raid had killed off most of Voidreach's inhabitants, and that untold ages of rot and desert wind had reduced the limbs to withered...husks. Upon closer inspection, however, we discovered the corpse of creatures the likes of which I have never seen. One such creature was a massive fire demon, surrounded by charred and forgotten bodies. We agreed that now we absolutely had to explore the fortress in its entirety. I should have said no. The signs were so obvious, how could I not have seen...
It's all hopeless now. We entered the fortress you can never leave. We entered Voidbreach.

From this point onward the entries get progressively more...disturbing. I don't want your impression of the man to be tainted by these final pages, overseer, as I know how much pride Thoram gave you. Besides, you wouldn't want to read these horrid rants anyways. He talks of "invincible horrors of the dark" and "ancient clawing monstrosities." The last page is just a bunch of drawings and scribbles on the verge of illegibility. I can make out one sentence, thought, sire, it's written practically all over the page.
"Can't save them. Can't save ourselves."
I promise this wont interrupt the progress of our fortress in the evil lands to the east, sire, even if we have lost contact with them temporarily. Our scouts seem to think it is due to an odd sandstorm that hit them recently.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Sting_Auer on March 26, 2012, 06:32:55 pm
Can husks be strangled to death? I have 5 guys all stranging a snowy owl husk at once and I want to know if it will ever die that way.

EDIT: In other news, they are all up to legendary fighter/wrestler, but I can't get any of them to stop fighting and come inside. Going to attempt removing them from the military.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Broseph Stalin on March 26, 2012, 06:37:52 pm
Quote from: Sting_Auer on March 26, 2012, 06:32:55 pm
Can husks be strangled to death? I have 5 guys all stranging a snowy owl husk at once and I want to know if it will ever die that way.

EDIT: In other news, they are all up to legendary fighter/wrestler, but I can't get any of them to stop fighting and come inside. Going to attempt removing them from the military.
If it doesn't pass out it doesn't need to breathe and they're wasting their time.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Sting_Auer on March 26, 2012, 06:39:28 pm
Quote from: Broseph Stalin on March 26, 2012, 06:37:52 pm
Quote from: Sting_Auer on March 26, 2012, 06:32:55 pm
Can husks be strangled to death? I have 5 guys all stranging a snowy owl husk at once and I want to know if it will ever die that way.

EDIT: In other news, they are all up to legendary fighter/wrestler, but I can't get any of them to stop fighting and come inside. Going to attempt removing them from the military.
If it doesn't pass out it doesn't need to breathe and they're wasting their time.

Well, balls. How do I get them back inside my fort?

EDIT: Doesn't matter, a cloud came by and they're all husks now.

****
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Broseph Stalin on March 26, 2012, 06:47:27 pm
Quote from: Sting_Auer on March 26, 2012, 06:39:28 pm
Well, balls. How do I get them back inside my fort?

EDIT: Doesn't matter, a cloud came by and they're all husks now.

****
Some problems solve themselves. Usually by becoming so much worse that there's no longer anything you can do.
Title: Re: Husk Science: The eternal siege of Voidbreach
Post by: Frogwarrior on March 26, 2012, 09:04:40 pm
Slashing damage, people, slashing damage! Actually, picks can work for this - when vetting an evil embark for fort potential, a cat got husked, but someone chopped off its head with a pick. No worries.