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DF Community Games & Stories / Re: Spearbreakers - A Tale Of Depression, Pyromania, and Mugs. (34.11, finished)
« on: November 16, 2013, 02:54:57 am »
A short summary of the scythod as I know them. Please point out any and all mistakes and I will fix them. Spoilered for being a wall-o-text.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
On the Scythod.
Many new and strange creatures arrived in the land of Everoc after the founding of Spearbreakers. Some of these were overtly hostile from the start, while others preferred to stay neutral. Some even befriended the natives of Everoc and have become if not common, more prevalent in cities and towns. Most scythod fit into the first category, and are outright hostile, likely because of their attitude towards ballpoint. Some individual scythod have been shown to communicate an even coexist with other races, but these are the exception to the rule. This chapter of Urist's Handbook for Foolhardy Adventurers will cover what is currently know about the scythod into one convenient place, to reduce your chances of becoming mincemeat.
Origin: The scythod are originally from a planet called Piscyth. Piscyth orbits a brown dwarf star, which is much smaller and colder than our yellow dwarf, this meant that the scythod could not rely on heat or light to see by. The scythod were taken from their planet by Ballpoint, to serve as shock troops. The scythod on Everoc are a mix of soldiers and free scythod. The free scythod have organized into tribes and communities, often in mountains and other regions inaccessible by land or sea.
Biology: A scythod resembles a preying mantis to an extent. They stand at about two dwarves tall, or close to ten feet or a little over three meters. Scythod don't have a "head" instead their necks terminate in a set of three dentaries. They have four triple jointed legs, tipped with spikes rather than feet or hooves. All three leg joints bend in the same direction. They also have two triple jointed sets of arms. One set ends in a meter long scythe past the second elbow. The second elbow also actuates in the opposite direction, resulting in a scythe that points towards the ground. A scythod's second set of arms terminates in a set of three opposable claws. The claw tips are ill suited for tool use, but are sharp enough to preform any task accomplished with a knife. The joints on this pair of arms appear to have a much greater range of motion than those on the other, approaching 180* of motion per joint. Scythod are covered in thick, segmented chitin. The chitin is thickest on the neck and around the brain-case. It is thinnest around the joints, to allow free movement. Scythod chitin is also the scythod's main sensory organ. The chitin detects subtle vibrations and changes in temperature, this allows the scythod to form a picture of the environment. Scythod chitin is sturdy, withstanding temperatures of several hundred degrees Fahrenheit, with a material strength comparable to bronze. This strength is necessary, as scythod chitin can be very susceptible to pain.
Society: The original scythod society was in a constant struggle for food and as such scythod now tend to value honor and courage in combat. Scythod find it perfectly acceptable to consume any of their kills, and make no distinction between sapient and not. In fact, scythod consider being eaten by their own kind a great honor. Scythod society on Everoc is organized into clans, each with its own leaders and domain. Scythod place great emphasis on loyalty and familial ties. Disputes are settled with a trial of combat often to the death.
Many new and strange creatures arrived in the land of Everoc after the founding of Spearbreakers. Some of these were overtly hostile from the start, while others preferred to stay neutral. Some even befriended the natives of Everoc and have become if not common, more prevalent in cities and towns. Most scythod fit into the first category, and are outright hostile, likely because of their attitude towards ballpoint. Some individual scythod have been shown to communicate an even coexist with other races, but these are the exception to the rule. This chapter of Urist's Handbook for Foolhardy Adventurers will cover what is currently know about the scythod into one convenient place, to reduce your chances of becoming mincemeat.
Origin: The scythod are originally from a planet called Piscyth. Piscyth orbits a brown dwarf star, which is much smaller and colder than our yellow dwarf, this meant that the scythod could not rely on heat or light to see by. The scythod were taken from their planet by Ballpoint, to serve as shock troops. The scythod on Everoc are a mix of soldiers and free scythod. The free scythod have organized into tribes and communities, often in mountains and other regions inaccessible by land or sea.
Biology: A scythod resembles a preying mantis to an extent. They stand at about two dwarves tall, or close to ten feet or a little over three meters. Scythod don't have a "head" instead their necks terminate in a set of three dentaries. They have four triple jointed legs, tipped with spikes rather than feet or hooves. All three leg joints bend in the same direction. They also have two triple jointed sets of arms. One set ends in a meter long scythe past the second elbow. The second elbow also actuates in the opposite direction, resulting in a scythe that points towards the ground. A scythod's second set of arms terminates in a set of three opposable claws. The claw tips are ill suited for tool use, but are sharp enough to preform any task accomplished with a knife. The joints on this pair of arms appear to have a much greater range of motion than those on the other, approaching 180* of motion per joint. Scythod are covered in thick, segmented chitin. The chitin is thickest on the neck and around the brain-case. It is thinnest around the joints, to allow free movement. Scythod chitin is also the scythod's main sensory organ. The chitin detects subtle vibrations and changes in temperature, this allows the scythod to form a picture of the environment. Scythod chitin is sturdy, withstanding temperatures of several hundred degrees Fahrenheit, with a material strength comparable to bronze. This strength is necessary, as scythod chitin can be very susceptible to pain.
Society: The original scythod society was in a constant struggle for food and as such scythod now tend to value honor and courage in combat. Scythod find it perfectly acceptable to consume any of their kills, and make no distinction between sapient and not. In fact, scythod consider being eaten by their own kind a great honor. Scythod society on Everoc is organized into clans, each with its own leaders and domain. Scythod place great emphasis on loyalty and familial ties. Disputes are settled with a trial of combat often to the death.