AAR: Multi-Player After Action Report (Now Discussing Turns up to 13-16)

[Shangrila00]

Originally Posted by jotwebe

From the notes of George Gammell Angell, Professor Emeritus of Semitic Languages at Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island

So, just wondering, how much of that was bull****? It certainly sounds sufficiently pseudo-scholarly, so kudos for that.

[Immaculate]

very interesting stuff

[Roland Jones]

I've decided that, win or lose, my goal for this game is to take over the entire hall of fame. Before the game is over I will at one point have it covered with fifteen Helheim flags, or die (or maybe ascend) trying. There will be nothing but silly names up there. I've already got one-fifth of it (technically more but one of my thugs up there is on the way out, having died ingloriously).

Also, did Caelum get his last turn in? When I last checked it was pretty late and he wasn't in yet, but there were a few hours left still and I fell asleep before I saw if he submitted or missed it.

[Shardphoenix]

I've decided that, win or lose, my goal for this game is to take over the entire hall of fame

Caelum is in game, ergo, you will fail. There is just no way to compete with shockwave-spamming lightning-immune thugs in XP generation.

[Immaculate]

for those of you curious as to where we are vis-a-vis starting the write-ups, we are now at turn 16. In four turns you can expect some exciting AAR goodies.

[Immaculate]

Done. Good luck with your "business" meeting.

[jotwebe]

From the notes of George Gammell Angell, Professor Emeritus of Semitic Languages at Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island

Fragment IV.a

The Aboleth - Physiology

Though sometimes described as eel-like, the aboleth as commonly pictured has a closer resemblance to the rattail fishes of the family Macrouridae, the most common benthic fish of the deep sea. However, despite some superficial similarities, the aboleth follows a fundamentally different bauplan.

One obvious deviation is the vertical instead of horizontal arrangement of the aboleth's eyes, which in turn are able to perceive light both above and beyond the human-visible spectrum. It is a persevering misconception that aboleths enslave Merman mages for the purpose of observing the heavens from above the waves -- they are perfectly capable of seeing the stars even from the bottom of the sea. They simply prefer to employ slaves for routine tasks.

The aboleth possesses severel more sensory organs: a sophisticated hearing system distributed over their body that is relatively ill-suited for usage on land -- its strengths are the low frequencies of chtonic disturbances and far-traveling sea noises.

Along its side the aboleth is equipped with a strange ichtyid organ that perceives electrical charges and which also only functions when submerged.

The characteristic barbel-tentacles on the aboleth's head, apart from their function in immobilizing larger prey and draining its life force, are in addition sensory organs able to detect vital energy and mental activity.

end of fragment

Fragment V.c

Ontogeny and Society

The aboleth species is characterized by an extreme sexual diorphism: The females are immobile coral-like growths that spew forth a flood of young aboleth spawn with unbelievable fecundity. These are the elder aboleths' preferred source of nourishment, and are in turn provided with the bodies of mentally lobotomized sea creatures to feed upon.

Male aboleths' lifespans are measured in millenia, the female polypal colonies grow older by several orders of magnitude. They are however afflicted with long periods of dormancy, during which they do not create any new young. What causes these strange jubilees is unknown, save there seems to be an influence of certain constellations and a role played by the unspeakable rites performed in the vile so-called temples of this ancient race.

The young aboleth's scales are quite hard at the time of leaving the maternal polyp, and it yet lacks any power over the minds of others or, indeed, any powers of higher reasoning. A cowardly creature, it prefers to feed on carrion or prey rendered helpless by its elders' mental powers.

After about a millenium, the spawn has grown enough to be about one and a half man's length from snout to tail and has developed a rudimentary sentience, although yet incapable of communicating meaningfully with other intelligences. The telepathic ability is rudimentary in complexity yet powerful in projection: the monstrous fish-thing is capable of what is among cognoscenti known as a “mindblast”, a stunning and even immobilizing psychic attack. In this phase of its life, it is called a giboleth.

Some giboleth develop an exceptionally close mental tie with the polypal mothers -- these are known as gibodai and develop the ability to drain and store life force, which they then provide to the coral growth. Their mental and physical growth is forever stunted, yet they are treated with uncharacteristic deference by the larger and more powerful aboleths.

In the Black Tablets of Hathat, the giboleth/gibodai stage is compared human puberty, or “a young man newly taken to the spear”. There may be some sense to that, for it is in a mere one or two centuries that it achieves the ability to express itself fluently, comprehend and apply the occult principles of stellar and aquatic power, as well as develop a life-draining ability akin to that of the gibodai. At this stage in its life it may correctly be called an aboleth. It has grown even larger, but has shed most of its hard scales, leaving its skin covered with a slimy mucus.

fragment ends

[Immaculate]

F*cking A!

Sweet intro!

Yeah, i guess we are at turn 18; if peeps want to start posting their turn 1-3 stuff they are welcome to do so- especially if their non-gaming time-constraints get tighter in the week are are looser on the weekend.

[Excist]

Can we add 6 hours to the clock and move to a 30h quickhost to combat the deadline creep?

Turns are getting too long to do them back to back, especially with treaty and trade negotiations.

[Immaculate]

right- no problem.

EDIT: wait- you are signing treaties? Shouldn't i be involved in this? Surely you want to take my offer.