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In Progress Let's stir the Creature Soup in Vangers - One for the Road

Nevill

Arcane
Joined
Jun 6, 2009
Messages
11,211
Shadorwun: Hong Kong
Part 17. A mad new world.
It's settled, then. You are coming with me, Boorawchick. Let me just change my mechos to a more comfortable one.
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Boorawchick is a figure that exudes authority and dominance. That's why we have +50 Dominance for carrying him (minus the usual 15 for the act of stealing). No vanger is willing to mess with his personal driver.
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CopteRig is exceptionally good for Glorx roads. If you feel that your jump will take you too far away from one, just activate the Rig and fly over to the nearest highway. It also has a bonus of having your mechos always land on it's wheels.
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It's been too long since I rode in a mechos as obedient as this. I reach Ogorod in a matter of seconds.
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Oboorez is unusually agitated. I wonder why that is.
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- Dress ranks, attention! Your High Pushiness Comrade Boorawchick! Ogorod farming officer and senior shrub-growing expert Oboorez reporting!
- During my watch nothing suspicious happened. The peeperettes aren't fading, the shrubs aren't rotting. I'm content with the cirt. Awaiting further orders. Oboorez out!


Ah, I get it! The old guy mentioned once that Boorawchick loves going on sudden inspections to other escaves. He must think this is one! We leave the officer be without correcting his mistake...
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...but not before stealing another rubbox from his cave. If the Buro's representative doesn't keep a better watch on items entrusted to his care, he doesn't deserve them!

Leaving Ogorod, I come across a particularly aggressive individual who is suspiciously well-armed.
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Ah. That's right. No vanger dares to mess with me now... except for the killer sent after me to punish me for robbery. I wonder who hired him now that Boorawchick's escave is empty...

My mechos it 50% more fast than his, and much more agile. It is all too easy to keep myself in his rear where his missile launchers can't harm me.
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Speaking of the missile launchers, the AI is cheating a little. The weapon slots on the Ripper do not allow for this configuration.
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After a while, the guy starts losing weapons left and right. Is that a heavy missile launchers falling off? Why does he even has that if he can't equip it?
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It takes a while to chip away at his heavy armor, though. A while and a few recharges of my weapons.
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But once we disarmed him, it's just a matter of time.
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Off to Lampasso!

The cycle changes to Heroism. Jablees start their usual flight, but we aren't interested in them anymore. Commissar affairs are beneath us.
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We started shooting when we jumped, and by the time we landed, the rival vanger was dead. I feel like a killing machine.
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Alright. Let's see what Geer'ah will have to say.
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Apparently, he is glad to see someone important once in a while.
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- Hi Boorawchick, my colleague! Stylish Geer'ah is on duty. Watch my heroes, see how they act as one: when they start digging, nothing can be seen through the flying dirt!
- Your Valorins are very good; I have no complaints. But the cirt's been arriving mixed with clay lately. Stealing little by little? Kidding, kidding... Report to the Buro that Geer'ah himself praised you!


I never quite got who is senior in the relationship of Geer'ah and Boorawchick. Geer'ah acts as if he is superior to everyone, and Boorawchick seems to be a bit intimidated by a giant hunk of a Beeboorat, but isn't Boorawchick the sole member of the Buro? Of course, he might not let the others in on that obscure fact to uphold the Buro's authority...

Nevermind, it is all behind us now. The bogs of Necross await us!!
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The world can be described with a single word, and the word is weird. It is as crazy and as unpredictable as its inhabitants, if tales of Zeexen are anything to be believed.

But even a world as alien as this one has some semi-recognizable elements. For example, these large spiky pockets that seemingly serve no other purpose but to trap unfortunate vangers inside? They are actually hideouts full of goodies.
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The compass shows the following places of interest on this world:

B-Zone
Zeepa
Passage to Glorx
Passage to Boozeena
Passage to Ark'a'Znoy
Rigs station
Repairs station
Spiral station
Broken station

There is no ghOrb station. Either you try your luck with a Broken one, or you bring spare weapons with you. Or you don't use ghOrbs in the first place.

We set our compass to point at B-Zone, as the Beeboorats have suggested us several times. On our way there we pass by some gorgeous golden escave with mechoses coming in and out. Seeing how B-zone is on the other side of the world, that must be Zeepa.
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And that must be the secondary entrance. Looks way more ordinary and practical than the primary one. Weirdly enough, the only road leading to it is that big greenish-blue overpass. There appears to be no entrance from the ground level. As I said, the Zeexen are strange.
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These overpasses are by far the most convenient method of traveling through Necross. There are ground roads, but they are far too winding and twisted to serve as the primary pathways.
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There are a lot of bogs on Necross. Basically everything that is off the roads is either a bog or a round hideout-like formation similar to the ones we've seen.
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There are also some structures in the ground comprised of - I have no idea... sticks that are haphazardly thrown together in the likeness of a snowflake? You can see one on the screenshot above. Those are secret locations that open only if your Luck is higher than 50, like the rocks on Glorx. You guys haven't shown much interest in exploring them, so I ignore them for now.

Some hideouts are enormous in size, easily covering more than a single screen. They are kind of pretty... in their incomprehensible, alien, spiky way.
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Traveling by ground roads is not only slow, but also hazardous. The local equivalents of stinkers work like landmines and explode on contact - and they explode hard. That's 1/4th of my shields gone in a single blast.
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THankfully, you can fire a shot to make them explode instead of hitting them with your mechos, but ghOrb shots are limited on Necross due to no dedicated station to refill them. There is a Broken station somewhere on the world, and judging by the red lights, that's the one.
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I don't want to risk it discharging my weapons or my shields, though, so I give it a wide berth.

The ovepass twists and turns at strange angles, sometimes leading to a dead end.
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The best way to traverse it is with the help of a CopteRig, just like on Glorx. Find the next road section leading in the general direction of your target, and try to jump on it. Correct your course with the Rig if you have miscalculated.
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Driving by ground is an option, but it has its own quirks. See that bubbling where the bug-cursor is hovering?
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Yep, that's a quagmire. As soon as you drive over it, you are sucked in.
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And it's damn hard to get out! I am panicking a little - this mechos doesn't have much in terms of air supply.
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Thankfully, activating the CopteRig allows me to break away from the trap, little by little. Still, many a mechos found these bogs their tomb. This world is not hospitable by any means.
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It is strangely quiet on the surface. This vehicle is the only one I've seen on the way down. Slow cycle, I guess. I don't try to engage it - as you imagine, trying to ram things in the middle of the boggy terrain may lead to disastrous results.
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There is a Repairs station and a Passage to somewhere - the compass suggests the world is called Ark'a'Znoy. I wouldn't know, I've never heard of it before. :M
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Not all of the round formations contain secrets and items. This one seems to be filled by some liquid that is glowering menacingly.
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The farther you get south, the more flooded the terrain becomes. The ground road is fully submerged under water by now.

To make things even weirder, the overpasses have round holes in their intersections which contract and expand seemingly at random. A smaller mechos could easily fall in there if one is not careful.
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We are getting close. By now, water - is that even water? - is everywhere the eye can see.
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But before we enter the escave, let's take a look around. There appears to be a Spiral station here, although it is so heavily covered by various growth that I can see no easy way in.
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Ah, there's the escave. It was a long road south.
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Good Zeexen, here we come! We have much to tell each other, I just know it!
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We are met by some horrible fly-creature. With hands. And legs. And wings. And a single eye. She - it refers to itself as 'she' - appeared to be sleeping when we rode in.
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- Hi, wheeler! Your face doesn't ring a bell. Don't remember you.
- Whoa, wait a second! You are a Saint! What luck! Look here, get over to rich Zeephra on the double. She'll pay a lump sum for your gift. We'll meet later, when you return on a huge gleaming mechos which she is sure to give you for your uniqueness. Off you go to ZeePa!


She appears friendly enough. Don't know what other counselors were talking about. But then she spots Boorawchick in the back and loses any interest in us, grinning from ear to ear (does she even have ears?) at her new guest.
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- At last Boorawchick is here! I'm tired of waiting for you. I hear you are my most fervent admirer in all the worlds and a toxick connoisseur. I'm pleased to see you here in B-Zone and I'm ready to share my most secret culinary recipes with you.
- Isn't that why you've come? I'll tell you this: you get the best toxick from Beeboorat counselors.
- First you stretch them out on Necross to dry, then soak them in the bog, then spread them along the road for vangers to strip them into fibers with their wheels.
- After that it's the turn of yours truly,
Zeekatrix, to go to work. I see it in your eyes, Boorawchick, you are itching to get started. Come on, be honest, do you want to take part in the next boiling in person? Don't shiver, you'll do it all right.
- You'll damage my whole store with your shaking, you brute! Hey, driver, take the client away, he's too boisterous. And ugh, that smell! Up you go, and be quick!
- Get out of here!


She literally spits us out of the escave.
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Yep, it's a 'she' alright. You can tell by the mood swings.
What do we do now, Codex? We arrived to our destination, but they threw us out.
1. We seem to be unwelcome here. The Zeexen counselor - Zeekatrix, was it? - suggested we would find a better reception in Zeepa on account of us being a 'Saint'. Perhaps this is where we should head next.
2. The Buro has put its trust in you, and it is now time to put your trust in the Buro. Their instructions were clear - we must bring the message of Beeboorat superiority to the Zeexen no less than three times. Enter B-Zone again and again until they accept their place as an inferior bios.
3. Freeform (specify).

You can also ask Zeekatrix 10 questions.

Known vocabulary:
mechos - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
vangers - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
raffa - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
escave - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
bunch - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
bios - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
beebs - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Clash - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Creature Soup - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Softie - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Cryspo - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Passage - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Spiral - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Departed Bios - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats

The Chain - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Fostral - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Glorx - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Necross - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Xplo - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Khox - asked Beeboorats
Eleepods - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Beeboorats - asked Leepky&Feenger (low trust), Beeboorats
Zeexen - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Leepky - asked Leepky, Beeboorats
Feenger - asked Beeboorats
Podish - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Incubator - asked Feenger (low trust), Beeboorats
Plump-up - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Eleerection - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Gulp-down - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Boorawchick - asked Beeboorats
Geer'ah - asked Beeboorats
Oboorez - asked Beeboorats
VigBoo - asked Beeboorats
Lampasso - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Ogorod - asked Leepky, Beeboorats
Progress - asked Beeboorats
Heroism - asked Beeboorats
Election of Castaways - asked Beeboorats
Zeepa - asked Beeboorats
B-Zone - asked Beeboorats
Zeephra - asked Beeboorats
Zeekatrix

pod - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
P-beam - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
ruBeecation - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
The Buro - asked Beeboorats
The Manual - asked Beeboorats
Jablees - asked Beeboorats
Slave - asked Beeboorats
Commissar - asked Beeboorats
Agent - asked Beeboorats
Nuclear War - asked Beeboorats
PeepShow - asked Beeboorats
castaway - asked Beeboorats

eLeech - asked Leepky&Feenger (low trust), Beeboorats
nymbos - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
phlegma - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
cirt - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Larvae - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
peeperette - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Nucleoboom - asked Beeboorats
shrub - asked Beeboorats
Valorin - asked Beeboorats
rubbox - asked Beeboorats
toxick
 
Last edited:

Donaroriak

Augur
Joined
Jan 19, 2006
Messages
101
Project: Eternity
1 plus explore the luck-based stashes along the way.
Questions:
- Zeexen
- Zeekatrix
- Tokick
- Boorawchick
- Arkaznoy (can you ask that?)
 

Nevill

Arcane
Joined
Jun 6, 2009
Messages
11,211
Shadorwun: Hong Kong
- Arkaznoy (can you ask that?)
Not in-game (normally you can't ask about things that you haven't heard the counselors mention - and no, the compass-bug doesn't count as one), but since I mentioned it already, I can overrule it because I am taking the texts directly out of the game files. :)

By the way, you can ask 10 questions. The game's pace has picked up, so I've increased the quota.
 
Last edited:

lightbane

Arcane
Joined
Dec 27, 2008
Messages
10,156
EDIT: Ditch Boor/sell him in a non-Grox shop, then proceed with 1's plan.


1 + loot everything not nailed down. What happens if you ditch Boor/sell him in a non-Grox shop? Does he die/disappear for the rest of the game?

Anyway, questioning time:
Saint, Clash, Khox, Xplo, Zeekatrix, toxick, cirt, Creature Soup, The Chain, B-Zone, Departed Bios.
 
Last edited:

Nevill

Arcane
Joined
Jun 6, 2009
Messages
11,211
Shadorwun: Hong Kong
Votes locked. :neveraskedforthis:

Part 18. A Saint and his money are soon parted.
Zeekatrix interrogation protocol:

- Who or what is Boorawchick, Counselor?
- This poor thing has had the worst luck! Like every adult Beeboorat, he began to shrink when the time came. Once he had shrunk to half-size, an absent-minded vanger slammed him in a door, interrupting the natural process so that now Boorawchick is neither a beeb nor a Beeboorat.

- Who or what is Zeexen, Counselor?
- Zeexen are the only ones who will tell you the whole truth without fleecing you or splashing you with phlegma. I'm the most righteous of all the Zeexen, so you can trust me! See my flappers? No other bios have wings this big! They're proof that the Cryspo are our ancestors!

- Who or what is Zeekatrix, Counselor?
- Zeekatrix, a vanger's best friend and a friend to anyone silly and carefree! In my escave, you can find a good piece of advice, ultimate truth, or the perfect toxick. Follow my wisdom, and you'll be safe and sound!

- Who or what is B-Zone, Counselor?
- If you take a careful look around, you'll realize you're B-Zone, you wandering dimwit. You can tell our escave from afar by the smell of fresh toxick. It's the happiest place in the Chain of Worlds! By the way, the last of the Cryspo hid out here for quite a while, towards the end...

- Who or what is toxick, Counselor?
- Well, in ZeePa, the anxious Zeephra has driven everyone mad with her tales about the Softie and such nonsense. The zeepo spend all day kneading clay and making popons, the poor things. I want to help them with toxick, so I keep boiling it for them, putting my health at risk. I send the medicine to ZeePa for free. I just hope they don't get sick!
- It was me who invented the recipe for toxick. It has so many ingredients that now and then I forget to put something into the mixture. But you can't make it without phlegma, that's for sure.


- Who or what is Clash, Counselor?
- A long, long time ago, the Softie and the Cryspo fought in the Clash: the former were trying to bury the latter under their rubbish, and the latter were jabbing the former with their stingers. Both parties did exceptionally well, so there weren't many survivors - an even those ended up in the Creature Soup. In short - 'everyone died, the end'.

- Who or what is Creature Soup, Counselor?
- Well, you see, when the bogs began to thicken on Necross, everyone got stuck in them. The Cryspo, the Softie - everyone got all mixed up, with a Softie's paw or a Cryspo's head sticking out here and there or there and here. Whole bogs were packed with body parts jammed together. They called it the Creature Soup!

- Who or what is The Chain, Counselor?
- The Chain of Worlds is as vast as Zeephra's stupidity. Fostral, Glorx, and Necross aren't even the half of it. There are places where you can get robbed of your own skin before you even notice! But it's much more fun to travel around than to sit in the escave. I'd get in a mechos right now and go wherever it took me if I could!

- Who or what is Khox, Counselor?
- A vanger once begged me to accompany him on his voyage to Khox, but I'm no fool! I don't feel like feeding the dwellers of that place with my own flesh. If your mechos starts playing pranks, you're done for. They say that only the Softie who have gone wild are still on Khox, and if that's true, there's no place for me there! I'm a Cryspo!

- Who or what is Ark-a-Znoy, Counselor?
- Eh, I love taking rides around Ark-a-Znoy on a jaunty vanger. You forget everything there, even Zeephra. I'm trying to persuade the local dwellers to move to Necross. It would just take strewing some popons over a couple of bogs to make a dry spot. Necross would become a happier place right away!

- Who or what is Xplo, Counselor?
- When they discovered this world, the Softie found it too small for their waste, and their interest in it soon flagged. There they set up a strong escave, a nuthouse for those who had gone bananas during world exploration.

- Who or what is Departed Bios, Counselor?
- Oh, they're real nutcakes! Every single one in the bios eventually comes up with the idea that they can collect more cirt from the world than the vangers bring in. The poor morons pour out of their escave and wander around the world until the beebs turn them into dinner. Then their place is later taken by others.

- Who or what is cirt, Counselor?
- Cirt is essential. It adds a silver lining to the gray clouds of our lives. Once a Larva has rubbed a certain part of her body against the ground, you can collect the cirt left behind and bring it to the craving bunches who sniff it. Then we just pass the time until the next batch of cirt arrives!

Right, so where were we? Ah, yes, the Buro and their legacy. Pah, those old fools - what do those xenophobic shut-ins know about life in the Chain? We will ignore them and head straight for Zeepa to claim our righteous reward!

Before we depart is search of greener pastures, Zeekatrix praises us for our achievements so far. The Zeexen certainly are one of the more pleasant bios out there - they know how to appreciate a good vanger!
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- Well, hearse-rider, congrats! Your high Dominance has become a scary story that the wheelers tell each other. By the way, now your mechos can see Larvae just as well as the other vangers. Watch out: don't ride over her tail, as you can't sew it back on...

And before we ride out, let's take a look at her wares.
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Toxick
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A vessel filled with some muddy pulp. Yucky stuff. There’s nothing worse on Necross. If you spill it, this stuff corrodes the mechos’ from the inside. Malicious Zeexen want to poison all the living creatures in the Chain with this guck.
Good stuff! We've heard Boorawchick is a connoisseur, so I take a bottle with us to brighten him up.

The surface is more lively upon our return than it was when we first entered. There are some rather aggressive individuals loitering around the entrance. I tend to mind my own business and do not engage them, as I am still using ghOrb gear which is hard to recharge on this world.
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Also, the deadline for the Lampasso tabutask arrived, so we are now sitting at a solid 69 Luck.

The AI vangers aren't immune to the holes spontaneously opening in the highways. Necross is quite hard to navigate on anything that isn't a huge truck.
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After a short while, the colors shift. I guess it's time for a cycle change.
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On the upside, the visibility greatly improved. On the downside, there are now more holes in the roads than the roads themselves.
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Some of those roads connect to the ground in strange places, one of which I just discovered, loosing my footing (wheeling?) and falling down in the process.
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Also, the overpasses are high enough that you trigger insect swarms just by riding alongside them. If you do - don't stop, or you risk getting torn apart!
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Despite my higher-than-average Luck, the random stashes aren't very plentiful.
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Thankfully, we have other stashes that pay off much better. An single incarnator is easily worth 4-5K beebs.
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Somewhere in the middle of the map there is a wide section of porous roads, making it a central plaza of Necross, or something.
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Huh, a raffa travelling over the roads with holes bigger than it is. I wouldn't be able to drive in these conditions with even a moderate amount of success.
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Nevermind. The AI doesn't seem to be able to, either. :salute:
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After a bumpy ride, we reach the main escave. Where do I get my huge gleaming mechos for being a special snowflake?
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Oh, my! Hello, gorgeous!! :bounce:
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- At last you're here! We've been waiting for you for too long, mighty warrior! The glory of your deeds has reached us from the crippled vagabonds who roam about the Chain of Worlds in tin cans. Your cozy mechos is something else - such a luxurious wagon!

Like my fancy ride, baby? :smug:

- I swear you'll find happiness with us, the beautiful Zeexen! Ah, Necross is a gloomy place to walk about, but here in ZeePa you may feel at home, for everyone loves you, especially me, your spouse Zeephra!

Wait, already? That was quick! :?

- We'll serve it hot to those hornets from the other end of our dump. I hope you haven't visited them yet? It's at the very bottom, the stinkiest and ugliest of places in the Chain!
- It's good that we are educating them, otherwise those rotten beasts would have already kicked the bucket like the so-called Departed Bios... Have you ever heard of them?
- I'll tell you later, it's funny and informative at the same time! And while you're resting, I'll tell you our Plan. You must be sick and tired of those dummy bugs of Glorx, no? Well, those little pickles have bored everyone to death, but essentially they're harmless. They don't even have any wits apart from their Manual, and even that has gone to pot...
- Take Geer'ah for example, it's worth the world! When I was small I traveled there once, all snuggled in the bay of an audacious driver. I tell you, he had an ugly mug! Oh, by the way, do you want to kiss me? Don't be scared, it's a necessity! You're my husband and you must fulfill my needs! So, Geer'ah, that fat pig, has proven even more ass-headed than I expected! They are deprived of wits - I guess they have the juice of Nucleobooms in their heads instead...
- And by the by, the Nucleobooms are the slyest dodgers! Try to get them in the bay and talk to them, as they know loads of interesting things, to say nothing of the smart peeperettes. When they get together, be alert and all ears!
- You've never heard of the Beeboorat Buro, have you? Oh, those are funny guys, and you should definitely be friends with them. They regularly travel Glorx in Jablees and have a lot of handy skills... Although I, myself, haven't met them, they say they bear no resemblance to ordinary stupid Beeboorats... A puzzle...

She sure likes hear herself talk.

- And now I should kiss you, it doesn't hurt, they say. Though wait, you smell of worms!
- You've been to those swollen beasts lately?! What did they tell you? Beware of those slugs: they only seem to be so lazy.
- Long ago these Eleepods forced our grannies to flee from Fostral! We all remember that and we'll pay those snobs back... But never tell them that, just let them think we are still buddies! The time has not come for this yet.
- For now I won't kiss you, because they could have anointed your mechos with phlegma and I'd vomit on the spot! Ah, never mind, you'll wash it all off while travelling through the bogs near here. It's not that bad, you lucky stinker!
- You've never witnessed how those swollen scavengers produce their phlegma, have you? It's yucky! I'll tell you when you are in the wrong and you'll forget how to sleep after that...

Huh? Yes, Dearie, whatever you say, Dearie. Zzz...

- Right, let's talk shop now. I suppose you've figured out how powerful you are with all your skills. You are the Holy Vanger and you will help us teach a lesson to those freaks from the other side of Necross! One day I'll tell you a sad story about them.
- Those cunning stinkers think themselves God knows what, and some of them even seriously think they are the real Softie!
- Who besides us knows who the real Softie in the Chain are? We, the citizens of ZeePa, are the Softie! And being genuine Softie, we ought to teach a lesson to the hornets: we need to meet them with
ProtoZeek, the Only Man in the Chain!
- It's a pity, but ProtoZeek is now wandering in distant places and cannot himself teach the citizens of B-Zone. That's why we choose you, the Holy Vanger, being the most innocent of all, to perform this urgent task.
- The best time for this enterprise is
Spring, that's for sure. In Spring clay doesn't dry out for a long time. It's different in December: you hardly have time to blink and your bay is already arid! Do you like December, by the way? I'm not a big fan of it, because you're always thirsty and such things... Saturday is much better, I must tell you.
- So, we've prepared the relics of ProtoZeek and now we only need to blow a spirit into it and send it and its escort vangers to the apostates. As soon as they see the Holy One, the apostates will crawl to us bowing like mad, but we will not receive them right away!
- We will start teaching them properly! We, the genuine Softie, know how to do it! Take a trainee by her long nose and give it as much pressure as it needs, then read out the
popons for three cycles into her open ears. Only then will it be a success...
- We determine you to be the spirit of this ProtoZeek. What else could be so honorable and pleasant for a vanger?
- You're a lucky thing, and but for your abominable smell your wife would meet her obligations right on the spot! But wait, all that is still to come! Spring is coming, so now it's time for you to get inside the relic.
- I'm sure the mere sight of our god and the sound of your Inner Voice will instantly return all the B-Zoners to the righteous way of living, and they will crawl to ZeePa to be taught...
- Your clever mechos and belongings will not be abandoned. I, your wife Zeephra, will use them appropriately. It was only the other day that one of my former husbands drove back in a completely broken raffa. Yet he managed to bring me the smelly stinkhorns of Fostral, so he has to be rewarded. Your time has come, Hero!


While enumerating the contents of my mechos, she finally notices Boorawchick pretending to be a part of the cargo in the darkest corner of the bay.

- My dear friend Boorawchick, at last you have decided to come see your Zeephra! They say the Beeboorats are silly lazy bones, but they lie! Right, you little dummy, do you remember how you insulted me when I was visiting VigBoo? Come on now, don't cry, I'm not offended...
- Now, want some fresh toxick? It's fresh from B-Zone. Come on, stop trembling, it's just a joke!
- Or maybe you'd like to see the inside of one of the most beautiful bogs of Necross? Oh come on now, stop hiding in the corner, you poor thing... Oh, what a naughty thing you are! You neither want anything nor make me smile.
- Hey vanger, you daft thing, take this slow-witted creep away; it's getting on my nerves. How could you serve this feckless blockhead? You are both the products of a rare folly.


Wait, I am not sure I understand completely what is goi-...
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- The sight of you just makes me sick, you defective thing. Go away and think about what fate has made you. You disgust me!

Right. Mood swings.

Wait, why is it so dark? And why is everything shaking?
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- Look here, another loony vanger baked in clay has arrived from those obsessed zeepo... Indeed, Spring has come. You know what they say: Saturday night, vangers are tight.
- Poor thing, scared stiff of that kidney-buster! What the heck! Come on now, get out, we are kind... Another ProtoZeek showing up? Well hi, your guinea-pig honor. Where on earth does Zeephra manage to dig out such fools as you!
- It's fun to pluck vangers out of clay, though. Some of them even try to imitate the notorious Inner Voice. Others, those who are well acquainted with Beeboorats, don't kick - they have gone through thick and thin and get it finally!
- So, how did you find traveling inside that cheap statuette for that meathead zeepo? Can't remember anything? Small wonder: it was dark in there, wasn't it? I wouldn't expect a gripping story from you.
- Let's discuss your future, though. The thing is that B-Zone isn't a charitable escave, nor can we provide every new vanger cheated by our aunties with a swell mechos. Sorry, it's your problem.
- But throwing you away into the swamp doesn't make sense either: smart guys like you bring nice thingies into our burrow. And that building material - popons - who would bring them to us?
We like building various useful pyramids of them, you know. What else is this clay rubbish good for? It's a pity that the popons dry out so soon and only dust and slurry are left of them by Saturday.
- It's settled, then. Here is a present for you: an excellent, strong mechos. Pop in now and then, remember who saved you! No doubt, your mechanism is small, but isn't it quick and bouncy? A smart vanger like you will travel up and down half the Chain in the wink of an eye.
- Oh, yes, that reminds me: if asked where you've been, say that you were at Zeekatrix's. Everyone should know the old witch. Well, off you go now, traveler...


I am still not quite certain what happe-
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Oh.

I think we have just got a crash course in divorce. :M
Alright, Codex. Through ignoring the teachings of the Buro once more, we seem to have lost our mechos and about 100K in beebs. Worse yet, we have lost our rubbox. :eek::argh:

The only upside is that we have lost Boorawchick as well, so we need not worry about visiting Beeboorat escaves for a while... :lol:

For anyone still wondering what the hell we just saw - here are Zeekatrix' lines if you enter her escave several times:
[Second coming of the Holy Vanger]
- You again? Why didn't you go to Zeephra? Got lost on Necross, poor thing? Try harder and don't run away from your fortune! It's only now that you are unique; once the cycle changes Zeephra won't pay a rotten beeb for you!
- Don't miss your chance: hurry over to ZeePa without stopping to meet your fate. If you are fast, you'll get loads of beebs for your halo.


[Third coming of the Holy Vanger]
- Well, you are a deep one, tramp! Hi, twice-dead vanger, I'm Zeekatrix...
- Smart of you to have suspected a trick in my words. There's no telling with you who's smart and who's simple. So I send greedy vangers right into Zeephra's tacky claws and let her knock sense into them.
- And then those oafs come back to me in the next
Zeeklope, and I have nothing to do but give them a raffa, which isn't very profitable at first glance.
- The thing is that no matter how much we hate each other, Zeephra and I have a silent agreement: I earn a commission for every blockhead I send her.
- Don't think it's for those wretched beebs that I fool the simpletons. Not in the least! We just evenly distribute the resources of the Chain by taking easily gained mechos and weapons away from silly vangers.
Easy come, easy go.
- Why, who else would take care of you, fitters? Not the smug Beeboorats and fat Eleepods; they don't give a beeb about vangers. They are too slow to realize who rules in the Chain: those who bring cirt and goods so that the others can sit cozily in their escaves waiting for summer to come.

- You can't imagine what fun it is to watch a vanger rush for beebs-for-nothing and then pull that wretched thing out of the trash... Not all of you know the laws of the Chain yet...
- Don't be angry with Zeekatrix. As soon as you are one of the Strivers, I will help you. Those ugly zeepos identify newcomers by smell, so I'll coat your mechos with special clay from a softened popon.
- Here you are. Now the nutters are sure to mistake you for their mate, and they'll rush at you with some kisses to boot. But don't you worry: the fools have picked up old Softie's words without ever knowing what they really mean...
- You mustn't think you are my friend forever, though; you still have to earn it. The vangers are a strange breed. I'm famous for seeing you vangers through, and I'll say this: those living underground will never understand those who wheel around with ease. The Creature Soup has separated us forever.
Well, I guess that's what they mean by 'no other way to go but up'. :M:M:M

I'll see what I can do about it and give you a choice once we get out of this mess.
 
Last edited:

lightbane

Arcane
Joined
Dec 27, 2008
Messages
10,156
Jeez, this game sure does love to punch your guts over and over. :lol: Good thing we have save-points, although something tells me you will do this the hard way. In any case, thank you for your effort, Nevill. :salute:
 

Nevill

Arcane
Joined
Jun 6, 2009
Messages
11,211
Shadorwun: Hong Kong
Part 18. The Buro may forgive, but it never forgets.
Being a raffa has its advantages. For example, I need not find the entrance to the Spiral station anymore. I can just drop down through the gaps in the roof.
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It has its disadvantages, too. Move too close to a stinker, and you are dead - their explosive potential is tremendous.
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Its small size prevents it from using the highways. I get stuck in all the holes that I am not outright falling through.
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The refilling hideouts could help one's money situation upon arrival to Zeepa - but I have 3/4 of my cargo bay full with a single toxick.
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Raffas are equipped with an automatic CutteRig system that makes them stay afloat... but it doesn't apply to quagmires, so waters aren't safe either.
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The cycles change once more. The water loses its green hue...
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...instead becoming deep blue. Zeeklope has come. The wretched race in which we participated once... as a trophy.
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The Inner Voice suggests we should get to winning it. I don't foresee doing it on a raffa, though.
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Here come the racers. They look busy and thus harmless, hurrying to their destinations and paying me no heed.
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Except those two. They are so ferocious in their attempts to get to each other that I catch a few stray shots from their scuffle.
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And a few terminators left after the fight make the world spin around me. Yeah, Zeeklope is not for the faint of heart.
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The Fostral vanger appears to have lost that fight, cowering near the escave entance. Hmm, the numbers show 5:5, and he is the last of the racers. Could he be the one carrying ProtoZeek? What a coward!
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Alright, time to meet our wife once more.
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- Hey, merchant! You delivered your precious Zeexen some toxick from those B-Zone hornets. Did they fool you with stories about how it's the most delicious juice for their teachers? Don't you believe it!

No, honey, I know it is poison, I just wanted you to choke on it. Ah, next time perhaps.

- Those wicked beasts have learned how to extract one of the strongest poisons from their foul bogs and, hoping that we would taste it and all drop dead on the spot, are now sending vangers with it to ZeePa.
- But we direct descendants of the Softie figured out their plot in no time, so practically none of the Zeexen died when we first tried the offering from those beggars!
- The most naive had a rough go of it, as some of them had been teaching their poisoners the Essence of Life. So, here is a lesson for you, vanger: believe no one in the Chain except for your wife!
- Sly witches live in B-Zone, but we, being their teachers, are much wiser. We haven't even let on that we figured out their tricks with the toxick so quickly. That was rather smart of us!
- It turns out that toxick is the deadliest poison for wild beebs who multiplied throughout the whole escave and ate up our cirt. So fresh toxick is just the thing to get rid of them! And as for used toxick, we put it into a special container and let new envoys from the other bunches dip there.
- So don't worry, wanderer, we don't think you tried to poison us; quite the contrary, you help the happy Zeexen by bringing us toxick!
- But don't tell our secret to anyone, and let the frauds picture us here dying while they think that soon they will be able to occupy our warm and cozy escave. That will make it easier for us to educate them! Many of the B-Zoners seek ways to spy on us, and here's a container full of knowledge prepared specially for their visit!


What a sweet relationship they have going with their neighbours! :roll:

The main escave has the last of the unique mechoses in the shop.
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A mechos for the king of vangers. A true escave on wheels! Inside this, you fear nothing and no one and can ride all over anysmall fry in your path. Whenever this metal monster approached the Eleepods’ escaves, they can't tell what is trembling harder: their walls or their terrified fat bodies.

Sounds cool!

They also have popons with tales of ProtoZeek written on them.
Popon
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A woven pad, made of some kind smooth material. Zeexen scribble on it. It’s a fragile and politically important item. Needs careful transportation.
Do you have a minute to speak of our Lord and Savior ProtoZeek?

They can be read once you hit the road. Here's an example:
On what ProtoZeek would've done
if he'd been born a fat-bellied bug...


Once ProtoZeek thought that
he was so lucky
to be born among free Zeexen,
and not among those ugly bugs
that were silly and clumsy from birth.

ProtoZeek imagined vividly
how he would have tried to crawl out
of his stinky escave,
while nastily rustling with his funny long antennae,
and then crept up the nearest hill.

He would have crept and crept,
mechanically moving his monstrous legs
and not noticing all the beautiful surroundings
around his huge and useless body.
Then he would finally have climbed to the top of the hill,
and without even looking at the beautiful
sight spread out to infinity, he would have tumbled around,
heavily snuffling, and fallen down on sharp stones.

At the last moment ProtoZeek suddenly remembered
that he was not some thick-bellied bug,
but a flying Zeexen
and took off at once.
But had he been born a bug,
he would have certainly crashed to death
for his extreme stupidity...
:roll: :roll: :roll:

Anyway, I do not plan on staying on this world any longer than I absolutely have to. I find it extremely raffa-unfriendly, so a return to something more manageable is in order.
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A careless jump nearly sends me right into a stinker. I am done with the place!
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Take me back, my kind Beeboorat masters! I was wrong to dismiss you!!
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Whoa! This can turn ugly...
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Thankfully, the vanger jumps into a Passage before I stumble out of it.
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There are two kinds of rock on glorx. One is merely a lifting platform, that serve to raise you to the highway level for an easier jump.
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The other is a secret stash... and that's the ones we will be checking.
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The anti-drowning device makes it hard to pick up items lying on the bottom. The trick is to jump a little to get a bit of a kinetic boost on the way down.
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We lucked up - the incarnator is one of the most expensive weapons in the game. With this, we might be able to afford a mechos... but we need to survive what is coming, first, so I stash it outside before entering VigBoo.
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Oh, hi there, Boorawchick! Didn't expect to see you there so soon! Look, you woulnd't believe what happened...
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He is having none of it.
- I got you, you cursed traitor! You wretched piece of offal, how dare you leave your precious leader in a hostile environment?
- The Buro sat for many cycles discussing this situation... The disappearance of Boorawchick left Glorx on the brink of disaster!
- It was only thinking about the fate of the Beeboorats that gave me the power to reach VigBoo all by myself, crawling through the hostile jungle. The damned beebs nearly gnawed me away!
- By offending me you offended all the Beeboorats. I was crawling and thinking about inflicting righteous retribution on the ratfink who neglected his duty of guarding Boorawchick.
- Only your ruBeecation will wipe out this disgrace from Glorx and my medals.


I find it funny how he speaks from behind the bars, without opening the windows like counselors usually do. Not willing to risk another journey, eh?

Well. This could have gone worse. We were just stripped of all our possessions, of which there weren't much to begin with since we didn't linger on Necross for too long.
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I think we might call the situation resolved. All that is left is to go through usual steps. :M
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- To the Buro: Boorawchick reporting. An Agent arrived that doubted the integrity of the Buro. Initializing ruBeecation.
- Ineffective Agent! Losing your Rubbox means losing the Buro's trust. You are being put under the command of the Fugitive Vangers Enslaving Department. All your property has been confiscated.
- I am your esteemed and dearly loved Beeboorat instructor. I'm re-registering your Rubbox. Take care of it, as it's the color of our banner!
- As usual, everything you do is totally controlled by the Buro. Always fear.
- Pay attention to orders! Drive Valorins to Lampasso. All your previous services have been erased. The Buro doesn't need experimenters.
- To the Buro: Agent found to be insane. Started slavery therapy. Boorawchick out.


We've been in this situation before. Back to the drawing board, then?
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Of course, this time I think we can afford to make a few shortcuts...
We'll get back on track, eventually... one raffa at a time. :lol:
 
Last edited:

Nevill

Arcane
Joined
Jun 6, 2009
Messages
11,211
Shadorwun: Hong Kong
Still part 18. Some people juggle mechoses.
Despite the ruBeecation, we still retain our mechos from Necross. I guess they didn't bother with swapping one raffa for another.
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The first thing I do is I try to sweep the sea floor for the Incarnator I threw away... but it's for naught. Either someone picked it up, or it fell down one of the many Glorx' crevices and can no longer be retrieved without DigRig shenanigans. It is starting to get real dangerous around the escave, with other mechoses taking an interest in my persona, so I had to abort the search.
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Guess I'll have to check other rocks for valuables. That was what Donaroriac wanted anyway. But this one seems to contain a part of some mechos rather than a special device.
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Apparently, it's a 'Box', and it does not fit inside a raffa. A pity, but we'll have to leave it here for now.

We have more luck with the next rock. It's a degradator.
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Degradator
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An interesting souvenir from Threall. If something in this hell forces you to deal with a Vanger, you can’t do without this ball. Throw it at your enemy's mechos and get ready. If your gift lands right in his hold, the scamp will get several times smaller in size. Then you just trample him like a beeb!

Neat stuff, though using it is usually more trouble than it's worth. Besides, a small mechos is also harder to ram.
I continue raiding Luck-based hideouts in search of expensive pieces of technology. Even with my miniscule bay size I would be able to afford a simple mechos after selling those.
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As an aside, the technological prowess of the world advances with time. By now, almost every vanger from Necross seems to own a CopteRig, and many vangers from Glorx follow in their footsteps. Makes it a nightmare to kill anything without having Vector equipped.

Though currently my primary concern is to not get killed myself - say, by accidentally jumping in front of a moving car.
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Or by crossing a vanger with a Vector system. The only thing that saved me is that I darted under the bridge and kept a solid road between me and the enemy weapons at all times. The AI didn't realize why his shots never reached me.
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Of course, it only takes a hole in the road for the shots to get through. Ouch, this was painful! Raffas don't have big shields.
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Fortunately for me, the roads of Glorx are a busy place and do not favor those who stand in one place for too long. Because sooner or later they tend to run into trucks.
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I kept the Feathered Surgeon busy long enough for a passing Rivet Bier to smash into it. The two dolts immediately got into a brawl, and I used this sudden breather to get the hell out of dodge.
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When I passed by that road thirty seconds later, a ghOrb cannon and a Vector lying near a small crater told me exactly how the fight went down. Rivet Bier is a dangerous opponent. :salute:
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Which is why I shouldn't loiter around either. The stuff I collected should pay for an Oxidize Monk, at least.
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There we go. We still have a long way to go, but that's a solid start.
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Right. The fastest way to make money in this game is not cirt delivery, though it's the safest and the easiest one. The fastest way is to swap mechoses with expensive trucks using Incarnators, and then sell them in the nearest escave. You can earn up to 100K in one go. Which is why spotting a Ripper from Necross is a great luck for us.
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We just need to throw our rubbox away because when the mechoses are exchanged, so are the items. If you forget yours in your old car, it renders the process meaningless, because Boorawchick will confiscate your property anyway.
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Feathered Surgeon and Iron Wraith are both solid mechoses. I guess I can settle for those. Activating the Incarnator, I throw in on the road, but the Feathered Surgeon nimbly dodges it, doing a 180 turn.
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Normally, the Iron Wraith would have run right over the Incarnator, giving me an easy victory, but it just so happens that the three of us crash into each other...
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...and ruin its trajectory as it tumbles over our mechos. Damn!
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It looks as if my plan could still succeed as the Wraith resumes moving in the previous direction...
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...however, it jumps over the Incarnator and hovers in the air. Did I mention that I absolutely hate when AI vangers use CopteRigs? :argh:
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It just flies over me, never landing, as if mocking my attempt. I don't think I can do anything to it now, unless I want to try launching the Incarnator mid-jump, and even then it is more likely that I would simply lose the device by throwing it somewhere I won't be able to find it later.
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Oh, it lands eventually, but since the Wraith's speed is higher than that of a Monk, I have no hopes of catching up to it. :(
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Most of the vangers I meet prefer to just jump off the road, never engaging me in the first place.
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Even some Beeboorat vangers do that. Sometimes having maxed out Dominance sucks.
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Raffas are a bit of a problem, too. That's one mechos you don't want picking up your Incarnators.
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Having no luck in finding a better prey, I set up an ambush for a Zeexen racing car...
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...but it immediately changes directions. And a raffa comes jumping out of nowhere, so I have to pack up my things in a hurry. FFFFFFFFFUUUUUU-!!! :argh:
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The only thing left to me is to stalk the main escave entrance. That's where the vangers bring cirt - and that's where the chances of finding something decent and NOT having it get away in a hurry are the highest. But the mechoses I see nearby are all somewhat shitty.
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Oh! These two would do nicely, in absense of better avenues to pursue. The Iron Wraith gets away, but the Arcan gets trapped between me and a pile of rubbish that clamps the road ever since I activated my DigRig there.
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I take a good aim, and fire.
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And miss! Unbelievable!!! :argh:

Through some miracle the Arcan jumps and rolls over the Incarnator as the hellish device passes harmlessly between its wheels. That's complete and utter bullshit! I was aiming right at it!! :outrage:

Of course it then starts ramming me and shooting me from its macHOTin gun. Its mass is three times mine, so I can't push it to pick up the Incarnator by force.
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It proceeds to push me around while tickling me to death, when suddenly a new mechos mechos appears from behind... right where I left my Incarnator.
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:rage::rage::rage:
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Of course, after trying and failing for 10 minutes straight, I accidentally succeed in stealing the third weakest mechos in the game. :negative:

Meanwhile, the situation gets more clusterfuck-y by the second. New mechoses enter the fray.
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Terminators get thrown around by the dozens, making the world spin and confusing me completely.
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Finally, I manage to place my Incarnator in a weapon slot, line up to the Arcan, and fire again. This time for sure!!
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This time it flies right OVER the target, because Arcan's hood is only half the height of the rest of the mechos.

There must have been some great battle fought here, judging by giant holes and several equipment pieces scattered around. No time to ponder that, though - if I don't get a sturdier mechos fast, my equipment could soon be lying out there as well.
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For the third time in the last minute, I take aim at the nearest half-decent mechos and fire my Incarnator.
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It's a hit!!! I was starting to wonder if I didn't forget how to play the damn game. Sure, the Needle is not the best vehicle one can dream of, but at least it's a direct improvement over the Monk, as opposed to the one we were in before.
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The vehicles are getting poorer and poorer in quality as time goes by. Only Arcan here is worth something - the rest are pure garbage. There is no point in staying here any longer. I throw away a shrub that the previous owner was carrying (don't want Boorawchick harping on me for that, too), and get out.
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But not before picking up that 'Box' came upon earlier. I figured my bay was big enough for it.
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Man, that is one MASSIVE spare part.

Oh, and we should not forget our rubbox. It's still lying where we left it.
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Well. All in all, this wasn't ideal, and it didn't all go according to plan...
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...but we did get a better mechos together with a unique spare part, as well as restored Boorawchick's trust in our abilities. That must count for something, right?
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- To the Buro: Full-fledged, pushy Agent arrived. Boorawchick is getting in contact with the subject.
- Vanger! By looking at your Rubbox I have concluded that your push is higher than it has ever been. We favor Agents like you. I'm going to tell you top secret information from our archive:
Cart is a spare part of Sandoll. Our Agents risked their lives to secure this data, so don't betray our trust in you and tell this secret to the sapless worlds!

It's now time to decide what to do with those.
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It looks like the worst is behind us now, Codex, and so we must choose our next course of action. The first steps are obvious - buy a better mechos out of whatever is available in stores. But what do we do then?
1. The Inner Voice has never steered us wrong... yet. Get back to Necross and try to impress the good Zeexen by winning their ritual race, Zeeklope.
2. The Zeexen are scum, all of them to the last one. They must be punished for their treachery. Go to Necross and steal their next ProtoZeek, disrupting the race. They will never see it coming!
a) Sell ProtoZeek to the Eleepods. Maybe they will appreciate a curiosity from another world and pay you good beebs for it. Or maybe not.
b) Sell ProtoZeek to the Beeboorats. Maybe it will turn out as a better Hero than their usual stock, and they will reward you handsomely. Or maybe not.
3. Go pay a visit to Khox. Perhaps there is something of value hidden there, and it isn't just a black hole of death full of wild Softies eager to devour one's flesh...
4. Do some tabutasks to improve our Luck and earn a few beebs in the process.
a) Do Eleepod tabutasks.
b) Do Beeboorat tabutasks.
c) Do Zeexen tabutasks.
5. Dabble into cirt delivery and get rich again. Hopefully no one will ever try to rob us of our cash like they did the last two times.
a) Ship Eleepod cirt.
b) Ship Beeboorat cirt. (warning - we have met our Glorx quota, so this action only gives money and no other benefits)
c) Ship Zeexen cirt.
6. Freeform (specify).

Box.
latest_cb_20120218201204_path_prefix_ru.gif

The wheels of this box don’t work. What it’s for is unknown. Useless junk.
We have picked up a 'Box'. Stylish Geer'ah has told us that it belongs with Last Moggy, the giant ruin of a mechos we've seen on Necross. Do we attempt to fix it?
1. Yes, go to Zeepa and give the spare part to Zeephra. Hopefully she'll know what to do with it.
2. Nah, money are more important. Sell it in VigBoo for about 10K beebs.

You can ask any counselor 10 questions. Just specify the one you want to ask. Beeboorats are a special case, as I will ask all of them at once.

Known vocabulary:
mechos - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
vangers - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
raffa - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
escave - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
bunch - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
bios - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
beebs - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Clash - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats, Zeekatrix
Creature Soup - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats, Zeekatrix
Softie - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Cryspo - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Passage - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Spiral - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Departed Bios - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats, Zeekatrix

The Chain - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats, Zeekatrix
Fostral - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Glorx - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Necross - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Xplo - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats, Zeekatrix
Khox - asked Beeboorats, Zeekatrix
Ark-a-Znoy - asked Zeekatrix
Eleepods - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Beeboorats - asked Leepky&Feenger (low trust), Beeboorats
Zeexen - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats, Zeekatrix
Leepky - asked Leepky, Beeboorats
Feenger - asked Beeboorats
Podish - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Incubator - asked Feenger (low trust), Beeboorats
Plump-up - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Eleerection - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Gulp-down - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Boorawchick - asked Beeboorats, Zeekatrix
Geer'ah - asked Beeboorats
Oboorez - asked Beeboorats
VigBoo - asked Beeboorats
Lampasso - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Ogorod - asked Leepky, Beeboorats
Progress - asked Beeboorats
Heroism - asked Beeboorats
Election of Castaways - asked Beeboorats
Zeepa - asked Beeboorats
B-Zone - asked Beeboorats, Zeekatrix
Zeephra - asked Beeboorats
Zeekatrix - asked Zeekatrix
Saturday
Spring
December


pod - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
P-beam - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
ruBeecation - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
The Buro - asked Beeboorats
The Manual - asked Beeboorats
Jablees - asked Beeboorats
Slave - asked Beeboorats
Commissar - asked Beeboorats
Agent - asked Beeboorats
Nuclear War - asked Beeboorats
PeepShow - asked Beeboorats
castaway - asked Beeboorats
Zeeklope

eLeech - asked Leepky&Feenger (low trust), Beeboorats
nymbos - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
phlegma - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
cirt - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats, Zeekatrix
Larvae - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
peeperette - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Nucleoboom - asked Beeboorats
shrub - asked Beeboorats
Valorin - asked Beeboorats
rubbox - asked Beeboorats
toxick - asked Zeekatrix
popon
ProtoZeek

Updated session information:
Tabutasks:
Completed 7 for the Beeboorats, 4 failed

Broken mechoses:
Last Moggy - Necross

Cart is a spare part of Sandoll.
 
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Azira

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Nov 3, 2004
Messages
8,519
Location
Copenhagen, Denmark
Codex 2012
Votes;
4c
1
Questions;
Errr. Those we haven't asked about. And ask the Zeexen. That amounts for 6 questions. Ask the one not trying to mate with you. As for the last 4 questions, go with these:
Softie
Spiral
Leepky&Finger
Zeepa
 

lightbane

Arcane
Joined
Dec 27, 2008
Messages
10,156
Votes: 3-1.
Questions: Ask the Buro and/or Zeekatrix about these:
Saturday
Spring
December
popon
ProtoZeek
Softie
Spiral
Zeepa
The Manual
Ark-a-Znoy
 

Nevill

Arcane
Joined
Jun 6, 2009
Messages
11,211
Shadorwun: Hong Kong
Ok, closing the votes.

Q&A session:
To Zeekatrix:

- Who or what is Saturday, Counselor?
- I once happened to be in ZeePa on Saturday. What a disgusting sight. Everyone is sitting still, mumbling praise to ProtoZeek. Zeephra, hopping around among them, punishes those lacking enthusiasm with a huge club. Remembering that picture makes me work twice as hard at boiling toxick. Zeephra is really sick in the head!

- Who or what is Spring, Counselor?
- I love this merry cycle. Spring comes, and ProtoZeek is sure to follow soon. It's great fun watching the clay being removed from a vanger. The poor thing doesn't understand anything, just blinks and hiccups. Then all of B-Zone praises Zeephra for the treat and prepares a thanksgiving toxick for her.

- Who or what is December, Counselor?
- Well, ask Zeephra about it. She's the one who calls everything here by words she imagines to be Softie words. She thinks them up, no doubt. But I don't care what they call the cycles as long as regular cirt deliveries continue.

- Who or what is popon, Counselor?
- ZeePa, the nuthouse in the bogs, provides us with oodles of the thingies. Zeephra thinks that the scribblings on the popons tell tales about ProtoZeek. That's a load of rubbish, but the things are actually quite useful. You can use them to pave roads or plug holes!

- Who or what is ProtoZeek, Counselor?
- Arriving in ZeePa, a vanger is astonished to learn that ProtoZeek is none other than himself! Alas, that's the gist of Zeephra's madness. She believes herself to be Softie refuse, and that ProtoZeek statuette is the very image of an ideal Softie. So they take a vanger, coat him with clay, and send him off to us. Probably as a boast. It's hilarious!

- Who or what is Softie, Counselor?
- There once lived an enormous wild tribe, greedy and untidy. After they had eaten all they could, including the rotten mire, they began eating another tribe, the Cryspo, out of house and home. The Cryspo put up with this for a while, but once their eggs became the latest victims, they clashed with the Softie. Hence 'the Clash.'

- Who or what is Spiral, Counselor?
- The Softie used spirals to lock Passages and keep various never-do-wells from hanging around. The bios broke those down and put them in mechoses so that the vangers could make their cirt deliveries.

- Who or what is Zeepa, Counselor?
- ZeePa is the escave of the stupid zeepo. All of them, including their mommy Zeephra, are just crazy about the Softie. While I was trying to find out the reason for this disorder, I picked up a specimen of earth at the entrance to ZeePa, and you know what? It's got a high concentration of bog gasses!

- Who or what is The Manual, Counselor?
- Everything that Boorawchick yells from his barrel, as the stern Buro, is written down, decorated with beautiful pictures, and proclaimed as compulsory. It's the smartest hoax in the Chain of Worlds, other than the popons and ProtoZeek.

- Who or what is Beeboorats, Counselor?
- You don't know about Beeboorats? Beeboorats are, well, beebs. They're born big and fat, but on Glorx they've got nothing to eat, so they just get thinner and thinner from hunger, shrinking smaller and smaller, until they reach the size of a beeb. Then they run away to join the others, so you can squash them there.

- Who or what is Zeephra, Counselor?
- What do you see in that deranged nag? Has she been boasting of her Softie origin or trying to dress you up as ProtoZeek? Once, on a trip, Zeephra made a vanger so sick with her squeaking that he threw her out in the end. She strayed into the bogs and came back completely crazy, scratching herself, giggling, and murmuring something about the Softie.

- Who or what is Geer'ah, Counselor?
- Geer'ah is the most inquisitive, educated Beeboorat, and we came to an agreement with him quite quickly. The noble researcher studies the possibilities of physical therapy in his stadiums in Lampasso.

- Who or what is Oboorez, Counselor?
- Let me tell you something confidential: Oboorez used to be a shrub! He was brought there to Ogorod, planted and watered, and had a peeperette inserted. I spilled some toxick nearby, just for the sake of an experiment, and the peeperette failed to sprout! Oboorez's wrappings had to be removed, and he was left in Ogorod.

- Who or what is Leepky, Counselor?
- Listen to the story of how Leepky became counselor. Once, the other Eleepods decided to give him a beating for calling them names. Fear drove him into the counselor's cave, where he ate up all the phlegma stored there and so was doomed to stay there forever. Since then, all of the vangers have become sick of his conceited snout.

- Who or what is Feenger, Counselor?
- Eleepod counselors usually end up as counselors in the most absurd and silly ways you can imagine. An eLeech that was supposed to be sent to Podish hid himself away in a crack. He was growing bigger and bigger, nibbling the old counselor bit by bit. The oaf never noticed it, and the eLeech grew, so eventually Incubator couldn't keep from taking him on as a counselor.


To the Buro:

- Who or what is Ark-a-Znoy, Counselor?
Geer'ah: The Buro has banned any actions on Ark-a-Znoy, due to the great number of Agents who have died there.
Boorawchick: By some Agent accounts, Ark-a-Znoy looks like Xplo. There's nothing there except death.
Oboorez: I once saw an Agent who was sent to Ark-a-Znoy by the Buro. He couldn't remember anything except sand and underground beasts.

Must be a lovely place.


To Zeephra:

Zeephra actually has her answers split in two parts - before Zeeklope and after. Similar to the trust system of the two other bios. However, I don't think it would be right to separate them like that.

- Who or what is Softie, Counselor?
- They were an ancient, mighty tribe. But they suffered from their own generosity. In their haste to expand their domain and then to breed more lovely beebs in their vast new territories, the Softie started digging Passages... But I can see you are still too young to comprehend this truth. Come back later.
- I'll tell you the rest of the story about the Softie... The Softie, after building the passages, bumped into the wicked Cryspo, who liked the beebs too, but from a diner's point of view. The honorable Softie decided to defend the beebs, but they all died together with the Cryspo in a great battle. Only ProtoZeek survived.


- Who or what is Spiral, Counselor?
- When ProtoZeek was creating the mechos, he broke his wonderful stick which he used to shepherd the beebs into several parts. He inserted these parts into the mechos' secret slots and cast a spell on them... Once you have more experience, I'll tell you the most important part!
- Here is the continuation of the story. After that Protozeek collected the smartest bios and gave them the mechos. He whispered a magic word to each of the bios, which would open the Passage. Since then the key-word has passed from one counselor to another, yet only the Zeexen remember the whole truth.


- Who or what is Leepky, Counselor?
- It's me who should ask you about Leepky. You must be good friends with him. I can only say, that when he was driven, in the form of an eLeech, from Incubator, the mechos was bombarded by a raffa gang and then it was hardly prevented from drowning. These childish tribulations reflect much on his temper...
- I once corresponded with Leepky, using popons. He signed his messages 'The Podish Martyr'. What a stuck-up loser! That fat mug doesn't even believe in ProtoZeek...


- Who or what is Feenger, Counselor?
- Feenger is the counselor of Incubator. I envy Leepky such a smart assistant who obeys him without a single complaint! My Zeekatrix is quite another thing: she's such a trouble-maker! I wouldn't be surprised if I found out she reads only every other popon and keeps them all in one big messy pile!
- Feenger is not as simple as he may seem. I visited him to learn more about Incubator, the place once visited by ProtoZeek. But he neither showed nor told me anything, and I left disappointed.


- Who or what is Zeepa, Counselor?
- ZeePa is the main escave in the Chain of Worlds. ProtoZeek built it last and then bequeathed it to us, the Zeexen. Here he wrote his last popons. Since then, ZeePa has been the main source of popons.
- I'll tell you an awful secret: ZeePa is situated over a former Passage through which the cursed Cryspo came to the Chain of Worlds. ProtoZeek sealed it with an escave and warned us to be cautious and let no Cryspo back through. But recently I've sensed strange vibrations in ZeePa's walls...
A bit on etymology of Zeexen words. As you might have noticed, much of their names contain 'zee', similar to 'boor' in Beeboorat words.
Zeephra is a distorted 'cifra', which means 'a digit' in Russian.
Zeekatrix is a distorted 'Tsokotukha', who is a craracter of a fairy tale by Korney Chukovsky, a famous Russian poet and publicist. She is known in English as 'Buzzy-Wuzzy':
Buzzy-Wuzzy Busy Fly,
Yellow belly, beady eye!
Buzzy-Wuzzy looked around,
Buzzy-Wuzzy found a pound.
ProtoZeek... that's a bit harder. It was called 'WeeZyk' in the previous translation, which I think was a bit more correct. In Russian, the word doesn't exist, but it evokes a feeling of something little that one day will grow stronger, a 'wee one'. I am not sure why the developers retranslated it, but Zeephra believes that Zeexen were created in His image, so it still kind of works...
Finally, Zeeklope is a distorted 'cyclop'. I don't think it's connected to the meaning of the word in any way. It's probably just as Zeekatrix tells it - Zeephra found the first Softie word with a 'zeek' in it, so that's what the race became known as.
 
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Nevill

Arcane
Joined
Jun 6, 2009
Messages
11,211
Shadorwun: Hong Kong
By the way, here's the Chain of Worlds:
Code:
     [A]--(N)--[B]
           |
[T]--(X)--(G)--[K]   [H]
           |
     [?]--(F)--[W]
F - Fostral
G - Glorx
N - Necross
X - Xplo
W - Weexow
K - Khox
A - Ark-a-Znoy
B - ?
T - ?
H - ?

(x) denotes a major/habitable world, while [x] denotes a 'secret' world. Lines denote Passages. Yes, [H] is not connected to any of the worlds. :?

I am a bit surprised that you guy haven't visited Khox even though you had access to it for a few updates already. Maybe I should force the issue and combine the votes...

By the way, who can tell me why Xplo is marked as a habitable world?
 
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Nevill

Arcane
Joined
Jun 6, 2009
Messages
11,211
Shadorwun: Hong Kong
Part 19. The winning move is not to play.
We shall try our luck among the Zeexen one more time.

But first, we need a better mechos. This one is just shameful. So I throw away the important items - the 'Box' and the rubbox. With my Dominance I don't think there will be many willing to pick them up.
2016_01_18_205134.jpg


Ah, here's a good candidate. Target acquired! Firing Incarnator!
2016_01_18_205154.jpg


Of course the truck jumps right over it, and it gets picked up by a completely unintended victim. Just my luck.
2016_01_18_205217.jpg


But I still have the Incarnator, so it's just a matter of time and persistence.
2016_01_18_205238.jpg


Fortunately, the Rivet Bier got stuck in a whirlpool. With it fixed in place, my job is made trivial.
2016_01_18_205252.jpg


Much better. It took us a few minutes, but we are now a proud owner of a 100K+ truck.
2016_01_18_205300.jpg


All that's left is to pick up the items I left at the Spiral station for safekeeping.
2016_01_18_205405.jpg


And go visit Fostral to buy Put-Put back from the Eleepods, like I promised.
2016_01_18_205437.jpg


One disadvantage of a truck is that it is HUGE. I don't fit in some of the secret passages anymore.
2016_01_18_205558.jpg


Ah, it's still here. Good. Unfortunately, it costs a small fortune, and I am short on cash, so I have to sell nearly everything to afford it.
2016_01_18_205625.jpg

2016_01_18_205642.jpg


I hit the secret rocks to stock up on expensive equipment.
2016_01_18_205711.jpg


On the way to Necross I am accosted by one suicidally brave vanger. It pesters me with terminators that make my giant car topple as if it was a raffa, and it fires at me with a surprising precision that makes me suspect it has a Vector. How is that even possible? The mechos doesn't have a rig slot to make use of it!
2016_01_18_205816.jpg


Since I have no weapons, my only recourse is either running away, or ramming. It would be rather ignominous of me to flee from a small pest, so I try the latter.
2016_01_18_205854.jpg


It is pretty effective. And what do you know? The guy did have a Vector! It would be a good addition to my arsenal.
2016_01_18_205906.jpg


I stop by Lampasso to restock on weapons... and buy a random Beeboorat, just because they come cheap.
2016_01_18_205955.jpg


I regret my decision the moment I leave the escave. It sings.
2016_01_18_210013.jpg

I am a Hero Beeboorat on my way from Lampasso to VigBoo!
Learn courage from the Beeboorats and bone up on the Hymn of the Brave:
Ooo-aaa! Take a Nucleoboom in your left paw!
Aaa-ooo! Take your head in your right paw!
Watch the Jablees flying high!
Listen to whirlpools gurgle!
Yeee! Quell the sapless-bellied enemy!


I make a mental note to get rid ot it at the first opportunity.
2016_01_18_210043.jpg


Which is quick to present itself, since Zeepa is right next to the Glorx Passage.
2016_01_18_210102.jpg


Our waifu is happy to see we brough a guest with us.
2016_01_18_210112.jpg

[Beeboorat in Inventory]
- Look, there's a little beeboorattie! Oh, he's so angry! I know, you are a tootsie deep inside, it's just your silly Buro's Manual that has made you confused. Now I'll be the one confusing you. Those wicked villains from B-Zone will see that even Beeboorats come to see Zeephra, because of how nice and kind she is...

Looks like they are a right fit for each other.

O-ho! Zeephra must be really lonely, to pay such money for a company. Not that I mind!
2016_01_18_210127.jpg


And we get rid of the 'Box' while we are here.
2016_01_18_210153.jpg

2016_01_18_210202.jpg

The mechos looks much better now, but it is still broken. Guess one part is not enough to fix it.

We also buy as many weapons and rigs as our money can afford. Which admittedly isn't a lot. And also some popons. After all, they do not sell tabutasks to you until you deliver them wares.
2016_01_18_210226.jpg


Did I mention that you can read popons?
2016_01_18_210306.jpg

On how ProtoZeek found his sky...

Once ProtoZeek was flying
as only we Zeexen
and maybe some scoundrel raffas can.
None of those greedy Worms
or those cracked Hornchiggers could fly
like ProtoZeek was flying that day.
Suddenly a gust of wind threw our hero forward
and then turned him downside up.
And there our ProtoZeek found himself face to face
with the immense sky,
unreachable from the narrow underground burrows.
The sky surrounded ProtoZeek
and began swallowing him until
our poor ProtoZeek fell down on the stones, flat on his back.
That was how ProtoZeek learned the malicious nature of the Sky
and broke his left pinion.


Though you are better off if you don't. :roll:

On the way down to B-Zone I find a secret stash that caught my attention for some reason.
2016_01_18_210337.jpg


I open it up, and what do you know? There is a spare part called 'Heavy Iron' inside! Except... I can't pick it up. Not even with a DigRig! What the hell?
2016_01_18_210406.jpg


After thoroughly mutilating the place I come to a conclusion that it must be a bug. Nothing seems to work, and I know I have enough space in the bay to fit it in!
2016_01_18_210440.jpg

Maybe some other vanger will be more lucky.

I run into some crazy dude on a truck trying to pick a fight, but I do not reciprocate - ghOrb charges are precious on Necross. Better ignore what you don't want to kill.
2016_01_18_210515.jpg


And I am at my destination!
2016_01_18_210528.jpg


Zeekatrix is pleased to see some popons.
2016_01_18_210541.jpg

[Poponka Delivery]
- Thanks for the popons, thank you indeed, vanger. We use them differently, but what does that matter? In skilled hands, a popon can come in very handy. Sometimes, though, such a feeling of yearning comes over you in December that you sit down and read it all the way through!
- And these stories are not devoid of beauty, I must say, even though they're nothing but the fantasies of those slow, backwards zeepos. The others around here are no better, though.


Sadly, popons aren't worth anything to her. Zeephra sells them for about 125 beebs each, but Zeekatrix is only willing to pay 10 to buy them off your hands. That's right, Necross is such a crazy place that the trade here is backwards - you actually lose money for engaging in it. :lol:

Seeing our discontent, she throws us a little extra for our trouble:
2016_01_18_210612.jpg

- I want to tell you my story, truth-seeker. Only the most intimate vangers are permitted to know it, the ones who are experts at their trade.
- I used to be a vanger once too - don't be surprised. I was known in the worlds as the Damned Bog-Berry. Beeboorats feared me like the plague.
- I could easily take out a truck with just a MacHOTine! But then I had to retire, as I sprained a finger by pulling the trigger - this one. In those days I had the Lawn Mower mechos. It's gone now, filched piece by piece and taken to different worlds by ill-wishers.
-
Wheezer fits it, or at least a part of it does. Get a load of me! Zeekatrix knows a thing or two about mechos!

Good to know! Now, about those tabutasks...
2016_01_18_210711.jpg

2016_01_18_210735.jpg

Zeekatrix has decided she'll start making popons and send them to ZeePa herself.
Otherwise they'll think that only duffers live in B-Zone.
The counselor believes that a fat dweller of Fostral
would be just perfect for this job. Bring an Eleepod to Zeekatrix quickly
and she'll knock the socks off those backward guys in ZeePa.
Reward: 5000 Luck: 15 Cycles: 1


Great. Our first tabutask, and it's a nearly impossible one!

Zeekatrix is curious as to how raffas survive
and even manage to ship some wares.
Perhaps it's because of the toughness of the mechos.
Shoot up five raffas and watch them jump and fly around.
Reward: 1500 Luck: 3 Cycles: 0


She is a mad scientist all right. :salute:

Let's get to work, then. We don't have much time, and random aggressive Beeboorats armed to the teeth do not help.
2016_01_18_210908.jpg


Always a pleasure to see an AI derp and get stuck in a bog. A pity I can't stay and watch it slowly die.
2016_01_18_210958.jpg


With three ghOrb cannons, our firepower is significant. It takes only 4 shots to send an Oxidize Monk to mechos heaven.
2016_01_18_211010.jpg

2016_01_18_211023.jpg


We aren't halfway across the map, and the cycle has already changed. Our chances of bringing an Eleepod in time are not looking good. :(
2016_01_18_211043.jpg


We stop by Zeephra to buy another tabutask, and get an offer to participate in their Zeeklope.
2016_01_18_211105.jpg

- Zeeklope is coming soon, a pompous competition for those who would contest their right to ProtoZeek. We have agreed long ago that the fastest way to get the relic delivered to B-Zone is to have several daredevils competing for the honor. Do you wish to stay here and wait for spring, the time for riding through Necross?
- Perhaps I should try it out another time, as I need to oil my mechos first...
- Your breed is familiar to me, babe. Not all of my husbands are qualified to take part in Zeeklope. Beware, lest your mechos fall apart due to your cowardly quivering up there...

Alright, what's the mission?
2016_01_18_211159.jpg

Zeephra has wings, though she can't fly,
while some vangers do it easily,
something that hurts the counselor deeply.
Fire at three flying vangers
to calm Zeephra down a little.
Reward: 1500 Luck: 7 Cycles: 1


The girl has issues. But we have our own problems to take care of, first. Back to Glorx!
2016_01_18_211233.jpg


And we run out of Spiral charges along the way. We only have four, after all. That leads to me losing precious seconds in order to recharge the device.
2016_01_18_211321.jpg


I believe I can still make it!
2016_01_18_211350.jpg


Oh. Right. I spent all of my beebs on equipment, and Eleepods do not entrust their people to outsiders easily, with each passenger costing over 5K beebs. There go all of my weapons again. :negative:
2016_01_18_211405.jpg

2016_01_18_211422.jpg


Eleepod passengers, too, are talkative. Sorry, bro, but you are not going to Podish today. Save your inspiration for Zeexen popons.
2016_01_18_211440.jpg

I am an Eleepod, mind you. I'm on my way from Incubator to Podish.
Take it slow, just a bit faster than a beeb, and stop gazing around.
Do not flap my scratchers during the long journey.
One can't regain inspiration lost on Fostral paths.


Surprise raffa out of nowhere!
2016_01_18_211556.jpg

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It looks like it was drowning in the river below and used its KiD to jump out... right into our truck. That's why I hate driving raffas.

I am in a hurry and I forget to look at the road. Not that I need to. But I like how casually Rivet Bier destroys passing mechoses without even meaning to.
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The cycle is still ongoing! Damn, that is one long Saturday!
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Lots of vangers around. Have you guys figured a connection between the cycles and the cirt yet? ;)
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I do not know how that is even possible to drive over that thin 'rope' on a car like mine, and I do not care, as long as it gets me across.
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Safe!!!
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Zeekatrix welcomes the poet.
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[Eleepod in Inventory]
- Hey, vanger, spare your mechos! Just fancy him carrying a heavy Eleepod through two worlds! But the worm seems to have enjoyed it: look how he rolled his eyes.
- Never mind, guy. I'll bring you back to life. Stay with me and stir toxick with your tail... And when it comes off we'll sew on some good long seaweed, imported from Glorx, instead.


Awww. I knew he'll be in good hands.

With some money gained from the tabutask I finally decide to settle a score with the Beeboorat that tried to kill me earlier.
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It gets a little flaky as I lose my weapons and a part of my hull due to massive missile strikes...
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And the enemy truck takes an ungodly amount of ammo to put down, which makes the fight span several minutes and screens...
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But eventually, the justice triumphs. And his weapons would get me a bit of cash back, something that I am constantly lacking.
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Soon, the cycle changes and that means I can check Zeekatrix for new tabutasks.
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There was a bug in the original that made it impossible to enter B-Zone during Zeeklope without ProtoZeek - Zeekatrix mistook you for one of the racers and threw you out because you weren't doing you job. I am glad to see it fixed in the remake.

One way to 'reload' your weapons is to buy a new one from the counselor. Of course, they cost extra, so it is not an economically sound strategy to employ. Bot we lack better options.
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A new dawn, a new mission...
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Zeekatrix wants to cook special Beeboorat toxick using a proprietary recipe.
As the bugs are crazy about their Nucleobooms,
bring ten of them here right away.
The new potion should be appreciated on Glorx.
Reward: 2000 Luck: 10 Cycles: 2


Nope, I am not doing that one. It requires me to wait for the Nuclear War, then find and collect 10 Nucleobooms, and then bring them to B-Zone before Heroism on Glorx expires (because by then all Nucleobooms rot away). And it has a time limit on Necross, too. It's just not worth it.

But the Oxidize Monk above me? That one gets my full attention. Because 1) it's a racer 2) the counter shows that ProtoZeek is currently with the first Zeeklope participant 3) I don't see any other racers around.
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Meaning that I can get ProtoZeek for free, just because I happened to be nearby when another vanger was delivering it from across the other end of the map! Life is unfair like that. :M

See that small blue thingie falling our of the car's flaming carcass? That's ProtoZeek. The counter changes accordingly, indicating that the relic is currently on the ground and in no one's possession.
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A random raffa jumps on me and is instantly exploded from impact. I think I have more accidental kills on this mechos than intended ones by now...
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Zeekatrix is content with our performance.
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- Hi, ProtoZeek's master. We are just finishing up construction on another exit from B-Zone, so such a huge lump of clay will come in handy.
- Let me just extract the vanger caught by Zeephra out of this statuette. You know that your pal, the poor thing, was baked inside this heap by the zeepos? I don't think you feel bad for him, though. You vangers don't give a fig about others, you don't have bunches...
- You are nimble, aren't you! Zeephra likes holding Zeeklope, a race with that ProtoZeek. And she always sends several vangers hoping that that way the load will be delivered safer and faster...
- We make little profit off this cargo, but I have never made a mistake when staking the wheeler who won the Necross race. Even without knowing, the zeepos help us select true vangers.


Oh, that was a very duifficult task, indeed. It definitely deserves a reward!
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- I see that you tried hard and for that I will reward you with the key to the last abandoned world: Xplo. Mostly Larvae live there, you see what I am hinting at? All of us are slaves to cirt, such is the legacy of our ancestors. Although Zeexen's mind is alive, our body serves these underground skunks.
- Take cirt to ZeePa, as they alone can distill it into a special concentrate. Did you ever think about why only the main escaves need cirt? Chain dwellers prefer to keep mum rather than disclose their intimate secrets to rough creatures like you...
- And I don't plan on it either. Be happy with what you have: you can get to Xplo, the world of Departed Bios...


Yes, Xplo is the world where the Departed Bios resided. But you guys knew that already, right? Right?
2016_01_19_004332.jpg

And our Luck rises by 6. Yay!

We still have Zeephra's tabutask to accomplish - we must fire at three flying vangers. Hmph, I know! I will simply fire at everyone, and the mission will be complete when they try to fly away from me!!
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Ah, another unlucky racer is coming. Sorry, pal, you are too late. It turns out that the best way to win the race is not to participate!
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Dead.
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One more racer!
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Dead. And it looks like he did try getting away on a CopteRig. My plan to kill everything that moves was a complete success!
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I developed a certain bloodlust for racers. It's not like I have much to do until the cycle changes anyway.
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Alright, there it is. Back to the escave for my next assignment.
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But not before collecting numerous loot from our felled victims and killing the last racer.
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Funny that they still display as racers on the map even after Zeeklope is over. It doesn't happen on other two worlds.
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I am out of ammo, and Zeeklope is out of participants. That was a glorious hunt.
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Here are the latest two mission from our inventive Zeekatrix.
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2016_01_19_004731.jpg

Zeekatrix has decided to cook toxick using a new recipe.
The potion should be strong and heady
so that everyone in ZeePa collapses paws up.
One of the ingredients of the new toxick is fresh beebs,
so bring 20 of them right away.
Reward: 900 Luck: 3 Cycles: 0

Glorious vangers complain
about stink horns breeding in large quantities around B-Zone and hampering free movement.
If vangers stop visiting Zeekatrix,
who will ship toxick?
Shoot 20 stinkhorns before the end of the cycle
to calm the counselor down.
Reward: 1300 Luck: 5 Cycles: 0


Should be a non-issue for us.
It appears that our choice didn't work as I intended it to, Codex. While we have only managed to complete two tabutasks, we have also accidentally won Zeeklope and a key to Xplo in the process, as well as racked up an impressive number of kills (I counted at least 10). But maybe it's for the best. Now all of the major worlds are open to us. What do we do next?
1) Go to Xplo, the world of the Departed Bios, and try to figure out their mystery. They were strong and successful, and they left behind much of the weapons that are still in use by vangers of today. What fate could have befallen them?
- a) The world is said to be inhabited only by Larvae now. Bring as many cirtainers with you as you can, and deliver cirt to the bios of your choosing. (choose between Eleepods, Beeboorats, and Zeexen)
- b) No, keep your cargo bay empty in case you need to pick up something from there. Treasure may await in the unlikeliest of places!
2) Go explore Khox. It can't be as bad as the counselors make it sound, can it?
3) Continue doing tabutasks for the bios of your choosing. Surely there must be something they haven't told you yet? (choose between Eleepods, Beeboorats, and Zeexen)
4) Buy a conlarver and try to catch a Larva to deliver it to one of the bios. What's the harm, right? (choose the bios and the world from which to bring a Larva)
5) Freeform. (specify)

You can ask any counselor 10 question. Please specify who you are asking. Beeboorats will be asked the question together.

Known vocabulary.
mechos - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
vangers - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
raffa - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
escave - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
bunch - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
bios - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
beebs - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Clash - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats, Zeekatrix
Creature Soup - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats, Zeekatrix
Softie - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats, Zeekatrix, Zeephra
Cryspo - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Passage - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Spiral - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats, Zeekatrix, Zeephra
Departed Bios - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats, Zeekatrix

The Chain - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats, Zeekatrix
Fostral - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Glorx - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Necross - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Xplo - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats, Zeekatrix
Khox - asked Beeboorats, Zeekatrix
Ark-a-Znoy - asked Beeboorats, Zeekatrix
Eleepods - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Beeboorats - asked Leepky&Feenger (low trust), Beeboorats, Zeekatrix
Zeexen - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats, Zeekatrix
Leepky - asked Leepky, Beeboorats, Zeekatrix, Zeephra
Feenger - asked Beeboorats, Zeekatrix, Zeephra
Podish - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Incubator - asked Feenger (low trust), Beeboorats
Plump-up - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Eleerection - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Gulp-down - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Boorawchick - asked Beeboorats, Zeekatrix
Geer'ah - asked Beeboorats, Zeekatrix
Oboorez - asked Beeboorats, Zeekatrix
VigBoo - asked Beeboorats
Lampasso - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Ogorod - asked Leepky, Beeboorats
Progress - asked Beeboorats
Heroism - asked Beeboorats
Election of Castaways - asked Beeboorats
Zeepa - asked Beeboorats, Zeekatrix, Zeephra
B-Zone - asked Beeboorats, Zeekatrix
Zeephra - asked Beeboorats, Zeekatrix
Zeekatrix - asked Zeekatrix
Saturday - asked Zeekatrix
Spring - asked Zeekatrix
December - asked Zeekatrix

pod - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
P-beam - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
ruBeecation - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
The Buro - asked Beeboorats
The Manual - asked Beeboorats, Zeekatrix
Jablees - asked Beeboorats
Slave - asked Beeboorats
Commissar - asked Beeboorats
Agent - asked Beeboorats
Nuclear War - asked Beeboorats
PeepShow - asked Beeboorats
castaway - asked Beeboorats
Zeeklope

eLeech - asked Leepky&Feenger (low trust), Beeboorats
nymbos - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
phlegma - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
cirt - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats, Zeekatrix
Larvae - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
peeperette - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Nucleoboom - asked Beeboorats
shrub - asked Beeboorats
Valorin - asked Beeboorats
rubbox - asked Beeboorats
toxick - asked Zeekatrix
popon - asked Zeekatrix
ProtoZeek - asked Zeekatrix

Updated session information:
Tabutasks:
Completed 2 for the Zeexen, 1 failed, 3 in the process (bring 10 Nucleobooms, shoot 20 stinkhorns, squash 20 beebs).

Broken mechoses:
Last Moggy - Necross, 'Box' installed

Wheezer fits the Lawn Mower.
 
Last edited:

lightbane

Arcane
Joined
Dec 27, 2008
Messages
10,156
By the way, who can tell me why Xplo is marked as a habitable world?
Dunno. Perhaps because it is connected to another world and thus it wouldn't make sense to screw the player from getting stuck that way?
Also:
I once saw an Agent who was sent to Ark-a-Znoy by the Buro. He couldn't remember anything except sand and underground beasts.
iu


Could it be?


Anyways: I vote for 1b. No idea what to ask the NPCs about yet. I'm still not completely sure yet about what's truly going on here. By the way, Nevill, how long is this game? How close are we to the midgame/endgame?
 

Nevill

Arcane
Joined
Jun 6, 2009
Messages
11,211
Shadorwun: Hong Kong
Dunno. Perhaps because it is connected to another world and thus it wouldn't make sense to screw the player from getting stuck that way?
Well, the habitable worlds are the ones the bios live on, with escaves and stuff. The question was posed before it was said in plain text that Xplo is the world the Departed Bios once occupied. I have no way to find out if you guys remember/notice this stuff other than to ask these questions once in a while. :M

Could it be?
Close. I hate Ark-a-Znoy.

Less than I hate Khox, though. That world is pure evil, the bane of Ironman LPs.

By the way, Nevill, how long is this game? How close are we to the midgame/endgame?
You are nearing the endgame. On Xplo, if you understand where to look, you will find someone who will explain the remaining plot points you have not connected yet, and then it's a steady road towards one of the game's two endings. Or three. :M

As for how long the game is... it's hard to say. I am fairly confident that I could finish it in two hours, and definitely in three. Then again, I am fairly certain I can get to Xplo in about 15-20 minutes:

1) Steal a personal item from Leepky that grants you +50 Luck. (shortcut!)
2) Open up Luck-based hideouts, search for Incarnators.
3) Swap mechoses with the killer sent after you, kill your old mechos, get the item back and return it to Leepky.
4) Sell your expensive mechos and buy the key to Glorx with the money you got.
5) On Glorx dig up a rubbox in Ogorod to avoid losing money. (another shortcut)
6) Earn 150K beebs by stealing 2 trucks much like in the last updates. Sometimes even one is enough. The money will promote you to Agent on the spot and earn the key to Necross.
7) On Necross just go to B-Zone, enter it 3 times, and kill everyone who approaches it. Take ProtoZeek, get the key to Xplo. (yet another shortcut)

Now, the tabutasks are more tricky, and that stuff takes time. Also, I was trying to do the LP like a person who sees the game for the first time would do it, so no cutting corners unless the counselors tell the player about it.

We were going through the game at a leisurely pace, so we are now at the end of Day 4 when I remember completing my last game (that took place in 2005 or something) in 2 in-game days. Then again, I've read about people who left Fostral on Day 40+. :lol:

I guess it depends on how quickly you catch up to the game's internal logic.
 
Last edited:

Nevill

Arcane
Joined
Jun 6, 2009
Messages
11,211
Shadorwun: Hong Kong
Didnt get it why did you loose mechos and all beebs at waifu wedding gift or divorce? :lol:
Because that's a part of Zeexen cycles. They steal mechoses from newbie vangers, as Geer'ah and Boorawchick explicitly warned you about. Zeekatrix tells you that they take the stupidly gained property from stupidly greedy vangers - if you manage to outsmart her, that is.

As for how they do it - Zeephra talks and talks and talks, putting vangers her husbands in a trance-like state all the while enveloping them in clay, which she then sends to B-Zone as ProtoZeek incarnates. She keeps the mechoses (and the kids), and Zeekatrix also gets her cut. This may or may not be related to Softie customs. :M

Clearly you can see that the economy of Necross is not sustainable through trade alone, with one escave selling poison and the other selling clay tablets that cost ten times more to make?

It's that kind of world. :roll:
 
Last edited:

lightbane

Arcane
Joined
Dec 27, 2008
Messages
10,156
Because that's a part of Zeexen cycles. They steal mechoses from newbie vangers, as Geer'ah and Boorawchick explicitly warned you about. Zeekatrix tells you that they take the stupidly gained property from stupidly greedy vangers - if you manage to outsmart her, that is.

As for how they do it - Zeephra talks and talks and talks, putting vangers her husbands in a trance-like state all the while enveloping them in clay, which she then sends to B-Zone as ProtoZeek incarnates. She keeps the mechoses (and the kids), and Zeekatrix also gets her cut. This may or may not be related to Softie customs.

If I didn't knew any better, I would suspect this game was doing a social commentary of some sort. :MBut can it be? I thought Russian women were way better than American ones in this regard. Either way, let's see if we can ask some questions:

Ask both Zeexen (or the one who hasn't responded yet):
mechos, vangers, raffa, bios, Clash, Creature Soup, Departed Bios, cirt, Larvae, Zeeklope (ask everyone for that one)
 

Nevill

Arcane
Joined
Jun 6, 2009
Messages
11,211
Shadorwun: Hong Kong
Questions:
- Who or what is Zeeklope, Counselor?
- Zeeklope was a great educational trip by ProtoZeek to B-Zone. Here's what happened: Once Big Boo and ProtoZeek decided to cross stings. The stupid Boo took his out immediately, and it was huge! ProtoZeek was more nimble, though, and managed to stab Boo right in the stinger. Interesting, isn't it?
- Listen further. ProtoZeek stinged Big Boo, and took off as fast as possible from the frenzied horned beast. Meanwhile, some raffas were driving down the road. They sheltered ProtoZeek in their cargo holds, passing him to one another whilst Boo was rummaging through their stuff. Since then we have arranged Zeeklope in honour of ProtoZeek's miraculous rescue.


- Who or what is Zeeklope, Counselor?
Leepky: Zeeklope worries us a lot. We know that rude vangers ride across the swamps of Necross at this time and try to take away ProtoZeek from each other. And we know who allowed the precious object to be mishandled - Zeephra!
Feenger: Zeeklope is a big race. If luck is on your side, ProtoZeek is yours, but if not, you have to guess which rascal ended up with the valuable item!
Geer'ah: Many of our Agents on Necross would like to learn about this, but the only thing we know is that the Zeeklopes emerge with the coming of Spring.
Boorawchick: It has been established that Zeephra sometimes sends vangers to B-Zone with instructions. This is called Zeeklope. Take part in this event and find out what it's about...
Oboorez: Zeeklope is a race on Necross. One loony vanger once came straight here from that race. He barely escaped! The vangers were ripping things off of each other. It was terrible!
Zeekatrix: This is the greatest nonsense on Necross! Just imagine a mob of vangers trying to snatch a lopsided statue of ProtoZeek away from each other. That idiot Zeephra can't even give every vanger what they need. Zeeklope's so senseless it's hilarious!

Though if you ask her after your first Zeeklope, she admits she is a bit jealous:
I would like to organize something similar to take some All-Healing Toxick to ZeePa. The race will be called ToxickoZ. You'll become the first Toxickman, so start practicing in Zeeklope! My race will reach all of the worlds, and the vangers will flood into B-Zone in anticipation of ToxickoZ!

- Who or what is mechos, Counselor?
- So, you've finally noticed the can you are sitting in? You should have noticed it earlier. Mechos are the miserable tatters of the Softie former might. The vangers do still use them, but when the real Softie return, they'll demand all that's theirs back...
- After creating the bios, ProtoZeek was disappointed that they were so fragile. So he decided to build metal servants - mechos - for them, from the Softie ruins. But the steel was spiritless, and the mechoses were inanimate. At last he decided to deal with the
Infernals, and from them he received the vangers...

Huh, so the voices in my head weren't just a delusion! They really do exist!! :hug:

- Who or what is vangers, Counselor?
- The vangers are ProtoZeek's favorites. He sent them to serve the wife-counselors for the rest of their lives, strictly observing the Softie requirements. Other, wild bios got wild vangers who do nothing but plunder or loaf around aimlessly. Zeephra tries as hard as she can to get the tramps back to a righteous way of living!
- When ProtoZeek created the mechoses, they were still and lifeless like other ordinary things of metal. Then he asked the Infernals for help, and they breathed life into the mechoses and created vangers. In exchange, the Infernals asked ProtoZeek to grant them power over the vangers. ProtoZeek agreed and selflessly donated the vangers to the bios.


- Who or what is raffa, Counselor?
- The raffas are all Zeephra's former husbands, without exception. After divorce, they go to Glorx to hang around the Beeboorats, but the latter don't give a fig about them.
- ProtoZeek willed that the vangers would not upset the raffa. Once, they saved him from the Big Boo, hiding him in their cargo holds and passing him from one to another, while the monster in his fury pounced on the brave heroes.


We would make a poor follower of ProtoZeekianity. :(

- Who or what is bios, Counselor?
- The bios are by-products of the Clash. After the Clash, no one was left alive, except for ProtoZeek, who was shepherding beebs during the battle. He felt lonely and so decided to create the Softie and the Cryspo anew... But you are too young for this knowledge. Return once your skills have improved.
- The bios?.. We stopped at ProtoZeek deciding to recreate the Softie and the Cryspo, right? He started collecting bits and bobs from the dead bodies and composed new friends from them. A Softie's leg here, a Cryspo's head there, the eye of a beeb - he stuck them together. He toiled on and on, and that's how the bios were created. Perhaps they are not too attractive, but at least they are quite numerous.


- Who or what is Creature Soup, Counselor?
- No one remained alive after the Clash - limbs and body parts were scattered around the battlefields. ProtoZeek used them as building material to form a new population. He brought stumps, heads and tails together and piled them up in one heap. But the greedy gluttonous beebs... No, I can't bear to tell you the rest of the story.
- Alright, you pushy one, listen. The hungry beebs began to pilfer the body remains that ProtoZeek had collected to construct the bios. ProtoZeek dared not kill the unreasonable beings, so he hid all the bits away from them in a big pot. It turned into a kind of soup... uh... soup was a common Softie food. Anyway, that's how all the bios happened to emerge, out of that Creature Soup.


- Who or what is Departed Bios, Counselor?
- The Departed Bios revered ProtoZeek, and that's why their vangers were the best and their escaves were always full of cirt - the Larvae favored them. Finally, as a token of their gratitude, the Mothers of Cirt showed the righteous ones the way to the land of ProtoZeek, where he rejoined his offspring.
- For us Zeexen, the Departed Bios are an example of piousness and good manners. Some day ProtoZeek will give us a sign and we will become a Departed Bios too, departed to Cirtland.


That day may come sooner than you'd expect. :roll:

- Who or what is cirt, Counselor?
- Cirt is holy soil which retains a spark of ProtoZeek's spirit and nourishes our minds and hopes. Only the most reliable, decent vangers - my husbands, that is - are entrusted to collect cirt. And it is only they who can aspire to meeting an actual Larva, one of the Queens of Cirt.
- As ProtoZeek was departing, he decided not to leave his offspring to fate and left his footprints everywhere, on every bit of the world. And so he did! Now cirt can be found everywhere. Also, he bequeathed his Larva to everyone, even to the bios who have now forgotten him.


- Who or what is Larvae, Counselor?
- Oh, Larvae! Any well brought-up vanger-husband must catch a Larva for his wife-counselor! All of these bios worship these Mothers of Cirt. They are our guides to the Softie, who live on the best of the worlds - Earth!
- Once ProtoZeek grew weary of life, his body fell apart into multiple bits, which then turned into Larvae. So even after his demise, he continues controlling the bios. Only the pious Zeexen remember this; the others grow dumb in their ignorance...


Zeekatrix holds a more down-to-earth opinion on those.

- Who or what is Larvae, Counselor?
- Larvae? They're wonderful creatures. So wonderful you can't even imagine! Though it's the vangers that catch Larvae for us. The Larvae produce cirt, you know. I have no idea how they do it, and my best guess is a bit inappropriate.
Part 20. Xplore, Xploit, Xplode.
We should definitely check out the new world. But first, we must sort out our other problems. It is getting crowded here, and that might need fixing.
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Six little nigger boys playing with a hive...
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A Rivet Biier bee shot one and then there were Five.
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There is even a Fostral vanger in there.
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This turns into a massacre. I might need a few reloads from the store to kill them all.
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THe Fostral vanger surprises me once more. See that brown item that fell out of his dead mechos?
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Yes, that's our pip. The vanger was a thief, not unlike us. The AI players all have routines - some are traders, some are racers, some are killers-for-hire, some are cirt dealers - and some are robbers. There are even tabutasks about punishing those. It's a shame he wasn't carrying something more useful - but it's a rare random event to be able to catch one before they sell their plunder, so I'm not complaining.
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I easily complete the tabutask about shooting stinkhorns (it succeeded almost by itself after all the shooting I've been doing in the area), and we botched the one about collecting beebs. Could have done that, too, if you guys had [redacted], but since we didn't [redacted], we don't have that luxury. ;)

And then the cycle ends. Again, cycle durations on Necross are very unpredictable. Some last forever, and some only take a couple of minutes, like in this case. I wonder if any of you guys can make a reasonable guess as to why. Granted, we didn't experiment with [redacted] much, but still, the information for a plausible hypothesis is there.

Fine, let's take one more tabutask and then we will be on our way.
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Some lazy raffas refuse to ship toxick no matter
how much Zeekatrix asks them to,
saying that toxick gnaws their feeble crates.
Kill one raffa to gain respect for the counselors from those scabs.
Reward: 1000 Luck: 5 Cycles: 0


Good thing there are two of those on the very same screen.
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You are alright, Zeekatrix. I'll kill one for you.
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Eh, what's a few raffas between friends? I'll kill two.
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Screw it, I WILL KILL EVERYONE! I LIKE YOU THAT MUCH!!
2016_01_20_225835.jpg

Here is where the game bugged out on me. The constant explosions around the escave (I think I killed about 10 more cars since after the update started - I got a bit carried away there) have deformed the world to such an extent that the entrance got blocked, preventing me from getting inside. This could have a game-breaking potential, so I had to contact my Infernal patrons and implore them to undo the grievous harm I have inflicted on the Universe.

Or, in simpler terms, I had to reset landscape changes, reverting the terrain state back to the way it was when I started the game.

The Universe itself resists fun. :balance:

Ah, well, looks like we need to go back to plot rails. The Passage to Xplo is on Glorx. Let's head there.

Unlike smaller cars, it is hard for a truck to drown in a bog. But they still struggle to get out. Thankfully, CopteRigs help tremendously, and I have plenty of those devices pried from cold dead fingers of my former colleagues.
2016_01_20_225940.jpg


Here is the secret hideout with a spare part that I couldn't pick up in the last update. This time, there is no problem. Truly, the Infernals are the kindest masters one could hope for. :salute:
2016_01_20_230010.jpg

2016_01_20_230034.jpg

Heavy Iron
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The one who brought this heavy beast with him was definitely not right in the head. But it makes a good support for escave ceilings.
I have no idea what to do with it, and since you guys wanted an empty cargo hold for out trip, I just sell it for measly 2K beebs and hope it will still be there when I need it.
2016_01_20_230110.jpg

And while I was doing the shopping, the cycle has changed again. Man, the cycles on Necross could really stand getting a bit longer! :roll:

Tabutask time, then!
2016_01_20_230148.jpg

2016_01_20_230329.jpg

Zeephra wants to grow jablees from Glorx
to adapt them for scattering popons over B-Zone.
The effect of the propaganda will jump a hundredfold.
Bring eight peeperettes right away.
Reward: 1000 Luck: 8 Cycles: 3

Nope. Too much bother. The hardes part is to be done with it before the peeperettes fade away.

To harden popons, the messages of ProtoZeek
to the apostates in B-Zone, Zeephra has developed a new recipe.
One of its components is toxick. Bring ten bottles before the end of the cycle.
Reward: 600 Luck: 6 Cycles: 0


That one looks doable, though we will have to be fast. And it is taking us back from where we were going. But hey, it's Zeeklope. Maybe we can do both at once.

Heh, they really accept participants from all walks of life. Here is some dude from Glorx, racing alongside Reapers and Heavy Ladies. I wonder how he intends to obtain ProtoZeek from one of those.
2016_01_20_230729.jpg


For me, it's no problem. Vangers avoid me like plague. Those who don't soon lose their weapons, their cargo, and their lives.
2016_01_20_230543.jpg


I drive almost all the way down, but get stuck in the terrain near the end. No DigRig to get me out, either. The number of participants drops one by one - some of them seem to have reached B-Zone. Why would they do that without even trying to get ProtoZeek? If it were me, I'd camp the escave exits waiting for the carriers to arrive.
2016_01_20_230611.jpg


I free myself when 3 racers have already got to the finish. By then it becomes clear that the Glorx vanger is actually the one with the relic.
2016_01_20_230905.jpg


That just means less work for me. 4 shots, and the vanger is no more. Necross is a harsh place.
2016_01_20_230941.jpg


Zeekatrix is in a good mood today. She tells me the rest of the story about the intricacies of cirt trade.
2016_01_20_231009.jpg

- Well, vanger, you like playing around with ProtoZeek, I see. It proves again that you are unique: not everyone can win Zeeklope, and you've done it twice now!
- Now I see that you are not a simpleton. Here in the escave you feel that there is no one to talk and open your heart to. Having a laugh or tittle-tattle, yes you are welcome... But few Zeexen are interested in what's going on up there. or even inside.
- As for cirt, the secret of distilling cirt into a ready-to-use concentrate was invented by one of the first Departed Bios. Then it got into several escaves, which later became the bases for bunches. It's only there that they need cirt, and the rest of the escaves directly depend on the will of their centers.
- The main escaves feed their neighbors, otherwise they would have died out long ago. B-Zone is no exception. Unfortunately, we are dependent on these pseudo-softie: the secret of the Chain is that from time to time the main escaves pass portions of precious cirt concentrate over to their brethren.
- But this is too precious a secret to be told to dodgy vangers. That's why it's done secretly: usually passengers who ask to be taken to the other end of the world are used for that. They are the ones who carry the medicine along...
- I hear that sometimes Beeboorats hide sweet parcels behind the cheeks of their heroes and shrubs.


So that's what the passengers are for! Now I feel a bit bad about smuggling an Eleepod and a Beeboorat to other worlds. But we aren't here for a lecture. We are here for toxick.
2016_01_20_231105.jpg

Yeah, this stuff I got in the bay can poison several bunches and there would still be some left.

Unfortunately, I barely even get to move a wheel before the colors fade from the world. December has come... and my mission has failed. It's not too bad, since we have got +5 Luck for ProtoZeek delivery, but it still sucks.
2016_01_20_231138.jpg


Ah, well. Can't let the poison go to waste, can we?
2016_01_20_231203.jpg


Seeing my dejected face, Zeephra is quick to give me a consolation tale.
2016_01_20_231231.jpg

- Well, sweetie, Zeephra seems to like you! You are the best of my husbands and do everything I ask you to. Your Zeephra can please you now too. Though you might think I give you empty promises, I know loads of vanger secrets!
- What would you say to this:
Zigger-Zagger is a Sandoll spare part. How is that, you silly! Your wife knows mechoses much better than you do!

Zeephra is the best waifu.

At least we didn't waste the trip for nothing. Ah, well, let's take one more tabutask to make up for this failure.
2016_01_20_231437.jpg

Your playful Zeephra once decided to play a trick on an obtuse vanger
and sent him to find a Departed Bios in the hideouts of Fostral.
He is on his way back now, all upset. Delay the blockhead
and stop him from breaking in here while Zeephra
comes up with another story to justify herself.
Reward: 3000 Luck: 8 Cycles: 0


The vanger in question is raffa. That's what you get for listening to women!
2016_01_20_231506.jpg


It dares not enter the escave if I am on the same screen (Fostral vangers are cowards), so it darts past Zeepa once it sees me. It is easy to hunt it down afterwards.
2016_01_20_231549.jpg

2016_01_20_231554.jpg

So, darling, I've done what you wanted. Praise me more, and tell me about mechoses again!

Oh crap, I must have picked up a popon by accident!
2016_01_20_231625.jpg

- Hey, you daft thing, you must have it all wrong! Why did you come back with our popons? Look here, buddy, we write a Story of ProtoZeek on each popon and then send them down to the hornets, and that is pretty much their education!
- Once you can read on the way to while away the time, you will be able to take in all the wisdom of ProtoZeek. No one has ever dared compete with him in wittiness!
- Very few legends like this have been preserved from ancient times. They are scattered all over the Chain and if you happen to find a story yet unknown to us, you will be lavishly rewarded.
- Now go up and hurry to the other end of Necross where the Zeexen, eager for knowledge, are still awaiting fresh popons! Every self-respecting Zeex must possess a full set of popons so as to get their cirt on time.


And we get thrown out. It's hard to make this woman happy, is it? :negative:

Off to Glorx, then.

O-ho, the Peepshow is in full motion! Didn't we have a tabutask about peeperettes?
2016_01_20_235835.jpg


Collecting them is easy, you just find a vanger that has been doing it for a while...
2016_01_21_000052.jpg


...and kill him. The guy was cattying 30 of them! Why would you even need that many!? What a greedy scum! :argh:
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I'll be content with just 21 of those, thank you. Let me drop them somewhere safe before a quick visit to Boorawchick's shop.
2016_01_21_000212.jpg


Looks like we won't be getting in the shop.
2016_01_21_000234.jpg

[Valorin in Inventory (Agent)]
- Agent! What are you doing with the Hero? Covering him with your body, so that he doesn't get hurt? That's commendable, but the instructions say nothing about that, got it? Check the Valorins in with the stylish Geer'ah and don't stray off any more.

Damn it! The dead vanger we offed for the peeperettes had a Valorin on him (you can see it in the screenshot), and when he exploded, the cursed stowaway got into my mechos! Quite an elaborate way of revenge. If I were a slave, I'd be severely punished. As it is, though, Boorawchick just wags his finger at me in a vaguely menacing manner.

Hmmm. I don't like being yelled at all the time. I think Boorawchick needs a bit of fresh air. As his body punches me out, I grab him with me.
2016_01_21_000250.jpg


Heh-heh-heh. It works perfectly... up until the part where they send a killer after me. Ouch!
2016_01_21_000408.jpg


Forget it, we need to deliver our peeperettes first.
2016_01_21_000511.jpg


Here, I brought you a gift, sweetheart. Do you love me now?
2016_01_21_000627.jpg

Go figure. :roll:

If anyone wonders about her reaction, it's because of Boorawchick. She doesn't like him. But I did my part and delivered the peeperettes, so the tabutask is counted as completed - and that's what matters.

Here is her normal dialogue:
[Peeperette in Inventory]
- Oh, poor thing! You picked up a peeperette! Don't get upset, your Zeephra'll calm you down! And, by the way, my ears are clean. In B-Zone they don't wash their ears, no matter how much you train those little beasties... I'll stick this peeperette in my ear and start talking to the Buro guys. Now leave and make sure you don't tap or spy!
I take Boorawchick back to Glorx and on his daily inspections. The other counselors salute us, as usual.
2016_01_21_000656.jpg

2016_01_21_000744.jpg

However, Oboorez throws in something extra:
[Zeeklope warning]
- Well, soldier, the time is coming for you to serve on Necross. I kind of like you, so I'm going to help you. When you are there, don't peek into ZeePa, go straight to B-Zone. They will try to kick you out, but you just play stupid, be brazen, and don't give up.
- They'll turn you away three times, but then they'll let you in and tell you what you need to know. After that you can visit other hornets without fear.


You know, these explicit instructions would be nice to hear BEFORE we got robbed blind in Zeepa. :argh:

Eh. It's behind us now. Xplo awaits!

I hit some unlucky sod while jumping out of the escave. It falls apart on contact. One more mark on my accidents tally. :stupid:
2016_01_21_000840.jpg


The force of the blast knocks away half of my shields and throws be back in the escave.
2016_01_21_000905.jpg

But the worst part is that the guy had a peeperette with him... which flew right in my cargo bay after the explosion. Too many items find their way in my hold agains my will lately... :roll:

[Peepshow Participation (Agent)]
- I'm always glad to get peeperettes, but you aren't some wretched Commissar, are you? Surely this isn't what the Buro raised you and taught you about life for?
- Or is my vision letting me down? When did you clean your Rubbox last? Maybe you're a Commissar? I'm old, my eyes don't work that well anymore...


This isn't mine, Your Shrub-Growing Honor! I was set up, honest!

Worst thing about it is that this act holds me accountable as if I were a race participant. And since one peeperette out of more than eighty is an abysmal result, the game makes me lose Luck for being awful at playing. I swear, that vanger died on purpose just to get at me!
2016_01_21_001013.jpg


I am done with Glorx! Maybe a new world will be more welcoming than the last three.
2016_01_21_001040.jpg


Though noticing the familiar shape of a killer mechos as the screen fades out, it does not look all that likely at the moment.
2016_01_21_001119.jpg


Xplo is a world of sands, quicksands, and more sands. It is not very hospitable at all.
2016_01_21_001150.jpg


There are strange ruins and small green pyramids scattered all around. Hordes of strange terminator-like creatures move underground, nibbling at your armor little by little, and the insect swarms above prevent anyone from flying too high up to avoid death by a thousand cuts. Sometimes the sands bubble up, indicating a deathtrap not unlike the ones you find in the marshes of Necross. The description makes it sound like Ark-a-Znoy... but then again, one of the counselors warned us that the two worlds are alike.
2016_01_21_001219.jpg


The green pyramid is a secret hideout, by the way. With a whole new mechos part inside!
2016_01_21_001226.jpg

Cogged Widget
latest_cb_20120218210841_path_prefix_ru.gif

Nobody has any idea where to put this. Some think it’s some strange kind of missile that might explode if handled carelessly.
Here comes the enemy, following me all the way to this desolate wasteland. Fair enough. The vast open space is my preferred kind of battlefield. Let the best man win!
2016_01_21_001248.jpg


It's no contest, really. The Speetle systems can deal massive damage, but they can't shoot backwards. The encounter was rigged from the start.
2016_01_21_001304.jpg


Xplo is relatively small, and it does not take me long to encounter a point of interest. Just look at the map.
2016_01_21_001326.jpg


There is some great hexagonal structure in the center, surrounded by a... moat? Is that water inside? I have no desire to check. Would all those trees dry up like that if it were water?
2016_01_21_001334.jpg

2016_01_21_001345.jpg

2016_01_21_001351.jpg

Racking my memory for everything I've heard about Xplo, I come to the only possible conclusion - it's an escave. But whom does it belong to? And how do I get inside?

"Who or what is Xplo, Counselor?"
"Xplo... You're too curious, my friend. For now, it's nothing more than a word."
"A vanger who escaped from Xplo was here once. He couldn't utter a word, just stutter. I could only make out a little about quicksand and a lost escave."
"An evil place. A Departed Bios once disappeared there."
"Many fine Agents have never returned from there. There is a mysterious escave there that no one can get into, and the Buro suspects the headquarters of the Main Enemies of Glorx is located inside. Any information about this is of vital importance to the Beeboorats."

"The fourth inhabited world. No one can get into its escave. According to the available information, a magical device is needed to get there. Nothing else is known."
"When they discovered this world, the Softie found it too small for their waste, and their interest in it soon flagged. There they set up a strong escave, a nuthouse for those who had gone bananas during world exploration."
Hmmm... I think one piece of information is missing... :?

It has one impressive entrance, with two statues of green stone leading to a bridge... but it won't open, no matter how hard I try. A puzzle...
2016_01_21_001406.jpg


Other than the mysterious structure, there isn't much of interest here. Just ruins of an ancient civilization, and a lot of Larvae. A Larva from every remaining bios in the Chain is present here.
2016_01_21_001435.jpg


Though wait, there is something else. A Passage to Threall! Strange, we've never heard that word before. :?
2016_01_21_001456.jpg


And there is the last secret pyramid that hides a Wheezer. Which is just a really, really big propeller.
2016_01_21_001531.jpg

Wheezer
latest_cb_20120218203802_path_prefix_ru.gif

This piece of metal used to cover the entrance of a Beeboorat escave. Later, they covered it with a huge Beeboorat and threw this away.
It takes me a bit of shuffling the equipment around, and I have to part with a few CopteRigs, but eventually I pick up the spare part. It was a solid idea to come here empty-handed!
2016_01_21_001600.jpg


We return to Glorx full of questions and plunder. And full of Boorawchick, who is greatly impressed by his ride.
2016_01_21_001748.jpg

- Vanger! The Buro acknowledges you for your excellent service as Boorawchick's driver. This is a great honor for you, as Boorawchick is the Beeboorats' most valuable asset after the Buro.
- However, to check on the progress of planned tasks, I must personally go on these risky trips, otherwise the other counselors will get out of hand.
- For your diligence I'm rewarding you by granting you access to one of the sealed Glorx stores near the Rig Station. Remember that the store and its contents is the property of the Beeboorats!


We now have access to the most sacred of Beeboorat secrets - their weapons Vault! The countless days of slaving away for the Buro are finally paying off! But that's not all...
2016_01_21_001801.jpg

- To the Buro: Observing a vanger with extraordinary push. According to the Manual he has access to security level 2 archives. Boorawchick is acquainting the subject with the materials. The non-disclosure agreement was not signed due to the illiteracy of the subject.
- Vanger, listen to Boorawchick!
Put-put is a spare part of Last Moggy. Prove that you are qualified and return this mechos to the Buro's service.

We are told that Put-Put that we were carrying with us for the last half of the game comes from none other than Last Moggy! The one that we have already partially restored! Now we can finish the job and get a unique mechos for ourselves!

And Boorawchick tells us something else as well.
- Agent, remember: the Larva responsible for Progress is temporarily residing in a zone of the Chain codenamed Xplo...

What is he getting at, I wonder? :stupid:

Well then...
2016_01_21_001830.jpg
We seem to have hit a dead end, Codex. The escave on Xplo stays closed despite out best efforts. What do we do now?
1) When in doubt, do tabutasks!
- a) Eleepod ones
- b) Beeboorat ones
- c) Zeexen ones
2) When all else fails, ship cirt!
- a) Eleepod one
- b) Beeboorat one
- c) Zeexen one
3) Stop being a wuss and catch a Larva! (also pick the world from which you will bring her)
- a) Eleepod one (Glorx, Necross, Xplo)
- b) Beeboorat one (Fostral, Necross, Xplo)
- c) Zeexen one (Fostral, Glorx, Xplo)
4) Go to Khox and search for an answer there.
- a) Before fixing and securing Last Moggy. You are that curios about it.
- b) Afterwards. Better to be safe than sorry. Though there is no telling if this is going to make your job easier or harder as you have no idea what you'll find there.
5) Freeform. (specify)

We have an order from Boorawchik to come visit him on a Last Moggy. We now have the ability to repair it and comply with the Buro's request. Do we?
1) YES, PLEASE.
2) YES! YES! YES!
3) HELL YEAH!!!
4) NO. (contrarian)

Do we continue trying to assemble other unique mechoses?
1) Of course! 'Enough' is not a word from our vocabulary.
2) Nah, Last Moggy is all we will ever need.
3) Ask again after we get Last Moggy, will you?

Somehow, Zeephra remains the only one whom we didn't question about Xplo. Do we want to?
1) Ask her about the abandoned world, and ask all the other bios about anything that might pop up in the conversation.
2) No, I am more interested in the Infernals. Ask all the bios in the Chain about everything related to them.
3) No, I have my own questions to ask. (specify)
4) No, I want to ask the LPer. (specify)

Known vocabulary:
mechos - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats, Zeephra
vangers - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats, Zeephra
raffa - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats, Zeephra
escave - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
bunch - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
bios - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats, Zeephra
beebs - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Clash - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats, Zeekatrix, Zeephra
Creature Soup - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats, Zeekatrix, Zeephra
Softie - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats, Zeekatrix, Zeephra
Cryspo - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Passage - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Spiral - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats, Zeekatrix, Zeephra
Departed Bios - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats, Zeekatrix, Zeephra
Infernals

The Chain - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats, Zeekatrix
Fostral - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Glorx - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Necross - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Xplo - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats, Zeekatrix
Khox - asked Beeboorats, Zeekatrix
Ark-a-Znoy - asked Beeboorats, Zeekatrix
Eleepods - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Beeboorats - asked Leepky&Feenger (low trust), Beeboorats, Zeekatrix
Zeexen - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats, Zeekatrix
Leepky - asked Leepky, Beeboorats, Zeekatrix, Zeephra
Feenger - asked Beeboorats, Zeekatrix, Zeephra
Podish - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Incubator - asked Feenger (low trust), Beeboorats
Plump-up - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Eleerection - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Gulp-down - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Boorawchick - asked Beeboorats, Zeekatrix
Geer'ah - asked Beeboorats, Zeekatrix
Oboorez - asked Beeboorats, Zeekatrix
VigBoo - asked Beeboorats
Lampasso - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Ogorod - asked Leepky, Beeboorats
Progress - asked Beeboorats
Heroism - asked Beeboorats
Election of Castaways - asked Beeboorats
Zeepa - asked Beeboorats, Zeekatrix, Zeephra
B-Zone - asked Beeboorats, Zeekatrix
Zeephra - asked Beeboorats, Zeekatrix
Zeekatrix - asked Zeekatrix
Saturday - asked Zeekatrix
Spring - asked Zeekatrix
December - asked Zeekatrix

pod - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
P-beam - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
ruBeecation - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
The Buro - asked Beeboorats
The Manual - asked Beeboorats, Zeekatrix
Jablees - asked Beeboorats
Slave - asked Beeboorats
Commissar - asked Beeboorats
Agent - asked Beeboorats
Nuclear War - asked Beeboorats
PeepShow - asked Beeboorats
castaway - asked Beeboorats
Zeeklope - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats, Zeekatrix, Zeephra

eLeech - asked Leepky&Feenger (low trust), Beeboorats
nymbos - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
phlegma - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
cirt - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats, Zeekatrix, Zeephra
Larvae - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats, Zeekatrix, Zeephra
peeperette - asked Leepky&Feenger, Beeboorats
Nucleoboom - asked Beeboorats
shrub - asked Beeboorats
Valorin - asked Beeboorats
rubbox - asked Beeboorats
toxick - asked Zeekatrix
popon - asked Zeekatrix
ProtoZeek - asked Zeekatrix
Since you guys have been following plot rails rather strictly up until now, I guess I should clarify a bit about the 'secret worlds' and 'broken mechoses' mechanics.
You get a key to a secret world by:
Weexow - doing 10 Eleepod tabutasks, bringing 80 portions of Eleepod cirt in total, or catching an Eleepod Larva.
Khox - doing 10 Beeboorat tabutasks, bringing 80 portions of Beeboorat cirt in total (which we did), or catching a Beeboorat Larva.
Boozeena - doing 10 Zeexen tabutasks or bringing 80 portions of Zeexen cirt in total.
Ark-a-Znoy - doing 20 tabutasks (game data indicates both Eleepods and Zeexen can gift the key), catching a Zeexen Larva or finding a unique item.

You get advice about unique spare parts if your Luck is greater than 50 and you fulfill the following conditions:
Podish - YET UNKNOWN (but you can make a good guess)
Incubator - YET UNKNOWN (but you can make a good guess)
Lampasso - bringing an eLeech, bringing more than 3 Valorins at once.
VigBoo - visiting Necross, visiting Xplo - but only if you have reached Agent status.
Ogorod - bringing an eLeech, bringing more than 3 shrubs at once.
Zeepa - bringing more than 3 toxicks at once. Second condition UNKNOWN.
B-Zone - bringing more than 3 popons at once. Second condition UNKNOWN.
Current session information:
Tabutasks:
Completed 9 for the Eleepods, 1 failed
Completed 7 for the Beeboorats, 4 failed
Completed 6 for the Zeexen, 4 failed

Cirt and Larvae:
Delivered 3 portions to the Eleepods
Delivered 83 portions to the Beeboorats

The Larva responsible for Progress is temporarily residing in a zone of the Chain codenamed Xplo

Broken mechoses:
Queen Frog - Fostral
Wormaster - Fostral
Lawn Mower - Glorx
Sandoll - Glorx
Last Moggy - Necross, 'Box' installed

Rattle was once taken out of Queen Frog.
The Cogged Widget is a part of Wormaster. (In the cargo hold)
Box is a part of Last Moggy. (Installed)
Star is a part of the Lawn Mower.
Cart is a spare part of Sandoll.
Wheezer fits the Lawn Mower. (In the cargo hold)
Zigger-Zagger is a Sandoll spare part.
Put-put is a spare part of Last Moggy. (In the cargo hold)
Heavy Iron - specifications unknown. (Currently in Zeepa)
 
Last edited:

lightbane

Arcane
Joined
Dec 27, 2008
Messages
10,156
3b-3-1-3 (ask Zeephra about Xplo plus 2: asking everyone about the Infernals).
 

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