The Crystal Sslugs of the Test

[Grey Aides]

Attacking...seems good...

Perhaps we could directly sabotage Mix's efforts...with a...trap...of sorts...enter a bargain of our own with the Diamond Master to change the...nature of Favor flow...

This might have unforeseen consequences...

[Yerkan of Elish]

Let us consider our options, for we have a great many if we're willing to pay.

We can simply set a trap of sorts to get Mix into Durin's Walls. This only costs 15 DMFavor; we could set it such that the next time the sslug uses any Favor, it is transported immediately to Durin's domain, which we will seal off. We may wish to invest the additional funds to do this in secret, such that the sslug doesn't try anything tricky.

We may also simply imprison the two sslugs already in Durin's domain, then fight off Mix on our own.

We can potentially seal the Walls with a gate using the Council portal. This allows us the opportunity to access them if need be.

This is also a good time to welcome AIiCE, yet another homegrown artificial intelligence, found on a distant facet. I suspect she will have at least some ability to understand the workings of these pests.

[Great Thrash]

What's the point of making it secret? The Sslugs are mindless.

[Yerkan of Elish]

I may still be used to the life of heroing and being on constant lookout for things that might attack if they can hear me talking and gardening where the slightest change in environment can bring on unexpected consequences for me, but even these sslugs have the capability to react to stimuli, especially Mix up in that tower. And being omniscient, their stimuli are literally everything. I don't know how complex a reaction it will have, or how dangerous of one - it is obviously limited by its simple programming - but for all we know, Mix's patterns of purchasing Favor changes depending on our actions, so we'd best account for that.

[AIiCE]

Why are you fighting when you could reprogram? You made a virus, didn't you? If you could reprogram just one of the sslugs, you could get it to attack the others. It could help you. It might even be able to spread the virus if the sslugs communicate with each other.

[Great Thrash]

We do have evidence that the Sslugs communicate with something, if not each other. Perhaps we should select the Sslug in the tower for this experiment while the others are held in the walls.

The problem with any specific strategy like a virus is that the Sslugs are much Steeper than any of us, with the possible exception of Durin. I suspect things will work best in conjunction with each other, a combination of strategies.

[Steepest Durin]

Increasin' th' defenses of I's walls will only cost 16 DM Favor. Secrecy is another 20. Let us organize th' debt by Tier:

Yerkan can pay 8, Thrash 11, an' I'll pay 17. Is that alright?

I pace around I's walls, sliding meta-galvanized bolts into place at locations calculated ta synergize architecturally with each other. Crossbraces bring an electromagnetic field into play, fortifying th' walls with th' perfect balance of repulsing charge, which can be manipulated ta contain or ta rebuff. An advanced hydraulic system can quickly slam th' ceilin' an' doors into place while a pneumatic system keeps it firmly locked. Additional arrays of donor supports are mobile within th' system, transducin' ta locales of low concentrations of support. Finally, a 400 zeta-amp charged field fries attackers while convertin' their offensive force ta harmless light energy.


With Yerkan an' Aides, I'll disguise the door around th' Sslug's attackin' point an' let them break through. Aides an' th' giants will chant their imprisonment ritual. Great Thrash will support th' adamas under th' bodies of th' Sslugs, mebbe throw some magma around ta batten them down. An' I'm in charge of slammin' th' defenses home! Let's finish this!

[Diamond Master]

We shall bring this to a die roll soon.

The Sslugs continue to blast away potently. The attacks from within the Watchtower continue relentlessly, regardless of what actions you take, mindless but unopposed as long as the Favor flows.

Durin comes under assault as he works on his item: the Sslug of Frost launches withering eye rays and drips acid on his busy form. He too will be endangered just as the Sslugs are - and then they shall move on to his weaker allies!

[Yerkan of Elish]

I will work to protect Durin using simple tricks. Attempts at dripping upon him are slowed by clear crystal ceilings. Eye beams are misdirected by lifelike mobile statues of Durin and me. Using the sslugs' programming against them, I will attempt to bypass any knowledge they have of pattern recognition and shift the walls and ceilings in a complex maze of unpredictable changes. Lastly, I will take advantage of many little-known quirks of quantum mechanics, which will cause the spontaneous formation of traps when the elements of the sslugs' slime come into contact with walls or floors.

[Yerkan of Elish]

I will also afford the allotted amount of Favor.