Cryxian Fluff questions

[MathPasta]

Just some questions I wan't to ask:

A: What are Mechanithralls powered by? Its not steam...I think. But what goop powers them? Why can't Cryx use that goop for everything else?

B: Are Iron liches powered by the same goop+Magic that powers mechanithralls, or are they powered by steam+Magic?

C: Where does Cryx get its goop? That stuff has to come from nature, chemicals need to be made from somewhere (Magic can't do everything. Magic is BASED off of magic goop. Eyes of a newt and stuff. You need newts for that). And I don't think the lands of Cryx have any natural growth left.

D: Where does it get its bonejack skulls from? Are those creatures extinct now?

E: Where does Cryx get smart people from? It would be suffering major brain Drain as only limited amounts of its population can be ingenuitive and capable of progress, and they can't just birth more like the living. Because after a while, Cryx would run out of immortals as they die, and aren't replaced that fast. And once the last immortal genius dies, so does cryxes progression. Unless they resort to stealing more ideas.

[waspinator21]

answer to question E is that they reanimate the corpses of their enemies for technological advancement.

[Dragon2439]

A: Steam, Coal, Magic
B: Steam, Coal, Magic, Souls
C: Souls and magic fuel most of it. The coal used in cryx (I cant remember its name) is infused with souls, increasing its power.
D: Heavy Warbeasts
E: All of cryx was once a living being from the various races. Some of the warcasters were once warcasters from other factions. There are living people within cryx as well. Cryx are also really really good at stealing information from other factions. Scaverous, for example, is a master of interrogating the dead for information.

Magic doesnt have to be based off "Goop". Magic is usually energy that people manipulate to a multitude of effects. A lot of magic is generated by magic users themselves or by all living things. Cryx pulls most of its energy from the souls of those that have fallen.

A person is more then what their body makes them. Their consciousness is extended via magic and allows them to persist even after death.

[nonchalance]

A) it is steam, but they use necrotite instead of coal, which gives much more power-to-size.
B) see above
C) necrotite is made by human death and misery mixed with dirt. Yes, really.
D) they get carved out of bigger bones, they're not actually literal skulls.
E) from enemies resurrected, traitors hunting power, and pirate raids. Oh, and black ogrun are in fact the best smiths in the setting.

F) yes, this is sustainable. Terrifyingly, inexorably so.

[MathPasta]

Wow so they are actually uncreative hacks. Kill off the reanimators and cryx is nothing.

F) yes, this is sustainable. Terrifyingly, inexorably so.

Not realy:

A: Its a nation whos basic movement is powered by coal and bones. Its the ultimate polluter. In about 60 years it will run out of coal and half its nation will fall down dead.
B: Im actually talking about its chemicals that it employs beyond steam power.
C: The way its producing jacks it will soon hunt all realistically usable large creatures to extinction.

[nonchalance]

Wow so they are actually uncreative hacks. Kill off the reanimators and cryx is nothing.

Indeed. The major reanimator, though, is a godlike dragon.

[Dragon2439]

Indeed. The major reanimator, though, is a godlike dragon.

Yea the true reanimator is the leader of the faction, the Dragon Father. Anything that can kill him could wipe out the world very easily.

[MathPasta]

Yea the true reanimator is the leader of the faction, the Dragon Father. Anything that can kill him could wipe out the world very easily.

Its not like one of the nations is powered by GOD himself!

The Dragon could be wiped out by god himself, because his worship, and sustainment of the world is dependent on its destruction.

[nonchalance]

Sure, whatever. Any more questions, or are you just looking for an argument?

[MathPasta]

I was just interested. You brought up the aruments. So....I guess I got my answers. Toodles.

[Sheer_Falacy]

Its not like one of the nations is powered by GOD himself!

The Dragon could be wiped out by god himself, because his worship, and sustainment of the world is dependent on its destruction.

What.

I didn't realize that Menoth had fanatics in real life too.

Also, every warmachine faction except ret uses coal. Cygnar has some electricity, but are mostly coal. According to the fluff, necrotite is way more efficient than coal, and shows up wherever there's human misery. And in the Iron Kingdoms, human misery is very much a renewable resource. Warbeasts are also in quite plentiful supply, if that's even what they use.

[MathPasta]

Electricity is not a resource =P

And Necrotite is a combo of coal and Misery. Its not just made by misery alone.

And why am I a fanatic? Because I said that the faction powered by a god can kill a "Like a god" creature? Emphasis on the like.

[Dragon2439]

Its not like one of the nations is powered by GOD himself!

The Dragon could be wiped out by god himself, because his worship, and sustainment of the world is dependent on its destruction.

i should have known that he was one of THOSE people.

Menoth is a god, not The God, fyi. :P. I wouldnt believe everything a book says is true.


Look at the ret gods, 6 of the 8 are dead, 2 are dieing.

[Sheer_Falacy]

Electricity is not a resource =P

And Necrotite is a combo of coal and Misery. Its not just made by misery alone.

And why am I a fanatic? Because I said that the faction powered by a god can kill a "Like a god" creature? Emphasis on the like.

Electricity is a resource for Nemo. Thunderhead uses no coal.

Necrotite is still way more efficient than every other nation's use of coal.

Because being god powered hasn't helped PoM much against Cryx so far. He's kind of busy fighting the Devourer Wurm, and not instantly winning, because being a god doesn't mean that in this setting. Goreshade beat a god up. Dragons are godlike in his setting because they are like gods - as in similar, not worse than.

[MathPasta]

Electricity is a resource for Nemo. Thunderhead uses no coal.

I hope you know that Electricity comes from generators. Thus in IK comes from coal power.

Necrotite is still way more efficient than every other nation's use of coal.

And Cryx wastes it allot to balance things out. I checked. Cryx by fluff is incredibly inefficient.

He's kind of busy fighting the Devourer Wurm, and not instantly winning, because being a god doesn't mean that in this setting.

Because he is fighting another god.

Goreshade beat a god up.

A weakened near dead god.

Dragons are godlike in his setting because they are like gods - as in similar, not worse than.

Im not realy convinced.

[Dragon2439]

And Cryx wastes it allot to balance things out. I checked. Cryx by fluff is incredibly inefficient.

Cryx is interested in only one thing; Killing other dragons. All other concerns are secondary. Plus, the undead are immortal and have time to waste. As ret proves, Gods die eventually.

[PG_Hobo]

I hope you know that Electricity comes from generators. Thus in IK comes from coal power.

Except that it doesn't. Voltaic energy in the IK is produced by storm chambers.

[Decade]

Necrotite comes not just from coal infused with suffering, but from any soil infused with death and misery. Cryx has, according to the faction book, found ways to not only refine and concentrate the mineral, but actually extract it from fresh battlefields, removing the need for it to ferment over time to be useful (pg. 20, last sentence of the 2nd full paragraph). And since the human/skorne/elf/dwarf/troll/miscellaneous nations are continually fighting one another, Cryx has a nearly limitless fuel supply.

As for taking out the animators, most thralls are created by either necrotechs or necrosurgeons, using what are described as very simple animating runes. Though they are a fieldable unit, they are not typically found on the battlefield in the fluff. For every necrotech or surgeon on the field, there's probably dozens in the necrofactorums churning out thralls and jacks. Getting to a necrofactorum is rather difficult, seeing as most of them are located either on the Scharde Islands or under the Thornwood in the cephalyx catacombs. Assuming that getting at them would be easy is like saying that its easy to get into a secured military installation and killing the scientists. I.e. - not very easy.

Regarding Toruk being a deity, consider this comparison: if you were to relate Toruk and Menoth to beings in the Lovecraft mythos, Toruk would be akin to Cthulhu, while Menoth would be more like Nyarlathotep. While Toruk is not in the strictest definition a god, he's so powerful that the difference is pretty close to insignificant.

[tinyninja]

And Cryx wastes it allot to balance things out. I checked. Cryx by fluff is incredibly inefficient.



Because he is fighting another god.

What's your source that confirms that Cryx is inefficient? The sheer scale of their operations couldn't exist on an inefficient power supply.

It's also been confirmed that if Menoth or the Devourer Wurm ever focused their attention on Caen, it would lead to the end of the world. That is the objective of the Circle, to keep those two gods fighting so that the world won't end... by destroying civilization.

[Dragon2439]

What's your source that confirms that Cryx is inefficient? The sheer scale of their operations couldn't exist on an inefficient power supply.

It's also been confirmed that if Menoth or the Devourer Wurm ever focused their attention on Caen, it would lead to the end of the world. That is the objective of the Circle, to keep those two gods fighting so that the world won't end... by destroying civilization.

I think by inefficient he means they dont take advantage of menoths full power being focused elsewhere and simply take over. While cryx could attack, probably wipe out or take over most of the world, they wont. It would make the story boring, same reason menoth doesnt just kill all the heretics himself. The in story reasons are so cryx can focus on dragon recovery, and menoth is busy fighting orboros

[Gamingdevil]

Necrotite is very efficient, the only problem is that it is very polluting and highly toxic to organic beings, but Cryx is undead so doesn't care in the least.

[AshenFang]

And Cryx wastes it allot to balance things out. I checked. Cryx by fluff is incredibly inefficient.

Also, according to the fluff, you are a troll.

I checked!

[nonchalance]

And he still got his bites. Damn, guys.

[Craftwerk]

On an unlimited timeline, I always figured Cryx would ultimately win. Let the other nations war with each other; their corpses will serve us after death!

[Happy Scrappy Hero Pup]

Not every provocational post is trolling. And with strange aeons, even trolls may provide interesting discussion.


Sorry, Cthulhu references make me slip into a trance and murmur strange verses. I blame it on childhood trauma.

[Deo85]

may the wiffle bats of fluff begin there pounding. Yes you guys know stuff but man is your fluff sparing so funny to read!

[Warmistress.Ravyn]

On an unlimited timeline, I always figured Cryx would ultimately win. Let the other nations war with each other; their corpses will serve us after death!

This is actually true. The world is subject to continuous entropy so as time goes on, the dead of other nations will swell the ranks of the Cryxian empire to bursting and the Dragonfather will eventually destroy the other dragons. However, this goes both ways. Eventually, long after the Nightmare Empire has taken over, life will find a way to fight it's way back to viability. It's a circle that has been going on for eons and will continue until the universe collapses.

[ZombieWar]

To respond to the idea that cryx isnt sustainable:

It isnt supposed to be. Think of the Cryx nation as a hammer. It is simply a tool that will be left in the lawn to rust after Toruk gets what he wants ( the dragons). He cares not if he makes the IK uninhabitable for humans in the process.

Also, from PP about Toruk as a diety:

"Making it difficult to entirely discount these claims are reports that Lord Toruk's clerics do have granted domains, spells, and other clerical powers."

Clerics dont get spells from powerful beings they get spells from their god.

[Warmistress.Ravyn]

Clerics dont get spells from powerful beings they get spells from their god.

Does that mean that, with the right DM, I could take Toruk as a Deity in D & D or Pathfinder? lol :P

...and yes, I am geek enough to play RPGs regularly

[ZombieWar]

Ive never seen a wizard turn undead

[PG_Sobek]

Necrotite comes not just from coal infused with suffering, but from any soil infused with death and misery. Cryx has, according to the faction book, found ways to not only refine and concentrate the mineral, but actually extract it from fresh battlefields, removing the need for it to ferment over time to be useful (pg. 20, last sentence of the 2nd full paragraph). And since the human/skorne/elf/dwarf/troll/miscellaneous nations are continually fighting one another, Cryx has a nearly limitless fuel supply.

Let's also not forget how much Cryx uses souls as a power source as well. The Colossals fluff alone show how much souls, by themselves, can be used for power. As long as humanity keeps breeding, that's one power source that can always be harvested.

[Warmistress.Ravyn]

Ive never seen a wizard turn undead

I'd totally love to play a Drow cleric with Toruk as a deity...being evil is so much fun when you're running with an LG pali

[Muffin Man]

A: Its a nation whos basic movement is powered by coal and bones. Its the ultimate polluter. In about 60 years it will run out of coal and half its nation will fall down dead.
B: Im actually talking about its chemicals that it employs beyond steam power.
C: The way its producing jacks it will soon hunt all realistically usable large creatures to extinction.

A. I know people said Necrotite is coal + souls + misery; but I thought it was more basic; a coal-like substance made from decaying matter + dirt + souls + misery*. So no reason it has to run out. Also, Cryx doesn't really care about pollution; the blight in the capital is so heavy that (unblighted) living things can't even go there anyways.

B. Most of those chemicals would be some form of acid or the other (I assume you mean the defiler cannon, ect?) I'm not too up to date on the technicals but some of the things like the Harrower's cannon are just straight up soul-powered. Some form of necromancy I guess.

C. Not like the bones are really essential to the bonejacks; they're just a cheap / lightweight resource I imagine. They could just as easily use something else.

* I guess I got ninja-ed here; necrotite is at it's heart tormented soul/death energy.

[gunslingerpro]

In regards to Mechanithralls and what they run on:

All thralls, by definition are animated through the use of runes carved/burnt/placed on the skin and bones. Which runes, base creature, and chosen modifier change the thralls role.

Bane Thrall- Powerful/Ancient corpse torn from the inbetween to animate a corpse = heavy armor killy thrall.
Mechinthrall- light corpse combined with steam power to increase damage output.
Bloat Thrall- Multiple skins stretched and sown into a bag + caustic chemicals and a nozzle = big killy spray trall.
Bile thrall- same as above, just using one corpse.
Stitch thrall- cobbled together from pieces/no modifications = no weapons, collector only thrall.


In the end, the only thing in common is animating glyphs and runes.

[nonchalance]

Does that mean that, with the right DM, I could take Toruk as a Deity in D & D or Pathfinder? lol :P

...and yes, I am geek enough to play RPGs regularly

Oh yes.
The rules for doing so are published in the Iron Kingdoms Character Guide; PP's first releases were campaign books for D&D.

They're interesting, but really not particularly viable characters, given that they exude dragon blight which withers anyone near them, and anyone they heal detects as evil for some weeks.
Your friend the paladin will lose his alignment right quick.

[Warmistress.Ravyn]

Oh yes.
The rules for doing so are published in the Iron Kingdoms Character Guide; PP's first releases were campaign books for D&D.

They're interesting, but really not particularly viable characters, given that they exude dragon blight which withers anyone near them, and anyone they heal detects as evil for some weeks.
Your friend the paladin will lose his alignment right quick.

this...this intrigues me greatly...the Dragonfather may have a new cleric in the coming weeks...MWAHAHAHAHAHA....that is all

[SpiderBite]

A: What are Mechanithralls powered by?

Whatever you think it is that powers your favorite brand of zombie (radiation/chemicals/virus/space dust). The steam power is to make the fists extra-hurty

Its not steam...I think. But what goop powers them? Why can't Cryx use that goop for everything else?

Blood from Xenomorphs (i think they're called??, or Aliens, from such movies as Alien, Aliens, Alien v Predator), thats why its corrosive too. They can't use it for EVERYTHING because the aliens are limited to donating 1 pint of blood each.

B: Are Iron liches powered by the same goop+Magic that powers mechanithralls, or are they powered by steam+Magic?

Both, why does it have to be 'or' ?

C: Where does Cryx get its goop? That stuff has to come from nature, chemicals need to be made from somewhere (Magic can't do everything. Magic is BASED off of magic goop. Eyes of a newt and stuff. You need newts for that). And I don't think the lands of Cryx have any natural growth left.

The farms of face-hugging, acid-bleeding nekkid Aliens. Who, by a good coincidence are immune to the caustic pollution that would destroy most other living organisms.

D: Where does it get its bonejack skulls from? Are those creatures extinct now?

Warbeasts. Not yet, we're working on that though.

E: Where does Cryx get smart people from? It would be suffering major brain Drain as only limited amounts of its population can be ingenuitive and capable of progress, and they can't just birth more like the living. Because after a while, Cryx would run out of immortals as they die, and aren't replaced that fast. And once the last immortal genius dies, so does cryxes progression. Unless they resort to stealing more ideas.

Our reality is the same as the IronKingdoms in that all the good smart people are dead. And souls are immortal. . . .unless they're eaten like soul-candy, which happens sometimes. So it would make sense that the undead/ghost faction would have access to all of that. . . even if we are just blatantly stealing secrets from corpses, like in Necroscope.

There we go. Perfectly irrufutable logick applied to a fantasy game where grown men are playing pretend dolls with each other. . . without using 'magic' as an excuse.




*-edit: and if i still played D&D, I would totally roll up a paladin of Toruk right now.

[MathPasta]

Thanks Spiderbite. Say....Do you get this reference: Spider8ite? If you do thats awesome.

Also thanks for helping misinformed me out everybody else.

[zeezok]

F) yes, this is sustainable. Terrifyingly, inexorably so.

That is just an awesome statement, I am going to have to start using that in daily conversations somehow....

"When I need to print stuff and the printer is out of ink because the last person to use it didn't replace it, I will fill it with the blood of whomever is at fault... yes, this is sustainable. Terrifyingly, inexorably so."