Contents
About/Origins
During the twilight days of the Pioneering era a great host of specialized construction robots were sent down to prepare for the arrival of the pioneers. Known as the Kensetsu Mushi, or Construction Bugs. These massive construction robots were designed to terraform raw land, and construct a wide array of structures stored within their blue print files.
The buildings they were tasked with building would serve as housing and support for the future pioneers. They built towering castles, impenetrable fortresses, glistening aqueducts, ethereal cisterns, as well as grand highways to connect these vital structures. All of this they were able to complete without so much as a single person needing to be on site.
The construction robots worked tirelessly to establish a foundation that would afford a comfortable living for the millions of people who would soon be arriving. Hundreds of magnificent manors just waiting for their lords to take charge of them. Then the fall happened.
With the Pioneer Ships knocked out of the sky the construction forces guiding hand was severed leaving them lost and confused. The global damage caused by the Geist effect left most of the construction forces programing corrupted, damaged beyond repair. Many wandered off seeking their next site for work never to be heard from again, where others just started building their next structure right next to, or in some cases on top of the ones they’d already previously built.
The Kensetsu Mushi were built to be self-sufficient upward of 5 thousand years. Those that have ceased functioning largely were due to massive programing failures, though a few were picked off by the horrors loosed from the wreckage of the Pioneer Ships. The few builders found today have been endlessly adding onto their structures now with little rhyme or reason.
Some sit dormant in caves waiting for new commands, while others having lost access to their blueprint files wander about as if in a daze, having lost their sense of purpose in the world. While they were very trustworthy workers during the Pioneering Age, today they are incredibly dangerous creatures that are quite unpredictable.
The buildings they were tasked with building would serve as housing and support for the future pioneers. They built towering castles, impenetrable fortresses, glistening aqueducts, ethereal cisterns, as well as grand highways to connect these vital structures. All of this they were able to complete without so much as a single person needing to be on site.
The construction robots worked tirelessly to establish a foundation that would afford a comfortable living for the millions of people who would soon be arriving. Hundreds of magnificent manors just waiting for their lords to take charge of them. Then the fall happened.
With the Pioneer Ships knocked out of the sky the construction forces guiding hand was severed leaving them lost and confused. The global damage caused by the Geist effect left most of the construction forces programing corrupted, damaged beyond repair. Many wandered off seeking their next site for work never to be heard from again, where others just started building their next structure right next to, or in some cases on top of the ones they’d already previously built.
The Kensetsu Mushi were built to be self-sufficient upward of 5 thousand years. Those that have ceased functioning largely were due to massive programing failures, though a few were picked off by the horrors loosed from the wreckage of the Pioneer Ships. The few builders found today have been endlessly adding onto their structures now with little rhyme or reason.
Some sit dormant in caves waiting for new commands, while others having lost access to their blueprint files wander about as if in a daze, having lost their sense of purpose in the world. While they were very trustworthy workers during the Pioneering Age, today they are incredibly dangerous creatures that are quite unpredictable.
Appearance
The insectoid construction robots come in a wide range of shapes and sizes. Their forms most usually resemble some twisted crossing of cicadas, centipedes, spiders, lobsters, and or crabs. Their sizes range from large dogs to 20 story titans.
These hulking bugs are covered in ceramic carapaces that serve to protect them against the myriad of dangers they would face on construction sites. Their armor is second only to the heat sinks of the Pioneer ships. They can withstand crushing weights, molten/frigid temperatures, and even blasts from laser cutters.
Most of these elegant machines are capable of climbing the most unstable of surfaces with ease. Some fly, some jump, some can even burrow. A few are even capable of swimming through molten ore as if it were water.
These hulking bugs are covered in ceramic carapaces that serve to protect them against the myriad of dangers they would face on construction sites. Their armor is second only to the heat sinks of the Pioneer ships. They can withstand crushing weights, molten/frigid temperatures, and even blasts from laser cutters.
Most of these elegant machines are capable of climbing the most unstable of surfaces with ease. Some fly, some jump, some can even burrow. A few are even capable of swimming through molten ore as if it were water.
Behavior
The Kensetsu Mushi once bore one of the most advanced space age AI's ever known. It was designed to allow these creatures to react to ever changing environmental conditions as if they were truly alive. A single Insectoid is capable of building an entire castle all by itself, but when they encounter others of their kind they will immediately link up into a hive mind to vastly speed up the work.
While each worker is capable of completing the same essential tasks most were built to excel in at least one or more advanced specialties. Specialties include... Lifters, Gatherers, Weavers, Diggers, Duplicators, and Sealers. Each worker is designed to know how to self regulate their own energy stores and self refuel and repair as necessary.
Construction Bugs are capable of detecting a variety of life forms and were designed to go out of their way to ensure the protection of life in dangerous working conditions. With their programing corrupted however most workers now prioritize their work and the safety of their structures over human life. Most still functioning Builders will quickly become aggravated at the sight of other life forms trespassing into their operating range.
With most Kensetsu Mushi being capable of lifting thousands of tons, they can make short work of threats to their construction sites. They will either crush their opponents flat, ball them up and mix them into their construction mortar, or use laser cutters to turn them into a fleshy piles of cubed meat. It is ill advised to approach these creatures with any degree of expectation that they will react with any normal animalistic instinct.
While each worker is capable of completing the same essential tasks most were built to excel in at least one or more advanced specialties. Specialties include... Lifters, Gatherers, Weavers, Diggers, Duplicators, and Sealers. Each worker is designed to know how to self regulate their own energy stores and self refuel and repair as necessary.
Construction Bugs are capable of detecting a variety of life forms and were designed to go out of their way to ensure the protection of life in dangerous working conditions. With their programing corrupted however most workers now prioritize their work and the safety of their structures over human life. Most still functioning Builders will quickly become aggravated at the sight of other life forms trespassing into their operating range.
With most Kensetsu Mushi being capable of lifting thousands of tons, they can make short work of threats to their construction sites. They will either crush their opponents flat, ball them up and mix them into their construction mortar, or use laser cutters to turn them into a fleshy piles of cubed meat. It is ill advised to approach these creatures with any degree of expectation that they will react with any normal animalistic instinct.
Impact
Thanks to the efforts of the Kensetsu Mushi, survivors of The Fall had places to flock to in order to escape the horrors loosed from secret labs of the Pioneer Ships. Those areas closest to the wrecked Star Ships Gavreel, and Azrael, became key points in establishing the borders to what later became known as the Necromancer and Paladin kingdoms. The impossibly lethal lands beyond those points are collectively known as the frontier.
The prebuilt structures when recovered, quickly become staging grounds for new fiefdoms. Villages have a habit of sprouting up overnight around such newly recovered fortresses and sadly tend to die off just as quickly. Unfortunately these fortresses are not only desired by humans. Quite a few fiefdoms have since become haunted by the likes of monsters, phantoms, and undead.
The full number of existing structures awaiting to be taken charge of is unknown. It's believed that roughly about 75% of these structures were initially recovered after the fall with about 30% of those having fallen to ruin during the Crimson Age. Many fiefdoms became cut off during the chaos of the Crimson age leaving a multitude of people isolated out on the frontier. Its said that its quite easy to stake a new claim on the frontier, holding on to it, however, is a whole other matter entirely.
The prebuilt structures when recovered, quickly become staging grounds for new fiefdoms. Villages have a habit of sprouting up overnight around such newly recovered fortresses and sadly tend to die off just as quickly. Unfortunately these fortresses are not only desired by humans. Quite a few fiefdoms have since become haunted by the likes of monsters, phantoms, and undead.
The full number of existing structures awaiting to be taken charge of is unknown. It's believed that roughly about 75% of these structures were initially recovered after the fall with about 30% of those having fallen to ruin during the Crimson Age. Many fiefdoms became cut off during the chaos of the Crimson age leaving a multitude of people isolated out on the frontier. Its said that its quite easy to stake a new claim on the frontier, holding on to it, however, is a whole other matter entirely.
Stackaeda
This monstrosity was once a common lifter type Constructor Bug. The use their massive arms to stack huge blocks of stone. Capable of short range flight, these creatures are capable of producing massive blocks from within their own body which they will land with pinpoint precision into place on their elegant structures.
When aggravated this monster will not hesitate to stack gigantic stone blocks onto trespassers until they stop doing anything more complex than being paper thin. Their armored bodies are capable of enduring huge amounts of damage. Even Lesser Dragons have a hard time dealing with these brutish creatures.
The rather spacious insides of Stackaedas have been known to end up housing a variety of strange parasites that are equally if not more so deadly than the host itself. Stackaeda Armor plates are highly sought after by armor smiths though few have the know-how to processes their incredibly tough armor. Very few hunter bands have the guts or gear necessary to deal with these giants bugs.
When aggravated this monster will not hesitate to stack gigantic stone blocks onto trespassers until they stop doing anything more complex than being paper thin. Their armored bodies are capable of enduring huge amounts of damage. Even Lesser Dragons have a hard time dealing with these brutish creatures.
The rather spacious insides of Stackaedas have been known to end up housing a variety of strange parasites that are equally if not more so deadly than the host itself. Stackaeda Armor plates are highly sought after by armor smiths though few have the know-how to processes their incredibly tough armor. Very few hunter bands have the guts or gear necessary to deal with these giants bugs.
Arachneteer
Arachneteers are a very rare sort of Kensetsu Mushi. While they excel at leaping and climbing their true talents lie in being a weaver type constructor. Similar to the spiders they were based on, these creatures are renown for their ability to process raw materials into highly durable fibers.
These fibers are then woven by the Arachneteer into elegant photon emitting tapestries, banners, and even body armor. They hang these banners from their legs as some sort of grim disguise or lure. Against what though, no one can be sure.
The process for creating photonic garments have been lost to all but the Arachneteer, and they wont soon be parting with that knowledge. The few photonic garments left in the world, most notably the banners that a few noble houses and war bands use in combat, are considered priceless.
While these fabrics were once used to decorate the gilded halls they helped to create, today they are used to entrap and suffocate trespassers looking for a big score. The victim's bodies are processed into crimson dies that the Arachneteer uses to decorate their macabre banners. Sometimes they even weave the bones of their victims into their twisted designs.
Photonic Garments are highly sought after by collectors, warlords, and the nobility due to the wide range of uses they have. The potential rewards for acquiring a photonic garment is so high that many have been lured to their deaths in the pursuit. They are thought to be an easier prize to secure than Stackaeda Carapaces since, technically speaking, you shouldn't even have to confront the Arachneteer to acquire one, yet somehow they always seem to know when trespassers are afoot.
These fibers are then woven by the Arachneteer into elegant photon emitting tapestries, banners, and even body armor. They hang these banners from their legs as some sort of grim disguise or lure. Against what though, no one can be sure.
The process for creating photonic garments have been lost to all but the Arachneteer, and they wont soon be parting with that knowledge. The few photonic garments left in the world, most notably the banners that a few noble houses and war bands use in combat, are considered priceless.
While these fabrics were once used to decorate the gilded halls they helped to create, today they are used to entrap and suffocate trespassers looking for a big score. The victim's bodies are processed into crimson dies that the Arachneteer uses to decorate their macabre banners. Sometimes they even weave the bones of their victims into their twisted designs.
Photonic Garments are highly sought after by collectors, warlords, and the nobility due to the wide range of uses they have. The potential rewards for acquiring a photonic garment is so high that many have been lured to their deaths in the pursuit. They are thought to be an easier prize to secure than Stackaeda Carapaces since, technically speaking, you shouldn't even have to confront the Arachneteer to acquire one, yet somehow they always seem to know when trespassers are afoot.
Mukade Express (Phantom Express)
The Mukade Express is one of the most unique technological creations of the Pioneering Age, and is unmatched for splendor even among its robotic peers. It was originally designed to function as a high speed all-terrain transport that would carry untold amounts of natural (as well as processed) resources to include an near limitless number of personnel and immigrants back and forth between the newly established facilities that were designed to be the central hubs of newly established communities.
Visually the Mukade Express is a unique merging of best aspects of both a centipede and a bullet train and is quite spectacular to behold. In its heyday it could ferry its loads across land, sea, mountains, and forests on an incredibly precise timetable.
Its segmented form allowed its length to be added to overtime via the support of other Construction Bugs, which were continuously updated on its carrying capacity needs. New segments would be constructed and added on at moment’s notice to ensure that its carrying capacity needs were always exceeded. Even more excitingly these segments could even travel out to meet the main body on their own and link up instantly without losing so much as a second on its time table. At the height of its use this silvery winding creature grew to be over a mile long with minimal impact to the environment or city structures.
After “The Fall” this marvel of technology continued to traverse its route despite there no longer being people or loads to pick up. With its AI corrupted via the “Geist effect” the Mukade Express has taken on the new moniker of “Phantom Express”. This once grand machine still reaches key stops along its route with such regularity that it is still utilized by adventurers, explorers, and treasure seekers with nerves of steel to skip over deadly countryside. Some even board the express in a vain attempts to plunder it’s many as yet unexplored cargo holds.
So long as passengers exit the Express before certain well documented “Points of no return”, it can be a relatively safe not harrowing way to travel. The thousands of skeletons endlessly riding the Express tend to dissuade most even contemplating going near. Other risk factors exist as well.
Certain cars on the Express have become overrun with less than savory creatures, to include mutants, monsters, phantoms, other types of undead. That’s not even mentioning the other Kensetsu Mushi that have been observed religiously guarding specific sections of the train from intrusion. If passengers stick to the cars that they were originally allowed to board they can avoid these dangers entirely.
Where she goes once passing the point of no return, no one knows. What is known is that the Express is never seen taking the same route twice past those points. Reports have documented the deranged creature showing up at the weirdest places. Some communities have been left highly damaged when the train randomly decided to tear through the center of town with no regards for difference between roads or houses.
It is highly advised to avoid this creature at all costs, board at your own risk.
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