Shadowling: Difference between revisions
Shadowlings CANNOT enthrall without hatching, updated advice for thralls too
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Shadowlings are light-sensitive alien creatures from space. They are mainly defensive, but can 'enthrall' humans, which is basically a euphemism for enslavement of their minds. They start off disguised as a normal crewman (they | Shadowlings are light-sensitive alien creatures from space. They are mainly defensive, but can 'enthrall' humans, which is basically a euphemism for enslavement of their minds. They start off disguised as a normal crewman (they cannot enthrall like this!) and they have to take time to 'hatch' to unlock their full potential. | ||
While hatched, shadowlings will resemble humans with black skin, small horns, red eyes, and claws. | While hatched, shadowlings will resemble humans with black skin, small horns, red eyes, and claws. | ||
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|- | |- | ||
!Enthrall | !Enthrall | ||
|Hatch | |Hatch required | ||
|None, but can only enthrall one at a time | |None, but can only enthrall one at a time | ||
|A shadowling can grow a cute little tumor on a victim's brain, rearranging their memories and motivations and turning him into an obedient thrall. This is slow, and does not itself disable the victim, so | |A shadowling can grow a cute little tumor on a victim's brain, rearranging their memories and motivations and turning him into an obedient thrall. This is slow, and does not itself disable the victim, so shadowlings should use mundane means to do so, such as handcuffs and removal of headsets. Loyalty Implants interfere with this ability; however, the protection is not perfect. It is well within a shadowling's power to disable such implants, though doing so will slow the enthralling process considerably. | ||
The benefit of thralls to changelings extends beyond the utility of an obedient crewmember. Shadowlings gain power directly from their thralls, unlocking new abilities with greater numbers, including their ultimate goal of ascension. | The benefit of thralls to changelings extends beyond the utility of an obedient crewmember. Shadowlings gain power directly from their thralls, unlocking new abilities with greater numbers, including their ultimate goal of ascension. Thralls also have their own lesser powers that they can use to help you. | ||
|- | |- | ||
!Hivemind Commune | !Hivemind Commune | ||
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So you're a shadowling. Congratulations! Here's some pointers on how not to die from a lightbulb within thirty seconds. | So you're a shadowling. Congratulations! Here's some pointers on how not to die from a lightbulb within thirty seconds. | ||
===Starting Off=== | ===Starting Off=== | ||
You're disguised. You don't take any damage from lights and you are undetectable to any means short of godly intervention. You possess | You're disguised. You don't take any damage from lights and you are undetectable to any means short of godly intervention. You possess two abilities: Hatch, and Hivemind Commune. First off, send a message or two over the hivemind to see if you have any buddies - chances are high that you do. Assess your job's capabilities. Are you the captain? Feel free to change the AI's laws to help all shadowlings. An officer? You can steal some gear for later thralls. Are you an engineer? Build a stunprod or cut power to different areas so they won't be lit up. Just don't spend too long planning: the longer the paranoid among the crew get, the more prepared they are for the unknown. | ||
There are multiple things to do from the start. If you're confident you can avoid detection, hatching immediately can work since you can easily enthrall people who rush into maintenance early with Glare. Or, you can play it | There are multiple things to do from the start. If you're confident you can avoid detection, hatching immediately can work since you can easily enthrall people who rush into maintenance early with Glare. Or, you can play it differently and try to covertly sabotage the station first. It's up to you - you're the alien monster, after all. | ||
===Post-Hatch=== | ===Post-Hatch=== | ||
So you've hatched. You have the rest of your abilities now - use them! Alert your fellow shadowlings (and thralls) that you're hatched over the hivemind, and make more thralls your first priority. You can't wear normal clothes, but you can still put on backpacks and headsets, which is an extremely good idea. If you're discovered by a group of people, use your defensive abilities to escape in addition to your thralls. If a single guy sees you, just glare at him, slap some cablecuffs on if you have them, take away his headset, and enthrall him. People whom you enthrall '''cannot easily be turned back to normal, although surgery is capable of doing so''' and their new loyalty to you overrides all else. If you enthrall a nuclear operative somehow, they will serve you over their Syndicate friends. If you enthrall the captain, he will do much the same. | So you've hatched. You have the rest of your abilities now - use them! Alert your fellow shadowlings (and thralls) that you're hatched over the hivemind, and make more thralls your first priority. You can't wear normal clothes, but you can still put on backpacks and headsets, which is an extremely good idea. If you're discovered by a group of people, use your defensive abilities to escape in addition to your thralls. If a single guy sees you, just glare at him, slap some cablecuffs on if you have them, take away his headset, and enthrall him. People whom you enthrall '''cannot easily be turned back to normal, although surgery is capable of doing so''' and their new loyalty to you overrides all else. If you enthrall a nuclear operative somehow, they will serve you over their Syndicate friends. If you enthrall the captain, he will do much the same. | ||
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===I CAN'T SEE!=== | ===I CAN'T SEE!=== | ||
After you hatch, you may notice that you can only see the tile you're standing on. There's a way to fix this. Look in your action buttons - you should see a blank button called Shift Nerves. This will allow you to change the range of your night vision, all the way from a full screen to none at all. This allows you to be more or less careful with your vision. | After you hatch, you may notice that you can only see the tile you're standing on. There's a way to fix this. Look in your action buttons - you should see a blank button called Shift Nerves. This will allow you to change the range of your night vision, all the way from a full screen to none at all. This allows you to be more or less careful with your vision, and to check if something is in the light or not. | ||
==What To Do: If You're A Thrall [[File:Shadowling_huds.png]]== | ==What To Do: If You're A Thrall [[File:Shadowling_huds.png]]== | ||
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Keep in mind that many of the shadowling's abilities rely on damaging or manipulating you. Even by helping the shadowlings accomplish their one objective, you are sentencing yourself completely and utterly to death - there is no way around it. You may find yourself drained of half your life, used as bait, used as a bodyguard, or suddenly surrounded in the middle of a maintenance tunnel by Security officers who are trying to cave your chest in. Assume you're going to die because you are and there's no way around it. | Keep in mind that many of the shadowling's abilities rely on damaging or manipulating you. Even by helping the shadowlings accomplish their one objective, you are sentencing yourself completely and utterly to death - there is no way around it. You may find yourself drained of half your life, used as bait, used as a bodyguard, or suddenly surrounded in the middle of a maintenance tunnel by Security officers who are trying to cave your chest in. Assume you're going to die because you are and there's no way around it. | ||
Thralls can see in the dark with night vision, so make sure you don't accidentally make a Kentucky Fried Shadowling with your PDA light. You do have one advantage, however: stealth. You look much more human, so use this to your advantage to do things for your masters. Keep in touch often. | |||
Finally, you also have a HUD indicator above your head. A more intimidating version can be seen above any shadowlings, hatched or not. Your indicator signals that you are a thrall - only other shadowlings and thralls can see this. If you're killing someone with that HUD indicator, expect a ban. | Finally, you also have a HUD indicator above your head. A more intimidating version can be seen above any shadowlings, hatched or not. Your indicator signals that you are a thrall - only other shadowlings and thralls can see this. If you're killing someone with that HUD indicator, expect a ban. | ||
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!Lesser Glare | !Lesser Glare | ||
|45 seconds | |45 seconds | ||
|Lesser Glare is an ineffectual yet powerful ability. Inheriting only a fraction of the shadowling's original power, thralls are able to mesmerize people in much the same way a shadowling can - however, it only lasts for around four to five seconds, give or take. If you're fast or robust, this can be combined with cablecuffs and a quick removal of a headset to secure a new thralling target. | |Lesser Glare is an ineffectual yet powerful ability. Inheriting only a fraction of the shadowling's original power, thralls are able to mesmerize people in much the same way a shadowling can - however, it only lasts for around four to five seconds, give or take. If you're fast or robust, this can be combined with cablecuffs and a quick removal of a headset to secure a new thralling target. It's also a good way to escape an arrest. | ||
|- | |- | ||
!Guise | !Guise | ||