Entities #412 and #413; Mindwurms, Mindwurm Matriarch

Discussion in 'The Monster Monster Contest' started by Cyan the Red, Mar 10, 2012.

  1. Objective: Acquire data about the species Mindwurm and the Mindwurm Matriarch.

    First source: Starbound Systems Storage Almanac.
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    Second source: Field journal of Monstropology Expert James Hiddleston, deceased.
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    the ~mindworm~
    It's an organism, or a series of organisms, that feeds on information. It tends to inhabit complicated ecosystems or places where data is readily available like cities or computer consoles so if you make a city or overinhabit a space station there's a chance for a mindworm infestation
    As they feed on information, they have a tendency to perform mindwipes on animals that pass by, so fighting them is a bit of a bother because every time they hit you there's a chance to proc their mind drain attack, which leaves you with a debuff called 'Susceptible...'. This lowers your speed.
    If this procs on you more than once, you black out and are transported back to your spawn point with an effect called 'Amnesicac.' Your health is the same, you have the same items, but you are slowed for the time being and have serious paranoia.
    If x number of mindworms spawn in one place, they despawn and instead their queen spawns. She is capable of firing lasers and is a lot harder to kill. She can still proc the mind drain attack, but less so. She also spawns more mindworms.
     
  2. Ego_Tank

    Ego_Tank Astral Cartographer

    HOLY COW. I love this its like a organic virus that consumes all knowledge. Awesome! :)
     
  3. T-Bone Biggins

    T-Bone Biggins Phantasmal Quasar

    Not to be nit-picky, great artistic skill is here, but why does the matriarch have a feminine form of a human female? Did it infect a human female and uses that as part of it's physical avatar?
     
  4. Ego_Tank

    Ego_Tank Astral Cartographer

    Thats a good question. I second that.
     
  5. considering that specific instance of matriarch was found on an old space station, the information the mindwurms were feeding on probably affected her shape.
    also because the human female feminine physical appearance is aesthetically pleasing and hearkens to the idea of a mother.
     
  6. Ego_Tank

    Ego_Tank Astral Cartographer

    Could it possible be some form of lure.: As it gathered imformation it found it could trick Men into its clutches possibly? :geek:
     
  7. T-Bone Biggins

    T-Bone Biggins Phantasmal Quasar

    This harkens to the idea of a mother to the human psyche, yes. Maybe the mindwurms picked up on this as they went through the data from the station occupants would be a great backstory. That or is each matriarch is uniquely shaped to which race or combination or races they have come into contact with?

    By the way are you not spelling it like Mindworms to avoid lawsuit with whoever owns rights to Alpha Centauri? Love that game :)
     
  8. "Hey baby you look lonely, are you busy toni- ARGH OH GOD YOU'RE NOT A BABY AAAA-" and then mindwipe and devour corpse.

    It would be a lovely backstory but it might be a bit too difficult for the developers to work in new matriarch designs for every biome. I might just edit it so Mindwurms only spawn in sentient-being-created areas like cities and nephilopolises.

    and re: Alpha Centauri it's a distinct possibility~~
     
  9. Ego_Tank

    Ego_Tank Astral Cartographer

    Exactly. :D
     
  10. SuicidePikle

    SuicidePikle Aquatic Astronaut

    I love this idea, quite good. Hmm?! I hear something munching on a chord. *looks out window* IT'S THE MOTHER!!!!!! ARGHHH--
     
  11. Ego_Tank

    Ego_Tank Astral Cartographer

    Bam Brain dessolved into raw data milkshake. :)
     
  12. Pretty cool!
    It like as one of those SCP-things :alien:
     
  13. SuicidePikle

    SuicidePikle Aquatic Astronaut

    *cough-HACK* I can still stay alive for a bit, but now they now where some*HACK* of the most powerful weapons are, how I knew that in the first place? Don't ask.*Cough*
     
  14. Narutoman

    Narutoman Void-Bound Voyager

    Saaaweeet!
     
  15. Joxalot

    Joxalot Subatomic Cosmonaut

    I love the idea of mind-absorbing creature, as they could easily trick you so they could become invisible to your brain or control other living organisms to fight you if they ever get in danger. Great job on the entry by the way.

    There should be special events where whole cities get infected with the creatures and there is a Matriarch-kinda super boss that turned all beings in an area into brain dead minions.
     
  16. SuicidePikle

    SuicidePikle Aquatic Astronaut

    I think that "matriarch" would be the "mother"
     
  17. anubis666

    anubis666 Scruffy Nerf-Herder

    Fantastic presentation!
     
  18. Giant Door

    Giant Door Space Penguin Leader

    Very cool. I almost didn't check it out because I thought it was going to be another giant worm concept, but I'm glad I did. It's a nice idea with striking visuals. Actually reminds me of spirited away with the black/white creepy cuteness about it.

    Maybe a better concept for the effect of the mind drain would be to temporarily assume control of the player and make them walk/jump in a random direction? I just think that a slow effect is commonly used for so many things from frost to poison... taking control of the player seems more like mind control to me, and could serve as a anything from being mildly annoying to fatal, depending on the terrain.
     
  19. stiqe

    stiqe Space Spelunker

    This is beyond cool, and yet another reason to not bother entering myself, haha.
    been lurking for a while but so far you've got my vote >:T

    just lovely!
     
  20. Shotgun Steve

    Shotgun Steve Zero Gravity Genie

    If this is chosen...

    I fear for my dreams of being the greatest data harvester in Starbound.

    Nicely played, Cyan.
     

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