Mitelloids

Hi guys, Pandora here. Just thought I'd show up with a contest entry. I've got to say, I quite like my idea. I don't think I'll win, but I think it's nice.

<-- Sprites courtesy of Owl24

These guys are called mitelloids, and they're pretty dangerous, able to leech life out of anything, and almost invulnerable. No, seriously. They're dangerous. Don't you see the glowy stuff around them? That means they're dangerous. Or at least unusual. But don't touch them without gloves.

Mitelloids are actually metalloid creatures (I know, creative name, right?) that are well-adapted to human use. They live by absorbing and storing energy, and since humans have many uses for metal, that works out pretty well for them. They aren't limited to human energy, but it's unlikely that other monsters/animals would be attracted to them except for maybe ones that are attracted to shiny things. The normal lifespan of a mitelloid is unknown, but longest observed is a few hundred years.

For the longest time, humans have thought that these objects were possessed or cursed. One brave scientist named Professor Giovani Diangelo (name courtesy of Viendel) conducted some tests on the metal and concluded that they were in fact living creatures that are dependent on energy absorption (he also likened them to coral). He named them mitelloids due to their likeness of metal.

You don't want to touch them with bare hands. At all. If you do, you're probably a goner.
They are immobile, which is a very good thing for humans.

Mitelloids are resistant to most other attacks, including poison, electricity, metal objects, etc. Most of them are very weak to extreme temperatures. Exceptions include those found on icy planets (immune to cold, but incredibly weak to heat) and lava planets (vice versa). Some of them, such as the iron ones, can rust so water is semi-effective. It is still unknown how to completely kill them because they are able to be revived when they come into contact with more energy. It is theorized that complete darkness and solitude for a few hundred years might eventually cause their life systems to shut down, leaving only regular metal.

Natural habitats would be any planet that contains a unique element in its soil. Mitelloids will form naturally on the surface as metal ore because they need a basic energy source to live, the most convenient being the sun. Once a deposit of mitelloid has been depleted, the earth will generate another deposit somewhere on the planet after a week has passed, thus they are a good replenishable resource unlike normal metal.

Because of their energy-absorbing properties, they are often used to make dangerous weapons. Wielding weapons or shields (and possibly other objects) made of mitelloids have their benefits. Firstly, your enemies takes damage much more quickly because their life is being absorbed into the mitelloid. Secondly, with that energy, your weapon/shield becomes much stronger and more durable. However, take caution when handling mitelloids as they cannot distinguish between you and other beings. You will need at least gloves to wield mitelloid weapons and shields. Failure to do so will cause health depletion.

Since they live on the absorption of energy, they can be solar-powered indefinitely. Thus it is possible that some have survived since the creation of their kind.

They can potentially be used as energy storing devices because they only consume a little energy in periods.

There have been confirmations of symbiotic relationships with crystalline creatures that are also energy-dependent.

Unlike real metals, mitelloids are unable to be combined into alloys such as steel or bronze because they will separate themselves from any other substance.
Also unlike real metals, they are not conductive because they absorb any energy that should pass through their metal-like substance.
Mitelloids are much less dangerous as raw ore than as purified metal, so people are able to mine them without too much hassle.

They have been found on alien planets, probably due relocation by humans who want these objects out of their lives.

Well, I guess that's all for now. I would appreciate some feedback! If you contribute something such as lore or maybe even art, I will gladly indicate that in the post. Thanks for reading all this stuff!

-Pandora

QUESTION: Do you guys think that there should be a special type of water that would instantly rust mitelloids and render them useless? If used on a character it might give a debuff of not allowing melee weapons to be used. If used on a deposit of raw mitelloid ore it would stop the planet from regenerating mitelloid.

 

Can the scientist be called Kayrun Myticor?

 

Any real reason? I don't object, I just like knowing backstories if there are any.

 

Oh.
I neglected to put it there because I wanted to post first, heh.

Anyway, I used to write short novels, and one of my main characters name was "Ar'Tury Arcadas Myticor", and another was "Kayrun Fretuniate Junapolicia". I personally don't think the names mix too well, but it does sound sorta scientific considering Kayrun was a genius even by his races standards, creating an extremely powerful form of the rail-gun.

 

That's nice. I think the names go together decently well, but that's probably because I didn't come up with them

 

Hah. I've never been gifted with names.

I can also think up other names.

Gavin Willomein.

Vincent Le'Chance.

Giovani Diangelo.

Akdul Mephria.

 

Ha ha, if you want a name to be in there, you better choose one because I'm not putting them all in there.

 

Fine.

Professor Giovani Diangelo. I like that name.

 

Okay, I just made a super overhaul of my idea. Check it out please

btw moderators can you guys change the name of the thread to "Mitelloids"?

 

Nice idea, I suppose these creatures would have useful drops, if one managed to kill them?

 

Name idea! Jebediah Zepheriah!

 

Well, I suppose Haven't quite figured out when they're considered to be dead...

Edit: I've decided that they're more useful when alive than dead because of their potential energy-stealing properties as weapons, etc. You'll probably have to make/get gloves in order to use them though. The gloves don't have to be fancy since they only drain energy when you're in physical contact. You can also forge the mitelloid into another shape as long as you don't come into contact with the metal.

Sorry, someone already made one up.

 

Hey guys, from looking at the results of my poll, I see that you guys think that it needs some work. That's fine and all, but at least tell me what needs work please so that I can polish up my entry :/

 

I could try some spriting for the mitelloids.
Sound good?

 

A monster that isn't exactly a monster.
Art wise the entry doesn't seems that great at first but I gotta admit I'm liking this whole idea of a creature that looks like metal but it isn't!
But tell me this. How exactly Mitelloids are "born? How people would craft things with them if they are fairly weak to extreme heat?
Should mitelloids be considered creatures like corals? How they appear near human civilizations?
Perhaps this "hive mind" can infect metallic objects and turn them into mitelloids?
Or perhaps it's an intergalactical anomaly?!

Still, this entry should get more credit!

 

Here's a broadsword:

 

Oh wow, thank you!

Now that I think about, mitelloids would be very similar to coral. However, I was thinking that where they are "born" is dependent on soil quality and such of the planet. A planet would have to have a unique element in its soil in order for these to form naturally.
People would be able to craft things with them because they're weak to heat. That's a property that likens them to normal metal, which is the ability to be malleable under heat and pressure.
I think I've decided against the hive mind idea. It was an interesting concept to me, but I don't know how it would work. I don't really like the idea of mitelloids infecting regular metal because, again, the formation of them should depend on a unique element natural to the soil.
I'm thinking that they should be a replenishable resource (like once you mine a deposit, more is generated after a certain amount of time).
Well, I guess rather than having adapted to the rise of humans, mitelloids simply used to gather energy from the sun, but then humans found them and thought they were just regular metals and started using them.
Maybe as ores, since they're still in the raw state, their ability to absorb energy is weakened? That would make it easier for people to mine them without, I don't know, dying as much? What do you guys think?

 

Sounds good.

 

Perhaps mitelloids should be formed in a state of inactivity, and when exposed to heat (being on sunlight for years of molden and crafted) they "awaken" and start to slowly develop a necessity for energy. The older a mitelloid is the more energy it would be able to suck out of things. So miners finding underground mitelloids or still-young surface ones wouldnt exactly die if they touch it. Although there should be some some sort of ore deposit aging kinda system. Exposed deposits would age faster. The older, the more energy it would suck from the wearer per second or tick.
Thats just my idea thugh.

 

From a game-developing point of view, I think that would be really hard to implement into the system It's a great idea though.