Metalloids

So, this originally was an issue about two years ago and Travance helped rescue Glangill underground. We warned the Elthiirians, hopefully reached the Morlens, and all the other people who lived underground we have met over the years about the potential danger and, as far as I can tell, everyone worked on stripping their metal from beneath them, sealing their deeper caves, and trying to figure out what to do to deal with the threat. Maybe it was the World Curse (but, thinking more on it, more likely the Primal Springtide) that let them out, but the Metalloids recently escaped their underground prison and have made their way under Travance.

These notes are a bit scattered, I have been busy.

What we have tested so far. This is a bit of a learning process, so there may be other options.

Weakness: Aether as metal, Lightning as ooze *Rust Bombs (thanks Selby!)
Resistant: Fire.
Do not touch with metal or bare skin
Primary ‘Attacks’: Poisonous. Able to absorb/change metal to itself (including mithril and iron in living bodies)

We have watched one of the scouts (as an ooze) latch onto a casting focus at range that struck it with silver energy.
Same goes for bare fists. Please wrap up your hands if you are going to try punching them.

What I call 'scouts' are large, metallic centipede-like creatures. When you kill them, their ooze 'blood' starts to spread to try and find more metal (including you) to latch onto. Striking them with lightning in this form usually gets it to run away (maybe enough would destroy it.)
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This may sound foolish, but I believe calling these creatures Metalloids may be insulting? I have only ever encountered the leader(?) once, a very intelligent (psionic, last I checked) ooze that wore armor (I promise that is less crazy than it sounds) I will never forget what it said ‘We are not the dead substance you call metal. We are alive, and as all things living, take dead substance to create life from death in an elegant and sublime way.’

With current circumstances, it probably can not be communicated with in a friendly manner, but in its smaller insectoid forms, I am unsure if there is enough intelligence to determine if we are food or not either way. They appear to sense the metal and eat/convert it, no matter what that metal may be. I might try talking to one at some point to confirm if they recognize a conversation as a scout.

The metal they touch they change into its form. The absorb metal to grow larger, to multiply, and bring it to life. When it is the metal in a living creature… they become metallic, changed, and joined with the others.

I requested the Baronial Council send out a notice to the populace to cover their metal and to seal it away. I have been focusing on warning the general populace that it took me a bit of time to properly prepare these notes for the 'heores' of Travance on this notice board, though I have been doing my best to have these notes dispersed by the Darkwood Academy to you all.

Based on the new powers of the world, this creature could categorized as an ‘Aberrant Divine’ creature.

At the time, Metalloids tend to ignore metal as long as it is securely wrapped in other materials. However this was two years ago, before the World Curse, and I do not know if they have gotten more desperate, but we can only hope.

While not required by any means, I suggest wearing less metal or at the very least covering up it and your skin to minimize contamination from the ooze form of the Metalloids. I have extra cloth to help if you need it. (OOG: This is just a fun RP idea, please only do it if you will have fun trying! )
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Cenn Sasid The city under Honor's Peak
Zharr Karag The name of Honor's Peak to Glangill's people.

Glangill Currently a resident of Honor’s Peak, he was trapped in Cenn Sasid by the Metalloids. Before the World Curse, as a powerful dwarven rune sorcerer, he was/is very uncommon. He also had access to the ‘plasma forge’ and traded Elementium with Travance. However, we have confirmed the majority of this had been devoured by the Metalloids.

Ismay is the name of the Dwarf we uncovered the journal of two years ago. Unfortunately, with the World Curse, it may have burned up with my other odd lore books. I am digging. However, it told of the city of Deep Nezhod, or Deep Ash. Glangill is currently looking for Ismay.

Deep Nezhod/Deep Ash The origin point of whatever ritual created the first Metalloid.

Please, add more here if I am missing it or if you have questions. I believe I have more notes to go over to add here for everyone anyways, this is just a start.

Ilana Darkwood
Lady of Pendarvin
Headmistress of Darkwood Academy
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After answering Reyna's question, I realize it will be wiser to respond to questions in this manner instead. I will let you know I have informed this notice of your questions when I do.

Do we have any idea of their battle strategies or fighting style beyond using our metal against us?
I have only dealt with them in singular 'scouting' forms or in large groups so... maybe swarm tactics?
However, that was two years ago, they may have had enough time to figure themselves out, if that makes any sense.

What would be defined as metal for the purposes of these things?

First time, crystal had trouble. We did not test it with the scout we encountered recently. If anyone has a small piece of twilight shard they're willing to lose, we can add it to the list of things to test.

Wood and stone work very well. We have not had a problem with bone yet.

Stone Arrow Heads? Stone Shot?
Arrow heads are easy. Any engineers want to get together in the Proper and see if they can make stone ammunition work well enough?

Do we have any idea of their battle strategies or fighting style beyond using our metal against us?

What would be defined as metal for the purposes of these things? we do have materials to make weapons that are crystals bones and wood.

we could carve stone balls for the arquebus to allow for attacks from range, and stone heads for arrows. Would these work?

I don't know for certain, but I would assume that rust bombs would be good against metalliods. Might be good to make sure people have them

Aye,
I've used thee rust bombs ta great effect on these vermin, ya stock up on em!

-Glangill Balzak

If anybody needs a volunteer to test stone shot I can do it, but I recommend we use it for smooth bore arms only. Blowing a bloody rock out the barrel of anything with rifling will screw up the barrel something fierce and you’ll be in trouble when you can go back to using conventional ammo.

Cobus,
Could we use a below the diameter projectile and then put a wooden case around it?

Yeah I...reckon we could. Might be better for a sawed-off like William Sterling and I have, but. It's feasible.

Cobus, Donny,

If you're going this route with your munitions, I advise caution. There are reasons stones and wood aren't conventionally fired out of cannons, handheld or otherwise. One errant dent or bump on your shot (and if you go with wood i imagine the initial shot may potentially burn some of it off) and the thing'll lose its accuracy, may hit your allies rather than your targets. I may not know arquebus's but I know enough of cannons.

You both are wise, I'm sure you'll figure something out.

Agreed, that's my biggest concern about the whole affair. Even with smoothbore weapons you still want to avoid messing up the barrel.

...honestly, best course of action might just be to explore making rust bombs we can fire out of our arquebi like the high explosive rounds I've seen some folks make. Provided the ordnance itself is made right there's much less of a chance of us ruining our weapons for conventional rounds.

Selby, reckon this is something that could be done?

Shove some glass down the barrel of a blunderbuss and be done with it. I've seen this used and the results are terrifying.

Cobus,

While ammunitions are not my specialty, I believe that some of our talented engineers could be capable of that.

Thank you everyone.

While I know the problem finally made it to our doorstep to be handled properly, I am grateful we were able to resolve it together.

-Ilana