metallicthirst

[metallicthirst]

The Allomantic Pyramids

The Allomancer Pyramids are sought after for their relatively generous passive benefits.

As with all of the Pyramids, they are each divided into one of the sixteen base metals. This division determines what base metal and shardmetal alloys they have access to through the shard.

Each member seeds 50% of their Will, which in this case is generalized capacity. Be it physical, cognitive, and spiritual. To the one above them in the hierarchy. This includes any actual benefits from their seeds.

40% of this will is sent into a sort of 'bank', a vast ocean of raw investiture which is reserved for the synthesis of material through the individual's shard. This is a costly endeavor, changing raw investiture into matter, and only experienced veterans of the pyramid have the presence of mind to ration their synthesis. The recommended first synthesis is a Lerasium alloy, to grant Allomantic abilities even if their place in the hierarchy is somehow severed. However, the amount of investiture required to synthesize a shardmetal like that takes years for 1s and even 2s to accumulate.

5% of this will be sent to the one they seed as Allomantic ability in the first place. This does in fact mean that those without the ability to utilize Allomancy when joining the pyramid will not be able to do so until they are seeded by 0s or above.

The last 5% of this will be sent to the one they seed as getting generalized capacity, a replacement for what they are currently giving.

The shards used by Allomancer Pyramids are by far the largest of them all. The slots are placed behind the ear as they all are, but their single slot is as tall as the ear and half an inch thick. Unlike the other shard slots, these shards do not physically touch the person using them, rather, there is a sort of protective casing around the slot. The Allomancers only need the metal in their body after all.

Above is a standard shard, a storage cartridge that can be used instead of the canisters, a canister, a sunheart filament, and a small crystal.

As with all of the pyramidal shards, it is comprised of three basic components. Will Stone, Atlantian Crystal, and a Sunheart filament. The protective casing which the shard slot is lined with is also Will Stone, and there are numerous Raysium contact points on the shard to facilitate proper connection between the shard and the slot. These contact points are outwardly coated in silver to prevent the user from burning the Raysium, accidentally or otherwise. These shards also have the additional invested attribute of lighter weight. The volume of material is essential to the art.

These shards can either be slotted with eleven canisters or a cartridge.

The Canisters are far more common and are empty lead cylinders, used when the Allomancer chooses to manifest materials. The canisters not able to be burned, protect the individual from the potentially harmful material, such as a Harmonium Alloy that they could manifest. Each canister can manifest only a single material at a time, but can manifest any materials the Core allows. Due to the nature of matter, the amount of material that can be stored in canisters and how much investiture it takes to synthesize the same volume of material will vary based on the material itself.

The Cartridges, however, hold exactly 24 hours of burning worth of material, for non-instant materials such as Aluminum. This material is condensed and lightened through the use of investiture, though they still retain 10% of their weight. This weight attached to one side of the skull makes them unlikely to be used below a certain tier of the Pyramid.

[metallicthirst]

Basic Pyramidal Structure

Each of the individual pyramids sent to each continuity only has access to a single metal of a single magic. Tin A or Gold F or Iron H for example.

The seeding structure of these pyramids is quite simple to understand.

Four seeds to one, repeating until the top of the pyramid is reached. Then, the peak seeds to the Core, the sun far above the pyramid on the ground. Who then, in turn, seeds to the Rulerling. This is all that is likely to matter for the purposes of Pinnacle Volunteers.

'What' is seeded and 'what' is gained from being seeded to is specific to the different types of Pyramids.

The 'level' one is in the pyramid is referred to with a number, starting with the foundation of 0. 0s are those who are part of a layer that is being built, the foundation which has yet to be completed. It is recommended that a 1 finds its own four 0s to replace them, but any 'excess' will be automatically allocated to a 1 during the promotion process, though 10s, 11s, and 100s are often seen ensuring their own well-being by adding to the foundation when they can. 0s, although they actively seed and have undergone the surgery for shard slots, are not officially a member of the pyramid and thus do not receive any benefits.

When the pyramid's foundation is properly set, the 'number' of everyone in the pyramid will be increased. Though some won't realize it until later.

Demotion is rare, as it requires the Core to either despise someone enough to willfully demote them or for the foundation to be sufficiently damaged to the point that there are no more 0s to promote up the pyramid.

Yes, that is to say that one of the easiest methods of promotion is for someone above you to...disappear. Be careful Pinnacle Volunteers, as your pyramid will serve regardless of who is at the top.

Shards

are important to a pyramid's reward structure.

What is a shard?

Put simply, shard slots are sockets surgically implanted into someone's skull. As a Pinnacle Volunteer, you will receive one or more of these slots.

A shard is what goes into these slots, a neutral chip if you would like to think of it that way. The shard is how a pyramid member accesses the pyramid's benefits, beyond certain basal benefits gained from pure will.

Remember, the core is what has ultimately been seeded to, not any individual within the pyramid.

Types of Pyramids

There are currently three types of pyramids. Allomancy, Feruchemy, and Hemalurgy. They each have their own strengths and weaknesses. If you are a privileged enough volunteer to be allowed to choose your own pyramid, you should weigh your choice carefully. If you are not, then you should know what issues you may face.

More details may be provided at later dates.

Allomancy

Best passive benefits.

Middling seeding requirements.

Requires material to function.

Very little actually makes its way up the pyramid.

Theoretically, permanent access to Allomancy even when separated from the pyramid.

Feruchemy

Brutal yet consistent seeding requirements.

Pyramids that are stagnant for a prolonged period of time can have their foundation 'rot'.

Higher members can see permanent benefits even if separated from the pyramid.

Hemalurgy

Even short pyramids can have extreme power.

'Progress' from prior members can be used for new members.

This can have the most extreme seeding requirements.

Without strict rules, requirements, or punishments in place; will consistently 'rot' the foundation.

Can have extremely 'altricial' 1s.

[metallicthirst]

STLs and the Goodies Inside

Despite the appearance to the star wars boarding craft, this was simply the best 'initial impression' that already existed for what lived in my brain. Building sized drop pods, they house several living quarters, a central chamber, a 'Core' room, and the autodoc stations. These STLs are one per pyramid, not one per continuity.

Central Chamber

A sort of receptiony temply hall, it can serve various purposes and possesses a statue of the STL's rulerling. A being who lives in a separate continuity. The one who sponsored the STL's creation and is hoping for their success within this continuity is usually painted as a divine figure to the locals.

Living Wing

Capable of housing four levels of the pyramid, albeit not comfortably, it possesses spaces to prepare and store food and water as well as places to rest.

Core

The Core is an awakened metalmind of the patron's metal, integrated with the technology of The Map and fueled by a 'cutting' off of the Atlantian Crystal, it controls the vessel until it makes planet fall somewhere, at which point its ministrations are reserved for the management and dispensation of 'Will' across the pyramid. Thats right, the miniature blue sun with a fancy metallic shell is actually what the entire pyramid seeds to, it simply gives appropriate portions back to the pyramid as dictated by the type of magic it is associated with. Through the extra investiture it takes from the pyramid, it can fuel itself as well as manufacture specific materials required by the pyramid's growth, such as the shards used in the initiation process.

Autodoc Wing

The 'initiation corridor' can house up to sixteen concurrent operations, requiring one to seed their will to the core to start the operation. There, they will undergo minor surgery to receive a shard slot, as well as their shard.

This surgery has a very low mortality rate due to the autodoc's effectiveness and takes three hours to complete.

[metallicthirst]

Starts

Well, first of all, lets talk about the systems at play. Every continuity invaded has one initial peak for every pyramid and an STL (I haven't thought of an acronym, I just like it). The peak for the pyramid is the start of the pyramids, the three, Allomancy, Feruchemy, and Hemalurgy. Typically, one continuity will possess one pyramid for all three magics, related to a single metal, though some special cases may see one of each metal for a magic, or one of each magic for a different metal. Jumping is more an art than a science. This individual is tasked with actually establishing the pyramid scheme.

STLs are the core structures of the pyramids, the central temples, the required heart. In locations without sufficient technology to replicate the autodocs inside or to replace the core overminds within, these structures are irreplaceable necessities to grow the pyramids.

[metallicthirst]

Infinitely Better Horizons

So, I have decided to utterly overhaul this entire thing. They will still follow the jumpchain spirit of going from setting to setting, the Rulerlings that is. But their entire...thing is reduced and I am much happier. So, the Prior posts can be taken as 'in the process of thinking about things' or 'beta builds'.

The current settings which stuff will be utilized from (the bits and bobs required to function as I intend) are as follows (this list is indicative of settings I truly and thoroughly enjoy for the most part); The Cosmere, The Will of the Many/Hierarchy series (I am frothing for Strength of the Few), Atlantis the Lost Empire, Treasure Planet, and finally, Cyberpunk 2077/Edgerunners.

So, what am I taking from each?

Treasure Planet: Childhood enjoyment, the map.

Atlantis the Lost Empire: Childhood enjoyment, the Crystal.

Cyberpunk: Shards and 'Autodocs', which I am aware is a Fallout thing, but I assume they are possible in the setting of Cyberpunk and thus will simply attribute to them (I never got into Fallout as much as I feel I should've).

Hierarchy: In a technical sense? Pyramids and Will, although heavily colored by the bulk of what is being taken in the Cosmere. As much as I love the first book, I have dedicated too much of my mind to the metallic arts to be overthrown by a single fantastic book.

Cosmere: The Metallic Arts (and Fabrials when we get significantly more on them), Sunhearts, Awakened Metalminds, Investiture as a concept, and Shardmetals.

Why am I doing this?

Because I like these things, and I like throwing characters or powers from one thing into another thing, and I need to write down what I think more often.

Is this garbage, lazy, and uncreative?

Yes, yes it is.

[metallicthirst]

Core

The Core is the central complex and power structure of the Rulerlings within each locality. A biomechanical superstructure the size of a small moon that is FTL capable. These structures house the Geneforges, farms, Archives, foundries, academies, barracks, and armories.

The cores have a general strategy of avoiding direct conflict with any of the locals, instead choosing to create gateways and sending relatively small forces to varying locations around the locality, they in fact lack impressive fleets like those seen in many localities. Their 'fleets' mainly comprise boarding craft, troop carriers, and strike craft.

Outer Shell

The outer shell of the Core is heavily armored, with alloys and layers of Vibranium, Adamantium, Uru, and Adamantine; gained from the more productive locality. The Harvester's shield technology has also been integrated, though this was before the shell's reinforcement. Finally, the shell has some degree of self-repairing functionality due to the biomechanical nature of the core.

Inner Void

Within the outer shell are many pockets and chambers, far more than the outer size would suggest, as the inside has been expanded a number of times, with further storage space having been gained through the digitization from the reverse-engineered technology of Kevin Flynn.

This is where the vast majority of the facilities are located, most of the castes possessing their own sections of the inner void for their own Geneforges, farms, academies, barracks, and armories. The Archives and foundries are specifically separated from the caste's jurisdiction.

The Geneforges are the cloning facilities for the castes, as they each utilize a unique genetic profile and go through different augmentations to one another, centralized Geneforges were deemed hazardous.

The Farms each caste manages are primarily for the purposes of food and fuel for the Geneforges. However, the Hemalurgists and the Harvesters have additional varieties of livestock on hand, with a Harvester working on each farm to harvest the investiture of the slaughtered livestock.

The academies are self-contained digital spaces in which the training clone units are housed, granted Identity Discs which hold many useful memories, habits, and instincts in order to streamline the training process. The training is overseen by Programs, however, final evaluations are made by Veterans. Upon succeeding, they receive their own Crystal fragment from the Central Mind.

The barracks are realspace locations within the Core, containing mess halls, sleeping quarters, and recreation facilities.

The armories, though majorly overlapping in the weapons allowed to each caste, is not the same uniformly, and was deemed that separate stockpiles of arms, vehicles, and ordinances would be safer.

The Archives is an archive of history and reports about the localities visited, the technologies implemented and deemed unnecessary, tactics and training methods, research on the abilities of the various castes, numerous unsealed metalminds, and a spike repository. Though not under the jurisdiction of any one caste, each caste has a section for specific works, histories, or tactics they have contributed.

The foundries are the machine factories that tirelessly work to manufacture the arms and vehicles utilized by the Legion.

Gate Matrix

A series of doorways that open a close to the will of the Central mind, some are large enough for a large company of ships to go through, others are small enough for three units to barely walk through shoulder to shoulder.

This is the location of the hangars for the Legion's 'fleet'.

Central Mind

An awakened metalmind fueled by the mutilated and wiped Crystal acquired from Atlantis, it utilizes the Map, which naturally updates itself with each locality and enables the various doorways to be opened. This metalmind possesses near absolute control over the core and is more than capable of terminating every organism on board, however, it must obey the commands of the Rulerling it serves.

It coordinates the forces and rations investiture to the units. It often evaluates the threat level of localities based on the data from the Map and sends units accordingly. If a locality has little more than a low-technology world, it may only send a member or two from each caste to the world. But if it has a number of particularly dangerous entities within, it will usually mobilize the entire Legion.

[metallicthirst]

Castes

Utilizing the sophisticated Kaminoan cloning techniques and the general training tactics they employed, which were obviously significantly modified since the introduction of the Symbiotes with further training, augmentation, and conditioning since the acquisition of the desired imprints for the Symbiotes, the forces of the Rulerlings have seen four distinct castes arise.

However 'four' does ignore the Livestock caste and their various forms.

Below is a broad overview of the castes below the Rulerlings, as the Rulerlings will each have specific variations to their forces based on the resources they have access to.

Allomancers

Genetically, extremely similar to the originally modified clones produced by the Kaminoans. Tier 2 and 3 clones within the caste are Mistings, with tier 3 clones possessing further genetic augmentations to include small glands that produce heavily invested metals scattered across the skin of their pectoral and deltoid regions giving them a bumpy 'scarified' appearance. The tier 3 mistings denature their near-constant metallic annihilation through a Sunheart filament implanted into their sternum which surrounds the crystal connected to the core. In dark environments and bare-chested, they can appear to have a dim blue light emit from their chest. The filament can only be used one way, either taking energy from the core to fuel rationed emergency Allomancy or negating the effects of Allomancy to store into the core.

The Symbiotes of these members possess white markings on the face reminiscent of a stylized fanged half-skull mask, with the eye coverings black rather than the stereotypical white of the other castes. These masks become more complicated the higher tier the Symbiote's host is, from an almost simple half-skull mask to a fanged half-skull mask to a fanged half-skull mask with a lower jaw that moves when speaking. They usually manifest as black skin suits, similar to the previously encountered Spider-Man and his 'Venom' Symbiote, with white markings similar to ribs below the pectorals and white bands around the wrist and ankles. The tier 3 Symbiotes will additionally also pronounce the 'scarification' of their host. The tier 3 Symbiotes will either display themselves as armor or expand themselves out into a black mist around their host. The apparent thickness of the armor and the amount of fog will depend upon the amount of the Allomancer's metal the Symbiote has stored. The fog will break apart the metal it stores that it comes in contact with, though this process is slow, roughly 45 seconds per gram of material. This fog ability is thanks to the imprint donor, Alpha, and the Harvester Symbiote translating it into useable genetic code. The tier 2 Symbiotes will also store the Allomancer's metal as armor plating. The Symbiote's main auxiliary function is the storage of metal, the injection of metal, and the extraction of metal when Allomancy is not planned to be in use.

The disparity between tier 2 and tier 3 units are significant and pronounced, though not as pronounced as with the Hemalurgists.

Feruchemists

Genetically, extremely similar to the originally modified clones produced by the Kaminoans. Tier 2 and 3 clones within the caste are Ferrings, with cybernetic augmentations acquired from Night City, the Shard Slots. The electrical contacts of these cards are no longer used as such, rather, they are used as 'slots' of Feruchemical stores. Each 'chip' can have a number of 'slots', but has a total storage capacity of 500 BEUs. Tier 2s have four SS, two behind each ear. Tier 3s have two SS, one behind each ear. The tier 3 chips are different, inlaid with Sunhearts and Crystal, they have effectively infinite denatured storage and can be tapped at regular intervals for extra investiture. That chip has sixteen two-way contacts and one incoming contact. Their second chip has one contact for each highly invested metal, with special protective measures around volatile metals such as the Harmonium alloy.

The Symbiotes of this cast simply is a black skin suit with two white eye coverings. Very little variation between the tiers, they excel at covering the SS while in clothing modes. Currently, they have no imprinted sequences. Their auxiliary function does not currently exist, simply making up for the weaknesses of the host while storing and multiplying the strengths while tapping. They seem to have a preference for maintaining the clothing forms.

The disparity between new tier 2 and tier 3 units is practically non-existent, however, older tier 3 units begin to display some level of Feruchemical Savantism. Which, when combined with the Symbiotes, drastically enhances their general effectiveness.

Hemalurgists

Genetically, they've deviated from the originally modified clones produced by the Kaminoans. Unlike the other castes, they produce generations with slightly enhanced qualities through the use of spikes. The exception to this is the tier 3 clones who are practically unchanged, having retractable fangs which function as innate spikes in their bodies, grown into the root of these fangs is a Sunheart and a Crystal, a portion of their 'feasts' sent to the core as a tithe. They often 'sacrifice' much of the investiture they accumulate in their Sunhearts to grow the 'metal roots' deeper into their skull before they can store the investiture for their permanent personal use. Also unlike the other castes, they don't clone their tier 2 units, they become elevated after 'hunting for their own spikes' from the tier 1 clones. The amount of spikes allowed is based on time, though they seem to insist on hunting for spikes themselves rather than taking one from the Archives. They are additionally unique in that they are often willing to recruit members from local forces, as they have determined that 'true' generations are sometimes superior to 'false' generations. They additionally have an honorary tier 0, a Hemalurgic Construct auxiliary force, this auxiliary force lacks Symbiotes and are taken from the native Human populations.

The symbiotes of this caste have white eye coverings, fanged maws made of the flesh of the black skin suit, digitigrade legs, claws on their hands and feet, and one tube on each forearm. These tubes can be used as railguns for their spike projectiles, with each tier having an exponentially higher maximum velocity for these projectiles. This ability was taken from the donor who caused catastrophic damage during their acquisition, Misaka Mikoto. The tier 3 Symbiotes have one pair of fangs on their upper jaw display a metallic color and often have web-like patterns on their bodies, which sometimes shift. The tier 2 Symbiotes have white dots on their chest signifying how many spikes they have acquired, despite the spikes being implanted above the eyebrows. The Symbiotes of tier 2 and tier 3 will often 'remove the eyes' when their hosts enter into homicidal rages in an attempt to remove the visually triggering stimulus (often blood) and allow their host to regain control of themself. In particularly bad rages, they will also 'seal their mouths' to prevent cannibalization, which is not uncommon in the caste. The auxiliary function of these Symbiotes is to aid in the acquisition of new spikes, to share the spiritual load of possessing many spikes, and to quiet the bloodthirst of their hosts.

The disparity between initial tier 1 and tier 3 clones has increased over time, with tier 1 clones being more effective until tier 3 clones have enough investiture to outgrow their lower-ranked cousins. At this point, the disparity becomes significant as time passes.

Harvesters

Created after having left the locality of the Kaminoans, they are considered to be a novel caste. The Human counterpart of the caste is effectively braindead, more a physical scaffolding for the Symbiotes. They are unique in that there is no tier system for the clones. Though they are by far the smallest caste due to their uniform non-combatant role.

The Symbiotes of this cast have patterns across their bodies, often colorful with greens, blues, and oranges. The highly ranked Symbiotes possess hoods and 'battle skirts' often. On their face is a particular and uniform pattern laid in green markings, in the palms of their hands is one blue circle each, and there is a red-orange triangular void in the front of their neck. They have integrated the mining technology of the Castes/Demons into their palms, a modified Talisman (feeding the energy through a Sunheart filament into a Crystal) into their faces, and the Faro Plague's biomass furnaces in their neck. This was possible due to the imprint donor, Malware. Though they could integrate further technologies into their forms, the forces have yet to discover one which would be suitable for universal integration. Their auxiliary functions are the recruitment of local volunteers (if they are not deemed hostile), management of the farms, coordination of recourse acquisition in the locality, and the repurposing of fallen unit resources.

This caste has, since its inception, become an integral part of the Rulerling's forces; fueling the Core with souls, the Foundries with metal, and the Bioforges with biomass.

Livestock

There are three varieties of livestock; one that contributes to materials, one that contributes to investiture, and one that contributes to biomass. They are created from the mushroom men gained from the decaying world of flesh.

Organic Livestock They have been bred over the course of going from locality to locality, to be larger, fatter, and stronger. They are harvested for their investiture and their biomass.

Metallic Livestock Spliced with the genes of an Osmosian, they have been bred to permanently absorb and wholly convert their bodies into a singular metal they come into contact with. This method is where a majority of the heavily invested metal supplies comes from. They are harvested for their investiture and metal.

Archival Livestock Each generation, they are implanted with a spike with specific qualities to pass on a fragment of the quality to their children in order to increase the quality over generations. They are harvested for their qualities and their biomass.