Dreadnoughts
Behemoths of The Winding Abyss
"Fuck that, I'm good."
U
h okay so this is a rare encounter that you'll probably never come across, and you better hope you never do if you know what's good for ya. I can count on a single paw the number of times I've encountered these on my travels, all of them were planned, only one was in its own territory, and I am still lucky to have made it out with only mild amounts of trauma.
Dreadnoughts are in that camp of beasts that don't even come from our world, or at least, not the normal one. See, these things come from The Winding Abyss, a big Pocket Realm that consists entirely of an endless expanse of underground caves. But just like we can accidentally end up there, they can end up here.
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Subterranean Boogeyman
Like most things living in The Winding Abyss, Dreadnoughts are insectoid. Bug-like, if you will. Y'know, for the longest time no one had any idea where they even came from, like, what a baby Dreadnought actually looked like. Then some explorers put two and two together, turns out they go through multiple stages of metamorphosis; starting out as larvae, then turning into these big ass spiders, then to an even bigger, more fucked up spider, and finally, if they're strong enough, into what we know as Dreadnoughts.
Hulking Insects
While there are different variants, they all follow the same general structure. A hulking beast, notably troll-like (which raises numerous questions for where they came from), with insect-like anatomy. Where they and a lot of Winding Abyss inhabitants differ from real world insects, aside from literally everything else about them, are the big glowy bits filled with this schlop that keeps them alive. The males specifically will more often than not have both a massive claw and this weird blaster cannon arm thing from which it shoots out this schlop.
This schlop is bad. The schlop will literally soften the stone to aid in tunneling, and the large spines that cover its back are constantly brushing up against the cave walls it digs to give itself an extremely accurate tremorsense. Brother, you cannot hide from these and if you come across it your best bet is to get the hell outta dodge.
Like Every Fucked Up Bug Thing
Luckily, or unluckily if you happen to be lost in The Winding Abyss, Dreadnoughts will rarely travel or nest with more than 2 other Dreadnoughts. Though you should probably keep in mind that this number doesn't include their spawn. The daily happenings in a Dreadnought hive are honestly a simple one: burrow, eat, and lay eggs.
It accomplishes all three of these tasks with the schlop, which we in the business call Neurosia, a multipurpose fluid that's corrosive in nature and can absolutely fuck you up both physically and mentally if you come into prolonged contact with it. These things eat like spiders do, because of fucking course they do. And for added measure the females will disperse it as a gas to incapacitate your mind, as its a fear toxin, for the explicit purpose of using your soft, fleshy, extremely vulnerable body as an impromptu hive to lay its eggs and a buffet for the newly hatched larvae.
Combat Strategies
While the obvious strategy is to never fight them in the first place, I'm not gonna deny the potential loot and bragging rights of taking one down. So here's what you should keep in mind.
They are bigger than you, they are stronger than you, they are tougher than you, and they have about a dozen ways to violently and sadistically end you should you try and engage. You need to take advantage of wit and preparation.
You'll wanna focus on magic and alchemy. Their chitin is a little too strong for traditional weaponry; most creatures in The Winding Abyss lack what we would consider an underbelly, but they aren't without weakspots.
You gotta hit them in the glowy bits, they all have 'em. The glow comes from the bioluminescent blood coursing through their bodies, used as both a source of light and as a warning to predator and prey.
Range is key here. As any injury you cause to it has a chance of spraying you with Neurosia, and there's very little you and your party members can do to once it takes effect aside from waiting for it to wear off or using any alchemical/magical cleanses. It won't take long, but it's designed to put you in a manic state long enough for the Dreadnought to get a hold of ya.
And this doubly applies to the gas form that the females can spread out. Its purpose is to incapacitate you completely if enough of it is breathed in, to put you into a state of panic so traumatizing that your brain will quite literally block out the memory of the encounter ever happening.
If there's one thing I'd recommend prioritizing that not a lot of hunters tend to think about, it'd be flash bombs. Creatures here may not use their eyes much, but they still got 'em, and that's all the more reason to hit em where they're weakest. In my opinion, stunning them in any way you can is your ticket to win it.
Potential Loot
While the chitin is extremely strong on its own, it'll gradually deteriorate after a Dreadnought dies. If you want to whip up a set of Dreadnought armor you'll need a skilled craftsperson who can properly treat and reinforce the material to maintain most of its durability. The claw is less susceptible to this deterioration but it's still a good idea to do the same for any potential shield or weapon made from it.
In addition to the Neurosia you'll have to scrape off of the chitin, the schlop can actually be collected if you have the right container for it. Y'know, cause it's corrosive and all that. You'll have to dilute it a shit ton to get any real use out of it without also endangering yourself, but it can fetch a high price with the right buyer. (The black market, being in possession of Neurosia is illegal)
All the art is made by me unless labled otherwise!
Great article, great stream, great lore. You cooked, ate, and left no crumbs lol (Just like those dreadnoughts do with adventurers) I'll stop with the glaze but just know this one's definitely going in my August Summer Camp reading compilation.
Thanks so much! I'm glad it was such a banger for you!!!
While I would love to go on an adventure, writing them is enough for me.