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By Benjami
07/17/2024 - 10:54:12

Type: Captain
Rating: 7.5 (Good)
Tags: gaprop

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Description

When it comes to combat, xocals have a strong affinity towards melee. Why wouldn?t they, considering their physical strength? They are some of the tallest sapient creatures in the galaxy, so they have plenty of weight behind their strikes. Their limbs are also armoured by a tough exoskeleton that forms during the nconien ritual each whelp takes soon after birth. The process of growing the armour is a bit brutal, as it involves inducing extreme bone growth with Herb concoctions, to the point where the flesh and skin on the outside stretches and breaks until only bone remains. The inside of the bone then hollows out via acidic substances that the body temporarily produces, making room for the formation of new joint muscles, valves and specialised hydraulic veins.

This process applies to the arms, legs and tail. This exoskeleton is highly durable to block piercing strikes, yet flexible enough to not shatter from strong impacts. It is not invincible, however, and it is expected that a xocal knight or warrior will get their armour damaged over time. As long as the damage is on the surface of the bone, it can be healed by Herb potions. Should the bone be pierced and its inner mechanics damaged, the consequences are severe. This is because a xocal?s arms and legs are not moved via muscles, but via an intricate hydraulic system.

In their torso, a xocal has four powerful fluid pumps, in addition to a separate heart. These pumps are formed in the process of a nconien mutation, controlling the flow of hydraulic fluid across the xocal?s limbs. The thick hollow bones of xocal limbs can withstand great forces of hydraulic pressure within, allowing for much more powerful movements than tearing-prone muscles could. By directing pressure to their legs, xocals can leap high in the air, and by redirecting pressure to their arms, they can extend them with great force. The trade-off for this power is that if the inner mechanics get damaged, the pressure that powers them is lost, and the xocal becomes completely limp. Due to the complex intricacy of the system, this can?t be fixed by simply amputating the damaged part. There are some ways to restore partial body function, but not enough for the xocal to continue as a knight or a warrior.

This is why xocals often wear extra armour on top of their biological armour, and especially on their softer torso. To not do so is a form of boasting of one?s skills and confidence, though many consider such hubris foolish.

So xocals are strong in close combat, but why not supplement it via ranged weaponry? The reason is that the biological system that makes their movements so strong has another drawback, and that is precision. Their limbs have valves and joint muscles that allow for some precise control and adjustments of their movements, but this control is nothing compared to the precision that you, the reader, have over your nimble little fingers for example. Their system is well suited for macro-level manoeuvres that move the whole body or large parts of it, but when it comes to fine motor skills, xocals have quite little. Certainly not enough to aim a gun properly, especially with the disadvantages in aiming that come from having only one eye. Their air-flow sensing fronds make up for bad vision in close combat, but don?t do much for long distances.

This drawback of bad aim could be remedied via technology, as you could just install targeting software in your gun. Indeed, xocals have utilised drones for ranged combat, though this form of combat has generally been restricted to the Order of Metal and Might, and their Mek Knights. But their drones operate via a new sense of sorts gained from the Rite of Puppetry, rather than any artificial intelligence. Due to cultural reasons, xocals view the usage of aim-assistance as ?unearned power? and tend to steer clear from it. It wasn?t until the aftermath of the Krup Crusade that some xocals began to change their view on the matter.

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