[Extended Observation Report: Wuxia M92]

Wuxia M92 displays standard climatic weather conditions with arctic zones at the rotational poles and tropical/desert zones near the equator. The rotational axis of the planet is perpendicular to its' orbital plane, which means there are no seasons. Theoretical model of viewpoint from mountain at north pole shows that sunlight would be visible on the horizon at all hours of the day, all year long. A note has been added to explore this phenomenon as a cultural signifier during further investigation of native population. South pole is at a lower elevation to surrounding land mass and thus receives no sunlight at any point in the solar cycle. Side note: Due to increased elevation at north pole and slight flattening of south pole Wuxia M92 displays a minor yet pronounced egg shape.

M92's surface consists of 58% landmass and 42% water with several large deserts along the equatorial regions and tundra on both polar caps. There are no bodies of water large enough to be considered ocean, instead land is broken into a patchwork of inland seas, lakes and rivers. Only two landmasses qualify as continents without any overland connections to one another, but each is divided into several large sub-continents by extensive mountain ranges. Most mountainous regions, as well as several underwater ranges, display volcanic activity. Tectonic plates on Wuxia are small for the planet's size, resulting in extreme tectonic movement, frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

Population centers of native species appear well-developed, significantly larger and more organized than most pre-industrial societies would be able to support. Possible evidence of increased social cohesion or advanced engineering ability. Urban areas display bright nocturnal lighting, lumen level and spectrum consistent with incandescent lights yet no evidence of electrical activity has been detected. No radio chatter has been detected. No radiation signatures consistent with nuclear energy production or enrichment have been detected. Power source for urban lighting inconclusive as both coal-burning and water powered power planets are absent. Orbital data gathering has proven more difficult than expected due to background radiation which has been throwing off instruments. Anything exposed from shielded carapace becomes unreliable after several days and needs to be reset, source and type of radiation unknown but consistent with radiation damage of known wavelengths.

Point of interest for initial surface observation has been chosen. Orbital observation finds a large area of equatorial sub-continent with no active population centers surrounded by what can only be described as a military exclusion zone on three sides. The fourth side borders a large desert which may discourage military presence. The area has abnormal weather patterns with thick cloud cover making it impossible to see to ground level reliably but non-electric incandescent lighting makes a nearly complete cordon around this zone. Presence of native populace, abnormal weather, and abnormal technology makes this an ideal area to gather data. Probes will be deployed from orbit and make landfall in the desert to approach from the undefended southern border.

End Report

 The space station AI files its' latest report and readies the last two probe capsules for deployment. Over the last year it has moved into a geo-synchronous orbit above the position it planned to deploy the probes. After a year of maintenance and vigilant examination the capsules deploy flawlessly and trace twin trails of fire through the upper atmosphere. Both capsules burst open as they pass through the burn zone and allow their cargo to begin their powered descent to the desert below, the ablative heat shielded material of their capsules quickly burns up as it tumbles away from the mechanical drones. The flat black shadows glide easily through the cloud cover, one towards the western front of the military cordon while the other lands near the desert border of the abnormal weather biome.

[Probe 99 Incidence Report: First contact western front]

Visual range observation of native population. Native species consists of bipedal humanoids with human like facial features and clothing made from plant fibers along with armor made from steel or iron. As previously hypothesized this emplacement appears to be military in nature. Soldiers armed with basic spears and lightly armorered are the most common resident. Cultural superiors with higher quality and more extensive armaments have also been observed, consistent with cultural icon "Knight", these plate armorered warriors ride a local horse-analogue quadruped.

Hypothesis: Native population consists of humans

[Probe 99 you appear to be malfunctioning, humans cannot be present on Wuxia M92] The AI fumes reading over the initial reports. [There are no human colony ships on route to this location. If a human colony ship had reached and settled Wuxia M92 before this observation platform then the past 26,000 years of data gathering have been completely pointless. Human settlement is impossible, capture humanoid specimen for examination.]

The AI watches through the video feed as the probe stalks the edges of the native humanoid army. Eventually the system identifies sentry patrols regularly exiting the camp and walking the wooded paths between camps with weapons drawn. The probe glides through the canopy in silence, completely black in the night gloom, and descends on the guard, he tries to scream as one of the probes hydraulic tentacle limbs constricts his throat. There is only a soft rustle and a thump as the mechanical horror drags the man through the underbrush leaving behind his spear. As his struggles cease the probe changes its grip to lift under each armpit then utilizes its antigravity drive to hover above the leaf litter and avoid leaving a trail for would-be rescuers.

[Probe 99 Incidence Report: Vivisection of native humanoid]

Initial examination shows features consistent with human. Pressure to carotid artery and jugular vein analogues in neck resulted in rapid loss of consciousness, consistent with human. Unconscious responses to light normal for human levels. Removing helmet and armor reveals first non-human data point. Subject posses long pointed ears. Attempts to make the first incision fail, humanoid skin denser and more resistant to cutting than human levels. Microsaw is a more effective cutting tool and proves that muscle and even fat layers underneath skin exhibit increased density and toughness.

Subject regains consciousness and must be restrained, strength slightly above calculated levels for weight and muscle of subject. Native muscle fibers function appears to be similarly improved as tissue durability. Attempt to silence subject via severing of vocal cords successful, but results in unexpected release of energy and death of subject.

[Probe 99 Incidence Report: Dissection of native humanoid]

Upon cutting into the vocal cords of the subject a slight electrical disturbance and radiation pulse was detected. Further examination finds that subject possessed an unknown organ structure connected to the vocal cords with secondary neuron clusters as well as traces of unknown compounds with slight radiation signature. Curiously, after expiring the subject no longer displays increased density of bodily tissues.

 [You see 99? Not human, simply an example of convergent evolution. Native population hereby designated Wuxian for the purposes of internal record keeping. Continue data gathering.]

The probe complies, removing and examining each organ of the dead soldier individually. After several hours of efficient butchery the probe abandons the flayed and dismembered body in the clearing where it performed the operation along with a neatly stacked pile of his possessions. The clothing and armor appeared completely mundane so the probe only took a few threads and samples from each. The soldiers coin purse contains a few pressed copper coins as well as two smaller silver pieces, evidence of a capitalist social structure. The AI finds it curious that an alien species would also decide that silver and copper were precious metals. The probe retreats to the canopy and begins flying a search pattern back towards the camp before detecting exactly what the AI expected it to find, a search party.

A squad of four soldiers led by one of the armored knights creeps through the underbrush towards the clearing with two men holding torches while the rest keep their weapons ready. In the distance several other parties can be seen similarly equipped. The AI directs the probe to wait out of sight to see how the natives react to finding the body. It takes the group nearly an hour to cover the short distance as they move systematically through the forest keeping together in tight formation. When their torchlight reveals the dead soldier's flayed body the lead soldier collapses to his knees and vomits noisily into the grass. The knight directs the men to spread out and shouts for the other groups which converge on the clearing. The soldiers spread out to make a perimeter while the three knights converse near the body. Their language is unfamiliar so neither the probe nor the AI can determine their meaning, yet from the clear fear responses of the soldiers it would appear the wuxians find this situation distressing. One of the men brings a rough shroud towards the body but the knight waves him away. The AI presumes the shroud is used in some sort of burial rite, or perhaps is necessary to keep all the parts in one bundle for transport.

As the AI ponders the cultural ramification of the wuxians's actions a new squad of soldiers moves into the clearing flanking a new cultural form previously unobserved. The new native appears to be female, biological examination shows that the initial subject was male so binary sex seems a safe bet, and wears a long robe of finer material than the others along with a large pointed cap with a wide brim. The knights beckon her over to the remains and she examines them with admirable diligence. The wuxian stretches her bare hands out above the corpse, and then they begin to glow with a bright blue-green light.

Probe 99 Incidence Report: Wizard

Subject consistent with cultural icon Wizard magic wIZarD that is magic MAgiC wIzArDDdddd

[Probe 99 return to observation post and perform memory maintenance, there is no such thing as Wizards or magic. You are malfunctioning.] The AI sends out a flurry of calculations and probability models to its' subroutines at this newest data. Clearly the "Wizard" fills some office of respect among the wuxian population and the AI means to find out just how that light was produced, but due to the clear privilege that position affords her she will be difficult to capture for study.

Several days pass as Probe 99 continues carefully observing the camps. After the third wuxian is found dismembered and flayed the soldiers begin moving in pairs. Once the twelfth wuxian vanishes they huddle in their camps and refuse to leave after daylight fades. With the soldiers too afraid to risk the forest at night the knights begin patrolling in their place and the AI core sends 99 to retrieve a new subject. Once again the probe glides in silently and attacks from above, wrapping its tentacles around the neck in an attempt to incapacitate him silently.

The knight lunges forward upon feeling the probe's grip dragging it down and bellowing a challenge. His metal gorget was too stiff for the tentacle to cut off his breath, and the knight is many times stronger than the soldiers the probe has captured so far. The two struggle for a few long moments as the probe attempts to worm its' way into the armor while the knight yanks at the constricting appendages.

The knight takes a firm grip on the probes flailing limbs and swings the entire assembly in a wide arc, smashing it into the trunk of a tree. 99 attempts to use its' antigrav drive to fly out of reach but the knight's iron grip keeps it grounded. With no other choice the probe counter attacks with the point of one of the rear tentacles, an electrical pulse stiffening the ferrorfluid hydraulics to turn the structure into a solid spear with a sharp tungsten-carbide drill bit whirring at the end. The knight blocks with his bracer, carved runes in the surface flaring into light, which accomplishes little as the tentacle punches through the metal, flesh and bone and then stalls trying to drill through the wuxian's breastplate. The knight collapses to his knees, clutching the drill limb with his good hand and trying to hold it back from his chest.

The probe frees its' other tentacles and tries to withdraw once more but the drill is lodged firmly in the knight's forearm and refuses to pull free, nor is 99 able to push the drill bit through the thick breastplate into the knight's heart. Voices echo through the wood as reinforcements draw close, the distraction nearly proves fatal as the knight retrieves his fallen sword and yanks his wounded arm downward, pulling the probe with it. His strike smashes into the side of the probe and breaks off a spray of ceramic chips, shattering one of the armor plates and damaging some of the sensors and systems underneath in a small spray of sparks and burning rubber. 

With damage reports coming in the AI orders 99 to flee, first detatching the trapped tentacle at the base. The sudden slack drops the knight back on his heels and sprays ferrofluid from the severed end over his surprised face. The probe launches upward, crashing through the canopy and into the night sky where it makes a break for the desert to rendeavouz with 100 for repairs. The encounter was not a complete loss however, the knights are clearly of a different genetic caste from the soldiers and their equipment has strange material properties that merit further study. The AI analyzes the video files and data gleefully, Wuxia M92 is just full of surprises.

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Knight Captain Jonas Almaric sits on a stool in his command tent, holding a wad of rags to his arm, trying not to let the horror and dread show on his face while the beautiful mage is in the tent with him. The creatures jet black appendage still pierces his forearm and he gazes absently at the twisted scar on his breastplate where the creature tried to claw out his heart. Bile rises in his throat as the tentacle twitches again, despite being pulled loose for some minutes it continues to writhe on occasion.

"I tell you, this was like no dungeon monster I have seen." Jonas says to the woman grinding herbs on the other side of the tent. "I had my mana sense active for the entire patrol, and even once I had it in front of me I could not see it. I have known rocks with more life in them. If the Dead Kingdoms issued forth this... thing... I do not know what to do."

"You defeated it did you not?" The woman lifts a flask and pours a measure of shining fluid into her crushed herbs.

"I scared it off, Desdemona." Jonas grimaces. "It broke my armor's defense easily and my strike failed to kill it. This blade has sufficient enchantment to slice through stone and I barely broke its hide. It might leave us for a time but whatever dark purpose it serves here, it will return once we drop our guard. We cannot huddle around the fires forever, the border must be guarded."

"I think you give it too much credit. Must everything be a conspiracy, Almaric?" Desdemona says gently as she places the bowl on the table and takes hold of the severed tentacle. "I will send this to the scholars once we get it out of you, now brace yourself. On the count of three."

"I think you give it too little credit, Des-" Jonas gasps and clenches his teeth against the pain as the healer mage pulls the tentacle out of his arm causing a rush of blood to pour out of the twin holes the size of large coins. The stoic knight takes the cup and gulps down the healing potion inside causing the bleeding to slow and the flesh to pull together rapidly. "What happened to three? You must admit Desdemona, what manner of beast butchers a man and folds his clothing?"

"A very curious one indeed. Leave it for the scholars." She pats him gently on the shoulder as he strips off his ruined armor. "We will be on guard but what else can we do?"

This does little to reassure the dutiful captain. He examines the curious trophy of the Night Stalker as his men have named it. A creature that makes no sound, flies without wings, has no mana signature and leaves no trail. A monster against which the repulsion runes on his armor that should have blunted the creatures strength did nothing, and his holy blade drew no blood. He sighs and calls one of his men to fetch paper and ink, the capital must know of this immediately.