Gravemind Spikes are conical spikes that seems to be...rippling. It’s taller than anyone you’ve ever met and wider than the biggest street tough. It’s also coated in uh...Gravemind...gunk? You’re not sure but it reeks and isn’t enticing in the least.
Lores/Skills:
Faithful Patterns - The Spike does not seem to contain the Faithful void present in those who are not baptized into a faith. This would seem to imply the Spike itself, as an entity, may have been part of a Baptism ritual or possess some form of Faith ability. Further research needs to be done on exactly how Faith and these Spikes interact. However, the user can also tell that these creations are alive. It may be possible to keep a Spike intact after an Experiment if an exceptionally strong Faith power is used on them shortly after damage is caused.
Unlocks: Faithful Miracles Experiment, Faithful Patterns Experiment.
Faithful Miracles Experiment:
Requires Master Faithful Miracles or Saint. The Spike seems to call to you. It begs for Faithful aid and guidance. If you are an Accensorite, you recognize this feeling as the same you would have for any member of your Faith.
Faithful Patterns Experiment:
Requires Master Faithful Patterns or Doctrinarian. By reaching out to the Spike like you would a member of your Faith, a connection is formed.
Basic Faithful Will - The Spike seems to quiet as you perform your faith ritual, and the feelings of vertigo seem to quell as you touch the Spike. But nothing else happens. It simply quiets. Any Tainted or Full Dead nearby no longer feel the throbbing pain in their head. Further research needs to be done.
Unlocks: Faithful Vessel Experiment.
Faithful Vessel Experiment:
Requires Master Faithful Vessel or Apocastayan Templar. A fierce feeling overcomes you when nearby the Spike. It feels unclean, like it's lying to you without even speaking.
Mortis Amaranthe/Infection - This Spike is old. Very old. The exterior is dirty and undulating much like contemporary surface areas of the Mortis Amaranthine, but at the core of the spike is a nearly rock-solid center that is very resilient to cutting or breaking. It still reads as raw Amaranthine, but it's so compacted it's almost like stone. Decades of extremely high pressure are suspected to be the cause. Under this high pressure, it appears to still be unstable, and extended or uncontrolled experimentation may lead to a mild explosion. Therefore, it is critical to have an expert handle these spikes. Additionally, bits of cloth, metal, and bone are found scattered within the makeup of the Spike. With this in mind, and the moderate radioactive signal radiating from the Spike, it is heavily encouraged to begin Psionic analysis immediately. It is likely that this protrusion is a piece of Gravemind-Prima, or ancient, near-original Gravemind material and may contain extremely rare information. It's so ancient, that even your knowledge of the Gravemind/Mortis Amaranthine does not grant you particular insight into how old it is. The specimen is immaculate, pure, once you clean off the viscera and infection off the outside.
Unlocks: Historical Analysis. Requires Lore: Pre-Fall history AND Lore” Post- Fall history.
History Experiment:
Judging by the rings in the Spike, it looks like the initial assumption was correct. About 150 years old, indeed. Give or take 50 years. Some of the material from 5 or so years ago was found, familiar to some of the locals. By compressing the size difference this rough estimate was found. The interesting bit, however, is the central rings. Like stone, they're hard and solid. It's almost indistinguishable from concrete. Breaking open the Spike center finds some interesting fossils. Further research can be done with 1 use of Break and Lore: Pre-Fall History.
Nature - These Spikes seem to have a direct effect on any Environment they spring up in. Grass and leaves seem coarser and any edible life nearby seems to want, but not die. Experiments on growing crops nearby may be required to understand the exact relationship between the Spike and growable produce. The Spike itself is conical and tapers to a dull point at the tip. A bunch of Gravemind gunk covers it, writhing and undulating. It's clearly alive, but there's no bone or face or eyes to indicate that it was once a living creature. The Spikes center is ringed, like a tree. Comparing it to local trees, the suggested age would be over a hundred and fifty years old. However, it's hard to tell if it and the trees operate on the same time measurement system. The innermost part of the Spike is, in almost all ways, stone. Extremely compact and hard.
Unlocks: Farming experiment. Requires Basic Agriculture.
Farming Experiment: Perform one use of Basic Agriculture to grow one Basic Herb within 5 feet of the Spike. This basic herb is rendered inedible and has the expiration date set to the previous month. The plant grows relatively fine, but weak and shriveled. The growth cycle is more or less normal aside from this fact. Crops reach nominal height, nominal texture, and nominal color, but are simply wrinkled and dry upon any inspection. It appears the herb simply comes off the vine older and already unusable. *Effect: any Herb growing in the radius of a Spike have their expiration dates reduced by two months.
Necrokinetics: There is a consciousness within the Spike. A single one. This is unique among Gravemind extensions, which usually are connected to the whole of the Gravemind. But this is a singularity. An exception. By delving into the Spike, limited communication is reached before the Spike seems to either and die, retreating back into the ground with immense speed. The being in the Spike claimed to be named "Mercy '' and identified themself as a part of the Gravemind, knowing where they were, before communication was interrupted by the retreat of the Spike. More involved interaction must be performed.
Unlocks: Necrokenetics Experiment, Telepathy Experiment.
Necrokenetics Experiment:
Requires Master Necrokenetics or Grave Attuned to perform. Various mental protective measures are performed to attempt to extend the time and strength of the communication with the entity within the Spike.
Telepathy Experiment:
Requires Thought Bender or Master Telepathy. Attempting to commune directly with the entity within the Spike proves difficult using this method, but possible.
Basic Pyrokinetics - Burning the Spike has an immediate and devastating effect. Weak amounts of fire applied to the Spike cause the outer layer of less dense Gravemind gunk to ignite slowly, and burn steadily, not unlike a candle. However, the Spike seemed to recognize being on fire, as it began to vibrate rapidly, sending flecks of Gravemind gunk flying and extinguishing the fire. Once the fire was extinguished, the Spike retreated into the ground, leaving a sizable hole for about twenty seconds. Further experiments need to be performed with more intense variations of fire, and perhaps ways of keeping the hole open.
Unlocks: Pyro Experiment, Telekinesis Experiment.
Pyro Experiment: Requires Master Pyro or Incinerator to perform.
The results of this experiment are violent and immediate. Please tag @employee for your results.
Telekinesis Experiment: Requires Master Telekinesis or Mentalist to perform.
The results of this experiment are violent and immediate. Please tag @employee for your results.
Wasteland Science - These spikes are ringed on the inside, much like a tree. It is unknown the exact correlation between the number/size of these rings and any amount of time that passes. However, using local trees as an example would indicate that these spikes are over a hundred years old, maybe even two hundred. Furthermore, the spikes are radiating weak radioactive signals at regular intervals. Further research into local Zed and Raiders and Creatures may be required to see if any of them are picking up on these frequencies. It is possible that it is attracting some, or interacting with them in some way.
Unlocks: Zed, Raider, and Creature experiments. Requires an active Spike, the Lore, and a captured Zed, Raider, or Animal, appropriate to the lore.
Zed Experiment:
While the Spike doesn't appear to be attracting any particular types of Zed, the possibility that these spikes can have some form of attachment to Zed is far from debunked. In fact, the Spike appears to be directly influencing them. Shamblers gain greater motor function when nearby, allowing them to move faster and with more purpose. Some Zed are known to grant this ability, as well. Additionally, it seems to mentally tether itself to any undead in the area. As to what end, it is unknown. The Zed do not seem to interact directly with the Spike or have any obvious changes in behavior.
Raider Experiment:
Experimenting with Raiders indicates that the Spikes have a direct and visceral effect on Raiders: They fear it, or are repulsed from it. Examining the root cause shows that the denser pockets of Bad Brain in the Raider brains are actively expanding exponentially. An attempt to perform extended analysis on a captured Raider is attempted, but the physiology of the Raider began to change after about five minutes of direct exposure to the Spike. The raider was screaming and attacking the Spike before it crumpled and died. Medical examination of the Raider should be performed.
Raider Autopsy:
Dissecting the brain of the Raider will show a horrific find. The brain is twisted and malformed, even for a Raider. But it is solid and near-pink in places. This brain structure nearly resembles that of some of the strongest Omni Raiders that have been examined. It is likely that this Raider was being transformed but could not survive the mutation. Lore: Mortis Amaranthine: Perhaps if this mutation occurred within the Mortis Amaranthine itself, it would be successful.
Unlocks: Strain Experiment. Requires Lore: Medical and a willing Tainted or Full Dead.