Encounter With New Faction. Reporting: Collectors Of Death - Mysterious Robotic Dolls

[Sannidor]

 

 

It seemed like a bad dream. I was on a mission to identify a new possible threat. Recently, Tenno intercepted some transmissions from human colonies, warning about the menacing creatures, locals called: "Dolls of Death" or "Mannequins of Doom"... They supposedly are attracted by decay, decomposition and overall destruction. Do they kill, or maybe only act as scientists? Humans claim seeing them getting biological samples and doing strange "rituals" on energy fields. 

 

Would they do no harm if not attacked first?

 

Darvo's tip was not cheap but I needed the confirmation. Lotus was helpless with this one. The coordinates were unclear, but I decided to give it a shot. No turning back now.

 

Slowly I, Sannidor-Loki, crawled through narrow corridors of smelly Grineer base. Spine chilling silence was broken by the familiar but by no means comforting noises. The sounds of shooting coming from afar pointed to my objective.

 

Invisible, yet cautious, I finally saw them. Team of seven. So bizarre, so calm. Gathering Grineer bodies, none dismembered - kept from decomposition and trapped by some unknown force.

 

I saw no known weapons held in dollish limbs, but that did not make me feel safer at all. All The corpses got teleported to who knows where. "Mannequins" covered themselves in a blue glow, making a creepy humming sound...

 

From seemingly safe place I switched my vision to Codex. It was a MISTAKE.

 

The attempt at scanning, drew their immediate attention, I also got no results. They got spread and rushed straight to me with AMAZING speed.

 

Still invisible, I decided to face the first Doll to reach me. I measured charged attack with trusted Galatine, no time to miss with bullets. The blade, familiar to many kinds of flesh, met something unexpected.

 

The raging Doll only got stunned, systems detected dealing no damage, neither elemental or critical. Attacker lost the blue glow aura, apparently using it to create a small radius blast that interfered with my cloak and got my shields to half! Was it time to go fancy? Not really... But I ran straight to it and knocked it on the ground with a jump kick. I had a hunch, giving my sword another chance. Quick dash over the squirming body and a perfect stab stopped it from fighting. The creepy creature disintegrated with a hiss and... left an UNKNOWN MOD! A quick glance over appearing data showed scrambled and confusing message! Maybe there's a way to decode it and use it later?

 

There was no more time to think, as more Dolls came - two performing a wall run, another three entering with well measured jumps from a huge distance and the largest one teleporting very close to me. Too close...

 

My guard bent under the blow from the Leader Doll, it was like five Toxic Ancients hitting at once. Yes, it caused an internal bleeding... But it's nothing a Tenno can't handle.

 

Being honorable to the point of foolishness is not a Loki thing to do. I was in no mood for dying, so quickly dropping all health restores I had on the floor I decided to keep my stand.

 

The Leader relentlessly attacked with a flurry of punches, elbows, chops and stabs, so precise, guard melting and shield consuming that it made Furax arts seem like a shiatsu massage.

 

IT prepared for a finishing blow, got into some charge stance so, instinctively I rolled behind it's back. GALATINE! Can I trust you again? Listen to my muscle memory... charge...

 

The Leader Doll was no more - cut in two, dead before hitting the ground.

 

The rest of the flock stopped, started to glow again, with great intensity. They all vanished at once, accompanied by the hurtful humming noise which seemed to haunt space long after they were gone.

 

Who... WHAT have I encountered? Will my report start a new conflict? A war, possibly? What do they want? What is their research about?

 

I also held the encrypted mod as a proof. What a burden to bear...

 

Lotus got me an exit point. It was about time to leave. Running through lifeless Grineer territory, I felt like being watched all the time... By THEM - The Dolls, Collectors of Death.

 

 

 

"Summoner" - can call for reinforcements as well as teleport units around the battlefield.

Can hit hard if cornered but will prefer to flee and regroup.

Can heal itself and surrounding allies in a small radius.

 

 

 

 

"Scout"- can see and hear danger from far away.

Get rid of it fast to interfere his call for help.

Blades on his elbows cut through shields.

Not the fastest enemy but it can knock down and ground & pound a defenseless Tenno!

 

 

 

 

"Runner"- more than one of these in a room = trouble.

They can move fast, wall-run and climb high to regain shield energy.

The shoulder spike is deadly. Avoid their running dash, you have been warned.

 

 

 

 

"Leaper"- sharing fighting techniques with Scout yet lacking it senses, it can jump very high and fall with a stunning blast.

Knock-down affects also other Dolls but don't underestimate Leapers for this reason only.

These units are reckless and never flee.

 

 

 

 

"Light Boxer" - protect other units and will keep their ground if that's necessary.

Without their primary objective active, nothing holds them back from destroying you with lightning-fast blows.

 

 

 

 

"Heavy Boxer" - even more cautious than it's lighter equivalents, CAN NOT be knocked down, even by any known Tenno super powers.

They resist all kinds of elemental damage and can break guard in one charged hit.

 

 

 

 

"Flyers" - they don't traverse air for fun, only hover to mark a target, like a predator bird searching for pray...

Would you dare to fight them airborne?

Introduced to bladed sonic wings you could change your mind pretty quickly...

 

 

 

 

"Caster" - Has many tricks in his arsenal. 

Can create healing field, power up shields of allies or make them faster and stronger for short period of time. 

Sensing inevitable danger, it can sacrifice 99% of his remaining power, channeling it into a stunning blast.

 

 

 

 

"Surgeon" - can use the energy and matter from fallen allies to recreate a dismembered Doll.

It also feeds on any drop that Tenno collect to help their goal, creating a large field that transfers all the loot from the battlefield straight into their greedy claws.

Surgeons are very fast and can deliver very painful blows, causing poisoning, bleeding and overall bad luck.

 

 

 

 

"Bombers" - small units with suicidal tendencies, caring not for their allies, their behavior is a nuisance.

Each holds two explosives, loosely attached to their shoulders.

These bombs are their weak spot. If one is shot or hit, it only depletes Bomber's shields.

The second blast usually does the trick. 

They can hit fast, and cause a lot of trouble attacking in large groups.

 

Their gloves and fighting style seem very familiar... Another mystery?

 

 

 

End of report, any confirmation on subjects from other Tenno are welcome ;)

 

We need to analyze them before they will feed their hunger for data on our expense. They don't seem to be interested in testing the living...

 

{{{EDIT}}}

 

I have no more reasons to deny my awakening, I am Loki Prime.

 

This is a message to all the Tenno, we have to be prepared for the worse scenario.

 

I infiltrated a Doll base. It was an insane labyrinth, a creation of twisted and chaotic mind I fear more than the deadly pawns it sent to stroll through the corridors.

 

This place seemed to be more of a nest than a laboratory, yet filled with specimens, artifacts, bodies of many species showing no signs of life, trapped in impenetrable force field.

 

I only had one chance to hack into something that resembled a data base. Re-calibrating Codex scanner I set it to one powerful probing blast. If you received my words it means I succeeded at least partially.

 

Beware! Every attempt at scanning, visual contact, noise - alerts them. I got some data, but the whole base vibrated with alarming noise, making the present Dolls go right after me. Even more teleported in, making my system map useless as enemy spots merged into one evil mass... I gave them hell with bladed nunchucks, slaying squads of Leapers and Runners. Boxers guarding fragile Dolls were a challenge, but the ones they protected turned out to be even worse - furiously but not recklessly attacking with their sonic blades, Surgeons had to be taken one at a time...

 

Without Lotus' guidance I had to reconstruct the way out by myself, but creepy puppets had other plans. A swarm of Bombers appeared. The air got heavy from heat emitted by opening cross-dimensional holes. Tens of thin bodies grew into hundreds in a blink of an eye, finally, countless foes went into auto-destruct mode. This was the last memory from a place I would call a "morbid metallic anthill"..

 

I transferred all my remaining energy into this transmission, it should break through all kinds of explosions the marionettes created.

 

I don't regret my sacrifice, fellow Tenno. I do believe we keep a part of what makes us individual even if we are many and think alike.

 

Find me in the Void, friends.

 

 

 

 

 

{{{BONUS}}}

 

Bladed Nunchucks - concept art & video

 

https://forums.warframe.com/index.php?/topic/164289-bladed-nunchucks-forficulas-animation-concept-video/">https://forums.warframe.com/index.php?/topic/164289-bladed-nunchucks-forficulas-animation-concept-video

 

Ideas on Melee 2.0

 

https://forums.warframe.com/index.php?/topic/159631-melee-20-ideas-and-expectations/">https://forums.warframe.com/index.php?/topic/159631-melee-20-ideas-and-expectations

Edited February 3, 2014 by Sannidor

[Nervara]

I want to fight evil space dolls. +1 from me. 

[Entari0]

NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE 

 

that aside, that would be really cool

[Imaru]

That sounds like the plot from an episode of Doctor Who or some other Sci-Fi show...

[GIMO]

Can this be a thing?  Let's make this a thing.

[Omnifrost]

And then ? 
What happen then ?
Sorry for acting foolish, but i want this to be continued.. this is great ! 
DE make it happen
+1 from me, good luck!

[Sannidor]

And then ? 

What happen then ?

Sorry for acting foolish, but i want this to be continued.. this is great ! 

DE make it happen

+1 from me, good luck!

 

Thank you. Robotic Dolls are very elusive and since THEY know WE know, next encounter may be very different...  ^o^

[Darkvramp]

I want it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Encore

[MageMeat]

That sounds like the plot from an episode of Doctor Who or some other Sci-Fi show...

The Autons are coming.