Xiticix/Lazlo War

[Talavar]

In World Book 23, Xiticix Invasion, we were given the details of Lazlo making war on the Xiticix, yet in the Coalition War Aftermath, set 4 years later, the Xiticix seem to be doing just fine, and there's no mention of any major losses or anything by Lazlo. What gives? Is there any official story on this, or any good reason for the oversight?

[Mech-Viper Prime]

In World Book 23, Xiticix Invasion, we were given the details of Lazlo making war on the Xiticix, yet in the Coalition War Aftermath, set 4 years later, the Xiticix seem to be doing just fine, and there's no mention of any major losses or anything by Lazlo. What gives? Is there any official story on this, or any good reason for the oversight?

yup , its the people of lazlo view it as an unfavorable war and did a troop withdraw from the area, now xiticix terrorists are on the rise. j/k honestly they should still be fightning the xiticix.

[jgants]

In my campaign world, Lazlo never does anything. Anything at all. I portray them as either being too spineless to actually do anything, or else locked in endless debate (like the old Star Wars Republic prior to Palpatine becoming chancellor).

I even go so far as to suggest that Lazlo is actually the most evil empire of all (because they have the power to change things for good, but do not).

[Jack Daniels]

In World Book 23, Xiticix Invasion, we were given the details of Lazlo making war on the Xiticix, yet in the Coalition War Aftermath, set 4 years later, the Xiticix seem to be doing just fine, and there's no mention of any major losses or anything by Lazlo. What gives? Is there any official story on this, or any good reason for the oversight?

KS forgot to do all his research before writing that part of Aftermath. Or he just overturned canon without any explination. Take your pick.

[Josh Sinsapaugh]

In World Book 23, Xiticix Invasion, we were given the details of Lazlo making war on the Xiticix, yet in the Coalition War Aftermath, set 4 years later, the Xiticix seem to be doing just fine, and there's no mention of any major losses or anything by Lazlo. What gives? Is there any official story on this, or any good reason for the oversight?

Lazlo needed to back off on the Xiticix due to the escalation of the Tolkeen conflict.

If they had stayed in the area and continued their war against the Bugs during the Tolkeen War then it would be very likely that the CS would spin it so that Lazlo was helping out Tolkeen.

Or even worse, the CS would truthfully believe that Lazlo was being aggressive.... something that Lazlo does not want.

~ Josh

[Greyaxe]

In World Book 23, Xiticix Invasion, we were given the details of Lazlo making war on the Xiticix, yet in the Coalition War Aftermath, set 4 years later, the Xiticix seem to be doing just fine, and there's no mention of any major losses or anything by Lazlo. What gives? Is there any official story on this, or any good reason for the oversight?

It is also entirely possible they have been fighting this war for four years and made little progress. Lazlo is not known for a great military.

[Braden Campbell]

"I say we nuke the entire site..."

Seriously, if the Coalition is touting itself as the saviors of our beleaugered planet Earth, why don't they just drop da bombs on the Hives, instead of hoping that someone else does it for them?

[Exiled_one]

Problem with that is that canonically the Xititicix killer has proved to not be a big success in the long term. During the Tolkeen Years the Xititicix learned to associate the Killers as a hostile foe and almost wiped them out. Wild Psi-stalkers are still (apparently) the major bane of the Xititicix and Lazlo techinically supports those Psi-stalker tribes.

[Greyaxe]

The coalition should then send in robots to do the job for them in stead of Xiticix hunters.

[The Galactus Kid]

Read the Xiticix Section in Revised SB1. Its pretty clear why the CS doesn't attack, but they know that they have to.

Maybe they'll work with Braden Campbell and his prized Tundra Rangers. lol

[glitterboy2098]

"I say we nuke the entire site..."

Seriously, if the Coalition is touting itself as the saviors of our beleaugered planet Earth, why don't they just drop da bombs on the Hives, instead of hoping that someone else does it for them?

the nukes the coalition has would be ineffective. those are airburst, and with the important part of the hive (queens, hatcheries, ect) being half a mile or so under ground, they'd never wipe out the hives.

now, if the CS would start building megaton level 'burrowing' bombs, bombs designed to punch through rock and dirt before going off, you might see the hives set back enough for the CS to find a permenant solution.

such bombs would collapse the tunnels quite thouroghly, and the sockwaves would likely kill anything inside them.

[Jack Daniels]

such bombs would collapse the tunnels quite thouroghly, and the sockwaves would likely kill anything inside them.

Gotta watch out for them sockwaves. They must be the one chemical attack that the Xiticix are vulnerable too.

[Jefffar]

such bombs would collapse the tunnels quite thouroghly, and the sockwaves would likely kill anything inside them.

Gotta watch out for them sockwaves. They must be the one chemical attack that the Xiticix are vulnerable too.

Raid

[Fyrpower]

They'd be pretty easy to wipe out.

All you need is a powerful mage, and a ley line, or maybe a bunch of eyes of eyelor and talisman PPE batteries.

A comet. At perihelion. And a rift......

Oh yeah and like that's going to be easy to do. Think you would have a better chance of solving the riddles of the Lord of the Deep.

[Talavar]

I know that part of the Lazlo gov't doesn't want to attack the Xiticix, but the book goes on to say that the queen-killing initiative is going ahead. It even gives stats on numbers of fighters.

[9voltkilowatt]

Well.... OTHER than surviving the cataclysm it would cause on Rifts Earth.

This comment alone sums up how bad of an idea that action would be.

[cmbtbiker]

For whatever it is worth; in my little world a group of terrorist steal an ancient artifact that is a soul consuming demon bonded to a crown and then turn around and place it on the head of the elder queen of the Duluth Hive. Her soul and will are crushed and the demon takes over her bodyand it takes over the hive.

It is not a real stable demon so whenthe Duluth Hive begins to act strangley the others attack it and the Bugs make war on themselves. From the chaos Lazlo is able to discover what the bugs food source is and is now plooting away to starve them out. It did not kill them all but it knocks the numbers down considerably.

I never did agree with how they are depicted in canon. They are just big to not have been dealt with sooner. I would dare say that if Lazlo wsa going to fight the bugs the Coalition would have waited on its war with Tolkeen just to see the outcome. If it worked then Lazlo would have been depleted and they could have mopped them up along with Tolkeen and if not then they have the largest standing army after the bugs get done with Lazlo, Tolkeen and whoever else is standing in the way before they reach Coalition territory. Just my two cents.

[MASTERMIND]

Oh, regarding the coming of the Rifts - these are bugs. I seriously doubt it would have any siginificant effect, unlike when you do that to humans. (People take out entire hives of insects every day and nothing happens. They just make more)

There is a big difference between tiny, tiny bugs and a hive of bugs where each individual is bigger than the average human. In the first scenario we don't see Rifts because they are small and even combining there isn't enough PPE to even fuel a spell (or maybe the rush mean kids get when they smash such hives, lol). Xiticix are bigger and each individual has as much PPE in them as a human by rough approximation. The end result would be a massive overflow of PPE and I agree in saying the ley lines and Rifts would go nuts for a while. Not on the level of the original apocalypse but the effect would be felt at quite a distance and for some time.

[MASTERMIND]

Oh, regarding the coming of the Rifts - these are bugs. I seriously doubt it would have any siginificant effect, unlike when you do that to humans. (People take out entire hives of insects every day and nothing happens. They just make more)

There is a big difference between tiny, tiny bugs and a hive of bugs where each individual is bigger than the average human. In the first scenario we don't see Rifts because they are small and even combining there isn't enough PPE to even fuel a spell (or maybe the rush mean kids get when they smash such hives, lol). Xiticix are bigger and each individual has as much PPE in them as a human by rough approximation. The end result would be a massive overflow of PPE and I agree in saying the ley lines and Rifts would go nuts for a while. Not on the level of the original apocalypse but the effect would be felt at quite a distance and for some time.

OR.... it would be like dropping a few hundred thousand gallons into the ocean. Despite being a large volume, it still has no discernable effect.

Rifts Earth is already seething with magic energy and magic using (and eating) entities. Any event would end up being localized, and probably not even felt (since nobody and nothing else can live where the hives are right now).

Of course there is no measurement for deaths x location = PPE overflow (or any such crazy equation). So it is a concept that would be left up to the GM.

For dramatic effect if someone mass nuked the Xs I would describe it as a localized surge in the local ley lines that flood nearby ley lines as the energy tries to even itself out causing increased activity throughout the north and eastern portions of North America. This increase in energy would increase the potential for any given nexus to open a Rift by 2 or 3 times for a few weeks. Also, within the zone of destruction any nexuses would go nuts, the skies would darken, evil would run amok, blah, blah. Someone in the NGR would never know it happened nor would someone in South America. I'd even keep it so localized that the folks in the New West wouldn't notice and peeps around the CS States might notice an increased state in activity for a few weeks before things return to normal.

The zone of destruction would become a tainted land that may eventually recover after a couple hundred years. For now it becomes a wild zone of magic, a new problem that may or may not concern the CS.

[MASTERMIND]

Oh, I agree about the crawl scenario. Besides being the best solution imho it makes for a better story/campaign.

[Kesslan]

Well worst case they could probably call up the Vanguard for abit of extra oomph.

Not that that's a likely scenario from Prosek. But supposedly his son isnt so close minded about them.

[Colt47]

My solution to the Xiticix problem: Have a Leyline walker open a rift and bring forth a swarm of African driver ants into the hatchery. Xiticix are probably used to dealing with critters that are cat sized or larger and something tells me that they've never had to deal with an opposing swarm of insects. With the average size of a Driver ant worker being .5 cm and a soldier at 1.5 cm, these ants are small. They also come in colonies of up to 22 million and can create a literal highway of death, stripping all animal life in their path.

Now I know what you are thinking: SDC ants vs. human sized MDC bugs? Those ants are going to lose!

Not so! First off, the Xiticix babies are not mdc and neither are the eggs. These ants can strip a bovine of all it's flesh in less then 15 minutes. Imagine how fast 22 million Driver ants can strip a whole hatchery of eggs and nits? Even if the Xiticix tried to stomp on them, there are 22 million of them marching in formation blindly through the whole hatchery, and they can reproduce JUST as fast, if not faster then the xiticix would be able to kill them. All they need is a small area to hide in to increase their numbers and then they come out again to feed. They also don't stay in one spot. They will march through the xiticix tunnels looking for other sources of food, which would be other hatcheries. Pretty soon you have a dwindling colony of Xiticix due to newborns being consumed by the ants, and for all their psionic might and MDC hides, the queen and her army can do nothing against the marching and endless power of 22 million SDC ants!

Of course, the only difficult part with this is actually managing to open a rift DIRECTLY in front of a marching swarm of Driver ants in the middle of the night in underbrush. I can tell you, I wouldn't want to be that leyline walker...

Also, you don't have to kill all the eggs, grubs, and what not. It says that the queen has to give out a signal to tell the egg what to grow into. Thus if you kill all the young and old queens, there will be nothing left to tell the eggs to grow into a queen.

As for other solutions, the only idea I can come up with is to do the bug extermination Halo style: Kill off the food, no more bugs!

[rat_bastard]

my solution is a bunch of Aerosol Napalm-p bombs thrown into the hives along with power armor made for cave fighting and some good teleporting.

[tenakafurey]

Lazlo needed to back off on the Xiticix due to the escalation of the Tolkeen conflict.

If they had stayed in the area and continued their war against the Bugs during the Tolkeen War then it would be very likely that the CS would spin it so that Lazlo was helping out Tolkeen.

Or even worse, the CS would truthfully believe that Lazlo was being aggressive.... something that Lazlo does not want.

~ Josh

All possibilities.

The trouble with that, however is that WBXI kind makes it clear that Lazlo feels it has run out of time.

It MUST act now or see the Xiticix effectively invincible. Which is why they were going it alone. They didn't have a choice.

They needed to act before the new Queens set off to establish new hives. Of course, the issue of the Xiticix's being around after Tolkeen, along with such issues as the CSs retreat through Xiticix territory present their own set of timing problems.

Me? I prefer to set the XISB as stating the situation around 108-109 PA as that solves a few issues. Raises others of course, but then nothings perfect..

EJL

[Colt47]

As a side note to my strategy, I'm not really attacking the Xiticix I'm just introducing a natural predator from Earth that would eat them for breakfast (Literally). What are the bugs going to do with concentrated blasts of MDC firepower against a swarm of 22 million ants? sure they will kill a bunch, but ants can reproduce so fast it's rediculous. Human beings have to use poison just to kill them off effectively. With a natural predator, the Xiticix will never be able to reach numbers that could threaten human settlements on a large scale basis.

[Qev]

Personally, I'd attack their food source instead of the Bugs directly. Assuming one could get a viable sample of their favorite fungal food, I couldn't see why Lone Star or some other biotech-savvy group might not come up with some interesting tactics.

Genetically engineering a new species that feeds solely on the same fungus would introduce a parasitic competitor to the hives. If it were voracious enough, it could literally starve them out.

Another tactic would be a parasitic fungus (along the lines of the Lobster mushroom fungus), that feeds off of other fungi. They also tend to alter the chemical composition of their hosts. With the right tweaking, this fungal infection could render their food source inedible to them.

[Blight]

The problem i have is that the Xiticix are so alien that any engineered bio weapon viral / bacterial or poison. Would never cross jump to any race that the CS would care about...take one examen the bacteria or viruses in their bodies and make your weapon...I know that kind of takes the fun out of it.. But if you have Bradford working for you use him..
edited for spelling...

[plata_knight]

The problem i have is that the Xiticix are so alien that any engineered bio weapon viral / bacterial or poison. Would never cross jump to any race that the CS would care about...take one examen the bacteria or viruses in their bodies and make your weapon...I know that kind of takes the fun out of it.. But if you have Bradford working for you use him..
edited for spelling...

Happens more than people realise. One hypothesis floating around is that the common cold is actually an insect disease & leaps between the species like mad.

Still, if we were concerned with reality, we would not be playing rifts in the first place.

Best argument I've read so far!

[MASTERMIND]

In World Book 23, Xiticix Invasion, we were given the details of Lazlo making war on the Xiticix, yet in the Coalition War Aftermath, set 4 years later, the Xiticix seem to be doing just fine, and there's no mention of any major losses or anything by Lazlo. What gives? Is there any official story on this, or any good reason for the oversight?

Aftermath states that the CS will have Jericho Holmes lead the charge against the Xiticis withing 8-12 months.

Bombs away!!!! No magical force field this time. Napalm all their underground network.

The end, Xiticix are gone.

Yep, and I already predict their campaign will end in failure. All they will do is stir up the hornet's nest and make the bugs mad.

[Kesslan]

Yep, and I already predict their campaign will end in failure. All they will do is stir up the hornet's nest and make the bugs mad.

Perhaps not. If Lazlo & others join in & take out the majority of the bugs before the CS goes in, it could work.

Reduceing the military power of CS opponents is just a pleasant side-affect.

Honestly, I just go by the idea that Lazlo just doesnt have the resources to do it themselves. So I sorta second this part of them joining in.

Also, especialy when it comes to major threats such as the bugs the CS has a very long standing history of 'looking the other way' THIS TIME. And of course their only ever too happy to see their foes go down in flames.

But they dont enjoy that so much that they will willingly comprimise their mission just so the guy will die.

Afterall its' better to have a bunch of lesser threats you can swat at any time running around than ones that actually pose a major threat to you. I'd also probably expect alot of CKs, random adventuers, mercs hired by assorted sides and the previously mentioned splurgoth invovement comming into play.

No one wants these things to continue going around uncontroled. Not even Atlantis. The NGR would probably help too if they didnt have their hands full with the Gargoyles.

[MASTERMIND]

No one wants these things to continue going around uncontroled. Not even Atlantis. The NGR would probably help too if they didnt have their hands full with the Gargoyles.

Ah, the world would be a much better place if the NGR could cut loose and bring order to the chaos. I have sometimes speculated that there is an evil entity somewhere who knows that and put the Gargoyles there with the specific purpose of occupying the NGR.

[plata_knight]

No one wants these things to continue going around uncontroled. Not even Atlantis. The NGR would probably help too if they didnt have their hands full with the Gargoyles.

Ah, the world would be a much better place if the NGR could cut loose and bring order to the chaos. I have sometimes speculated that there is an evil entity somewhere who knows that and put the Gargoyles there with the specific purpose of occupying the NGR.

According to Rifts Atlantis, that would be Splynncryth the Splugorth (who at least is helping them now that they are there).

[Kesslan]

No one wants these things to continue going around uncontroled. Not even Atlantis. The NGR would probably help too if they didnt have their hands full with the Gargoyles.

Ah, the world would be a much better place if the NGR could cut loose and bring order to the chaos. I have sometimes speculated that there is an evil entity somewhere who knows that and put the Gargoyles there with the specific purpose of occupying the NGR.

According to Rifts Atlantis, that would be Splynncryth the Splugorth (who at least is helping them now that they are there).

Well thats just because Splynncryth is highly ammused by the conflict and he doesnt want the Gargoyles to loose (or at least not do so too easily). Since they were on the cusp of another major rout he gave them a sizeable leg up and leveled the playingfield again.

Honestly in some ways it wouldnt supprise me if he was the one partially responsible for that well fed the fool CK guy winning in the Arena so much. It may not be but some how i get the idea that he's just all too highly ammused by this 'mere mortal'.

Even if he isnt, he likely isnt (Yet) too insulted by the mans antics as he hasnt had him killed outright yet or something.