#sentient volatile

[dlthedescent]

I've revamped the Descent's cover from 2023 with some improvement and changes.

Original

[dlthedescent]

After six years of writing with a very old fanfiction cover, I present a new cover for Dying Light: The Descent. (Below with progress lapse and a version with scarf down to show Freakazoid’s face)

If you’re interested in reading my fic, you can check it out on Ao3 and FFN. 

[doghasarrived]

I DID IT!!!!

[doghasarrived]

I'm so mentally healthy

[dlthedescent]

Part 2 is here.

Again, gonna be killed for this. XD

Part 1: here

Scene from end of Chapter Fifteen: Smoke and Mirrors

[dlthedescent]

some Descent headcanons

So thanks to @thatguyender​ for starting this, I made two lists: a skill tree list for Mad Jack, my OC kickboxer, and a skill tree list for Freakazoid. I’ve had these thoughts way at the start - since when I first started the fic, I also thought of it game-design-wise - but never really sat down and wrote them out.

Though I expect myself to put a balance patch cuz I might have overdone it for Freakazoid... Eh. shrugs

First off, Mad Jack, my DL OC, Crane’s wingmate/crazy partner and Descent deuteragonist. She’s in a manner of speaking, a jack of all trades but also a skilled brawler. I do see her having some abilities/skills like old human Crane’s (power, survival, agility) because she is still a human fighter thrown in the same situation as he was (and not an overpowered infected). She’s no mercenary, though but she makes up by being crafty like a con artist.

Power

- Professional kickboxing brawler for 9 years (give or take). As true to her name, Mad Jack the Wild Dog, she can be a real berserker in combat. And when need to be defensive, tai chi (a lil hobby she took up in recent years) so that she can divert attacks thrown at her. 

- She's ambidextrous. Able to use double weapons faster and effective than Crane would one handed weapon.

- She has a couple of power moves like Crane's. A suplex move, a roundhouse kick, maybe a dual wielding move etc. Can even put a man in a head choke

- She knows how to use guns. Had used them in the past. But she actually won't use guns right now (there's reason to my madness here, story purpose). If in game, her skill in using firearms would be the last thing unlockable down the tree. And if unlocked, added with her ambidexterity, she can be very deadly. She can use bows easily btw.

Agility

- Almost on par to old Crane's parkour skills (had learned them from her cous), relearning the ropes and such.

 - More agile in combat and escaping/dodging than on parkour, where she puts her energy into.

 - She has high tolerance to pain. Like a berserker, she can endure being inflicted when in a pinch.

- Taunts, bring the fight to her and not to other people.

- Thanks to tai chi, she can regenerate stamina faster (have a mental moment to get like a second wind) 

- Will bite. Helps her get out of a sticky situation

Survivor

- Not a pro survival expert unlike someone who puts corpse grime onto himself. But willing to learn if it means surviving (doesn't mean she likes it)

- She has an eye for detail and is very resourceful, something from her past job. Which means she has better chance in looting than human Crane.

- Good with her words, twice good at bartering/haggling with shops (except with the Ravs. They know her tricks)

- She pickpockets. In battle, out of battle. She literally pulled a flash grenade off a Demolisher's body while being chased by it

- (tw blood, was a little unsure about putting this down) With her blood perk (poisonous to anyone infected), she can coat a bit on her weapons just by running her bloodied thumb/finger on it. Preferably sharp weapons work best.

- Open to new ideas on devices and tools if they can help with her survival. Example, the ascenders from the Junction. Plus only way to keep up with Freakazoid.

- Uses methods and tools that’s meant to distract enemies or lure them to a location. Examples: loud devices, fire alarms, her taunting.

Next up, Freakazoid (aka Kyle Crane as Sentient Day Hunter/Volatile).

And oh boy this is a long list. I might have given Jack more work as his teammate than I anticipated... Oh well. I’ll nerf him later.

Also, I took some liberty to base his infected passive and active abilities on the Night Hunter. With inspiration on other games’ abilities cough.

Power

- He still has the standard moves, windmill, drop kick, etc. Plus some Hunter moves like Arial Ground Pound, leapfrog, etc. In a way, he fights like his old self with new tricks as an Sentient infected. A super soldier 

- Pick claws or fists anywhere, anytime. Claws swipe faster, dealing damage faster than punches but of course, punches hit harder.

- Has tendrils like a Hunter so can grapple an enemy (anything weaker than a volatile) to bring them right to him so that he can smash their head to the ground. Can also pull himself to an enemy (anything stronger than a Viral/Biter/Common) and literally kick them.

- He has a blade bone on his right and now a bone-spike gun on his left. That doesn't mean they're more effective than normal weapons or that he can't use weapons - they just serve as being convenient. He can use weapons but they break faster than normal human Crane would (which means future craftsmen gotta make him weapons suitable for his strength. Note to self, make that for side quests)

- With his infected side, can get a defense and power boost like Jack's second wind ability

- Charge into a large group like a bulldozer, stunning his enemies (edited)

Agility

- Also has the same agility moves as his old self, but with some new tricks as well. 

- Can wall run, wall latch, wall climb far better than Aiden. Talons sharp enough to latch on a wall longer than Aiden can stay in the air.

- With tendril locomotion, can dart around fast but still hindered with turns/rotations like the Night Hunter. Escape is also more convenient by tendril. He can yeet himself out of combat.

- Faster health regen than his old self at night, slower in day. All thanks to his infected side.

- Instantly leaps onto an opponent like a Night Hunter but rather than sinking teeth down, he snaps the neck

Survivor

- He has some of his old skills, minus his haggle/talk for the time being. Jack helps him with that until he finds people not too freaked out by him. You know, because of his new body situation?

- Still can do throwing stars - because why wouldn't you want an infected throwing shuriken like Genji?

- Has the infrared eyesight of an infected where he can see human enemies behind walls. This can be switched on and off game-mechanic-wise and isn't effective in daylight.

- Not just with camouflage, can land critical stealth skills after being cloaked or in darkness.

 - UV resistance/block duration increase down his skill tree.

Infected - this is a new branch on Crane’s skill tree I made as a category, special thanks to Ender for the idea. Since there are some things like mutations, his telepathic way of communication, and skills/abilities that don’t fit with the other three categories entirely (even though the above, it’s a harmonic mixture between his old and new self)

- Pretty much higher defense (iron skin), higher attack (claws), faster regen, better scenes (can track infected/human easy like a bloodhound)

- Howls, can inflict fear into humans and staggers enemies. Good with clearing space against groups

 - With his mutations, he can be undying in combat (final passive skill in the tree). This gets reset back to normal until the next fight. He can also give this to his infected allies, namely Jack (concept in the works btw, may not be included), a sorta telepathic link to them to prevent them from dying.

- Tempted to give passive ability that he can feast on infected to regain back some health, considering the kind of person in the past to eat anything he grabs in the middle of an outbreak. Jack will most likely stop him on that. Or not. She can't completely control this beast.

-- Below are skills not lockable on the tree but gained after defeating a rare type of enemy; Sentient Volatiles.

- Invisibility - his first infected skill he starts with. Can go invisible as long as he has stamina to burn. Helps with his crit stealth kills. Uninfected human enemies can still see him however.

- Rage - Lets out the beast from within, as long as he has stamina to burn.

- Doppelganger - second infected skill, gained after defeating another sentient Volatile like him. Creates a shadow to distract enemies off him (similar to Mother's fight with her clones)

- Other newer skills he'll obtain after defeating three other Sentient Volatiles, in the works currently. 

and a sidenote from story; he has this territory bubble where his presence makes infected not want to come to him. So his presence helps safezones be warded off from troubling infected. Didn't know if should have been under infected branch

And that’s it.

God this post is so long...