Whispered Truths

Gear

Whispered Truths is a Mastodon Walker.

Images

• Full Diagram

Systems

Cargo Bay

• Crane is used to raise and lower cargo and sledges
• The walker typically carries 2 sledges (electric)
• Some limited heavy manufacturing
• The rim of each bay door has electromagnets to secure a can for loading/unloading

Crane

• Crew members in harnesses use these for routine external maintenance
• Can be used as a bridge to a nearby walker
• Can be used to repair and replace major pieces of the walker
• Can be used to haul the body of large prey

Defenses

• Deflectors: low-power shields in an ovoid shape around the body of the walker, and smaller ovoids around each leg segment. These are always on (unless friendlies are mounting or dismounting the walker), to prevent the accumulation of snow and ice on the walker.
• Cloak: the deflectors are modulated to bend electromagnetic radiation around the walker. This interferes with some sensors, so the crew must rely more on drones. The walker can only remain cloaked for a limited time (typically less than one hour) before it must decloak to vent heat (at least temporarily).
• Shields: the deflectors can be powered up into shields. The shields reflect or absorb most kinds of damage, as long as they have sufficient power. [The crew can spend power to add temporary Heavy Armor to the walker.] The shields also scatter or absorb targeting lasers.
• Leg sheathes: each leg segment has capacitor rings at each end. When the rings are charged, they discharge lightning bolts between them, further protecting the legs from attacks. The sheathes also help the walker to break through obstacles like tree lines and ice ridges.

Fluidics

• Snow scoop (the walker must be moving slowly)
• Snow tank
• Water purification
• Storage tanks for the reactors
• Storage tanks for the crew

Wastewater is frozen and dumped.

Legs

• Each joint is a separate electric motor
• Each foot has three modes:
  • Paw (default): a steel mesh provides more surface area (the mesh deploys like an umbrella)
  • Talon: sharp points provide more traction (e.g., while ascending an ice flow) (but not enough traction for vertical climbing)
  • Blade: sharp edges minimize surface area, for sailing across ice

Masts

• 2 masts: port and starboard
• Can be raised and lowered
• Can be used for sails (for blades mode on ice)
• Can be used to harvest lightning (for the power cells)

Thopter Deck

• The walker typically carries 2 one-can thopters (electric)

Power

• Primary fusion reactor
• Secondary fusion reactor (used for more power in combat, or as a backup)
• Solar panels
• Wind turbine
• Power cells

Power is the essential system on a walker: no power means no heat, and no heat means certain death.

Weapons

• 1 Gauss cannon: dorsal front, with a firing arc of 140 degrees forward.
• 2 medium laser cannons: ventral midship port and starboard, with firing arcs of 270 degrees sideways. These primarily target enemy drones and thopters. They can also be used to deter or hurt megs (i.e., megafauna).
• 4 light pulse laser cannons: dorsal fore and aft, port and starboard, with firing arcs of 360 degrees. These primarily function as a CIWS (Close In Weapon System, "see-wiz") against missiles.
• 2 light pulse laser cannons: ventral, fore and aft, with firing arcs of 360 degrees. These primarily function as anti-personnel point defense. (The belly of a walker is a weak spot that a sapper team can target.)
• 12 missile tubes: dorsal midship port and starboard. These are the walker's primary anti-ship weapons.