Tuin

*“\*Sigh\* There’s not really much honor and glory in pulverizing our enemies from out of direct line of sight, is there?”*

*“We’re not fighting honorable enemies here, sister, we’re fighting Splugorth! That’s exterminating VERMIN!”*

## EcoS-K-18 Tuin War Mount

The Eshemar HorrorWoods Tribe apparently got the idea for this Warmount after seeing examples of the Darkwaters Tribe’s EcoS-K-8 Ironback appear in southern seaboard waters in support of the Horrorwoods’ campaigns to expel the Splugorth from the region. Though the Darkwaters had claimed almost all available battlefield-captured/scavenged Kittani War Crabs for the basis of their early Ironbacks, the Horrorwoods had just begun to operate their first Assembler Forges, and so could begin wholly new construction of similar hardware, based on specs acquired from the Darkwaters. The result would be a new second generation heavy Warmount in the service of the Horrorwoods. Though work began fairly early on the design, the Tuin would not be officially identified until much later, in part due to the type’s extensive use of indirect fire weaponry, that allowed the design to go largely unseen for decades.

The K-18 resembles a massive land turtle, or a bionic cross between a Giant Hunter Turtle (see Rifts Dinosaur Swamp 2) and a prehistoric armadillo. It sports six legs, making for a very stable firing platform, but also means that the Warmount isn’t as capable of the sort of high speed that smaller quadruped Warmounts are capable of dashing at. The Tuin is somewhat taller and heavier-built than its Ironback cousin, with better speed on land, though slower in water. Relatively slow and ponderous, but heavily armored, the Tuin has been compared to a military tank, which is EXACTLY what it is to the Shemarrians.

When deployed for combat, the upper shell splits open, plates folding back, and the central section of hull-shell rises up to become a heavy rotating weapons turret, manned by a gunner taking a seat at the back of the weapon. Though this turret can mount some fairly impressive and destructive weaponry, the Horrorwoods, in keeping with their ecology-friendly philosophy, favor a number of advanced ‘smart’ weapons of surprising sophistication and destructiveness, such as ‘hornet guns’ and ‘smart mortars’. Other weapons selections include a variety of rapid-fire projectile guns and direct fire energy weapons. For closer defense, the Tuin mounts a pair of pulse lasers in its head, snapping jaws, and a wrecking ball tail. Of course, the giant warmount can also carry a number of passengers, who will typically dismount to use their own weapons to defend the artillery carrier.

The Horrorwoods deploy the Tuin like a self-propelled gun, using it to rain supporting fire down on their enemies. The Warmount saw its first major use in the Shemarrian Civil War, being used in numbers to lay siege to and reduce an encampment of Loyalist Horrorwoods and the Dark One outpost they were defending.

The Tuin has thus far remained exclusive to the Horrorwoods, although the reformed Skullcrushers, once they learned of the artillery-packing warmount, petitioned the Horrorwoods Tribe for the design (terms of such an offered deal remain unknown). It is possible that Tuin was part of the inspiration for the Skullcrushers’ later Buthydid heavy warmount, another six-legged and tailed design that carries considerable firepower.

## Abilities

The Tuin is designed to carry heavy weapons, with incredible strength but slow speed.

### Weapons Systems

#### Head Lasers (2)

 Damage
 Damage2
 Rate of Fire
 Payload

Two pulse lasers are mounted next to the Tuin’s eyes, giving the impression of a second set of eyes.

#### Heavy Dorsal Weapon Turret

The main armament of the Tuin is mounted in this large centrally-located turret on the back of the Warmount. Normally stowed semi-recessed in the back when not in use, the main gun is cleared for action by the sliding of armored plates along its sides and the turret being raised on hydraulics to reveal the weapon and allow it full field of fire (360 degrees rotation). The weapon is normally operated by a gunner slotted into a station at the back of the turret. The turret can hold one of the following weapons configurations:

##### Hornet Gun (Aka ‘Hive Gun’)

 Damage
 Rate of Fire
 Payload

This surprisingly advanced weapon seems to be based on the Northern Gun NMX-18 Stinger Anti-Flyer Mine (see Rifts Merc Ops, pg. 97-98), in that it fires projectiles that are almost exactly identical to the robotic Stinger flyer-warheads released by that weapon. The Shemarrian projectiles, however, have slightly better range and endurance, can be deployed against ground targets as well, and are deployed from a large six-barrel gatling-style launcher.

As the Flit-Launcher was later developed along with new munitions, the Hornet Gun can also use the newer types if they are available.

##### 81mm Automatic Mortar System

 Damage
 Damage2
 Damage3
 Rate of Fire
 Payload

A breech-loading mortar system firing high-trajectory shells apparently based on the pre-Rifts ‘Merlin’ mortar system.

Bonuses: +3 to strike

##### 'Goddess Hammer’ Gatling Cannon

 Damage
 Damage2
 Damage3
 Rate of Fire
 Payload

This weapon consists of six rail gun barrels (adapted from the

Shemarrian ‘carbine’) in a gatling arrangement, set for rapid-fire, trading range for sheer volume of fire. At full auto, the damage spread of this weapon is devastating and has been known to shred robot vehicles and smash down fortifications in a single melee! The devastation the ‘Goddess Hammer’ can dish out is matched only by the thundering racket it makes spitting out rounds. This weapon was originally developed by the Wolf’s Path Tribe, but has since begun appearing in other Tribes as the result of trade.

##### Twin Boom Gun

 Damage
 Damage2
 Rate of Fire
 Payload

Two RG-14 ‘Boom Guns’ on a tandem mount. The mass of the Tuin is enough that it requires no special bracing to handle the recoil of these weapons.

##### 200 mm Autocannon

 Damage
 Damage2
 Damage3
 Rate of Fire
 Payload

It’s a big MBT gun, with faster autoloading, usually salvaged from damaged tanks, although later models would be completely new manufactured by the Shemarrians, although newly built ones are rarer, especially amongst the Star Nation Horrorwoods Shemarrians.

##### Twin 40mm Autocannon

 Range2
 Damage
 Damage2
 Rate of Fire
 Payload

Dual-mounted 40mm rapid-fire guns (‘pom-poms’) with anti-aircraft capability for striking flying targets. Can be loaded with either high velocity or low velocity rounds, depending on availability and manufacturing capacity.

##### Twin Tri-Laser

 Damage
 Damage2
 Rate of Fire
 Payload

Adapted from the Glitterboy No. 7 of South America, the plans of which were supposedly given to the EShemar by sympathetic trade partners. Two

tri-lasers are mounted on a tandem mount.

##### H-Ion Cannon

 Damage
 Rate of Fire
 Payload

New Navy-derived heavy ion weapon acquired from the Darkwaters tribes. Used mainly by Tuin that participate in amphibious assaults.

##### Heavy Particle Beam Cannon

 Damage
 Rate of Fire
 Payload

A heavy energy alternative weapon for direct fire assaults, acquired from the Darkwaters tribe.

##### 30mm Quad-Cannon

 Damage
 Damage2
 Damage3
 Rate of Fire
 Payload

4 30mm cannon in an anti-aircraft mounting. It is also capable of engaging ground targets. Tends to burn through its ammunition supply fairly quickly, though, requiring frequent re-supply.

All four guns going at maximum rate of fire simultaneousy do a whopping 3d6x40
MD!

Bonuses: Independent laser and radar tracking system (range: 11,000 ft). +1 strike set on automatic against aerial attack, +2 strike fired by gunner.

##### Heavy Plasma Cannon/Light Plasma Torpedo Launcher

 Range2
 Damage
 Damage2
 Rate of Fire
 Payload

Found among the Star Nation Horrorwoods, this configuration mounts a dual mode plasma cannon that can also fire a longer ranged plasma bolt.

The normal blast blast has the option of firing a scattershot for dealing damage over an area.

#### Tail Mace

 Damage

The fifteen foot-long tail ends in a heavy wrecking ball-mace for serious blunt force trauma and dissuading those who would attempt to sneak up on the Tuin from behind. Furthermore, taking a cue from Gargoyle weapons in Europe, the mace end can be energized to deliver a stunning electrical blow, able to temporarily knock out electronics and stun even megadamage constitutions.

Energized double damage to creatures vulnerable to electricity. Victims must save at 16 or better, or lose initiative, 1 APM, and be -2 to strike, parry, and dodge for the rest of the melee.

Characters in power armor and environmental armor suffer damage, but not stun damage.

01-40% chance of targeting, radar, and communications systems being knocked out for 1d4 melees.

Vehicles only take damage.

### Programming

The Ecotroz have installed robotic AIs, then infected the matrix with a low-level Ecotroz sentience.

The Tuin has the same base programming as the standard Monstrex.

The Ecotroz entity can also pick up one Secondary skill at levels 2, 6, and 12 of experience, though the nature of the Tuin intelligence and design is such that it is limited to skill selections from Technical: Language (understanding) and Lore, Espionage (Detect Ambush, Detect Concealment), Wilderness (Track Humanoids, Track Animals, Hunting, Identify Plants and Fruits).

### Combat

 Dodge
 Parry
 Auto Dodge
 Roll
 Pull Punch
 Bite
 Head Butt/Ram
 Tail Strike
 Tail Sweep
 Stomp
 Body Block/Ram

The Tuin is not a front line combatant, but is quite patient for lining up its ranged attacks.

### Ecotroz Fragment

The Ecotroz intelligence fragment inhabiting the ‘bot gives the Tuin an aura and behavior more befitting a sentient being than a robot. The Tuin has the disposition of a well-trained bulldog; ponderous and commanding when at rest, aggressive and fierce when called to combat. The Tuin will eagerly wade into a battle zone when urged, stomping targets and hungrily chomping down enemies, but can be incredibly patient while its riders demolish an opponent with long range fire.

The Ecotroz fragment does occasionally need sleep/rest...though they only need 2 hours of rest/meditation per 24 hours...they can push this, going without for as many days as they have I.Q. points, but will have to go dormant for 4d6 hours after such exertion.

Susceptible to Exorcism and Banish spells, but are +6 to save against such spells, +1 at levels 4, 8, and 12 of experience, and becoming IMMUNE at level 14 and up. Such Banishment causes the ‘bot to revert to its default robot programming. (OPTION: Ecotroz may become IMMUNE to Exorcism and Banishment with experience, and NEW BUILT EShemar constructs are immune to this)

Note also that the Ecotroz-possessed ‘bot can infect other bots with the Ecotroz viral-entity, by bite or sustained touch (takes 3 attacks).