Humboldt

*“Arms of darkness, eyes of fire! Yet another Demon of the Deep comes forth to hunt us, this time at the behest of the damned Shemarrians! Makes no difference if it be a thing of flesh and blood or a machine of metal! T’is possessed of a hatred of our kind and a lust for the blood of Splynncryth’s own! The Abyss is no place to venture alone, lest the darkness hunt yeh!”*

*---Kydian sailor, to a class of new gobs.*

## Shemarrian ‘Humboldt’-class Submarine

The success of the Darkwaters’ ‘Glastin’ SSN in actions against the Splugorth and other maritime enemies led to increased Darkwater Tribe naval operations against the Spugorth, and a greater emphasis on naval engineering. The ‘Humboldt’ is one of several new vessels designed to extend the Darkwaters’ operations into the deep seas and carry the fight to the enemy’s own waters.

### Description

The Humboldt (a Lazlo assigned reporting name; as with many Shemarrian vessels and designs, it is not known what they themselves call these craft) resembles a giant cuttlefish, complete with long articulated robotic tentacles. The ‘eyes’ are really high-powered laser turrets, able to slice open ships from underwater and able to shoot aircraft down over the water. The ship is even propelled by hydrojets and ‘skinned’ in a dark camouflaging anechoic covering.

The Humboldt typically engages targets at long range with its torpedoes, offering fire support to other vessels or flotillas of aquatic Warmounts, closing only after an opponent is subdued, in order to rip and tear with its tentacles, completing the dismantling of an enemy.

So complete is the Humboldt‘s resemblance to a giant squid or cuttlefish, that the submarine is often mistaken for one at a distance. The Darkwaters have taken advantage of this to disguise their movements as just random monsters.

Though the Humboldt very much resembles a giant cuttlefish in both appearance and capabilities, the Humboldt is NOT a Warmount and is NOT inhabited by an Ecotroz essence, nor can its computer systems be infected by one. It is a vehicle/vessel, and must be commanded and operated by a crew, in this case a complement of Shemarrians.

If the Humboldt has any shortcomings, it is the vessel’s lack of extra capacity; the vessel cannot carry Warmounts, and has room for only a token contingent of troops. Accompanying marine units must travel aboard other vessels or escorting aquatic Warmounts. When moving salvage, Humboldts must often serve as a tugs for large bouyed nets of material, pulling them along to where the Shemarrians can better hide and sort their battlefield loot, as the submarines have little cargo space to spare.

The Darkwaters Tribe of Rifts Earth operates several squadrons of Humboldts from secret underwater ‘stables’ along the American eastern coast. The design has also been seen in operation offworld with the Shemarrian Star Nation wing of the Darkwaters and their Deep Watch, although several similar vessels are known to be in service with the Horrorwoods.

## Abilities

### Sensors

#### Long Range Sonar

The Humboldt has a long range sonar installed. Particularly useful while working with warmounts that have shorter ranges. Passive mode 100 miles, active mode 10 miles.

#### Magnetic Anomaly Detector

Mounted in the ‘head’ is a passive magnetic anomaly detector (MAD) for locating other submarines and ships.60 mile range.

### Special Systems

#### Stealth

The Humboldt is designed for stealth operations, (-30% to
enemy detection roles).

#### Magnetic Impeller ”Caterpillar” Drive

The sub can be propelled by a special hydro-magnetic impeller jet. Speed is 20% slower than a regular hydrojet, but the system has the advantage of being far quieter.

Bonuses: -15% to Detection rolls using sonar/acoustic scanners.

### Weapons Systems

Eye Lasers (2)

 Damage
 Rate of Fire

The big protruding eyes are really high-powered laser turrets.

Heavy Torpedo Tubes (10)

The Humboldt is fitted to fire dual-mode rocket-propelled torpedoes, originally based on a North American adaptation of Kittani weaponry, but the tubes also have the capability to accommodate and fire stocks of salvaged original Kittani weapons:

‘SeaFire’ Missile-Torpedoes

 Range2
 Damage
 Rate of Fire
 Payload

Speed:(Underwater)

400 MPH

(Air) Mach 3

Bonuses: (Torpedo) Because of the torpedoes’ higher speed and advanced targeting systems, the Sea Fire doesn’t suffer the same range and accuracy penalties as conventional torpedoes. The Sea Fire has a +1 to strike, and a +3 to strike within 3,000 ft of the target.

(Missile) Not quite as accurate as a Harpoon III, but more powerful. +3 to strike.

Kittani Long Range Rocket Torpedoes

 Range2
 Damage
 Rate of Fire
 Payload

Speed: (Underwater) 200 MPH

(Air) Mach 3

Tentacles (10)

These are extra-large robotic tentacles, capable of grabbing targets, lifting them, and crushing them, or for stripping wrecks of salvage and loot. They are lined with molecular adhesion pads for enhanced grip (it is possible to break free of them, if one can match the Humboldt’s robotic strength, but tearing out of the adhesion pads’ grip will do 1d4 damage per pad from material still stuck to them).

Two of the tentacles are designed longer than the others, with telescoping sections that allow the two to retract and extend, as well as to punch with extra force, especially into and through the hides of undersea monsters and the hulls of ships.

Typically 2-3 crewmembers are assigned to manage the tentacles when engaging in close contact combat, cyberlinking to direct the robotic limbs as if they were extensions of their own bodies.

Range: Melee. The six short tentacles have a reach of 40 ft, while the two ‘striker’ tentacles can extend up to 90 ft.

Damage: Robotic P.S. of 50

* Lash/Punch 3d6 MD

* Crush/Squeeze 2d4x10 MD per full melee of pressure

* Striker Stab (2 attacks) 1d6x10 MD