Orion

From NetHackWiki
(Redirected from Orions)
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Orion, @, is the Ranger quest leader. He is a strong, omnivorous human that possesses infravision, can be seen via infravision, can see invisible, and is amphibious and capable of swimming.

Orion has a single weapon attack.

The following information pertains to an upcoming version (NetHack 3.7.0). If this version is now released, please verify that it is still accurate, then update the page to incorporate this information.

Per commit 20cbadcf, killing quest leaders no longer makes the game unwinnable, and Orion and other quest leaders are given stat buffs and additional equipment to compensate. Orion's speed is increased to 15, his MR score becomes 90, and he has a 4d10 weapon attack and will attempt one 4d8 mage monster spell during each of his turns.

Generation

Orion is generated within his camp, the Ranger quest home level, and stands on the central square of the grove section.

The following information pertains to an upcoming version (NetHack 3.7.0). If this version is now released, please verify that it is still accurate, then update the page to incorporate this information.

As part of commit 20cbadcf, Orion always generates with +5 leather armor, a +4 yumi, and 50 +4 arrows.

History

Orion first appears with the Ranger role and quest in NetHack 3.3.0.

Origin

In classical mythology, Orion (Ancient Greek Ὠρίων or Ὠαρίων, Latin "Orion") was a giant huntsman with several different stories about him throughout the folklore - there are two major versions of his birth and several versions of his death. One etiological passage which says that Orion was responsible for the present shape of the Strait of Sicily, and another has Orion swimming in an ocean before the scorpion who would become the constellation Scorpius (whose size varies with the telling) was sent after him - this is why he is capable of swimming in NetHack, though very few if any players will witness this in practice.

The most important recorded episodes are his birth in Boeotia, his visit to Chios where a drunken Orion slept with or assaulted Merope, was blinded by Merope's father Oenopion, and recovered his sight at Lemnos. According to one version among these episodes, Orion boasted to the goddess Artemis and her mother Leto while hunting with them that he could kill every animal that was of the Earth, and the duo sent a scorpion to kill Orion; their battle caught the attention of Zeus, who raised both combatants to the sky to serve as a reminder for mortals to curb their excessive pride. In another version, Artemis's twin brother Apollo sent the scorpion to kill Orion after the hunter earned the goddess's favor by admitting she was better than him, after which Zeus raised Orion and the scorpion to the sky. The seasons for each constellation's appearance is explained as Orion resuming his hunts every winter, but fleeing every summer when the scorpion comes.

Variants

Some variants make Orion and other quest leaders stronger to accommodate changes to the Quest and its entry mechanics, and these changes may be incorporated into upcoming versions of NetHack or else be borrowed from them.

SporkHack

In SporkHack, Orion has his difficulty increased to 24. Orion's speed is increased to 15, his MR score becomes 90, and he has a 4d10 weapon attack and will attempt one 4d8 mage monster spell during each of his turns. He also gains flight, sleep resistance, poison resistance and stoning resistance.

dNetHack

In dNetHack, Orion has his effective base AC changed to 7, and all 3 points are in the dodge category.

Orion always generates with blessed +5 elven boots, blessed +5 leather armor, a blessed +7 bow and 30 blessed +7 silver arrows.

xNetHack

In xNetHack, Orion's stats are improved as in SporkHack, minus the flight and resistances.

SpliceHack

In SpliceHack, Orion's stats are improved as in SporkHack minus the flight, difficulty and resistances.

EvilHack

In EvilHack, Orion's stats and resistances are improved as in SporkHack, minus the difficulty increase and flight.

Orion always generates with +4 plain armor, a +4 yumi, and 50 +4 arrows. If The Longbow of Diana or The Crossbow of Carl are successfully wished for by a non-Ranger and the other artifact is not present in the game, there is a xx+1 chance (where x is the amount of previous artifact wishes) of a hostile Orion generating adjacent to the character with the artifact in his possession. If one artifact is wished for with the other artifact already generated, a hostile ranger player monster will generate with the artifact instead.

All of the above information also applies to Hack'EM.

Encyclopedia entry

Orion was the son of Neptune. He was a handsome giant and
a mighty hunter. His father gave him the power of wading
through the depths of the sea, or, as others say, of
walking on its surface.

He dwelt as a hunter with Diana (Artemis), with whom he
was a favourite, and it is even said she was about to marry
him. Her brother was highly displeased and often chid her,
but to no purpose. One day, observing Orion wading through
the sea with his head just above the water, Apollo pointed
it out to his sister and maintained that she could not hit
that black thing on the sea. The archer-goddess discharged
a shaft with fatal aim. The waves rolled the dead body of
Orion to the land, and bewailing her fatal error with many
tears, Diana placed him among the stars, where he appears
as a giant, with a girdle, sword, lion's skin, and
club. Sirius, his dog, follows him, and the Pleiads fly
before him.

[ Bulfinch's Mythology, by Thomas Bulfinch ]