Weeping archangel (UnNetHack)
| A weeping archangel (No tile) | |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | ? |
| Attacks |
Gaze 0d0 blink, claw 2d8 drain energy, claw 2d8 drain life, touch 2d6 levelport |
| Base level | 17 |
| Base experience | ? |
| Speed | 18 |
| Base AC | −5 |
| Base MR | 80 |
| Alignment | −10 (chaotic) |
| Frequency (by normal means) | 1 (Very rare) |
| Genocidable | Yes |
| Weight | 1450 |
| Nutritional value | 0 |
| Size | Medium |
| Resistances | Fire resistance, cold resistance, sleep resistance, disintegration resistance, poison resistance, acid resistance, stoning resistance |
| Resistances conveyed | None |
|
A weeping archangel:
| |
- For the monster in SlashTHEM, see weeping archangel (SlashTHEM).
A weeping archangel, A, is a type of monster that appears in UnNetHack. The weeping archangel is a chaotic, humanoid angelic being that is a stronger version of the weeping angel: it is unbreathing, has regeneration, infravision and the ability to see invisible, and will seek out magical items to pick up—it is also sessile when observed directly by the hero, and will only move while eye contact is not established.
A weeping archangel has a unique gaze attack that passively inflicts damage by causing its reflection to appear in the mind of a victim that can see it, a claw attack that can drain energy, another claw attack that can drain life, and a touch attack that can level teleport targets—except for the gaze, all weeping archangel attacks are affected by magic cancellation. The gaze can only be blocked by reflection when targeting the hero, and unusually also exercises intelligence when inflicting damage to them—however, if two weeping angels or archangels are made to lock eyes with each other (e.g. usually due to conflict), both monsters are subjected to instant stoning. The level-teleporting touch has its effects changed once the hero either kills the Wizard of Yendor or else performs the invocation: weeping archangels will focus their efforts on attacking the hero with it.
Weeping archangels possess fire resistance, cold resistance, sleep resistance, disintegration resistance, poison resistance, and acid resistance, and also possess stoning resistance with the exception of the aforementioned gaze.
Generation
Randomly generated weeping archangels are always created hostile, and are only normally generated in Gehennom and Sheol. Only seven of them will be generated in any given game, after which they become extinct. Weeping archangels are one of only two angelic beings in UnNetHack that can be targeted for genocide, with the other being the weeping angel. They are not a valid form for polymorph.
Weeping archangels have a 1⁄3 chance of generating with a potion of blindness, and an independent 1⁄3 chance of generating with a wand of lightning and an amulet of reflection.
Weeping archangels do not leave a corpse upon death.
Origin
Weeping archangels are heavily inspired by the race of creatures from the BBC television series Doctor Who. The Weeping Angels were introduced in the 2007 episode "Blink" and became recurring characters across a variety of Doctor Who media. Weeping Angels feast by touching a victim, which sends them back in time and creates time energy that the Angel feeds on. Later episodes expand the Angels' list of abilities, which include the ability for an image of an Angel to become another Weeping Angel, the ability to turn other statues into Weeping Angels, and the ability to kill others by touching them twice.
As indicated by the quote used for their encyclopedia entry, Weeping Angels are normally quantum-locked and do not truly exist while being observed, with their biology having evolved to freeze them into rock the moment they are observed by any living creature—when unobserved, however, they can move rapidly in a manner imperceptible to most living beings. Additionally, any images or depictions of Weeping Angels can themselves become weeping angels and infect the minds of anyone who sees them, turning the victim themselves into a Weeping Angel.
The limit of seven weeping archangels in a game is likely a reference to the seven archangels in some Christian traditions.
Encyclopedia entry
Lonely assassins they used to be called. No one quite knows
where they came from, but they're as old as the universe. Or
very nearly, and they have survived this long because they
have the most perfect defense system ever evolved. They're
quantum locked. They don't exist when they're being observed,
in the moment they are seen by any other living creature
they freeze into rock. No choice, it's a fact that their
biology, in the sight of any other living thing they literally
turn to stone. And you can't kill a stone. 'Course a stone
can't kill you either, but then you turn your head away.
Then you blink. And oh yes it can.
"This whole book, it's a warning about the weeping angels, so
why no pictures? Why not show us what to look out for?"
"There was a bit about images. What was that?"
"Yes. Hang on.... 'That which holds the image of an angel
becomes itself an angel.'"
