The Tar

The Tar is a strange form of biological corruption from an unknown planet. In the distant past it reached the planet Aphelia through a meteorite impact and corrupted the native people, using them to build infrastructure, transport itself further across the world and acquire sustenance by leeching from other living things; Ultimately it turned the people of Aphelia into mere extensions of its own will, starting to devour them once they had nothing left to give, up until Providence arrived on the planet and saved the people, taking them to Petrichor V and allowing them to build Aphelian Sanctuary to rebuild their numbers. This had the side effect of bringing the Tar to the planet, leading to the presence of several Tar based monsters in the present day.

In-Game Presence

• Environments
  • Abandoned AqueductAbandoned Aqueduct (Stage 2)
    Origin of Tar
    You dream of sand beneath your feet.
    
    Massive skeletons and pools of tar are littered around, and a towering aqueduct pouring down tar dominates the area.
  • Survivors of the Void - DLC Content
    Aphelian Sanctuary is part of the Survivors of the Void DLC. It is only available if the DLC is enabled when starting a run.
    Click for more info. Aphelian SanctuarySurvivors of the Void - DLC Content
    This content is part of the Survivors of the Void DLC. It is only available if the DLC is enabled when starting a run.
    Click for more info.Aphelian Sanctuary (Stage 2)
    Cleansing Center
    You dream of clarity.
    
    

• Monsters
  • Clay TemplarClay Templar
    HP: 700 (+210 per level)
    Damage: 16 (+3.2 per level)
    Class: Ranged
    Speed: 6 m/s
    Armor: 0
  • Clay DunestriderClay Dunestrider
    Ravenous SymbiontHP: 2100 (+630 per level)
    Damage: 25 (+5 per level)
    Class: Ranged
    Speed: 9 m/s
    Armor: 20
  • Survivors of the Void - DLC Content
    Clay Apothecary is part of the Survivors of the Void DLC. It is only available if the DLC is enabled when starting a run.
    Click for more info. Clay ApothecarySurvivors of the Void - DLC Content
    This content is part of the Survivors of the Void DLC. It is only available if the DLC is enabled when starting a run.
    Click for more info.Clay Apothecary
    HP: 1050 (+315 per level)
    Damage: 20 (+4 per level)
    Class: Ranged
    Speed: 5 m/s
    Armor: 0

• Items
  • Mired UrnMired Urn
    Siphon health from nearby enemies while in combat.
    While in combat, the nearest 1 (+1 per stack) enemies to you within 13m will be 'tethered' to you, dealing 100% damage per second, applying tar, and healing you for 100% of the damage dealt.

Lore

Clay Apothecary

"The Tar's history is unimportant. What well or crevice it first flowed from doesn't matter; only that the Tar flows.

And so it did. Through its vessels the Tar spread, consuming its homeworld entirely. But the Tar still hungered.

Riding down on a falling star, the Tar spread to the unsuspecting world of Aphelia.

The Tar offered its power to the dunepeople, promising them energy and sustenance. The dunepeople, hungry and battered from life in the harsh desert, accepted.

The Tar didn't ask for much. The Tar only asked that the dunepeople spread it across Aphelia, so the Tar may feed. And so it did; the dunepeople crafted elaborate clay vessels to carry the Tar to and fro. Mighty aqueducts, belching forth black rivers of Tar, dotted the skyline. Those who pleased the Tar were blessed with its gift; a connection. They were one with the Tar.

And it was in this reverence that the dunepeople began to look back. The lush riversides, consumed. The animals that served as livestock and steed, drowned in Tar. The Tar had consumed everything, even the dunepeople themselves. They were nothing more than extensions of the Tar's will.

And when the Tar asked for more, the dunepeople had nothing more to give.

Only a mighty hero, riding down from heaven on a glowing blue dragon, offered the dunepeople a chance at salvation. Desperate, the dunepeople took to the hero's arms, and began their exodus to paradise.

And the Tar continued to spread."

- Tragedy of Aphelia

Aphelian Sanctuary

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I have heard the young ones whisper amongst themselves, questioning why we must stay in our glistening towers. Why we must rigorously cleanse our bodies, why we must live rigorous, studious lives.

How uncouth. The younger generation knows not of the plight of Aphelia, before [The Hero] came to save us. They live thanks to him, thanks to our second chance...! They know nothing of strife, nothing of hunger, nothing of the [Tar]. That terrible substance that consumed our way of life, consumed our culture, consumed us down to the marrow.

Perhaps it is best they know nothing of our past, perhaps it is best that they remain clean.

Yes. Perhaps it is best.

...That won't stop me from grumbling at them. Stupid kids.

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Clay Dunestrider

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<Click> There are no landmarks in site. I am surrounded by infinite desert. <Click>

<Click> I’ve run out of rations… and no one is responding to my transponder. I may be doomed if I don’t find a way out of these dunes. <Click>

<Click> I see something in the distance… some large creature. I may be in luck yet. <Click>

<Click> Oh... my eyes deceived me. It was not a creature… but a herd. There was more than one. Many more. 

Hundreds of enormous creatures, moving as a mob– and each one the biggest beast I have ever seen. These striders resembled… enormous spiders, or hermit crabs, in a porcelain shell, with legs dark like tar. 

Between the sound and the sand, the entire herd bounded past me without realizing – moving at incredible speeds on their long legs. Were they fleeing… or migrating? I still can’t believe… what a terrible place. Get me out. <Click>

<Click> I still have no food. <Click>

Abandoned Aqueduct

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Day 0
Nightmare. I find myself in the middle of a desert - with no other survivors in sight. I scavenged for resources, but soon giant insects began to crawl out of the earth and take aggressive stances. Once they gathered their numbers - and presumably their confidence - they charged me. 

In avoiding their assault, I slipped and fell backwards into a waterfall of mysterious liquid. I tumbled within as it rushed me down, deep into an underground cavern. I crawled out, and thankfully the insects have stopped following me. I may have broken my leg - but thankfully CHIT(?) I have a healing drone to administer aid. It will take a few days to get my strength back. 

Day 1
I am grateful that I repaired this drone before my untimely tumble - I would assuredly be dead without it. My vision is blurry - I fear I have also suffered a CHIT concussion. My leg has begun to feel better. I will have to continue to wait. I grow hungry.

Day 2
My healing drone has stopped giving me aid. It hovers far away now - and moves back as I move forward. I've been feeling nauseous, and have been feeling the urge to CHIT CHIT vomit. I occasionally spit out black liquid - I fear something is gravely wrong.

Day 3
My CHIT CHIT drone has left.  I have CHIT lost my vision. My mouth and eyes fill with foul dark liquid. I am alone.

Day 9
CHIT CHIT CHIT CHIT CHIT CHIT CHIT CHIT CHIT I-I neED CHIT CHIT CHIT chit chit chit CHIT
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Clay Templar

Ducking behind a boulder, the survivor’s stomach sank as he heard the sounds of tar sloshing up the hill. From the sound of it, the Templar wasn’t alone – it had company.

He had left his shelter to scrounge for supplies – not that there was much to find in the desert – when he was assaulted by a new kind of monster. Resembling a man, the creature stood around seven to eight feet tall, with skin made of tar and elaborate accessories of clay decorating its body. 

He had had only a few moments to stifle his surprise as the Templar opened fire, spewing a barrage of tar pellets from the enormous pot it carried. The survivor ran, but the Templar scored several hits. The tar had seeped into his suit, and he was starting to lose sensation in his legs.

A brief spark of hope – the survivor had some medical supplies in his shelter. If he could only make it back, he may be able to treat his leg and remove the tar…

That spark was quickly extinguished in a hail of bullets.

Mired Urn

Lab Dissection Analysis File
Subject: Mired Urn
Technician: J. Flint
Table Spec: Full Enclosure AY-2 with ARMM Kit
Notes:

- The survey team went through a lot of trouble to bring this one back.
- Fitz was the only one left standing, in fact said he felt great, and the rest are still in the recovery ward
- Subject is what appears to be a clay vase
- Could this be part of a camouflaging defense mechanism?
- Inside the vase is a dark gooey substance
- Goo can articulate into functioning appendages
- Intelligence of subject indeterminable at this point
- When operating the ARMM kit, goo attaches to all but one of them
- Instability in the ARMM power system aborts the procedure

Trivia

• On Abandoned AqueductAbandoned Aqueduct (Stage 2)
  Origin of Tar
  You dream of sand beneath your feet.
  
  Massive skeletons and pools of tar are littered around, and a towering aqueduct pouring down tar dominates the area. the Tar serves as a player boundary by draining the player's health until they get back in bounds.