The Strange Bestiary
A catastrophe cloud is a murmuration of thousands of tiny machines sharing one mind, one purpose. The catastrophe cloud takes a variety of shapes and patterns as it approaches a potential target, becoming an entrancing, almost hypnotic display that belies the danger it poses. Each cloud consists of a million individual machines called catastrophs, each one about an inch (3 cm) long and having negligible weight. A catastroph resembles a black wasp with six limbs and translucent black wings. The back four legs provide locomotion, while the front two end in small, articulated hands.
Even a single catastroph is dangerous. Programmed to self-replicate, a catastroph harvests materials from its surroundings and rapidly constructs a partner. Once it finishes, the two immediately start work on building another. One catastroph can become a cloud in a matter of days. After the catastrophe cloud forms, it continues to grow, devouring everything in its path. Entire recursions have been stripped of resources to feed these ravenous swarms.
A catastrophe cloud typically fills an area within a radius of 20 feet (6 m).
Single catastrophs sometimes go off-program, and instead of constructing additional catastrophs, they build weird structures or artifacts. If normal catastrophe clouds find these "cancers" among their kind, they descend upon the defective catastroph and whatever the loner was attempting to fashion.
Motive: Hungers for matter
Environment (Weird Science or Standard Physics): Catastrophe clouds swarm across any lands, usually in places rich in minerals and metals.
Health: 12
Damage Inflicted: Moderate wound (4 points)
Movement: Short
Modifications: Speed defense as level 6 due to amorphous nature.
Combat: A catastrophe cloud is a mass of countless tiny machines. The cloud can flow around obstacles and squeeze through cracks and other openings that are large enough to permit a single catastroph.
The cloud can flow over and around other creatures. A character can move through the cloud, albeit at half the normal rate of movement. For characters inside the cloud, the difficulty of all tasks related to perception is increased by one step. In addition, whenever a character takes her turn inside the cloud, she must make a Might defense roll as the cloud begins to devour her. On a success, she takes 1 point of damage; on a failure, she takes 4 points.
A catastrophe cloud ignores any attack that targets a single creature, but it takes double the damage from attacks that affect an area. A catastrophe cloud cannot enter liquids and can be dispersed (treat as stunned and unable to act) if subjected to a strong wind. Once dispersed, it takes an hour for the cloud to reform.
Interaction: A catastrophe cloud has no means of communicating with other creatures.
Use: A PC moving through an inapposite gate brings along a stowaway: a single catastroph. In a matter of days, this passenger becomes a cloud and, if not stopped, could become a significant threat.
GM Intrusion: The catastrophe cloud destroys one cypher carried by a character it damaged.
GM Intrusion: The character with the highest Armor must make a Speed defense roll. On a failure, the physical armor is partly eaten and loses 1 point until it can be repaired.