The Strange Bestiary
Data sentinels are probably free-roaming instances of the AI that controls the recursion known as Singularitan, but given their erratic behavior, it's possible that they represent a challenging intelligence. Either way, they are dangerous to other entities, whether machine or organic. Data sentinels could be rogue, accumulating data only for their own purposes.
A data sentinel is a creature of silicon, steel alloys, and electromagnetic energy. It is able to physically tap into nearly every kind of computerized system it encounters, including living minds.
When a data sentinel comes across a completely new kind of creature or computer system, it may experiment for a few rounds to find the right protocol for cocooning the entity or object and siphoning the information contained therein.
Motive: Knowledge
Environment (Singularitan | Weird Science): Almost anywhere, sometimes in pairs
Health: 18
Armor: 2
Damage Inflicted: Moderate wound (4 points)
Movement: Short
Modifications: Most knowledge tasks (including those related to the Strange) as level 7; crafting tasks as level 7.
Combat: Data sentinels can discharge electromagnetic energy to attack a foe within long range. However, they can also spin cocooning strands of dataweb around a foe within immediate range who fails a Speed defense roll. A cocooned foe is held immobile and can take only purely mental actions or struggle to get free (a difficulty 6 Might-based task). The cocooned foe is an easier target for other combatants, whose attacks against her are modified by two steps in their favor. Each round in which a victim remains cocooned, her brain tickles as knowledge is siphoned away and fed to the data sentinel. Generally, a data sentinel siphons a victim's data for a number of rounds equal to the victim's level or tier. After that, the cocoon begins feeding destructive energies into the victim's brain, and she must make an Intellect defense roll each round. On each failure, she takes 4 points of Intellect damage (ignores Armor). If the victim is freed from the cocoon, for the next several hours, the difficulty of all of her Intellect-based tasks is increased by two steps.
Some data sentinels have a cypher they use in combat.
Interaction: A data sentinel can communicate with a creature only via a data strand, and unfortunately, it tends to cocoon anyone who wants to talk.
Use: Data sentinels are storehouses of information about any number of things, including other recursions and the Strange itself.
Loot: A data sentinel sometimes has a cypher.
GM Intrusion: The data sentinel has a cypher that it uses to escape to another recursion.