Rust and Redemption
Hooked blossoms germinate almost like regular plants but can root even on constructed surfaces, including cement and sometimes metal. Rooted juveniles display pinkish flowers—which some equate to the color of an open wound—that give off an alluring perfume.
If they mature, they uproot themselves, revealing an ambulatory body plated in a dull grey metallic hide and limbs that end in a single hook like digit.
Both forms are dangerous. The most common variety of rooted blossoms work in small groups to cook prey with focused beams of microwave energy. Ambulatory versions are about the size of large domestic cats. They use their sharp limbs to hook themselves into a target, then use their flowers to cook their prey or, alternatively, put them to sleep for later consumption.
Juvenile, rooted blossom: level 1; Armor 1; a group of five flowers attacks with a level 3 microwave ray inflicting 3 ambient damage
Motive: Hunger for flesh
Environment: In groups of five or more anyplace touched by radiation, mutation, or AI genetic-nanotech engineering
Health: 6
Damage Inflicted: Minor wound (3 points)
Armor: 2
Movement: Short; immediate when climbing
Modifications: Speed defense as level 4 due to size; disguise as level 6 when not moving
Combat: A mature blossom attacks twice with its hooks, inflicting damage with each strike. If a blossom hits a target, the target must succeed on a second Speed defense roll, which is hindered. On a failed roll, the blossom hooks itself to the target until the target can detach the blossom with a successful Might roll as their action. Each round a blossom is hooked to a target, the target automatically takes 3 points of ambient damage from microwave energy emitted by the creature's bloom. Some varieties of hooked blossoms produce soporific pollen (treat as poison) instead of microwaves. If a character is hooked by one of these blossoms, they must instead succeed on an Intellect defense roll each round they remain hooked, or fall asleep. A sleeping target must be roused by an ally or suffer physical damage to wake. Each round a target remains asleep, they automatically take 3 points of Intellect damage (ignores Armor). In its juvenile, rooted form, a hooked blossom resembles a flower with a metallic stem, which is dangerous when active. In direct sunlight, a rooted hooked blossom regains 1 point of health each round.
Interaction: Hooked blossoms act much like animal predators, though they are not concerned with self-preservation.
Use: The scavenging PCs spy a flower-clad hill in the distance, shining in the sun. Even from here, they can smell the pleasant perfume drifting on the breeze.
class="critter"> GM Intrusion:The hook breaks off in the wound. If not removed—a “surgical” procedure requiring a forceps or at least something sharp that inflicts 4 damage (ignores Armor)—the character sprouts a rooted juvenile about ten hours later that tries to kill its host until removed.