The Strange Bestiary
Metallicons are the living metallic portions of a metal-contaminated mass of fundament in the Chaosphere known only as the Incandescent. The Incandescent's nature allows it to infect and animate certain metals and metal alloys, creating metallicons.
Metallicons have been spied in more than one recursion by organizations that monitor such things on Earth and in Ruk. Normally, metallicons seem content merely to observe, but in a couple of cases, previously documented recursions were found to have been destroyed, and various kinds of metal excavated into the Strange, apparently by metallicons. The worry is that the Incandescent is building up an army of metallicons, possibly in preparation for invading a larger recursion or even Earth. When resting, a metallicon appears to be a pile of thin metal plates. When it activates, a spark of blue energy races across every piece in an electric crackle, and the component parts assemble themselves into a vaguely humanoid creature.
If a metallicon is defeated, a plate of material making up the creature retains odd magnetic and electrical characteristics for several weeks.
Motive: Conquest
Environment (the Strange | Weird Science): Alone if observing a recursion; in groups of three to five if acting aggressively
Health: 15
Damage Inflicted: Moderate wound (5 points)
Armor: 4
Movement: Short
Modifications: Speed defense as level 4; knowledge of advanced alien superscience (of one sort) as level 7.
Combat: A metallicon can project a spray of metallic blades at a target within long range. In melee, a metallicon can spin around like a ferocious blender, attacking every creature within immediate range as an action, though no more than once every other round. Attacks made against a metallicon using metallic objects or ammunition deal it no damage. Instead, the items become integrated into the creature, and each piece restores 1 point of its health. An opponent wielding a metallic melee weapon who succeeds on a Speed defense roll is able to hold on to her weapon.
Metallicons are vulnerable to electrical attacks, and their Armor does not apply against attacks charged with electricity. A metallicon can't infect and animate metal to create other metallicons'only the Incandescent can do that. But it can absorb metal and metal alloys around it (such as folding chairs, swords, vehicles, and bronze sculptures) to restore 1d6 points of health as an action. Interaction: Metallicons can vibrate thin metal plates to create audible speech. When PCs make contact with a metallicon, it describes itself as a servitor of the Incandescent, existing only to do the Incandescent's will. What the Incandescent wants, however, is not something a metallicon can understand.
Use: According to Estate surveillance tapes, a bronze statue on Earth animated, jumped in front of an armored truck carrying a load of coins and rare earth elements, and caused a major accident. In the aftermath, the statue disappeared, as did the truck's haul. The Estate wants the PCs to figure out what happened and how to prevent future occurrences.
Loot: Metallicons are made up of many components, including coins (1d6 x 1d100) and maybe a cypher or two.
GM Intrusion: When the metallicon deals damage to the character, the PC must make an additional Speed defense roll. On a failure, a portion of the character's worn equipment hat is composed of metal (such as belt buckles, pants zippers, earrings, watches, and so on) is absorbed into the creature. This destroys the objects and restores 1d6 points of health to the metallicon.