The Strange Bestiary
A venopus is usually encountered while wearing the partially digested form of its last victim. There’s no risk of confusing the venopus with the victim; the creature’s actual body protrudes obscenely from the victim’s remains, usually in place of whatever the victim used as a head.
Venopuses originate from somewhere much farther out in the Strange. They washed into the Shoals of Earth by way of the Luminous Circuit (an energy current hat tumbles into the deepest reaches of the Chaosphere), either under their own power or by infesting the craft that travel the Circuit. Unfortunately for inhabitants of the recursions in the Shoals, venopuses seem to thrive in the region.
Motive: Hunger for flesh, reproduction
Environment (the Strange | Psionics): Almost anywhere in the Chaosphere and near recursion interfaces
Health: 15
Damage Inflicted: Moderate wound (5 points)
Armor: As previous victim, usually 1
Movement: Short
Modifications: Resists all mental attacks as level 6; knowledge of the Strange and Strange navigation as level 6.
Combat: A venopus attacks using the limbs and weapons of its previous victim, usually allowing it a melee attack or a long-range weapon attack (if the victim had a ranged weapon).
A venopus constantly emits a psychic field. Victims who come within immediate range and fail an Intellect defense roll drop their guard, their weapons, and their defenses for one round, meaning that the venopus's attack hits automatically and inflicts 2 additional points of damage (7 points total). Producing the psychic field doesn't require an action.
If a victim becomes debilitated, the venopus stops attacking that creature and focuses on other immediate threats. Once it has the luxury of a little time, the venopus either transfers itself to a debilitated victim or implants the victim with a tiny egg. In the former case, the procedure requires 2d6 rounds, after which the victim is dead and the venopus is completely healed and wearing a new body. If the venopus injects an egg, the egg hatches within one day if not removed, which kills the victim and creates a new venopus.
Interaction: Venopuses are telepathic, but the images and "words" they transmit are so alien that no one has yet deciphered any real meaning.
Use: The PCs are sent into the Chaosphere to find a missing chaos skiff that was shipping secret cargo (whose nature isn't revealed to the characters). When they discover the drifting ship, the crew is dead, and only hungry venopuses remain walking around and protruding from their bodies.
GM Intrusion: The character looks a venopus too closely in its awful alien eyes and must succeed on an Intellect defense roll or suffer 1 factor of alienation.