Godforsaken
This sodden, leather-wrapped humanoid smells of the sea. It moves effortlessly through the air, levitating above the ground while its damp wrappings writhe and squirm as if infested with thousands of worms—because they are. Each worm that walks is a mass of psionic grubs squirming through a slush of salty ooze. Individually the grubs are harmless vermin, but together they’re a sentient entity, a single psionic mind formed of thousands of tiny, maggot-like pupae. The tightly wound leather straps covering a worm that walks are just as important for hiding its true nature as for adhesion. Despite being fully encased, the worm that walks senses its environment with a hard-to-fool sixth sense.
Motive: Domination of other creatures, hunger
Environment: Almost anywhere
Health: 30
Damage Inflicted: Moderate wound (7 points)
Armor: 1
Movement: Immediate; short when flying
Modifications: Perception as level 8; Speed defense as level 5 due to slow nature
Combat: A worm that walks can strike a single target in immediate range with a leather-wrapped “fist” as its action. When it hits and deals damage, several grubs spill out and attach to the victim (getting under most armor unless it’s hermetically sealed or behind a force field), who must make a Might defense roll to shake them loose. On a failure, the grubs begin to feed, and the target takes 5 points of damage (ignores Armor).
If a victim is killed while in immediate range of a worm that walks, the worms automatically engulf the body through a wide opening in their wrappings. The grubs go into a feeding frenzy, reducing the remains to nothing within minutes. During the frenzy, the worm that walks regenerates 2 points of health per round. A victim’s equipment is retained for later study.
A worm that walks can also emit a psychic burst that can target up to three creatures in short range as its action. On a failed Intellect defense roll, a victim suffers 4 points of Intellect damage (ignores Armor) and is unable to take actions on their subsequent turn. If the victim is attacked while so stunned, their defenses are hindered by two steps.
Interaction: A worm that walks can communicate telepathically with characters within short range. It negotiates only with those strong enough to harm it; otherwise, it tries to eat whoever it runs across. Even if the worm that walks makes a deal, it eventually reneges if it senses any advantage for doing so.
Use: A worm that walks has been active in a small rural community for weeks, apparently in preparation for something it calls “the Great Hatching.” If that refers to the hatching of more psychic grubs, it could spell trouble for a much larger region.
Loot: A worm that walks might have one or two cyphers, though during combat it will use any devices that could help it in the fight.
GM Intrusion: A character struck by the worm that walks notices that they weren’t able to shake off all the grubs that spilled out. If they fail a Speed defense roll, a grub dives into their flesh and travels through their body, its route visible beneath their skin. The character is distracted (all tasks hindered) until the grub dies one minute later or is otherwise extracted w