287. Collectors

Collectors look like skeletal synthmorphs, with no casing and minimal structural support. They are usually draped in a string of captured cyberbrains, always on the verge of overheating as they engage in feverish thought.

Collectors connect themselves to cyberbrains for an unknown purpose. Each new cyberbrain is connected to the last, forming a string. An accomplished collector may have built a string of dozens of cyberbrains. It will wrap them around its neck like a necklace, then around the torso until reaching the waist, at which point any that remain will trail behind it. It is difficult to shoot a collector without hitting a captured brain.

Captured cyberbrains can be recovered but the egos are inevitabley significantly traumatized. Their memories of their time connected are vague at best; most only retain a sense of intense concentration and rapid streams of thought.

Collectors are utterly incapable in melee, but can use any ranged weapon they find. Because collectors collect cyberbrains, they interested only in synths and pods. They will avoid biomorphs when possible.

Mechanics

COG 30 COO 15 INT 15 REF 20 SAV 10 SOM 10 WIL 30
INIT 7 SPD 2 DUR 30 WT 6 DR 60 LUC 60 TT 12 IR 120

Skills: Beam Weapons 50, Fray 30, Infiltration 30, Infosec 60, Kinetic Weapons 50, Perception 50, Psychosurgery 60, Seeker Weapons 50, Spray Weapons 50
Enhancements: 360° Vision, Enhanced Perception, Reflex Boosters, Mental Speed
Movement Rate: 4/40
Armor: 8/8

Captured egos take 1d10x2 SV, and may become asynchs at the GM's discretion.

Plot Hook: A collector was recently taken down on Mercury, and one of its victims appears to have retained the contents of some of its thoughts. Unfortunately he is deeply traumatized, mentally unstable, and has been snatched up by Ozma. Firewall would prefer if he were in their custody.

285. Shrikes

Shrikes were a small bird on Earth, now extinct. They were notable for their practice of impaling prey on thorns so they could be easily torn apart. That is why, despite the fact that it looks nothing like a bird, these exsurgents have that name.

Shrikes don't look like predators. Loose, flabby skin hangs from thin limbs and a distended torso. They are almost pathetically weak, unable to kill their prey on their own. Their method of hunting is to attack from ambush, spraying solitary biomorphs with their sticky, glue-like spit. Once their prey is immobile, they take the opportunity to take bites from the still-living victim. If disturbed, they will flee, but if left undisturbed victims can live for days while being eaten one bite at a time.

Mechanics

COG 5 COO 15 INT 15 REF 15 SAV 5 SOM 5 WIL 10
INIT 6 SPD 1 DUR 30 WT 6 DR 60 LUC 20 TT 4 IR 40

Skills: Climbing 30, Exotic Ranged Weapon [Glue Spit*] 50, Fray 30, Infiltration 50, Perception 30
Enhancements: Bioweave (Heavy)
Movement Rate: 4/20
Attack: Glue Spit*
Armor: 3/4

*As a freezer.

279. Forget-Me-Nots

Forget-me-nots are ironically named, for the opposite is true. Something about forget-me-nots refuses to stick in the mind. While one is standing in front of you, it will remain in your mind. Once it disappears, not just its appearance but its very existence can be remember only with great effort. Nothing about them will be maintained by short or long term memory. Physically they are human, but with too-long limbs, emaciated bodies, and large, pale eyes.

Forget-me-nots usually avoid conflict, running from any confrontation, hiding, and waiting for their pursuers to forget and give up. They act as saboteurs, using corrosive spit to destroy equipment. Even if cornered they will not fight back, and have been known to break their own bones in attempts to crawl away through small holes. When killed they explode with corrosive juice, equivalent to a mini splash grenade filled with scrappers gel.

Forget-me-nots do not effect all types of minds equally. Humans and neo-hominids are affected fully. Neo-avians are partially affected, with forget-me-nots being rejected by long-term but not short-term memory. Neo-octopuses are not affected. AGIs are effected according to how closely modeled on humans they are. An eidetic memory is still affected. Recordings and mnemonic augmentations can successfully capture images of them, but those images have the same forgetfulness effect as the creature.

Mechanics

COG 10 COO 20 INT 10 REF 20 SAV 10 SOM 5 WIL 20
INIT 6 SPD 2 DUR 30 WT 6 DR 60 LUC 40 TT 8 IR 80

Skills: Climbing 30, Fray 30, Freerunning 50, Infiltration 50, Perception 30
Enhancements: Bioweave (Heavy), Neurachem (Level 1, Grip Pads
Movement Rate: 4/30
Armor: 3/4

Once a character is no longer in direct contact with a forget-me-not, they must make a successful WILx3 check once per round to remember it. Neo-avians make this check once per minute.

Upon death, forget-me-nots explode with corrosive juice, equivalent to a mini splash grenade filled with scrappers gel

75. Crèche-Wolf

A crèche-wolf looks like a large, hairless dog with flat black eyes. It has neither feet nor paws, but all four limbs end in human hands. The hands give it good balance and grip, and it can still run on its knuckles for speed. Its mouth extends farther back along its head than any natural canine; it can open its jaws very, very wide. When it does so, it reveals a human face and two grasping human arms, as if someone it swallowed is reaching out from its stomach.

The tactics of crèche-wolves in combat depend on whether it is acting alone or as part of a pack. If acting alone, the crèche-wolf will attack only from ambush, and flee if unable to engage on its own terms. In a pack, however, they become extremely aggressive, rushing towards targets from multiple directions. A crèche-wolf will usually attempt to tackle a victim to the ground, open its jaws, and pull the victim into its mouth with its arms.

Mechanics

COG 5 COO 20 INT 15 REF 20 SAV 5 SOM 25 WIL 10
INIT 6 SPD 2 DUR 45 WT 9 DR 75 LUC 20 TT 4 IR 40

Skills: Climbing 30, Fray 30, Freerunning 40, Infiltration 40, Intimidation 40, Perception 30, Unarmed Combat 50
Enhancements: Bioweave (Heavy), Cyberclaws, Neurachem (Level 1), Muscle Augmentation
Movement Rate: 4/30
Attack: 1d10 + 6 DV, AP -2
Armor: 3/4

The crèche-wolf is one example of the beings a crèche gives birth to, but there are infinite varieties. A crèche is an opportunity to use fantastical monsters in an Eclipse Phase game.