PROTOMORPH XX033

Similar to other Plagiarus lifeforms, the Protomorph is a parasitic organism that gestates within a living host. A Protomorph’s blood is only mildly caustic, but not acidic enough to cause damage.
Protomorphs are genetically linked to the Fulfremmen and will always respond to their empathic commands. Their life cycle goes through at least five known stages of evolution, the details of which are covered on the following pages.

Gestation periods typically take one Shift each. As with all endoparasitic alien lifeforms, the Protomorph’s incubation cycle per stage is variable and dependent on the metabolism of the host organism.

— A NOTE FROM MU/TH/UR

STAGE I: UTERO-PODS “WOMB-BATS”

Once the Living Proto-Hive has a significant foothold on a mechanical structure like a ship, station, or building complex, it will seek to fuse with biological entities. The Proto-Hive will sabotage life support systems to incapacitate and secure victims. It then suspends them from the ceiling, grows webbing over them and injects them with genetic material from Heptopus tabellarium. This material consumes the cocooned hosts alive in a centralized chamber, metamorphosing them into translucent, Proto-Ovomorphic Utero-Pods. Within one Shift, these pods burst, spilling amniotic fluid and their contents to the floor as they give birth to Stage II Protomorphs.

ALTERNATE STAGE I: XYGOTE (EMBRYONIC) “EYE-WORM”

If no Utero-Pods are available, the Protomorph will still find a way. The Xygote form of Heptopus tabellarium is a mutated single-celled organism that can incubate within a living organism’s bodily fluids. The parasitic Xygote can be transferred through tears, saliva, or blood. Once the Xygote implants itself in the abdominal cavity of its host—be they male or female—it will begin to develop an embryo. The creature will grow into a fetus at an alarming rate, sapping strength as it draws upon the host’s body mass to develop. It reaches Stage II within one Shift—bursting from the victim and killing them. In the final hour, the host will experience severe cramps and witness variable abdominal swelling.

STAGE II: NAIAD (INFANT) “SQUID-BABY”

This little bundle of joy is every mother’s nightmare. Although the Naiad’s scientific nomenclature is Heptopus tabellarium—seven-armed carrier—that name refers to the lifeform’s adult form. This pallid creature gestates either within the Proto-Hive’s Utero-Pods or within the abdomen of a living host (in which case, the violent abdominal birth kills the host).
A Naiad is born resembling an aggressive if not particularly effective eyeless squid with only four grasping arms—but it’s fast and has a vice grip. The creature will look for a place to hide until its tentacles split and it metamorphoses to Stage III.

CONTAINMENT AND TERMINATION PROTOCOL

“Congratulations—it’s a bouncing baby squid!” (cocks shotgun). If you’re the host, you’ve only got one Shift to get this thing out of you. Best try to off the fucker right after birth. Medical sterilization protocols will stun but not kill it. If you really want to sterilize the goddamn thing, go for a good old incinerator unit instead.

LAUNCHING UNGULATION

As a slow action, the Squid-Baby can launch itself up to one zone as if using a run or retreat action (not crawling).

STAGE III: TRILOBITE (CARRIER) “CUDDLES”

First mentioned in the garbled recordings of the David Transmissions sent from the USCSS Covenant, the 3-meter-tall adult Trilobite is a seven-tentacled parasitic extraterrestrial organism. As it matures, H. tabellarium increases in size and mass exponentially, growing from a 2-kilogram juvenile to a half-ton adult in only one Shift. Just how the creature attains such enormous proportions in so little time has baffled the few scientists who’ve studied them. As the growth process has never been closely monitored, theories range from a bacterial mass propagation on a macroscale to the creature simply being able to feed off ambient radiation.
The Trilobite is a massive delivery system for a Stage IV Deacon embryo. It will use its large grasping-pincer-tipped tentacles to both brace itself and pin its prey, exposing the victim to its large toothy maw located on its ventral side. Once so secured, six fleshy petals arranged around the mouth will open, revealing winking orifices that contain coiled prehensile tendrils. These whip-like appendages grasp the head of its prey and hold it steady for oral proboscis insertion. After a successful penetration, H. tabellarium will go catatonic, covering the victim with its own body to protect the host during embryo implantation.
After embryo implantation is complete, H. tabellarium will remove itself from the host and die nearby. A Deacon will emerge from the dead host within another one Shift.

CONTAINMENT AND TERMINATION PROTOCOL

This god damn thing is huge, and hard to kill. Try not to get too close to it—if one of those thick tentacles grabs you good, it will either snap your neck or line you up and ram a meter long by twelve centimeter thick phallus down your throat. If you’re lucky, you’ll pass out from the pain before the thing lays its massive bulk over you, pumps you full of its genetic payload, and dies. You know what, fuck this thing. Napalm the son of a bitch.

STAGE IV: AETHON (JUVENILE) “DEACON”

Scientifically referred to as Plagiarus noxapater—or mimic father of night—the Deacon may be an early step in the evolutionary chain of even more complex Plagiarus forms like Xenomorph XX121. The two creatures are both voracious blue/black-skinned eyeless humanoid creatures with elongated skulls. The major differences lie in the Deacon’s lack of biomechanical features, dorsal stacks and tail—as well as its completely different jaw structure.
A Deacon’s upper jaw protrudes in a manner similar to a goblin shark when provoked, allowing it to pull prey in for the kill. That upper jaw contains human-like teeth, while the creature’s lower and inner jaw sport hooked incisors for grasping. The curved and tapered head of the eyeless alien is reminiscent of a bishop or deacon’s cowl, prompting its unconventional nomenclature. The deep blue-skinned bipedal Deacons have no tail. A Deacon born from a human starts off at about half a meter tall and grows three times that size within one Shift, its strength and endurance growing with it.
A gestating Deacon’s cells rapidly consume organ, muscle, and bone mass directly from its host, killing the victim and leaving nothing more than an empty brittle boned shell of a corpse in its wake. When the juvenile is ready to be born, it uses its pointed head to slice its way out of the deceased host’s chest, bisecting the already weakened ribcage and emerging with limbs fully developed. A newborn Deacon will flop out of its victim and to the ground with an amniotic feeding sac still attached to. Deacons are gangly and awkward, not unlike a newborn fawn. Curious creatures, they will take the time to survey their surroundings before making an attack. The Deacon’s most chilling attribute however would be its signature shriek—a wailing cry that can freeze you in your tracks with fright.

CONTAINMENT AND TERMINATION PROTOCOL

A newborn Deacon is disorientated at birth, needing a Round to disconnect itself from its feeding sack and take in its surroundings before it can act. If you want to kill it, that’s as good a time as any. The shock of witnessing its birth can cause you to hesitate (STRESS LEVEL +1), however, so I recommend that when you gather your own wits enough to pull that trigger, don’t miss.

STAGE V: ADJUTOR (ADULT) “ARCHDEACON”

Scientists have extrapolated a more upright creature with a pronounced rib cage, a wider and longer head, and oversized clawed hands. The conjectural creature is estimated to stand close to three meters tall. Its skin would take on an even deeper blue-black shading, its telescoping jaws would become more deadly—powerful enough to even grasp and shred a victim’s limb when retracted—and its shriek would become more menacing.

CONTAINMENT AND TERMINATION PROTOCOL

We don’t know much about this thing except for what the eggheads cooked up as theoretical. Theories are like promises—they sound pretty and help you sleep at night but are only good until the truth comes along and kicks you in the teeth.

Whether or not a Deacon metamorphosizes to another stage is unknown. The Deacon and Archdeacon described here are based on the assumption that the host organism is human. There are unsubstantiated rumors of aquatic based Deacon sharks on remote water worlds. If another deadly animal species—or even an Engineer—were to be infected, the resulting Deacon would be much more powerful.

— A NOTE FROM MU/TH/UR

“WOMB-BATS”

SPEED: 0
HEALTH: 2
SKILLS: None
ARMOR RATING: 1 (0 against fire)
UTERO-POD SPECIAL ABILITIES: If a victim comes within ENGAGED range of a Utero-Pod, the host must make a MOBILITY roll each Round (no action) to not disturb it. If they fail, the pod will burst and release a Squid-Baby. A Utero-Pod can release its young even at SHORT range—roll a Stress Die each Round. On a 6, the Squid-Baby is born.

“SQUID-BABY”

SPEED: 3
HEALTH: 2
SKILLS: MOBILITY: 9, OBSERVATION 4
ARMOR RATING: 1 (none against fire damage)

“CUDDLES”

SPEED: 2
HEALTH: 9
SKILLS: MOBILITY: 4, OBSERVATION 9
ARMOR RATING: 5 (2 against fire damage)

“DEACON”

SPEED: 2
HEALTH: 5
SKILLS: MOBILITY: 7, OBSERVATION 6
ARMOR RATING: 6 (3 against fire damage)

“ARCHDEACON”

SPEED: 2
HEALTH: 9
SKILLS: MOBILITY: 9, OBSERVATION 9
ARMOR RATING: 6 (3 against fire)
SKULL SHIELD: The Archdeacon can use its skull to block close combat attacks as a fast action, using six Base Dice.

Scientific Name

H. tabellarium, P. noxapater