Pūnanila (Puh-na-nee-lah)

The Pūnanila (from Mehune: Needle Hornet) are a species of insect found in the warmer and sunnier Hel-side regions of Venus. They have a smaller wing:body ratio than most insects which does not allow them to fly exclusively with their wings as other insects with sufficiently large wings. Instead the Pūnanila rely on a pair of ventral air sacs towards the end of the abdomen. These sacs are filled with a bacteria that produce a lighter-than-air gas mixture of methane and ammonia, which allows the Pūnanila pack to float above it's prey.

Once the Pūnanila pack is in position above their prey, they expel the gasses stored in the air bladders, and use their wings to steer them towards the prey to inject it with venom from the two stingers on either side of the head. This venom is a potent myotoxin which takes effect immediately causing localized paralysis near the site of the sting. Though this is capable of causing total paralysis in smaller prey animals, a group of Pūnanila will typically hunt animals far above their "weight class", as a large enough pack can even bring a fully grown Graap down from distributed venom stings. Once the prey is sufficiently immobilized a feeding frenzy begin, the swarm lands on the immobilized creature, eating enough to cause large sores. Eggs are then laid by the "Queen" in the prey animals open wounds, and the pack moves on, leaving the likely doomed animal to it's fate .

Basic Information

Anatomy

The typical Pūnanila has a 4.5" long body with two 1.5" hollow stingers on either side of it's head. There are four wings on the top of the creatures back, attached to the thorax, with a total wingspan of around 5 inches. On the ventral underside of the abdomen is a pair of inflatable air sacs. The queen of each generation can be identified by an egg laying "tail" at the tip of her abdomen.

Growth Rate & Stages

Pūnanila begin their life cycle as eggs laid into the body of a host prey animal. After two to three days, the eggs hatch as worm-like larvae, eating the host animal from the inside out for several days, repeatedly molting into larger and larger forms until the final adult stage.

Additional Information

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Warm and Dryer climates on the Hel-side of Venus. Pūnanila are not capable of regulating their body temperature, and do not form nesting structures to protect them from cooler Hesperian nights. They tend to burrow themselves into light and loose soil to hide from would-be predators until a prey animal comes by.

Lifespan

~3 Venusian Months

Average Length

Body: 4.5 in
Wingspan: 5 in
Stinger: 1.5 in

Skills:

• Brawl 3
• Coordination 3
• Perception 4
• Stealth 3
• Survival 2

Abilities:

• Silhouette: 2
• Swarm: Halve the damage dealt to the swarm before applying soak, unless the weapon has the Blast or Burn quality (regardless of whether the quality is activated)
• Venomous: Upon a successful Sting attack, the target of the attack must make a Hard (ddd) Resilience check or become immobilized until the end of the targets next turn, plus one additional turn for each additionalff; A result of h h h may stagger the character until the end of their next turn.

Weapons:

• Sting (Brawl; Damage 3; Critical 2; Ranged [Engaged]; Pierce 4)