Ruin Scuttler

For every thousand old-world ruin sites, there exists a single one that is mostly intact. These untouched ruins are the end-goal of countless explorers, looters, and archeologists. Hidden within are priceless relics, books written in strange languages, and raw metals that cannot be found anywhere else in Yrdde.
Uncovering one of these ruins is just the start, however. These places of great wealth and knowledge are not left unprotected, the rotting corpses of past adventuring parties dotted around the entry halls the starkest evidence of this.
The peoples of the old-world, whoever they were, did not leave their abodes undefended. The slightest disturbance within will trigger a deadly response as the undying, deadly guardians are roused from their slumber.

Appearance

Standing over seven feet tall, Ruin Scuttlers resemble a grotesque spider, its exoskeleton constructed from a smooth, almost bone-like black material. Six segmented legs, ending in razor-sharp talons capable of tearing through metal, scrabble against the ground, granting the creature disturbingly fast movement, allowing it to climb walls and ceilings with unsettling agility, transforming even the most confined space into a hunting ground. Gaps in its segmented plates reveal a complex network of tubes and channels that somehow power its movements and defenses.
Its round body is dominated by large, iridescent eyes – not organic, but multifaceted crystals that swivel independently, scanning for movement, analyzing their surroundings, and transmitting data to its fellows.

Offensive Capabilities

The Scuttler's primary weapon is its voice - a piercing, high-pitched wail that can shatter glass, crack stone, and inflict excruciating pain upon living creatures. This shriek not only stuns its prey, making them vulnerable to its talons, but also serves as a distress call, drawing other Scuttlers from the surrounding area to overwhelm any intruders.
As a last resort, when cornered or fatally wounded, the Scuttler releases a thick cloud of corrosive, gray gas. This gas irritates the eyes, causes violent coughing fits, and, if inhaled long enough, liquefies the lungs, leaving victims to drown in their own blood.
When slain, the Scuttler's body doesn't simply fall; it detonates in a violent eruption of energy, showering the surrounding area with shrapnel and searing heat. Little remains afterward except a scorch mark on the ground and a few twisted scraps of its metallic inner workings. Many alchemists, mages, and engineers have attempted to either capture one of these beasts alive or slay it in a way that negates its self-destruction ability, but none have found success.

Defensive Capabilities

The Scuttler possesses an unnatural resistance to magic, its exoskeleton absorbing and redirecting most arcane energies. This makes spells ineffective against it, forcing those who dare confront it to rely on brute force, speed, or sheer desperation to survive.
Scuttlers possess a strange interconnected intelligence that allows them to quickly adapt their tactics, learning from previous encounters, analyzing opponents' weaknesses, and coordinating their attacks to maximize their efficiency. Once activated they will lie in ambush, targeting the vulnerable and isolated and cutting off avenues of retreat. This intelligence doesn't seem to spread from ruin to ruin, and the Scuttlers of different sites will act in different ways from one another.

Resource Utilization

Though Scuttlers leave little behind when they perish, these metallic fragments are highly sought after. They are incredibly difficult to melt down, seemingly possessing a magical protection that prevents their destruction even after death. Only the most highly trained dwarven craftsmen are able to work these remains, and the blades that can be created with this metal are incredibly valuable. These blades are a shiny black, always sharp, and never break. Only a few have ever been created, and solely exist in the hands of Imperial nobility.

"Subject: Analysis of Unknown Construct (Designation: "Ruin Scuttler")
Retrieved from: Sealed Vault, Excavation Site 7 (Skytail Island Chain)
Observations:
The specimen exhibits a remarkable integration of materials. Its chitinous exterior plates are layered over a complex network of conduits and metallic supports, suggesting a technological design beyond our current understanding.
Mobility is highly efficient. Six articulated limbs grant it impressive speed and maneuverability, capable of scaling vertical surfaces and traversing confined spaces with ease.
Primary offensive capability appears to be a sonic attack. Emits high-frequency vibrations that inflict disorientation, pain, and potential structural damage to organic tissue. A secondary defense mechanism involves expulsion of a highly corrosive gaseous compound.
Exhibits extreme resilience to conventional weaponry and standard aetherial disruption techniques. Dissection attempts were hindered by the specimen’s… volatile self-destruction upon termination. Residual energies indicate a powerful detonation protocol exceeding the capabilities of contemporary magitech explosives. Would like to test resilience against railgun shot, but requests to move Emperor's Mercy to this area denied so far.
Further study of salvaged components is imperative. Recommend prioritizing the analysis of its conduit network and its sonic amplification system. The potential for reverse-engineering these technologies for Imperial military applications cannot be overstated." - Engineer Saraz, 3rd Cohort, Imperial Aetherium Research Division