Tormentors, A new Gestation

[dethbegins]

Good morning, Folks! I've been sifting through rifters looking for some content to work on and found the tormentor... With how their life cycle is mostly unknown and it's been a while since anyone posted anything about it, I figured I would Make my own spin on it. Sorry if it's not what the original writers had in mind, but it's been a while, and I would love to see what people do with the concept.

"It has been about eight years now... This thing that my companion Ches left behind... I'm not sure it's going to do anything. It hasn't moved from its spot in ages, and it's clung to the dam wall like a freaking egg sac... Ches... What the hell did you leave behind..."

Tormentors have a life cycle of 27-41 years of service before turning into a small growth that hides dormant in hidden pits, caves, and other various underground regions. These growths take anywhere from 2d6 to 4d6 years to mature as they slowly reabsorb their host's dead body. After which a new lifeform emerges depending on the range of time it takes to mature.

The Forsaken One

A Horror of mutating flesh and growths, this abomination of alien life takes the form of a large, elongated nest of tentacles and various mouths with which spew forth untold horrors in the forms of worms, larvae, and strange lifeforms that yearn to destroy all emanations of the machine. These hulking masses are some of the most common developments that can form from the tormentors and share their internal rage and deep hatred of the machine and its countless legions. Every year several of these horrors of black and yellow tissue emerge from underground and begin feeding on the metal hulks left behind after an engagement with the machine. Its tentacles stretch out from 18-38m in length and utilize a series of small recessive pits that form under a strange hydraulic seal forming a tetraxial door where between 2-5 dozen alien lifeforms dwell in wait. "There have been stories of great houses engaging these horrors, for their host armors to suddenly stop responding to stimuli and allowing the lifeform to pass by unabated. There are talks of Librarians and Engineers sending parties of scouts to observe these life forms and asked to collect strange worms that are left behind in cocoons and soaking in a grey green bath of sludge like fluid. I even heard that our local Geneticists have started collecting a series of worms from those pools and their obsession has caused several to imprisoned from the sheer madness they had undergone while discerning their nature. Whatever the horrors they could have seen were... They make me fear anything with Biotechnology... I can't even go near a host armor without feeling squeamish."-Hank Twine, Carpenter. An additional note of worth, no Tempest weapons platform has so far gone near one, but when shown images of these abominations, they state it feels old and young at the same time... like something of an ancestor but it's better to leave it alone.

Class: Alien Megafauna
Crew: 1D6 Dozen Spawn
M.D.C. by location:
"Arms" (12): 345 each
Tentacles (36): 120 each
Legs (8): 380 each
**Heads (4): 275 each
**Main Body: 1280+2D10x10
** Destroying the heads or depleting the M.D.C. of the main body kills the Forsaken One.

Speed:
Running: 65mph
Leaping: Incapable
Digging: 65mph though dirt, clay, and sand, or 35mph through rock or tougher material
Swimming:Incapable
Flight: Incapable

Statistical Data:
Height: 20-30ft
Width: 18-36ft
Length: 45-80ft
Weight: 28-40 tons
Cargo: 480 Larvae, 270 worms which regrow and dispense every hour in batches of 4 for larvae, and 30 for the worms.
Physical Strength: 48 Supernatural Strength.
Production Cycle: 2D6 years after host death.
Trade Value: Cannot be traded, However, Larvae produced from this nightmare are worth 2000-3000 credits to the right buyer, and the worms are worth 200-300 each respectively.
Bio Regeneration Rate: 20 M.D.C. per hour for the main body, 8 per hour for all other locations.
Horror Factor: 25 for Humans, splicers, and only 8 for geneticists, until they study the larvae or worms left behind, in which they gain an insanity and suffer a horror factor of 28 when interacting with biotechnology. None for the machine.
Senses and Features: Standard.
Feeding: Consumes 200-400 pounds of rock, sediments, dirt, or clay per day.
Sleep requirements: None... This thing doesn't sleep.
Rider: No one has been able to get close enough to even try.

Other Data:

Alignment: Diabolical, however, they don't harm splicers or other biological life, they will do everything they can to destroy the machine.
The Forsaken One's Attributes: I.Q. 26, M.E. 18, M.A. 8, P.S. 48 (Supernatural), P.P. 26, P.E. 40, Speed: 95 See speed above.
Number of Attacks per Melee: Eight.
Combat Bonuses (In addition to possible attribute bonuses): +3 Initiative, +5 Strike with Melee Weapons, +8 Strike in Hand to Hand Combat, +6 Parry, +8 Roll with Punch, fall, Impact, +12 to Disarm, Immune to Save vs. Horror Factor and totally immune to poison and mind control (and possession).
Equivalent (Instinctive) Skills of Note: Herding 65%, Land Navigation 78%, Prowl 36%, and understands the Native Language of the Great House that created it and one other common language at 70% (cannot speak or read). Recognizes robots and machines as enemies to be destroyed or chased away.
Combat Capabilities: The Forsaken One uses its tentacles to engage at short ranges, or sends out its collection of spawn to destroy any machines it comes across, or engages in hand to hand combat.

Restrained Headbutt or Stomp Attack: 8D10 M.D.
Full Strength Headbutt or Stomp Attack: 4D4x10 M.D.
Power Headbutt or Stomp Attack: 4D8x10 M.D.
Crush/Pry/Tear with Tentacles: 8D8 M.D.
Tentacle Whip Strike: 1D6x10 M.D.
Power Tentacle Whip Strike: 3d8x10 M.D.
Kick with Legs: 5D6 M.D.
Biting Attack: 2D6 M.D.

Forsaken One Bioweapon Systems:
1. Grasping Tentacles (36): On various regions of the body tentacles will recede and Strech out from large boils, these boils appear to be bioluminescent and signal in a form of bio-Rythm similar to bio-comms towards its spawn. Additionally, these limbs can carry large masses of weight and have enlarged grasping furls of tissue that allow it to hold anything it desires to and even crush it with its immense strength.
Primary Purpose: Main Limbs
Mega Damage: 3D12x10 M.D. when crushing or digging.
Rate of Fire: Tentacles can attack in volleys of 1,4,8,12,16 and so on for every 4 tentacles. Each account as a single attack/melee action.
Maximum Effective Range: 66ft.
Bonus: +2 Strike with Tentacles, +2 Parry with Tentacles.

Spawn:

A smaller version of the Forsaken One and often carried within its body, these creatures share its parent's distinct appearance and drive into all who gaze upon it a dread like no other. These horrors are prioritized by the machine for extermination over any other target, even those of the resistance due to their sheer aggression and Careless abandon when facing the machine.

Class: Alien fauna
Crew: None
M.D.C. by location:
"Arms" (12): 125 each
Tentacles (36): 45 each
Legs (8): 180 each
**Heads (4): 165 each
**Main Body: 265
** Destroying the heads or depleting the M.D.C. of the main body kills the Forsaken One.

Speed:
Running: 65mph
Leaping: 35ft up, 55ft across.
Digging: 65mph though dirt, clay, and sand, or 35mph through rock or tougher material
Swimming: Incapable
Flight: Incapable

Statistical Data:
Height: 4-8ft
Width: 8-6ft
Length: 5-8ft
Weight: 280-400 pounds
Cargo: None.
Physical Strength: 18 Supernatural Strength.
Production Cycle: 2D6 days.
Lifespan: 300 days.

Other Data:

Alignment: Diabolical, however, they don't harm splicers or other biological life, they will do everything they can to destroy the machine.
Spawns Attributes: I.Q. 16, M.E. 18, M.A. 8, P.S. 18 (Supernatural), P.P. 26, P.E. 10, Speed: 95 See speed above.
Number of Attacks per Melee: Four.
Combat Bonuses (In addition to possible attribute bonuses): +3 Initiative, +5 Strike with Melee Weapons, +4 Strike in Hand to Hand Combat, +3 Parry, +4 Roll with Punch, fall, Impact, +4 to Disarm, Immune to Save vs. Horror Factor and totally immune to poison and mind control (and possession).
Equivalent (Instinctive) Skills of Note: Herding 65%, Land Navigation 78%, Prowl 36%, and understands the Native Language of the Great House that created it and one other common language at 70% (cannot speak or read). Recognizes robots and machines as enemies to be destroyed or chased away.
Combat Capabilities: Spawn use their tentacles to engage at short ranges, or engages in hand to hand combat.

Restrained Headbutt or Stomp Attack: 2D10 M.D.
Full Strength Headbutt or Stomp Attack: 1D4x10 M.D.
Power Headbutt or Stomp Attack: 1D8x10 M.D.
Crush/Pry/Tear with Tentacles: 3D8 M.D.
Tentacle Whip Strike: 3D6 M.D.
Power Tentacle Whip Strike: 1d4x10 M.D.
Kick with Legs: 2D6 M.D.
Biting Attack: 1D6 M.D.

Spawn Bioweapon Systems:
1. Grasping Tentacles (36): On various regions of the body tentacles will recede and Strech out from large boils, these boils appear to be bioluminescent and signal in a form of bio-Rythm similar to bio-comms towards its spawn. Additionally, these limbs can carry large masses of weight and have enlarged grasping furls of tissue that allow it to hold anything it desires to and even crush it with its immense strength.
Primary Purpose: Main Limbs
Mega Damage: 1D4x10 M.D. when crushing or digging.
Rate of Fire: Tentacles can attack in volleys of 1,4,8,12,16 and so on for every 4 tentacles. Each account as a single attack/melee action.
Maximum Effective Range: 16ft.
Bonus: +2 Strike with Tentacles, +2 Parry with Tentacles.

The Careless Mound

A genuine mound of flesh and sinew, this massive complex appears to be more an organic structure than a living life form, however, its main body remains deep underground where it slowly converts the underground rock into a suitable gravel via sonic emissions that help break apart its surface along its outer skin layer. The Visible portion is a large mass of tan human skin with dark ridges of brown that appear as hardened carapace that jut further upwards, where 8 large tentacles appear to wave with the winds. These large portions of tissue are hardened M.D.C. material that share too many similarities to the colors common with parasitic host armor variants and share the innate appearance of the outer shell of a Tormentor. The Upper Maw is it were, collects large sources of water by siphoning it from the air, drying the local region and funnels this collection into a deep aquifer under its main body. Here a large factory of sorts is known to work, producing the great houses seedlings in massive quantities. Within these factories a large series of cocoons grow steadily with what appears to be a humanoid slowly gestating inside. No-one knows how long these pods remain dormant before they hatch, but the oldest recorded cocoon was about 300ish years ago and is said to still remain dormant to this day. Only the great engineers of major houses and their librarians know anything about these lifeforms, and so far… they refuse to make comment.

Class: Alien Megafauna
Crew: None
M.D.C. by location:
Tentacles (8): 450 each
Maw: 480
**Main Body: 2650
**Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body kills the Careless Mound.

Speed:
Running: None
Leaping: None
Digging: 65mph though dirt, clay, and sand, or 35mph through rock or tougher material
Swimming: Incapable
Flight: Incapable

Statistical Data:
Height: 400-560ft, with tentacles extending the maws Length by another 48-60ft
Width: 300-600ft
Length: 300-300ft
Weight: 280-400 Tons
Cargo: Can carry 14,000 seedlings and produce 7000 per month, as well as producing 180 growth pods per monthly cycle and storing them near its lower body.
Physical Strength: 60 Supernatural Strength.
Production Cycle: 4D6 years after hosts death.
Bio Regeneration Rate: 20 M.D.C. per hour for the main body, 8 per hour for all other locations.
Horror Factor: None, until the insides are discovered, after which it escalates to 16.
Senses and Features: Standard.
Feeding: Consumes 200-400 pounds of rock, sediments, dirt, or clay per day.
Sleep requirements: None... This thing doesn't sleep.
Rider: No one sees a point to that.

Other Data:

Alignment: None, as the mound has no functioning awareness or sense of self.
Spawns Attributes: I.Q. 10, M.E. 8, M.A. 8, P.S. 60 (Supernatural), P.P. 12, P.E. 60, Speed: 95 See speed above.
Number of Attacks per Melee: Four.
Combat Bonuses (In addition to possible attribute bonuses): +3 Initiative, +5 Strike with Ranged Weapons, +4 Strike in Hand to Hand Combat, +3 Parry, +4 Roll with Punch, fall, Impact, +4 to Disarm, Immune to Save vs. Horror Factor and totally immune to poison and mind control (and possession).
Equivalent (Instinctive) Skills of Note: Herding 35%, Land Navigation 28%, Prowl 66%, and understands the Native Language of the Great House that created it and one other common language at 70% (cannot speak or read). Recognizes robots and machines as enemies to be destroyed or chased away.
Combat Capabilities: The Careless Mound uses its tentacles to engage at short ranges or strikes with Superlight Cells across its body.
Tentacle Whip Strike: 3D6 M.D.
Power Tentacle Whip Strike: 1d4x10 M.D.

Spawn Bioweapon Systems:
1. Water Capture Tentacles (8): These tentacles have thousands of small holes that aid it wafting air into itself, and channel large drafts of air which through condensation removes moisture from the air and funnels it directly into the main body. The Tentacles also come equipped with larger versions of the Super light Cells which it uses in ranged defense against possible attackers. Each Tentacle captures anywhere from 180 to 300 gallons of water per week.
Primary Purpose: Main Limbs
Mega Damage: 3D4x10 M.D.
Rate of Fire: Tentacle Super Light Cells can attack in volleys of 1,4,8 for every 4 tentacles, each volley accounts as a single attack/melee action.
Maximum Effective Range: 8000ft.
Bonus: +2 Strike with Tentacles, +2 Parry with Tentacles, +4 Aimed Shot with Tentacles only.

“We need answers Tai; it has been several weeks since your last report and over a dozen geneticists have gone mad after studying those remaining larvae that Forsaken horror left behind. WHAT are you hiding from your own? What could be so dangerous that you would never speak of it again, and destroy your own laboratory here in our haven? Why won’t you go near our Dreadguard, or any fellow soldiers… Not even your beloved homunculi… WHAT HAPPENED?”- Communications report recovered from a Major House, Name cannot be determined at this time.

When studied by geneticists the larvae or worms will have a massive collection of genetic sequences that are instilled inside, each that possess major traces of human genetic information which to those unaware of the productions of a Forsaken One can leave them terrified or even worse… lead to questions about the loyalties of their engineers and librarians and induce fear in most whom study the symbiote and its functions.
Each Larvae or worm contains the entire genetic heritage of humanity, but each strain has been altered to contain a massive swath of its own genetic material, almost like that of a hybridization all to similar to the process of Biotics, but with far less remaining human DNA. Beyond that they contain all previous knowledge of biotechnology that had been researched by the houses engineer that maintained the pool the Forsaken Ones host had been modified in, leaving questions as to why this knowledge was stored in them and to what extent it was put to use. However, Engineers who are willing to comply with requests for information will comment that these Alien Megafauna are simply attempting to produce more weapons for the war against the machine and spreading the unique knowledge of gene-splicing to sources of resistance outside the houses control.

As for the mounds… Well, lets just say that those seedlings won’t send you to space, and are more like a slow mutagenic chamber. The fact that fear within great houses actively using biotechnology of such a large scale can be as intensive as it is, is of course with great reason and concern. The growth pods at one point over 200 years ago were opened, and what we found inside barely appeared human, a mutated mass of tentacles held it to the pods back wall, and the lifeforms teeth were distinctly human, but it had no eyes, no ears, and had glowing glands and veins that shimmered with yellow and green. To think our little symbiotes were wanting to recycle our genetics for their own uses is an overstatement however, as after applying some pure human genetic tissue into the Careless Mound’s core via some donated blood, the pods that came after were mostly human with advances that would improve their ability to pilot host armor and organic armors, and allowed a far faster processing that only took three weeks of gestation to complete. We can imply from this information that the pods already made were likely a poorly recreated version of humanity that lacked our distinctive genetic stability, and remained dormant as failed embryos… However, these mounds refuse to reabsorb the failed masses and leaves concerns as to the future of our species.

[dethbegins]

Editor's Note because this listing is freaking huge as is:

The Careless Mound has a Pair of Tetraxial Doorways that seal in a similar vein to those of the Forsaken One and have a long chamber that drops down to its underbelly, as well as several smaller doors that lead to the Growing Pod Chambers its tunneled out and down towards the aquafer. The Seedlings can be pulled easily from the walls here within its central chamber.
Additionally, the Careless Mounds will sill engage machine forces that stray to close, but they have a habit of simply submerging their head instead underground and shaking the sediments on top until it looks mostly undisturbed. They will not engage anything that doesn't immediately prove to be dangerous to itself, however.

[taalismn]

Eldritch Abominations tend to be freaking huge.

[dethbegins]

don't worry. these one are just the younger more genetically altered versions of the older ones. They had to get their samples from somewhere after all.

Also I've gone over a few series like guyver which originally inspired splicer, and they had a strange organ ship that would alter humans into guyver units. Was cheesy, and oh so tasty.