Monday, August 1, 2011

The Vammae - The Spider Inheritors of Carson 9

"Spiders," he muttered over and over again. "Spiders! Well, well. . . . The next time I must spin a web."
HG Wells Valley of The Spiders 
We have met the enemy and he is us.
They are the vermin of the galaxy. They are survivors of the Atomic Wars of a transformed world & they have been forgotten. They are survivors with the will to survive against all odds & they are expanding out into the universe.
Survivors of those Atomic horrors gene engineered their children into true warriors & they are able to feed upon almost any living or un-living material. As an engineered people they have had their lower intestines replaced with a separate living creature. A large arachnid exactly one ft long & 4 inches across lives with them. Eyeless & hairless these creatures live in complete symbiosis with their hosts. They give off a powerful bio acid that is able to break down any material with easy. Part of the material from the break down is passed along to the host. They also allow their hosts to create their own clothing, tools, etc. from within their own bodies.
Each  Vammae has four sets dental plates which deal 1d8 points of damage & can easily grind up bone & flesh with easy. Each of their sets of claws/hands adds +1 to +2 for each limb attacking. They have four on each side of the body.
A Vammae merchant on Hnalla II selling his wares on the alien  ghetto level 
3 times per day they may shed their true forms & assume the flesh of their ancestors. The process is long & more then slightly painful. The Shedding as it is called is a sacrament of their religion & tied to the memories Atomic Wars & each time a shedding occurs prayers are offered to the souls of the departed.
   They also have a war form which is only assumed during times of the gravest concern. They crack open their shells & assume a slightly larger form of 13 foot tall. Within half a combat round muscles pop, hair grows, & a shiny black carapace becomes visible. The Preszioi form is born. +2 to Constitution, +1 to Strength, + 2 to Dexterity. The black & blue spider like form is terrible to behold & smaller animals will run in fear. This form can only be assumed 3 times per day & is very tied up in the webs of their religion.

For all of their alienation the Vammae are second class citizens within human space. They carry with them a legacy of the aversion still held by the human race for the Atomic Wars. They are a painful reminder of  the sins of mankind. On Hnalla II they are found within the alien ghettos & often drafted into pirate crews & worse. They are often employed as maids, servants, body guards, & bounty hunters.
  It is only on Carson 9 that The Vammae have a sort of reservation where they have been consigned. They are feared throughout the galaxy for a reputation that is both undeserved & has served as an excuse for genocide for centuries. They have suited for peace three times in police actions but never have declared war
on the Human Empire.
  Yet among their ranks are scholars, scientists, adventurers, etc. of all stripes. They are able to think like many different species of spider both Terran & alien. for they share a natural esp. They also have a class of warrior priest with the following super science powers.
Super Science Powers 

  • Spray Of Death -- The biosite  sprays its bio acid 30 ft in a single shot doing 1d6 points of damage unless a save vs poison is rolled. 
  • Webbing Of Fate - The creature weaves a set of webs from its finest silk. The Vammae is able to see 1d4 years into an alternative future that may or may not happen. They are also able to see forty seconds into a the future & avoid an attack with a save vs roll. 
  • Avenge The Pain - The Vammae takes a bit of damage & then goes into a beserk rage assuming its war form & gains plus +1 to all attacks. In this rage it will attack both friend & foe alike & must make a save vs to snap out of this state. 
  • Track The Clutch - The Vammae is able to track any clutch mates from his family units across interstellar distances with a successful skill role. Some humans have been adopted into clutches but this is very rare. 


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