Creations of Flux, Part II

Originally published December 30, 2013

Years ago I ran a Promethean: the Created game called Pandora's Tomorrow. As one might expect from the name, I created a large number of Pandorans for the game. In this series I will be sharing some of these failed creations, their history, and some story seeds for their use.

Spider Cats

Many Prometheans have tried to hide along the edges of LA, their wasteland adding to the city's woes. But even in a city of millions the Created feel alone. One tried to make a sibling, someone to share his curse.

As often happens the power of Azoth was too strong for the subject body. The riven corpse sundered into a dozen parts, each one deformed and hungry. These things swarmed their creator, dragging him into the darkness to devour at their leisure.

Now from time to time, when a Promethean comes close enough they animate, climbing down out of the trees and shrubs to murder and dismember. They carefully trail their prey until it is alone and then they swarm it, pulling it into a tree or alley to rip into tiny bits.

Description: These disturbing chitinous things scurry about on a half-dozen limbs. Tufts of fur sparsely cover the creatures, especially around their feline-like head and its horribly distended mouth.

Lineage: Render

Mechanics

Below are their mechanical stats. If you are using the God-Machine Chronicle rules update, those changes are noted in parentheses like so (GMC: XXX).

Rank: 1

Mental Attributes: Intelligence 0, Wits 3, Resolve 1
Physical Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 4, Stamina 2
Social Attributes: Presence 2, Manipulation 0, Composure 2
Skills: Athletics (climbing) 3, Brawl (Bite) 3, Stealth 4 (Shadowing), Survival (tracking) 2

Willpower: 3 Pyros (Max (Current)/Spend per turn): 10(0)/1
Vice: Greed
Initiative: 5 Defense: 4 (GMC: 7), Armor 1
Speed: 12 Health: 5 (Size: 3)

Bestowment: Bizarre Weaponry (Claws 2), Scurry 2
Transmutations: Armor 1, Fangs 2, Small Stature 1

Combat Notes:

• Bite: dice pool 7, Lethal damage (GMC: dice pool 6, 1 Lethal)
• Claw: dice pool 6, Lethal damage (GMC: dice pool 5, 1 Lethal)
• Scurry: spend 1 Pyros to move at 36

Story Seeds

Being Watched: As the Promethean wanders the city, he or she has a sense of being watched. Ever just out of sight a pack of Spider Cats slowly track them, waiting until they are relatively alone. Then they strike. They might try to subdue their prey to feast on over the course of many days.

Hunting Cats: In this scenario, the Spider Cats are merely the first sign of trouble. The Pandorans are the servants or pets of a Centimani or Sublimati used to down Prometheans. Their master seeks to steal their Vitrol (or possibly their flesh). In this scenario the Spider Cats attack to wound, chasing the Promethean down and trying to funnel them toward their master.