Dipteran (Buzzers)

Dipterans are squat, generally humanoid shaped Exos with a proposed intelligence level of 3 (Low Mind). Their heads are the most prominent feature, and they look almost exactly like the head of a house fly: Large compound eyes, protruding proboscis mouthparts, and small sensory hairs all over their entire body. The have a single set of robust, transparent wings that allow them to hover and fly for short periods of time. Even though they are not able to fly as long as non-humanoid Exos, they are still just as agile as the common houseflies they resemble. Due to their larger size and weight, they will tire quickly if they were to fly for longer than 15-45 seconds. Dipterans will commonly flit from branch to branch in the canopy of the Great Briar, and a common hunting tactics to to surround the prey from the tree tops, then all the hunters will swoop down at once.
Dipterans are also commonly called Buzzers by most Exo Foresters and Flatlanders. Named so for their buzzing tactics for hunting prey and defending their territory.
Buzzers are extremely disgusting by most human's standards. They seem to be fully immune to every disease known to mankind, and regularly engage in activities that would make a human ill. They will eat rotten flesh or decaying plant matter, filter through dung for nutrients, and lay their eggs in filth. No human is ever glad to see a buzzer, especially because it frequently means that many more buzzers are just around the next bend. Along with their propensity to ambush soft targets like humans, they are one of the most common threats to a Forester party in the Great Briar.
Seasoned Foresters will know that small groups of Buzzers may be able to be bribed with offerings of sugar water or other sweet drinks, but this is unreliable at best. Different groups of Buzzers seem to have different levels of willingness to communicate, but no human has ever recorded seeing Dipterans possessing any form of verbal communication. Whether they communicate with each other via wing vibrations, subtle muscle twitches, psychic thought projection, or whether they communicate at all is unknown. Even still, Foresters have been able to offer gifts or bribes to these creatures, so they have been categorized as a Level 3 intelligence. (Possessing basic sapience)

Adult Buzzer Stats

Buzzer, Adult

Level: 1 (3)

Buzzers, appear as squat, humanoid-shaped flies. They posses 3 sets of limbs, with the two top pairs ending in three-pronged pincer grips. Dipterans alternate between standing (mostly) upright to flitting about and using some of their 6 limbs to grasp onto branches, rocks, or anything else. Their heads are large, and their disproportionately large, red, multifaceted eyes are especially disturbing. Any time spent around buzzers will be accompanied by a constant clicking or sucking noises punctuated by short, deep buzz undulations from their wings.
Motive: Hunger, defense of territory, protection of other buzzers Exo Intelligence Level: 2
Environment: Great Briar, or in small scouting parties elsewhere
Health: 3
Damage Inflicted: 2
Armor: 1
Movement: Short, Long when flying (Possible every other turn)
Modifications (Skills): Difficulty 5 to sneak within close range of a buzzer, attacks as level 3 when two or more buzzers attack at once while flying. (One attack between the 2 of them) Difficulty 3 to hit with ranged weapons when taking cover in brush.
Combat: Buzzers will likely stock their targets for a time before swooping in to strike all at once. Singular buzzers are more likely to hit-and-run, while a group will swarm. If any of them manage to down a target, there's a 50% chance that any unfed buzzer will stop to start digesting the body.
Interaction: Language is of no use, but they seem to understand basic body language and may accept gifts of sugar water, meat, or human made materials.
GM Use: Players realize they are being stalked by a number of buzzers, but they flit along the canopy and the number is unknown. It's easy to notice you're being followed as their wings buzz with a deep pitch, but they are difficult to pin down and hit. Buzzers may attack, allow players to pass, or accept a bribe, depending on their current hunger status.
Loot: Dipteran exoskeleton is feeble and hardly any use in crafting. Any group or tribe of buzzers are likely to have 1 physical cypher
Intrusion: A) One of the buzzers that have been stalking you apparently had looted some Empire patrol and has a bomb! He throws it, and his allies rush to attack after the explosion. B) One of the buzzers swarming you is having especially bad indigestion today and vomits his digestive juices all over you! Your armor loses 1 point of armor until repaired with a Level 1 material during downtime. If unarmored, your weapon becomes brittle and will shatter after another attack until repaired with a Level 1 material during downtime.

GM Information

Cypher/GM information

Buzzers can fill a role similar to Goblins and, in fact, the base buzzer uses the much of the goblin stat block with an additional flight ability. Most buzzers attack with a weapon that could vary in quality from sharpened stick to wooden spear. Branches with thorns are also used to create crude spiked or flanged clubs. Even a disarmed buzzer is dangerous, as they can puke up digestive fluid at an immediate range.

Basic Information

Anatomy

• Fly shaped head, including huge, red-tinted compound eyes and a proboscis sucker
• 2 sets of "arms" that are located on the upper half of their body. The lower set of arms are commonly used both for walking/gripping and manipulation
• 1 set of hefty "legs" that can be used to stand up mostly straight
• Single set of transparent wings allows for short dashes of flight
• Small sensory hairs all over their entire body

Ecology and Habitats

Most encounters with buzzers occur in The Great Briar, and a few sightings have been noted from the deeper forest. Very rarely, Dipterans have been sighted outside of the Exo Forest, but they never seem to stick around for long. Whether they were following a scent of food, hunting, scouting, or performing some social function, is unknown.
They return to a hive or nest periodically, but are not based out of them in the way that a bee colony is. Individuals may even lose all connection to a hive or tribe and live entirely solitary.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Buzzers dissolve their food by vomiting digestive fluid onto the surface, then sucking the slurry back up with their proboscis. They prefer fresh meat, but will also eat rotten meat or sugary plant products with no ill effects.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Dipterans can sense smells and pheromones through various sensory organs, and are very sensitive to air pressure changes from their sensory hairs. Due to these heightened senses, they can effectively sense 360 degrees around them out to around 15 feet. (Immediate range) They are very difficult to sneak up on when not otherwise distracted. (Difficulty 5 task)

Civilization and Culture

Gender Ideals

Humans have found no appreciable difference in the sexes, socially or biologically besides the presence of a (typically hidden) ovipositor or not.

Common Dress Code

Buzzers rarely wear clothes, but very occasionally will be spotting wearing some kind of clothing that was abandoned in the forest or looted off corpses. It's not unheard of for them to wear some scavenged armor, but it is ill-fitting and rarely a serious force multiplier.

Historical Figures

Carvings found in areas frequented by buzzers occasionally depict a very large fly-headed creature surrounded by subservient dipterans. Scholars debate whether this is a god figure, or a particularly well known or heroic character from their history.

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Exo (Overview)

Lifespan

Natural lifespan: 1-2 years. Dipterans spend around a week as an egg, hatch into stubbies, then finally mature into fully formed buzzers after 2 weeks.

Average Height

~3-4ft