Gigus
These small skittering creatures are a mystery, even to underground delving folk. They live underground: in caves, ruins, mines and anywhere else where a source of heat can be found. They are dependent on those sources as they feed almost exclusively on their warmth.
When Giguses find a large source of heat, some individuals will come together and fuse to form a Gigus Matriarch in order to start laying their buds into the stone. At this stage, the Matriarchs will grow mouth pieces between each pair of secondary limbs and gain the capacity to eat organic matter. The remaining Giguses will try to capture and bring back hot prey - or, otherwise, any other biological material - for the matriarch to eat. The Matriarch will spend its time wrapped around the heat source, sweating out secretions which will either grow into Gigus buds or be consumed by already grown buds.
The buds grow into vaguely conical structures attached to the ground by thin tendrils which consume the secretions of the Matriarch until bully grown. At which point, the tendrils will be reabsorbed and the bud will become a fully formed Gigus. Despite their simple aspect, they have a rudimentary social intelligence, going as far as developing worshipping rituals for their gods. Gigus Stats
Motive: Seeks heat or defends buds (see combat)
Environment: underground near sources of heat.
Health: 4
Damage Inflicted: 2+2 (see combat)
Armor: 1
Movement: Short
Modifications: Defends against heat based attacks as level 4. Armor 2 versus heat or fire.
Combat:
Outside the nest: Gigus first instinct is to attack the largest source of heat nearby (body heat or torches) and attack, dealing 2 damage.
If there are three or more Giguses, they will work together to grapple a victim as a level 3 attack. Once grappled, a single Gigus deals 2 cold damage bypassing 2 points of armor in addition to their normal attack.
If a victim has been grappled, all Gigus will prioritize that character, even if they're not the biggest source of heat.
Inside the nest: Gigus will prioritize anyone who threatens Gigus buds or the source of heat. Otherwise they will act as if outside the nest.
Interaction: Giguses have a measure of intelligence but understand no language. It is possible to threaten or negotiate simple requests through telepathy, but they're unlikely to provide useful abstract information. Otherwise, they act like animals.
Use: The party finds a closed vault of the numenera only to find that Giguses have nested inside.
Loot: Giguses don't carry any weapons or cyphers, but a skilled trapper may be able to salvage their transparent carapaces, which can be used by skilled tanners to make heat resistant shields.
Intrusion suggestion: an attacker's weapon pierces the Gigus dome but it is now stuck in the gigus body until removed with an action.
Gigus Matriarch Stats
Motive: Defends nest
Environment: underground near sources of heat.
Health: 20
Damage Inflicted: 4+4 (see combat)
Armor: 2
Movement: Short
Modifications: Armor 3 versus heat or fire.
Combat: A Gigus matriarch is the last line of the defense of the nest. It will usually be wrapped around the main heat source until disturbed or until the buds are threatened. It will target the closest threat with a preference for whoever is threatening the buds or the heat source.
If possible, a matriarch will attempt to grapple a victim. if It succeeds, the victim takes 4 points of cold damage per turn (negates 2 armor) in addition to the Gigus attack.
Interaction: Giguses have a measure of intelligence but understand no language. It is possible to threaten or negotiate simple requests through telepathy, but they're unlikely to provide useful abstract information. Otherwise, they act like animals.
Use: The party returns to their HQ only to find that a matriarch and her nest have borrowed into their vault.
Loot: Giguses don't carry any weapons or cyphers, but a skilled trapper may be able to salvage their transparent carapaces, which can be used by skilled tanners to make heat resistant shields.
Intrusion suggestion: Seeing the matriarch in danger, a group of Giguses acts to protect it. They get an immediate free turn at this point in addition to their normal action.
When Giguses find a large source of heat, some individuals will come together and fuse to form a Gigus Matriarch in order to start laying their buds into the stone. At this stage, the Matriarchs will grow mouth pieces between each pair of secondary limbs and gain the capacity to eat organic matter. The remaining Giguses will try to capture and bring back hot prey - or, otherwise, any other biological material - for the matriarch to eat. The Matriarch will spend its time wrapped around the heat source, sweating out secretions which will either grow into Gigus buds or be consumed by already grown buds.
The buds grow into vaguely conical structures attached to the ground by thin tendrils which consume the secretions of the Matriarch until bully grown. At which point, the tendrils will be reabsorbed and the bud will become a fully formed Gigus. Despite their simple aspect, they have a rudimentary social intelligence, going as far as developing worshipping rituals for their gods. Gigus Stats
Gigus {2 (6)}
Motive: Seeks heat or defends buds (see combat)
Environment: underground near sources of heat.
Health: 4
Damage Inflicted: 2+2 (see combat)
Armor: 1
Movement: Short
Modifications: Defends against heat based attacks as level 4. Armor 2 versus heat or fire.
Combat:
Outside the nest: Gigus first instinct is to attack the largest source of heat nearby (body heat or torches) and attack, dealing 2 damage.
If there are three or more Giguses, they will work together to grapple a victim as a level 3 attack. Once grappled, a single Gigus deals 2 cold damage bypassing 2 points of armor in addition to their normal attack.
If a victim has been grappled, all Gigus will prioritize that character, even if they're not the biggest source of heat.
Inside the nest: Gigus will prioritize anyone who threatens Gigus buds or the source of heat. Otherwise they will act as if outside the nest.
Interaction: Giguses have a measure of intelligence but understand no language. It is possible to threaten or negotiate simple requests through telepathy, but they're unlikely to provide useful abstract information. Otherwise, they act like animals.
Use: The party finds a closed vault of the numenera only to find that Giguses have nested inside.
Loot: Giguses don't carry any weapons or cyphers, but a skilled trapper may be able to salvage their transparent carapaces, which can be used by skilled tanners to make heat resistant shields.
Intrusion suggestion: an attacker's weapon pierces the Gigus dome but it is now stuck in the gigus body until removed with an action.
Gigus Matriarch {4 (12)}
Motive: Defends nest
Environment: underground near sources of heat.
Health: 20
Damage Inflicted: 4+4 (see combat)
Armor: 2
Movement: Short
Modifications: Armor 3 versus heat or fire.
Combat: A Gigus matriarch is the last line of the defense of the nest. It will usually be wrapped around the main heat source until disturbed or until the buds are threatened. It will target the closest threat with a preference for whoever is threatening the buds or the heat source.
If possible, a matriarch will attempt to grapple a victim. if It succeeds, the victim takes 4 points of cold damage per turn (negates 2 armor) in addition to the Gigus attack.
Interaction: Giguses have a measure of intelligence but understand no language. It is possible to threaten or negotiate simple requests through telepathy, but they're unlikely to provide useful abstract information. Otherwise, they act like animals.
Use: The party returns to their HQ only to find that a matriarch and her nest have borrowed into their vault.
Loot: Giguses don't carry any weapons or cyphers, but a skilled trapper may be able to salvage their transparent carapaces, which can be used by skilled tanners to make heat resistant shields.
Intrusion suggestion: Seeing the matriarch in danger, a group of Giguses acts to protect it. They get an immediate free turn at this point in addition to their normal action.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Common Gigus
The majority of the individuals has a vaguely circular domed body rimmed by a hard chitinous material. The skin on the dome is hard but somewhat flexible and transparent. Their are filled with a light green - almost white - fluid within which several colorful filament can be seen forming, coiling, wrapping, moving in random directions and eventually dissolving in a slow motion display of fireworks.Depending on the individual, they may have eight to fourteen legs, arranged in pairs located symmetrically around its body's rim. The legs are black, chitinous and arthropodal, and bifurcate into two finger like structures, the knuckles or which are used to support the creature. Between each pair of legs, Giguses have a second folded similar pair of limbs - shorter and thicker - which unfold to grab prey or to help when climbing.
Their underbelly is equipped with dozens of hooked suckers which are used to pierce into, and drain heat sources.
Size: 30 cm diameter, 30 cm tall
Weight: 5 to 10 kg
Gigus Matriarch
A Matriarch looks like a bundle of Giguses fused together into an elongated creature with insectoid legs organized seemingly at random. Their carapaces are still semi-transparent which reveals an internal fluid filled with the same filament activity on a larger scale than the usual Giguses. In addition to that, dark, veiny, sack like internal organs can also be seen next to each pair of legs.They have a random number of pairs of legs along its body. In addition to the main legs and the grasping limbs, each pair of legs has a rudimentary sucker mouth between them.
Size: 30 cm wide, 1.5 to 3 m long, 40 cm tall
Weight: 40 to 100 kg
Additional Information
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Giguses have no eyes but can sense vibrations through their legs as well as detect heat sources through the skin of their dome. They also have a rudimentary awareness of their surrounding granted by their psychic abilities.
Geographic Distribution
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