Apricari



Apricari are biomechanical creatures used by the octopi.

Background
Deep inside the Bay of Peyclin, below dark waves, lie deeper breeding pits where octopi forge living things the way humans might forge a tool or a sword. Apricari are some of the most successful spawn born from these pits, brought forth to the surface in shining white egg-sacs and released onto the shore.

Octopi of the Peyclin Bay (and perhaps elsewhere) engineer these biomechanical beasts so that they can operate on dry land. The apricari are somewhat like mounts and somewhat like vehicles. Octopi crawl inside the beasts - for octopi to seep through extremely small spaces - and control them from within. Left alone, an apricari is as docile as a herd animal and far likely dumber

Motive:
Subservient to an octopus

Environment:
Near the shore

Health:
15

Damage Inflicted:
4 points

Armor:
1

Movement:
Short

Modifications:
Perception as level 3, Might defense as level 5

Combat:
Slow and clumsy, apricari operate as though designed by creatures unfamiliar with moving about on dry land - because they technically were. still, during combat they have a mouth full of sharp teeth and sharp hooves as well. More important, they're usually controlled by very crafty and devious octopi.

A bit like an octopus, an apricari can spray a stream of black ink at any target within short range. The octopi devised this ability as a means of escape, but it had a wholly unexpected (but not unwelcome) result. The ink affects humans in a strange way: a target sprayed must make an Intellect defense roll or suffer 6 points of Intellect damage and suddenly hate the one thing they value most. It might be wealth, food, a loved one, success, violence, beauty, any other thing. This effect will last until all 6 lost Intellect points are restored. Once affected by the ink, humans will become immune to the affect thereafter.

Interaction:
Either apricari are controlled by an octopus and have no ability to interact, or they're near-mindless animals that are almost too stupid to be frightened by danger or even enticed by food.

Use:
Apricari were developed by octopi just recently, and their use is still experimental and exploratory. One day, however, an entire invasion of octopi-mounted apricari might thunder into human coastal lands.

Loot:
Within the working of an apricari lie 1d6 cyphers and 1 or 2 oddities.