Anomalous Bestiary

AE-007: "The Mirror Walker"

Description

A humanoid silhouette that exists only in reflective surfaces. It cannot manifest in the physical world directly...only in mirrors, water, polished metal, or glass. When observed, it mimics the viewer's movements exactly, but with a 3-second delay.

Behavior

The Mirror Walker stalks targets by traveling through reflective surfaces. It emerges only when two reflective surfaces face each other (creating infinite reflections), stepping out of the "gap" between realities.

Combat Abilities

• Reflection Step: Teleports between any two reflective surfaces within 10 hexes. Cannot be intercepted.
• Mirror Blade: 3 damage. Ignores Defense (strikes from impossible angles).
• Shatter Echo: When damaged, breaks into 1d3 copies (each with 8 HP). Copies vanish after 3 turns or when killed.
• Cannot Be Targeted Directly: Must be attacked through reflective surface (all attacks at -1 to hit).

Loot

• 150 Credits
• 1d3 Scrap
• Mirror Shard (Artifact): Can be used to teleport once per mission (5 hex range). Requires reflective surface at destination. 1/6 chance of summoning another Mirror Walker.

AE-019: "The Screaming Engine"

Description

A Casket chassis with no pilot...just a screaming Soulstone core that achieved sentience. The cockpit is welded shut. Inside: hydraulic fluid, corroded neural threads, and something that won't stop screaming.

Behavior

Attacks anything with a functioning Soulstone, as if trying to "consume" other cores. Does not communicate. Does not negotiate. Just screams and kills.

Combat Abilities

• Resonance Scream (AOE): All Caskets within 5 hexes: discard 2 cards (bypasses Defense). Pilots must pass Grit check or gain 1 Taint.
• Hydraulic Crush: 4 damage. On hit: target's weapon arm is disabled for 1d3 turns.
• Soulstone Absorption: If it destroys a Casket, absorbs its Soulstone. Gains +10 HP permanently (max 80 HP).
• Never Stops: Cannot be stunned, immobilized, or frightened. Immune to pilot-targeting effects.

Loot

• 300 Credits
• 3d6 Scrap (high-quality salvage)
• Corrupted Soulstone Core: Can be installed in a Casket (+2 Heat capacity permanently, but pilot gains 1 Taint per mission).

AE-031: "The Threadless"

Description

A pilot who survived thread-snap but did not die. Their neural threads severed, yet their body continues functioning. No higher brain function. No soul. Just autonomic survival instincts and rage.

Behavior

Hunts other pilots. Attempts to rip neural threads from living victims, as if trying to reconnect its own severed threads. Moves erratically...twitching, jerking, spider-like.

Combat Abilities

• Thread Rip: 2 damage. On hit: target pilot must pass Grit check or suffer 1d6 pilot wounds (ignores Casket armor).
• Uncanny Dodge: When attacked, roll 1d6. On 5-6, attack automatically misses (Threadless moves unpredictably).
• No Pain Response: Continues fighting at 0 HP for 1d3 more turns before finally collapsing.
• Swarm Tactics: If multiple Threadless present, they coordinate perfectly (hive mind behavior).

Loot

• 50 Credits (salvage from pilot gear)
• Severed Neural Threads: Can be studied by Research Lab (1d6 research points toward thread-safety improvements).

AE-044: "The Void Shepherd"

Description

A towering humanoid figure (12 feet tall) composed of living Void energy. Its body constantly shifts...smoke, shadow, and starless night. Where it walks, reality unravels. Grass withers. Metal corrodes. Light dims. Sound becomes muffled.

Behavior

The Void Shepherd does not attack immediately. It herds its prey...driving targets toward a specific location (usually a Void rift). Those who resist are destroyed. Those who comply are consumed by the rift.

Combat Abilities

• Void Touch: 5 damage. Ignores Defense. Bypasses armor. Target must discard entire hand (not just damage cards).
• Reality Erosion Aura: All terrain within 6 hexes becomes difficult terrain. All attacks (friendly and enemy) suffer -2 to hit. Heat costs increased by +1.
• Shepherd's Call: Once per combat: target Casket must pass Grit check or move 1d6 hexes directly toward the Void Shepherd (involuntary movement).
• Dimensional Step: Teleports 10 hexes once per turn. Can teleport through walls, terrain, or obstacles.
• Cannot Be Killed Permanently: When reduced to 0 HP, dissipates. Reforms at nearest Void rift in 1d6 days.

Loot

• 500 Credits (Church Research Division bounty)
• Void Essence (1d3 vials): Extremely dangerous. Can be weaponized (see Damnatio Artifacts). Valued at 200 Credits per vial by black market.
• Rift Coordinates: Location of the Void rift it came from (valuable intelligence).

AE-058: "The Casket Hive"

Description

A colony organism that infects abandoned Caskets. Starts as black fungal growth inside cockpits. Spreads through hydraulic systems. Eventually, the Casket reactivates on its own...piloted by the fungus itself.

Behavior

Infected Caskets seek out other derelict machines and merge with them, creating larger and larger composite entities. A fully mature Hive can contain 10+ Caskets fused into a single shambling mass.

Combat Abilities

• Multi-Limb Assault: Attacks 1d3 times per turn (one attack per fused Casket component).
• Fungal Spores (AOE): All Caskets within 8 hexes: pilots must pass Grit check or suffer 1d6 pilot wounds. Contaminated Caskets show fungal growth within 1d6 days.
• Adaptive Defense: After being damaged by a weapon type, gains +2 Defense against that damage type for rest of combat (learns and adapts).
• Absorb Salvage: Can consume destroyed Caskets to regain HP (5 HP per Casket absorbed). Takes 1 full turn to absorb.
• Hive Mind: Destroying one component does not kill the Hive. Must destroy ALL fused components (treat each as separate target with shared HP pool).

Loot

• 2d6 Scrap (requires decontamination, -50% value)
• Fungal Sample: Can be researched (weaponizable bio-agent, highly illegal). Church offers 400 Credits for samples (to study countermeasures).

AE-077: "The Penitent Weapon"

Description

A Casket-mounted railgun infused with bound soul energy. The weapon contains the souls of 100 executed Church heretics, their torment weaponized. When fired, their screams are audible for miles.

Function

The Church of Absolution uses this weapon against Damnatio-class threats only. Its power is immense, but the cost is steep: each shot requires the weapon to consume one year of the wielder's lifespan.

Combat Abilities (When Wielded)

• Absolution Strike: 10 damage (ignores Defense, bypasses all armor, cannot be reduced). Range: 20 hexes, line-of-sight.
• Soul Burn: On hit, target suffers permanent -2 Defense (soul is damaged, cannot be healed).
• Cost: Wielder ages 1 year per shot. Must pass Grit check or gain 1d3 Taint. Wielder's max HP reduced by 5 permanently (lifespan drain).
• Screaming Payload: All pilots within 10 hexes (friendly and enemy) must pass Grit check or be Shaken for 1d3 turns.

Location

Stored in the Black Vault beneath the Church of Absolution's central cathedral (coordinates classified). Guarded by 50 Penitent Knights at all times.