MORTASHEEN

HANGMAN - The Strangling Puppeteer

CLASS: BIOCONSTRUCT

Composed of a keratinous semiorganic filament weave, the Hangman is a monster of extremely primitive structure but time-tested versatility, capable of subjugating and controlling the bodies of other creatures.

BIOLOGY:

Hangman require very little sustenance, most of their mass consisting of dead, dry material interwoven with a crude microfilamentous web of living biomaterial.

Only the Hangman's central sac is lined with thick, slimy layers of healthy tissue, and it feeds by enclosing the face or entire cranium of its prey, digesting only the skin and keratin. As it feeds, it binds its prey tightly in its sinuous limbs and spreads hair-thin "roots" throughout the victim's body, allowing the Hangman to interface with the nervous system and precisely control all motor functions even long after its captive has expired.

A Hangman reproduces by rare, asexual budding when it so chooses, developing a small number of tiny, limbless clones within its sack. Filled with a buoyant gas, the minute, ghostly bags drift away in the wind to feed on dry carrion, leaf litter and dead insects until their appendages have sprouted.

BEHAVIOR:

Hangman have an instinct to suspend themselves from tree branches or any other high places available to them, dangling their incredibly long limbs to ensnare passing meals. They are also known to wear any clothing they may acquire, holding an inconspicuous, humanoid shape and stiffly pacing their territory.

In control of a body, Hangman thrill at the new rush of sensations and tend to "dance" with wild enthusiasm, sometimes inadvertently snapping bones as they enthusiastically writhe and contort their new puppet.

APPLICATION:

simple to culture from a small sample with limited resources, Hangman are commonly associated with farming operations and low-tech communities on the outskirts of Mortasheen. They are often employed in large numbers to keep primitive, outdoor agricultural projects free from invading birds, rodents and hominids.

TACTICAL MECHANISMS:

CORPSE PUPPET: the Hangman can interweave its living microfibers with the nervous system of an entwined creature, living or dead, manipulating the body as an extension of its own.

EMAIL ME!

BACK TO MONSTERS