Encephalopod

A broad category of Monster belonging to the Aberration Type, they trace their origins to the red moon Nibiru and the alien Divinity Ll'Zynapzeyn, the "brain" of the collective deity. These creatures have humanoid bodies in a variety of skin colors and patterns, with a degree of adaptive camouflage allowing them to change said patterns and colors. They possess toothy maws and beak-like teeth capable of shearing flesh and snapping shell and bone with ease and large, complex eyes that are adapted to the perception of a wider range of colors than is common among Humanoids. They possess distinctive "head tentacles" instead of hair and have a highly flexible, elastic body structure devoid of bones and comprised instead of shifting muscle fibers and internal bladders that allow them to compress themselves into extraordinarily compact spaces. They are amphibious, using pools of water for reproduction and to maintain their required skin moisture, but are not directly bound to the water and may be found relatively far from it, with some having adapted to more arid environments. However, they dislike direct sunlight and so are most commonly found in underground regions or territories with dense overhead cover. Many are bioluminescent, and all possess organs capable of generating and releasing an inky substance whose form varies depending on the media it's fired into, with the Monster being able to convert it into a misty vapor in air or releasing it as a condensed jet in water that diffuses into the environment. This ink is disruptive to the senses of other creatures and is even paralytic in some species, making it both an effective defense and hunting tool. This ink is generally fired from spiracle-like openings along the Monster's body, with particularly dense clusters in the groin and around the mouth, head tentacles, feet, and hands.
Encephalopods are highly intelligent and analytical, with a tendency towards a hyper-rational outlook on the world around them. They are also naturally Psionic and feed in part on the mental energies of other organisms, using their head tentacles to attach to and pin prey while they consume Mana in the form of thoughts, feelings, and memories. Victims of Encephalpod attacks often have no memories of the assault, those having been consumed, though most choose not to feed on older or more important memories for both their own safety and out of courtesy. This is usually sufficient for the Monster to survive, especially when supplemented with more traditional food. As with other Monsters, however, they can consume Mana through intercourse and prefer this when they believe it is a viable option, often on a second attack against a target who struck their fancy and whom they believe, having sifted through their feelings and memories, would be accepting of such advances. In such cases, the Encephalopod is more likely to stalk and openly approach the target rather than surprise attack them, though this can be an awkward process for all involved.
Encephalopods were created to study Gaea's native populations in order to better understand the world that had repelled Nibiru's initial assault. As such, they are a comparatively "new" species of Aberration, having only come into existence early in the 4th Age. They often live in secluded enclaves where they work and study together with their kin, frequently centered around the creation of an external mass of brain and nerve tissue grown from their own cells that serves as a computational tool, recording device, information sharing tool, entertainment device, and method of communication with their creator deity and other enclaves of Encephalods. This mass, known as an Overmind, is not a truly distinct organism in its own right and falls somewhere between an object and an Aspect of Ll'Zynapzeyn. These structures sometimes become distinctly conscious in their own right, however.
The species is known for being highly experimental, including with their own biology and reproduction; though they naturally lay strings of gelatinous eggs that are internally fertilized and hatch into tadpole-like nymphs that grow to adulthood in the pools in which they're laid (usually shared with their Overmind), the Monsters have been known to implant nonviable eggs into hosts as a means of parasitic reproduction that converts the host into an Encephalopod over the course of a few weeks. The resulting individuals remain largely themselves mentally but are physically changed dramatically and Psionically as well as instinctually. While this is true of the Races of Man, at least, the process can also be done to other organisms, including other Monsters, resulting in unusual hybrids. They are also known to experiment with grafts and body modifications using their own tissues and modified structures they've created.
Category:Canon
Category:Gaea
Category:Monster
Category:Aberration