Cagan, Ganymedean Bodysnatcher

Art by Burdrehnar

**Cagan, Ganymedean Bodysnatcher** is a member of Façade, a secretive cabal of Ganymedeans who have infiltrated the planet of Io. This bodysnatcher conducted its work in Xiros, taking part in a series of killings to further their organization's end. After murdering Logan Horn's son, it forcibly took over his partner Cagan Yegoth, using the prot to manipulate Logan and the XDF over the next 20 years.

## Description

### Appearance

"Cagan", in their true form, exhibits the usual features of a Ganymedean Bodysnatcher. They is around 10 feet tall with a gaunt vaguely humanoid shape. Their skin is a pale blue and textured in a manner similar to muscles, with some deeper sections a deeper blue in color. Their long limbs possess two joints and end in long viscous claws. A set of spines jut out of the shoulder blades and their chest appears to wrap around the torso. Their head is oblong with two small glowing blue eyes and no mouth or nose visible.

The most prominent disguise used by this bodysnatcher is that of Cagan Yegoth, a burly orc with green skin and black hair. The bodysnatcher also took the form of a Xiros Prot, which wore a blue armoured bodysuit and helmet.

## History

### Background

This bodysnatcher was born on Ganymede through whatever natural cycle their species adheres to. They, like others of their species, lived on the metallic moon in secret, even as other alien species arrived there. When the Zeon Corporation began kidnapping members of their species, the Ganymedeans began a secret war by sending an invasion force to infiltrate Io and prepare it for destruction. This bodysnatcher was chosen to join that invasion force and left their home planet to enact revenge on their new enemies.

### Reign of Terror

Some twenty years ago, this bodysnatcher arrived on Io with several of its kind through unknown means. The group of bodysnatchers began a predatory series of assassinations to fill three primary objectives. The first was to find suitable hosts to better infiltrate Ionian society. The second was to integrate talented individuals into their forms to mimic their powers. The third, and perhaps the most significant of these objectives, was to actively silence any Ionians who might show sympathy towards their ancient adversary, the Ch'i. Their main killing ground was the city of Xiros, located in eastern Qethos.

This undercover slaughter soon garnered attention for the horrific state of the victims they left behind, paralyzed with a petrified face. The killings drew significant attention from the Xiros Defense Force and the media, who came to the conclusion that this was the work of a serial killer, who they dubbed Façade. This bodysnatcher and its kin took the name as their own and continued to target more victims over a san of several years. Though the XDF and especially Detective Logan Horn were a constant thorn in their sides, Façade was able to wipe out several Ch'i sympathizers and end the drafting of a potential treaty with the Ch'i.

## Phase 3 Story

### An Opportunity Arises

Some twenty years after the killings ceased, a body was discovered in Southern Ishtar. The body bore the same telltale marks of the Façade killings, which pointed to the notorious killer's return, or the arrival of a copycat on the scene. Word eventually reached Xiros, where detective Logan Horn resolved to finally track down Façade himself. With the aid of both cops and criminals, Logan set out to Southern Ishtar to see the body for himself, hoping for his old nemesis, if it is indeed them, to have finally slipped up.

## Powers and Abilities

### General Abilities

* **Assimilation:** Ganymedean Bodysnatchers are able to absorb the bodies of their victims and utilize the abilities they possessed in life. However, Bodysnatchers would expel the corpses they had assimilated if they sustain enough damage.
* **Bodysnatching:** Ganymedean Bodysnatchers are able to sequester themselves inside other sapient beings. While within another being, they are able to control the creature completely with access to their memories and abilities. Bodysnatched creatures are full aware of what their bodies are being used for, but are unable to resist. Bodysnatched victims are also sustained passed normal human levels, with increased durability and a slowing of their ageing process. Bodysnatchers can voluntarily leave a subject, which can result in the death of the creature, or be forcibly ejected if the body takes enough damage.
* **Shapeshifting:** Ganymedean Bodysnatchers have some shapeshifting abilities and are able to assume the forms of previous victims.
* **Superhuman Speed:** Regardless of the form they take, Ganymedean Bodysnatchers are incredibly quick, able to outrun humans at peak physical condition (such as Keres Creed) with ease. They also demonstrate inhuman reflexes, as the bodysnatcher possessing Talon demonstrated during his fight with the Klaybury scrappers.

## Etymology

"Ganymedean" is a term used to describe something related to the moon Ganymede. Ganymede is the name of a figure from Greek Mythology. A native of Troy, Ganymede was a simple shepherd before he was abducted by Zeus, directly or indirectly via his command. Ganymede was considered to be the most beautiful of mortals, so Zeus made the boy immortal to serve as his personal cupbearer on Olympus.

A "bodysnatcher", also known as a "resurrection man", is a historic term for a person who would illegally exhume bodies and sell them to clients for dissection. The term was used in the 1955 novel "The Bodysnatchers", which was later adapted a year later into the movie "Invasion of the Body Snatchers". In both the novel and film, bodysnatchers were a group of aliens that would replace people with identical duplicates grown in pods as part of an invasion.

## Trivia

* Ganymedean Bodysnatchers are the Ioverse's equivalent to doppelgangers from classic Dungeons and Dragons, as stated by Brett in the Pipe Dreamers Season 1 Finale.
* This bodysnatcher is the first Ganymedean to appear in the Ioverse, technically appearing first in Deadbeats Episode 1 under the guise of Cagan Yegoth. They were also the first to reveal their true form in the Deadbeats Season 1 Finale.

## Images

### Official art

The Ganymedean bodysnatcher in the form of Cagan Yegoth.The Ganymedean bodysnatcher in the form of a XDF prot.