HellMole

*“We just lost the command bunker.”*

*”HOW?!”*

*”You tell me...last we heard of them was there was suddenly a lot of screaming and yelling...now where the bunker should be, there’s nothing but a big depression in the ground...Not a crater, a depression...like somebody pulled the whole bunker down deeper into the earth.”*

## EcoS-K-30 ‘HellMole’ Warmount

aka ‘Antlion’

Those who doubt the EShemarrians can be as twistedly imaginative as Archie-3 and Hagan need only see the Lost Eclipse’s ‘HellMole’ Warmount. Actually, it is unlikely that they will ever see such a machine, given its operating tactics and the reclusive nature of the Nightmare Tribe; by the time their enemies see them coming, it’s already too late, and the Lost Eclipse leaves few witnesses to tell of what they’ve seen.

The HellMole resembles an hellish cross between a giant mole and a scarab beetle. The head is massive and sports a long drill-nose, and several articulated pincer/antlers. The forelimbs are large and shovel like, designed for moving large amounts of soil and debris, while the rear legs are insectile, for scuttling over rough terrain or through tunnels. Four powerful tentacles sprout from the back, with an extended reach that allows the HellMole to surprise and grab targets even while remaining hidden underground. It is one of the rare enclosed cockpit Warmounts, in that the rider rides INSIDE it like proper vehicle, rather than atop or astride it.

Though not particularly fast or agile, the HellMole is heavily armored and armed, and anybody fool enough to close with it will discover it is more than capable of defending itself. And, of course, once its passengers disembark and begin fighting with their own weapons, the situation gets that much worse for the luckless fool stupid enough to engage the Lost Eclipse in combat.

The HellMole is an adept tunneler, and this is used to utmost advantage by the Lost Eclipse. The Warmount can tunnel quickly through soil and even rock, allowing the Tribe to move unseen by surface dwellers and travelers, then emerge in ambush, before retreating back underground. A favorite tactic of the HellMole is to lurk just under the surface of loose soil and gravel, then use its tentacles to grab and crush enemy infantry, or spear its body up under ground vehicles, impaling them on its drill-nose, or flipping them over. Another favorite tactic is to tunnel under an enemy’s fixed defenses to emerge inside them, or undermine fortifications and other structures. Such attacks are often prefaced by triggering an EMP at close range or releasing a chemical attack.

## Abilities

A rear cargo compartment holds up to 4,000 lbs of gear. This can include a warload, such as an EMP generator, chemical canisters, or demolition charges. It also be used to temporarily hold up to 6 prisoners (the cargo section doesn’t have life support, unless specially refitted, so long duration confinement is not advised).

### Tunneling

The speed that the HellMole tunnels varies according to the depth and composition of the material being tunneled through. The ‘Mole can tunnel through loose sand and clay at about 3d6x10 ft per minute, or 5d6 ft per minute through dense rock (granite, regolith).

### Sensor Systems

#### Optical Periscopes (2)

These are retractable optical periscopes that can rise as much as 12 ft and penetrate loose earth and gravel, allowing the HellMole and its riders to conduct an above ground visual survey while remaining safely hidden underground.

#### Seismic Sensors

Passive sonar system. Can pick up on earth tremors and detect ground motion; can detect the movement of heavy vehicles as far away as 10 miles with 75% accuracy. Generally can pick up individual footfalls at a range of 800 ft.

#### Ground Radar Scanner

The nose holds a short-range microwave radar for groundsearching minefields (in theory, the ground radar sound be able to detect even nonmetallic mines, but takes twice as long).

Range: The ground radar has a range of 3,000 ft, and has a 90% chance of detecting metal-cased mines, 60% chance of detecting nonmetallic ordnance.

#### Magnetometer Probe

MAD (Magnetic Anomaly Detector) sensor for detecting armored vehicles and robots.

Range: The magnetometer has a range of 8,000 ft and can detect vehicles and other metallic structures with 80% accuracy. Powered-up rail guns and fusion nuclear containment fields can be detected out to 16,000 ft.

### Weapons Systems

#### Plasma Cutters

 Range2
 Damage
 Damage2
 Rate of Fire
 Payload

The head is ringed with small plasma projectors that can be used for close-contact cutting, or are capable of limited ranged fire.

#### Laser Horns (2)

 Damage
 Damage2
 Rate of Fire
 Payload

Mounted in antler-like ‘horns’ are a pair of high-powered lasers that can be used for cutting, but are more often deployed on the surface for long range combat. The horns are also reinforced and tough enough to be used as melee weapons, stabbing into an opponent, or pinning larger prey.

#### Acid Sprayers (2)

 Range2
 Damage
 Damage2
 Rate of Fire
 Payload

A pair of small acid-sprayers are concealed in the head and used to help dissolve tough obstacles---rock, metal, enemy soldiers...

The HellMole’s systems can catalyze and produce a new tankload of acid within 24 hours.

#### Drill Nose

 Damage

A high-powered mechanical drill makes up the nose. Fully revved up, the screeching roar of this drill as it pierces up through the bottom of a luckless vehicle is often the last sound enemy crews hear.

#### Front VibroClaws (2)

 Damage

The massive forepaws are designed for muscling aside loose earth and digging through rock, sporting five massive vibroclaws.

#### Tentacles (4)

 Damage
 Damage2
 Damage3

Emerging from the upper back are four long robotic tentacles that can reach up through loose soil to grab opponents on the ground, stab, and crush.

#### Optional Modular Weapons (2)

The HellMole has provision for torso-mounting two weapons similar to those standard to the Monstrex. These weapons can only be used when cleared from underground.

#### Optional Back Saw

 Damage
 Damage2

Some HellMoles have been encountered featuring a giant rotary saw in their backs...two counter-rotating rings of ultra-sharp and tough saw-teeth moving at high speed around the center of the rear cargo bay hatch. These teeth seem to possibly be inspired by the Toothback Wallcrawler, a nightmarishly ugly alien predator known to inhabit parts of the eastern seaboard mountains and environs around MadHaven; the Wallcrawler being hideous enough to appeal to the Lost Eclipse’s twisted senses of aesthetics. The Back Saw option is useful only at very close range, the HellMole either coming up under a target and ‘gnawing’ at its bottom (such as a vehicle’s undercarriage or the floor of a building/bunker), or grabbing a smaller target with its tentacles and either tossing or holding it into the whirling blades.

### Programming

The Ecotroz have installed robotic AIs, then infected the matrix with a low-level Ecotroz sentience. HellMoles have an I.Q. of 10 and a patient, plodding nature, perfectly suited to laying in ambush for hours at a stretch, or patiently burrowing under an enemy inch by inch until ordered to charge up onto the surface.

Typically has the following (in addition to normal War Steed programming):

* Mining and Excavation 80%

* Trap/Mine Detection 40% (+5% per level of experience for Ecotroz entity)

The Ecotroz entity can also pick up one Secondary skill at levels 2, 6, and 12 of experience, though the nature of the HellMole intelligence and design is such that it is limited to skill selections from Technical: Language (understanding) and Lore, Espionage (Detect Ambush, Detect Concealment), Wilderness (Track Humanoids, Track Animals, Hunting, Identify Plants and Fruits).

### Combat

 Dodge
 Parry
 Auto Dodge
 Roll
 Pull Punch
 Disarm
 Entangle
 Tentacle Power Strike
 Pincer/Antler Jab
 Rear Leg Kick
 Body Block/Ram

HellMoles are experts in sneak attacks from below, laying in wait for long periods before striking. HellMoles rarely surface completely during combat, usually coming up under a robot or vehicle to knock it over, allow any troops being carried to disembark then go back underground again

Body Block/Ram deals 4d6 MD with a 50% chance of knocking over giant robots and other targets. A favorite tactic is to emerge directly under vehicles such as APCs and tanks,
impaling them or flipping them over.

## Ecotroz Fragment

The Ecotroz intelligence fragment inhabiting the ‘bot gives the HellMole an aura and behavior more befitting a sentient being than a robot.

Has the following Natural Psionic Abilities (no ISP Cost), all equivalent to 6th level with regards to range and proficiency.

* Presence Sense

* Sixth Sense/Danger Sense

The Ecotroz fragment does occasionally need sleep/rest...though they only need 2 hours of rest/meditation per 24 hours...they can push this, going without for as many days as they have I.Q. points, but will have to go dormant for 4d6 hours after such exertion.

Note also that the Ecotroz-possessed ‘bot can infect other bots with the Ecotroz viral-entity, by bite or sustained touch (takes 3 attacks).