Xenomorph XX121

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**XENOMORPH XX121**

Known by a variety of names, the horrifically bizarre alien Xenomorph XX121 is an endoparasitic lifeform with a unique life cycle. The alien shifts from egg to parasitic Facehugger to embryonic Chestburster to adult creature and beyond before beginning the cycle anew. While it has been classified inaccurately as either Invictus raptus or Linguafaeda acheronis by the few in the scientific community to have observed the alien and survived, recent research seems to indicate that Xenomorph XX121 is actually comprised of two separate species—the Facehugger (Manumala noxhydria) that inseminates a host, and the rapidly maturing Chestburster creature (Plagiarus praepotens) that results from that act—both operating together in a symbiotic relationship. Allegedly blind, the alien still has keen senses and can detect even the slightest movement. These biomechanoid creatures shed their cells and replace them with polarized silicon, essentially growing their own refractive armor. They have highly caustic concentrated acid for blood and deadly prehensile tails. Immensely strong in their adult forms, a Plagiarus Drone or Soldier can easily lift a man by the head and crush his skull in its hands.

As to their origins, no one can be certain. Some believe them to be biological weapons created by some bygone race, possibly the enigmatic and godlike Engineers, while others believe they are a naturally evolved species that the Engineers themselves worshipped. Some religious cults take that a step further, believing the aliens were sent here by God or gods to exact divine retribution on humanity for leaving our solar system and daring to enter the heavens. Still others believe that humanity had a hand in the creatures’ creation, and that they are a corporate experiment run amok. What is for certain is that they are dangerous to everyone. They are a parasitic plague that is working its way across the Frontier, and Weyland-Yutani, as well as other corporations, want to find a way to control and weaponize them for profit.

*A NOTE FROM MU/TH/UR. It’s important to note that different Xenomorph XX121 strains have different traits, and that the information provided here is based on the latest xenobiological information. As we study them more and advances in science are made, we will slowly begin to understand these creatures better, supplanting theory with fact.*

**XENOMORPH XX121 SPECIAL ABILITIES**

The special abilities described below are common to all varieties of Xenomorph XX121.

**ACID SPLASH:** When a Xenomorph XX121 is wounded some of its acid blood may splash on its attacker and anyone within ENGAGED range. Each type of Xenomorph inflicts a different level of acid splash damage. Only damage that draws blood causes an acid splash—hence a fire attack does not have this effect. The bigger the Xenomorph, and the more damage it has taken, the greater the splash.

The strength of an acid splash is based on the Acid Splash rating of the Xenomorph plus the amount of damage that the Xeno took from the attack, in Base Dice, with base Damage 1. Armor reduces the damage, but for each + rolled, its Armor Rating is reduced by one, as the acid eats through it. The acid blood will also affect the environment, and may splash nearby ammo and grenades, or burn through floors, wiring, a ship’s hull, and so on (at GM’s discretion).

The acid blood continues to burn after the initial splash. A victim who suffers damage from the initial splash suffers another attack each Round, at the start of the Round, just like for fire damage (see page 108). However, the number of Base Dice rolled for the attack is halved (rounding fractions down) at the start of each new Round, as the acid is slowly used up. If at any point an acid attack roll fails to inflict any damage the acid has burned itself out and the acid effect is over.

If a victim is Broken by the acid splash, or suffers further acid splash damage when already Broken, they must make a Death Roll every Round until they either die or are saved by a **MEDICAL AID** roll.

**SPRINT:** All Xenomorph XX121 varieties except Stage I can, as a slow action, sprint as if having used two run actions—i.e., through two zones or from an adjacent zone directly into ENGAGED range of a target.

**RESISTANCE TO VACUUM:** The resilient physiology of Xenomorph XX121 offers it total protection against the vacuum of space. As such, the Xeno can act indefinitely in such an environment without suffering any ill effects.

**FALLING:** The Xenomorphs are beautifully adapted for climbing and jumping. As such, they can fall from great heights without suffering any damage. Falling damage taken by a Xenomorph is equal to the distance fallen in meters divided by 4 (rounding fractions down), reduced by Armor.

**IMMUNE TO THE COLD:** Cold temperatures seem to have no effect on a Xenomorph. Even the frigid gulf of space does not hinder them in any way.

**RADIATION:** Xenomorph XX121 has proven extremely resistant to all forms of radiation. They can suffer 10 Rads before feeling any ill effects—i.e. the first 10 points suffered are ignored from any radiation rolls).

**NO RESPIRATION:** For all intents and purposes, a Xenomorph does not need to breathe, at least, not in any way that has currently been observed.

**NO HEAT SIGNATURE:** Xenomorph XX121 does not register on infrared or thermographic sensors.

***EXAMPLE** A Xenomorph with an Acid Splash rating of 8 takes a huge hit, suffering five points of damage from a Smart Gun on auto-fire. Its blood splashes everywhere, inflicting a 13 (8+5) Base Dice attack on everyone within ENGAGED range.*

**STAGE 1: OVOMORPH (EGG)**

Large leathery objects, Ovomorphs are the beginning of the alien life cycle. They come in various sizes from 0.6 to 1.2 meters tall. While most open with four petals at the top, some only have a single slit that opens to reveal the Facehugger it carries within. These eggs are lifeforms in their own right, able to protect their precious cargo from blunt trauma and forced entry, while also sensing movement and awakening the parasite within accordingly. Naturally occurring alien eggs are generated in one of two forms—either they are the result of a transformation perpetrated on a living host, causing it to metamorphose into an Ovomorph, or they are simply birthed by a Queen. Queen produced eggs are hardier and healthier than those produced through ovomorphing.

**OPENING THE EGG:** If a potential host comes within ENGAGED range of an Ovomorph, the host must make a MOBILITY roll each Round to not disturb it. If it fails, the egg will open and release a Facehugger. An Ovomorph can release its Facehugger even at SHORT range—roll a Stress Dice each Round. On a (facehugger) , the Facehugger is released.

**CONTAINMENT AND TERMINATION PROTOCOL:** If you shoot an egg with a rifle, the bullet is likely to deflect off its rubbery hide. Fire is a proven method of sterilizing them, and explosives do the trick as well. Keep in mind that the eggs are essentially vats of acid, and when exploding will cause acid damage accordingly. Extreme cold can make an egg dormant.

OVOMORPH (EGG)
 HEALTH
 SKILLS
 ARMOR RATING
 ACID SPLASH

***OVOMORPHING: WHICH CAME FIRST— THE ALIEN OR THE EGG?***

When isolated from a hive, a Drone will begin collecting hosts, typically incapacitating them by partially crushing their skulls. It will then cocoon its victims in a secreted saliva resin, introducing a series of enzymes and growth hormones to the hosts in order to transform them into alien eggs. This process is called ovomorphing. Using the developing barb on its bladed tail, the Drone inserts genetic material from M. noxhydria into the host’s eggmorphing body, allowing the newly formed egg to incubate a new Facehugger and thus continuing the alien’s life cycle. If conditions are right, a new Queen will be along in short order. The ovomorphing process typically takes 24–36 hours (four to six Shifts) to complete.

**STAGE II: FACEHUGGER**

Manumala noxhydria is a parasitic form of Xenomorph designed for one task only—the implantation of Plagiarus bacteria within a living host. Coming in a variety of sickly yellowish to brown flesh tones, a Facehugger has a small body, eight spider or crab-like fingers, two large breathing sacks, and a long and powerful tail which it uses to spring itself onto a startled host’s face. The Facehugger clutches its fingers around the victim's head, wraps its tail around their throat, and emits an anesthetic that renders the host unconscious, before inserting its proboscis down the creature’s throat. There are several different Facehugger types which appear to vary only slightly in appearance. The major difference is the type of seed they carry—be it for a Praetomorph, Xenomorph Drone, or Queen.

**FACEHUGGER AND PRAETO-FACEHUGGER:** These typical creatures are described above. The Praeto-Facehugger is slightly bigger than the standard one but otherwise functions the same and is less dexterous.

ROYAL FACEHUGGER: The royal variety of Facehugger has eight webbed fingers and is much larger than the standard type. Armored, it also possesses two serrated fingertips and a bladed tail with which to defend itself. Some specimens have also been known to have spikes on their back and spots on their air bladders. While it is theorized that a regular Facehugger can produce a P. praepotens with the ability to transmute into a Queen if necessary, the larger and more powerful Royal Facehuggers are known to specifically produce Queens, and hypothesized to carry not one but two P. praepotens spores—allowing the royal Facehugger to not only produce a Queen, but also a protector for the newborn royalty.

**EMBRYO IMPLANTATION:** Weyland-Yutani surgical scientist Dr. Matshuita believes that a Facehugger deposits a Chestburster embryo within its victim, making them the same species. Others believe what is deposited to be a cancerous growth that mutates and transforms into a Chestburster, while former W-Y geneticist Dr. Blue Grace Marsalis hypothesized a controversial third theory. Dr. Marsalis believes there is a symbiotic relationship between the Facehugger and the Chestburster, calling the former Manumala noxhydria and the later P. praepotens. She postulated that it is neither an embryo nor an implanted cancer, but an injected bacteria that is the beginnings of P. praepotens.

**FACEHUGGING:** The Stage II Xeno will automatically facehug any immobilized potential host within ENGAGED range. In combat, a successful signature attack #6 will do the trick. If the victim is facehugged, the Xenomorph infects its host via its proboscis, inseminating them deep within their chest cavity. There the host’s own cells mutate to form and incubate the Xenomorph until its next stage. The victim is rendered unconscious. Within one Shift, the Facehugger dies and falls off. The victim wakes up, typically very hungry. After another Shift has passed, a Chestburster (Stage III) is born, killing the host.

**CONTAINMENT AND TERMINATION PROTOCOL:** A Facehugger is incredibly fast and strong for its size, and in most cases it cannot be removed from a host’s face without killing the host itself. While its polarized silicon skin protects it from most forms of melee attack, it is helpless against pulse rounds and laser tools. Again, fire works wonders.

**FACEHUGGER**
 HEALTH
 SKILLS
Mobility
Observation
8
8
6
8
8
 ARMOR RATING
 ACID SPLASH

FACEHUGGER ATTACKS
 3
 4
 5
 6

***DUELING DOCTORS** The following messages were intercepted by ICC Comm Control on 5.23.82. These coded signals were sent through redundant comm arrays and rerouted to colonial carrier beacons on the Network, thereby making their point of origin untraceable. Taking place in a reoccurring dark network node called 1010121, the dialogue is believed to be a partial discussion between two competing scientists. Cross corporation nodes like this pop up now and then, where scientists at rival companies discuss and compare notes on similar projects. This one appears to be a debate over various theories on alien propagation. Partaking in such a discussion is tantamount to corporate espionage. While the encryption code was broken by the FBI, joint jurisdiction to apprehend the offenders was awarded to W-Y and the Colonial Marshal Bureau.*

*TO: WYNTONJAZZ232 — [UNDEFINED]— FROM NETWORK COMCON NODE 1010121 — EIJA44146537 MESSAGE RECEIVED HYPOTHESIS REVIEWED. CONCEPT OF TWO SPECIES IS NONSENSE. FACEHUGGER STAGE OF INTERNECIVUS RAPTUS DEPOSITS EMBRYO IN HOST ORGANISM. EMBRYO MATURES TO CHESTBURSTER STAGE AND IS BORN, KILLING SAID HOST. AWAITING ACKNOWLEDGMENT*

*TO: —EIJA44146537 [UNDEFINED]— FROM NETWORK COMCON NODE 1010121— WYNTONjazz232 MESSAGE RECEIVED ANALYSIS INCORRECT. FACEHUGGER PROPER NAME MANUMALA NOXHYDRIA. DOES NOT DEPOSIT. INSTEAD INSEMINATES VICTIM WITH BACTERIA. SAID BACTERIA THEN MUTATES HOST ORGANS INTO PLAGIARUS PRAEPOTENS SO CALLED CHESTBURSTER STAGE. QUERY INTERNECIVUS RAPTUS—MURDEROUS THIEF? NAMING CONVENTION IS INCORRECT. WHERE DID YOU GRADUATE FROM, DOCTOR? HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN HOW TO DERIVE SIMPLE SPECIES NOMENCLATURE?*

*AWAITING ACKNOWLEDGMENT*

*AWAITING ACKNOWLEDGMENT*

*AWAITING ACKNOWLEDGMENT*

*CONNECTION TERMINATED*

**STAGE III: CHESTBURSTER, BAMBI-BURSTER, 1MP**

The alien grows within the host animal’s chest, reaching a point of maturity where it is no longer dependent on the host for survival. While most hosts feel sick to their stomach as the parasite grows within them, some comment that they feel better than they have in ages. As the organs of the host are transformed into the embryonic alien, the host’s ribcage is also softened to a point where the Chestburster can perform the act after which it is named. Gestation complete, the creature erupts from the host, killing it from a combination of massive tissue damage, blood loss, and organ transformation. A newly birthed alien exhibits different traits depending on its type.

**CHESTBURSTER:** Jaundiced beige in color, the snake-like Chestburster has a mouth full of metallic canines. Depending on the length of gestation, a Chestburster will either be born with tiny arms or stubs where the arms will eventually grow in.

**BAMBI BURSTER**: Otherwise similar to the Chestburster, this fawn-like creature is the result of an alien embryo developing within a quadrupedal host. As animals generally mature at a faster rate than humans, the Bambi-burster is birthed with four spindly legs that it uses to propel itself at great speeds.

**IMP:** The immature form of a Praetomorph, the Imp has translucent skin, a carapace and rawboned features that make it look very much like a miniature version of its adult form. If an Imp doesn’t feel threatened upon emergence, it will sometimes mimic the actions of the nearest creature. Like all Praetomorph stages, Imps mature at a substantially faster rate than traditional Chestbursters.

**QUEENBURSTER:** An embryonic queen, the Stage III Xenomorph nicknamed the Queenburster gestates over days instead of hours. When born, the creature has a partially formed crest on its head, both sets of arms, and fully developed legs.

**BIRTH:** The birth of the Chestburster kills the host outright. The Chestburster has evolved to make a shocking display immediately after birth as a defense mechanism: it snarls, hisses and squeals whilst spraying the blood of its host in all directions. People who witness this for the first time must make an immediate Panic Roll. Within one Shift, the Chestburster evolves to Stage IV.

**CONTAINMENT AND TERMINATION PROTOCOL:** Surgical attempts to remove an embryonic Chestburster to date have resulted in the death of the patient—and depending on how far along it is into the gestation period—the death of the alien as well. Despite being able to defend itself, at this stage the Xenomorph is at its most vulnerable. It is easily killed by gunshots, explosives, knives, and fire—if it can be caught. Once birthed it will immediately seek both a place to hide and a source of raw metals to consume in order to complete the transformation into an adult—in addition to organic foods, aliens eat metals to increase their mass. Sufficiently fed, the Chestburster will begin to darken in color and shed its skin, cocooning itself in resin for the metamorphosis to the next Stage.

**VARIABLE GESTATION**

While under normal circumstances each Plagiarus species has a typical gestation period, various factors can retard or accelerate the process. For example, if someone is prone to cancer or has a compromised immune system, the rate of growth of any Xenomorph within them can speed up or slow down. Being infected while in hypersleep can slow the process upon revival, and being placed in stasis while infected will arrest the infection or incubation until the afflicted is awakened. It is ultimately up to the Game Mother and the needs of the story to decide how rapid any xenovirus gestation period is.

CHESTBURSTER ATTACKS
 4
 5
 6

**STAGE IV: STALKER, SCOUT, DRONE**

Now young adults, Stage IV Xenos are able to adapt a bipedal stance, even though they might not always make use of it. Their now fully polarized skin is near black in tone; they have a bladed prehensile tail, six-fingered hands with enlarged nails, pronounced ribs, and translucent to opaque smooth-domed heads. In addition to their metallic, toothy mouths, they have an inner set of jaws that can strike like a piston—a favored mode of attack.

Save for the Scout, Stage IV Xenomorphs have four dorsal tubes affixed to their backs. While some have theorized the tubes are used for spinning and cocooning the resin for their hive, that has generally been discounted as a fallacy. The current line of thinking is that the tubes are a type of breathing apparatus, filtering out airborne toxins and allowing the creatures to breath underwater. However, as Aliens have been observed surviving in the vacuum of space, it is possible that they do not need to breathe at all.

**STALKER:** Averaging about 2.7 meters tall and comfortable moving on two legs as well as all four, Stalkers are the highly aggressive adult form of the Praetomorph. Classified as Plagiarus linesteres, the Praetomorph is a variant breed of Xenomorph XX121. The Stalker is believed to be an evolutionary dead end for the Praetomorph, as no encountered specimen has ever metamorphosed further. Unlike its phylogenetic relative P. praepotens, the P. linesteres does not appear to have a Queen stage. It also differs in that it has no biomechanical endoskeleton, and its teeth are translucent bone instead of metal. They are bigger, more powerful, resilient, and more resistant to fire than standard Xenos—they just happen to be less intelligent and more animalistic in nature.

**SCOUT:** 2.1 meters tall when standing upright, the brown-black Scout or Runner is a particularly fast adaptation of P. praepotens. Usually moving about on all fours, the Scout’s job is to seek out a nearby source of hosts and alert the hive when one is found. If no hive yet exists, the scout will begin capturing hosts and cocooning them for ovomorphing until a Queenburster is produced. Once the Queen is birthed and a hive location is secure, a Scout will metamorphose to its next stage. For reasons unknown, Scouts have no dorsal tubes—they do not develop them until Stage V.

**DRONE:** Sometimes called Lurkers, Drones stand 2.4 meters tall, and are stealthy ambush hunters. Their tails end in a deadly hooked blade and rudimentary barb for Ovomorph injection. In many ways, Drones are the most alien of the species. It is theorized that the strange behavior often exhibited by Drones is due to them reaching young adulthood without establishing a connection to the alien hive mind. The stealthy creatures’ fluid yet awkward movements and unorthodox reactions to stimuli belie their methodical intelligence. As much as a Stalker acts like a feral animal, a Drone plots. The ebon Drone is a clever yet single-minded iteration of the Xenomorph. Development of P. praepotens will arrest at Stage IV unless a Queen’s pheromones cause it to molt into a Worker or Soldier—whichever form the hive is most in need of. Until then it will eat, gather hosts for ovomorphing, and sleep. When it evolves to the next stage, it joins the hive mind.

**SILENT ASSASSIN [DRONE ONLY]:** When making a stealth mode roll or sneak attack from within the same zone, the Drone is so silent that its target gets a –2 modification to their OBSERVATION test.

**FERAL HUNGER [STALKER ONLY]:** The Stalker has an insatiable need to kill. If it makes an attack that causes damage it will immediately make a second attack (with eight Base Dice, Damage 1) against the same target as a free action.

**CONTAINMENT AND TERMINATION PROTOCOL:** Stage IV Xenos are notoriously difficult to kill. They operate outside of the alien hive mind and are independent—but each exhibits traits that can be exploited. Stalkers and Scouts can be tricked into running into a hazardous situation. Drones are a bit smarter, but they follow a routine and spend most of their time hibernating in warm places such as somewhere close to a reactor core— and can be hunted down accordingly.

**STALKER, SCOUT, DRONE**
 HEALTH
 SKILLS
Mobility
Observation
8
6
8
10
10
 ARMOR RATING
 ACID

STALKER, SCOUT & DRONE ATTACKS
 2
 3
 4
 5
 6

**STAGE V: SOLDIER, WORKER, SENTRY**

As the hive mind takes a hold of them at Stage V of their development, P. praepotens molt to assume specialized roles within their community.

**SOLDIER:** Romantically referred to as a Warrior, a Soldier Xenomorph is the adult form of a Drone. As the alien matures, the creature’s dome loses its form and melds with the ridged tissues beneath it. The alien’s head begins to polarize and harden, forming an armored carapace. Blades will begin to grow from the Xeno’s elbows, and its hands will mutate into five-fingered claws, dropping the sixth digit. Blue-black in color, Soldiers are nimble and attack en masse. The Soldier’s tail has a barb at the end with a toxin that can cause paralysis in most known lifeforms. Once incapacitated, the Soldier will carry its prey back to the hive to be impregnated by a Facehugger.

**WORKER:** The diminutive Workers build and maintain the hive. Also called Weavers, they produce and spin the resin of the hive with their long proboscis tongues, shape it with their hands and feet, position eggs near cocooned hosts, and feed and maintain the Queen. Physically, they are somewhat different than the other members of P. praepotens. Transformation from Drone to Worker will see an alien shrink to between 1.2 and 1.8 meters in height. Its skin will turn a sickly grayish white, while its tongue grows pink, elongates, and develops a funnel through which it will secrete the makings of the hive. Workers ignore threats within the hive and will run if threatened, leaving their protection to Soldiers and Sentries.

**SENTRY:** After Scouts have secured a hive and a source of hosts, they mature into Sentries. Like Soldiers, their carapaces become ridged and armored. They are still incredibly fast and dexterous, with specialized gripping hands and feet that allow them to scale walls and ceilings with greater efficiency than other Xenos. Attuned to their Queen’s needs, they will back off or attack as she signals. Also called Defenders, Sentries will not hesitate to sacrifice themselves to keep hive invaders at bay and protect their Queen.

**CONTAINMENT AND TERMINATION PROTOCOL:** As always, fire keeps Xenomorphs at bay. The non-aggressive Workers are easy to take down as they offer little resistance. A Soldier’s carapace is armored enough to shrug off regular ammunition rounds, but pulse rifles make short work of them. Soldiers tend to work in groups, overwhelming targets with sheer numbers. Because of this, it is possible to take out a large number of them with an area effect weapon, hopefully evening the odds a bit. Sentries will not leave the inner hive unless the Queen does, so stay out of there and you’ll easily avoid them. You know what? Just stay out of an alien hive. Period.

**SOLDIER, WORKER, SENTRY**
 HEALTH
 SKILLS
Mobility
Observation
8
8
4
4
12
 ARMOR RATING
 ACID SPLASH

**SOLDIER & SENTRY ATTACKS**
 2
 3
 4
 5
 6

*“What do you mean “they cut the power”? How could they cut the power, man? They're animals!”*
*-LT. ELLEN RIPLEY AND PRIVATE FIRST CLASS WILLIAM HUDSON*

**STAGE VI: PRAETORIAN, CRUSHER, QUEEN**

Stage VI P. praepotens are monstrous horrors. Their immense size and crested carapaces mark them as the leaders of their hive. Stronger and smarter than those beneath them, Stage VI Xenos command alien armies. These Stages are only reached when an existing Queen produces royal jelly and exposes her Soldiers and Sentries to it.

**PRAETORIAN:** When a hive reaches a population of over 300 individuals, Workers feed the Queen’s chosen warriors with Royal Jelly until the transformation to Praetorian takes place. The penultimate form of an alien Soldier, Praetorians grow up to twice the height of their brethren. They develop a head crest similar to a Queen’s, but maintain a more standardized bipedal form with only two arms. Lead protectors of the hive, Praetorians are the Queen’s Royal Guards and army commanders. It is theorized that if a hive loses its Queen, a Praetorian can molt into a new one. If this happened before another hive invaded, the old hive can be preserved. If not, the invaders take advantage of the leaderless Xenos and claims them for their own Queen.

**CHARGER:** Also called the Crusher, the Charger is the Xenomorph equivalent of a tank. After being force-fed Royal Jelly and raw metals by the Queen’s workers for weeks, a bloated Sentry will cocoon itself in resin and undergo a massive transformation. Its quadrupedal stance is bulked up and its head grows a massive, armored chitinous crest similar to a Queen’s. Chargers grow to stand between 1.8 and 3 meters tall at the shoulder. Heavy defensive protectors of the hive, the Crusher will charge an enemy like a rabid rhino, trampling personnel and plowing through even lightly armored vehicles. Essentially the Runner variant of the Praetorian, the Charger’s mobility is limited in that it cannot climb or jump very well. Luckily, they are relatively rare and only appear in long established hives.

**QUEEN:** The mother of the hive, at six meters tall or more, the alien Queen is perhaps the strongest and most intelligent of the species. While any adult alien is capable of initiating ovomorphing in a host organism, only Queens have the ability to lay eggs en masse. When her first molt is completed and the Queen is fertile, her Workers spin a resin cradle that holds her suspended above the floor of the hive. The Queen then grows an enormous egg sac that soon becomes distended and engorged with developing eggs. As each new Ovomorph is ready, she deposits it on the ground via ovipositor for her Workers to spirit away to nearby cocooned hosts. The most astonishing thing about the Queen is her ability to communicate with her hive. While evidence exists to suggest she does so via a combination of pheromones and subsonic vocalizations, there are company consultants who believe she communicates telepathically as well, “speaking” with her children over immeasurable distances. In fact, corporate psychiatrists have documented that employees who score high on their company esper tests and find themselves within the proximity of an alien hive will have vivid dreams of the Queen calling to them, whether they are aware of her existence or not. Additionally, professional dreamers seem to have a hard time producing after being exposed to an alien Queen. Of course, this could simply be a form of PTSD, but it bears further investigation. An alien Queen’s distinguishing characteristics include her size, her large crested head, set of six dorsal spikes (instead of tubes), unique stance and a second set of grasping arms.

**CONTAINMENT AND TERMINATION PROTOCOL:** A Charger is nigh invulnerable while charging with its head shield down, but its body is only as armored as that of a regular alien Soldier, and well-placed explosives or heavy artillery will make short work of the beast. While they have few weaknesses, taking out a Praetorian will temporarily disorient the Soldiers it coordinates. As for dealing with the Queen… yeah. Don’t.

**ROYAL JELLY**

Secreted by a Xenomorph Queen, Royal Jelly is a gelatinous substance that a mother Xeno uses to shape the Sentries of her hive. Royal Jelly contains a specialized strain of Agent A0-3959X.91-15 that induces an accelerated metamorphosis in P. praepotens and M. noxhydria. Royal Jelly is extremely addictive to humans and other animals, and when ingested in large quantities causes an adrenal increase in strength, stamina, and aggressive tendencies—eventually bordering on the superhuman and homicidal.

> “They grab the colonists, they move them over there and they
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> immobilize them to be hosts for more of these. Which would mean
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> that there would have to be a lot of these parasites, right? One for
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> each colonist. That's over a hundred at least.”
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> “Yes, that follows.”
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> “But each one of these things comes from an egg, right? So who's
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> laying these eggs?”
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> “I'm not sure. It must be something we haven't seen yet.”
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> —LT. E L L E N R I P L E Y A N D B I S H O P
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>

**PRAETORIAN, CRUSHER, QUEEN**
 HEALTH
 SKILLS
Mobility
Observation
5
8
4
5
8
 ARMOR RATING
 ACID SPLASH

**PRAETORIAN, CHARGER & QUEEN ATTACKS**
 2
 3
 4
 5
 6

**STAGE VII AND BEYOND**

Not everything is known about P. praepotens and its development cycle. It has been suggested that a Queen will continue to grow as her hive does, reaching Tyrannosaurus rex proportions in Empress and Queen Mother stages that rule over several Queens and several hives. There are reports of Praetorians molting into something called Palantines, and rumors of a so called Alien King, but so far reports of such transformations are unsubstantiated and only hypothetical. What will be found next on the Frontier is anyone’s guess.

**OTHER XENOMORPH TYPES**

As has been implied, there are things out there we do not understand. Engineer murals depict horrifying monstrosities, the likes of which we have yet to encounter on the Frontier. They may simply be mythological, or they may be real. There are reports of xenocobras and large squid-like starfish creatures, as well as an alien that appears to be a missing link between a Neomorph and Xenomorph XX121—a dark blue, goblin-jawed Xeno lovingly dubbed the Deacon (because of its pointed head). Whatever is out there, just pray you don’t run into it in the dark.

**THE ALIEN HIVE**

An alien hive is a large Xenomorph XX121 nest, composed mainly of secreted resin, that is either built into an existing structure or free standing on its own. Hives are full of twisting and confusing biomechanical tunnels and corridors that have been spun and crafted by Worker aliens. The damp, muted green-gray walls make it easier for P. praepotens to climb and maneuver, and are full of ridges and pockets for alien Soldiers to hide in. The sticky walls also serve another purpose—hosts are cocooned and impregnated within them until they birth a Chestburster and are killed. The hosts’ decaying bodies then grows into the resin, serving as nourishment for the Workers and Soldiers of the hive. The atmosphere inside the hive is usually hot, dank and humid, and the putrid smell is unbearable. Soldiers lay dormant, hibernating in the walls and on the ceiling until called to task by their Queen. Along the way there are many small chambers that serve unknown purposes, and deep within the nest’s maze is a centralized and guarded chamber where the Queen sits atop a bloated egg sac and deposits her eggs. Some hives have been found to contain diluted derivative pools of Chemical A0-3959X.91-15, likely secreted by the Xenomorphs themselves and used to perform genetic alterations on hosts in order to make them more suitable for the production of the type of Chestbursters the hive needs most. It’s a nasty place and one you should avoid.

**SPECIES INTERACTION: WHY CAN'T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG?**

Let’s face it—there is no love lost on the Frontier. Aliens hate humans, and just like humans, they mostly hate each other as well. Creatures of different types generally don't get along. Sure, a Facehugger and a Xenomorph Soldier will work together, but a Xenomorph Soldier and a Neomorph will go for each other's throats. Feral Neomorphs will attack anything living not of their type— they find androids a curiosity and will only attack them if provoked. Xenomorph XX121s are similar, attacking any creature they perceive to be a threat.

Abominations hate anyone and everyone until they reach maturity—then they begin to settle and tolerate each other’s presence (but still dislike humans, androids, and other aliens). Praetomorphs, on the other hand, simply will not tolerate any other alien species. Xenomorphs from different hives will clash with the intention of killing each other’s Queen. When one hive kills the Queen of another, the leaderless hive is absorbed by the victor. The previous Queen’s eggs and Praetorians are destroyed, while Scouts, Workers, and Drones are immediately assimilated. The Soldiers are another story. While a reigning Queen releases pheromones that bind the new Soldiers to her, many times she will simply have them destroyed as well.