The Sleeper Beneath

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**The Sleeper Beneath** is an enemy in *Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones*.

## Description

The Sleeper Beneath, otherwise known as "The Colour Out of Space," is the final enemy of Blasted Street. Its appearance is that of a pile of ashen dirt, which upon being uncovered is revealed to be a glowing, perforated meteorite. During a triggered cutscene prior to combat, the character will witness the space-coloured entity, which just moments ago had been floating, embed itself within the pile.

* The Sleeper Beneath must be defeated in order to progress further through the story

## Combat

*The malignant energies of the entity that you are facing are coming from beneath the ashen floor of the street. You need to equip the proper equipment in your main hand if you wish to uncover the terror lying beneath.*

The Sleeper Beneath is immobile and must first be dug up by the character(s) using a shovel before it can be targeted directly. There are four unique "dig" hexes directly beneath the mound of ash where the character(s) must stand in order to begin digging. Three digs are required to uncover the mound, consuming five Action Points per dig, after which the character will be able to target The Sleeper Beneath.

* The character will first need to dedicate Action Points moving to the mound before they can begin digging
* If the character is using a melee weapon, they will need to stand in one of the two centre hexes of the available "dig" hexes in order to attack The Sleeper Beneath

The Sleeper Beneath is escorted by three Blasted Street Denizens. A new Blasted Street Denizen will join the fray at the beginning of each new round.

### Abilities

The Sleeper Beneath has the following abilities available to it:

* Enslaved Anabolism: *Blasted Street Denizen is charged with an influx of excess energy, which will soon take a heavy toll on its metabolism.*
	+ Cast on Blasted Street Denizens
* Colours From Beyond: *The character is riveted by the unearthly colours that saturate their perception but their immediate dispersion spells only confusion and disarray (Increased Panic Chance)*
	+ Causes character's and party members to panic and run away
* Vitrified Flesh: *Blasted by a strange wave, the characters body has become very frail, making it vulnerable against any impact (-2 damage resistance)*
* Wrath of the Buried
	+ Wrath of the Buried deals both Health and Sanity to all characters standing immediately next to The Sleeper Beneath. It is often used as an aggressive tactic by the sleeper once the character has started digging it up

### Acquisitions

After defeating The Sleeper Beneath in combat, the character will be awarded with 100 Experience / ANGST apiece and the following items:

* Power Leech
* Alien Mushroom Sample
* Phosphorus
* Meteor Fragment

## Strategy

The Sleeper Beneath is generally considered to the most difficult opponent that the player character will be forced to battle in *Stygian*. Not only does it exact a high cost to Health and Sanity due to the many and varied abilities at its disposal, but this enemy is well defended by both a caked outer shell of concrete and its subservient allies. While there is no single strategy that will assure victory, this short list of recommendations may assist players in overcoming what appears to be an otherwise insurmountable encounter.

* Ignore the Blasted Street Denizens. The only opponent that matters is The Sleeper Beneath, and killing denizens in the meantime will not provide any further advantage or benefits in combat. It may be in your interest to dispose of the first three, particularly if they are between you and "dig" hexes, but focusing on any more than will waste valuable Action Points
* Be sure to equip a shovel in your character's secondary weapon slot *before* entering combat as this will help conserve valuable Action Points. If in need, a shovel can be acquired from the Municipal Storage Unit in the first corridor of Blasted Street
* Use drugs. Sanity enhancing drugs, such as Powdered Cocaine, will prevent characters from panicking and missing out on a full turn when inflicted with Colours from Beyond. It is wise to have a few such drugs equipped in your character's Quick Slots before entering combat
* If The Outsider is in your party, he will be able to cast Spit of Al Razi on The Sleeper Beneath (so long as he is within range) after just one dig, as opposed to the three digs required to uncover the target. This will save valuable time and allow for serious damage in the meantime
* Be sure to have Eduardo Carnela with you before going into battle. If nothing else, he is a heavy-hitting tank that can distract a few of the denizens and take hits from The Sleeper Beneath while you get to work
* If you have a high Science skill rank, it may be in your interest to pick up the Radiant Anomalous Rock, found in the third corridor of Blasted Street, and research it to construct the Spectral Ray Emitter. This alien weapon packs a mean punch. Use it wisely, however, since you will only have one shot

Really, the thing to remember is that time is of the essence. Dig the sleeper up and do it fast, otherwise you might never see the other end of Blasted Street.

## Notes

* Combat with The Sleeper Beneath is triggered following a short cutscene as soon as the character reaches the Anomalous Rock sitting in the street
* Completing the quest In the Garden will give the character an opportunity to gain valuably insight about their opponent before entering into combat with The Sleeper Beneath
* It is suggested by its form and by its 'anomalous' introduction that The Sleeper Beneath is the source of the virulent radiation that plagues Blasted Street and the anomalies encountered therein
* "The Colour Out of Space" is the title of one of H.P. Lovecraft's most well known short stories