Runner (caste)

## Runner

The **Runner**, also known as the **Scout**, is a quadrupedal variant of the Stage 3 Drone caste of the Xenomorph XX121 species. Runners are spawned from various quadrupedal hosts with less potent DNA, most notably from canines. As their name implies, Runners are fast and agile, much more so than their human-spawned counterparts. This also makes them much more dangerous than regular Drones.

## Characteristics

They are superficially similar to Drones in appearance, though their most obvious difference being their quadrupedal posture. For unknown reasons, they completely lack any dorsal spines. Their mesoskeleton is a brown-red color rather than the typical sable mesoskeletons of the average Xenomorph.

Runners are not limited to their quadrupedal stance and are quite capable of standing up and moving on their hind legs, though they more often than not walk on all fours. When on all fours, Runners are capable of reaching great speeds, even when traversing walls and ceilings.

Their speed is a vital asset as they are not as robust as the average Drone and rely on their speed and agility to outmaneuver threats rather than strength to overcome them. Runners are also much more liberal in the use of their tail as an offensive weapon, for this reason, they possess a bladed tip much like a Warrior, however, the Runner's blade is much longer than a Warrior's is. Much like a Drone, they also possess an ability to spit acid, which they are capable of doing at a much greater range than a Drone.

Owing to their more fragile nature, Runners will often wait until their prey is alone before ambushing them, although they have been known to strike at members of larger groups if an opportune target presents itself. The average Drone is much more ready to attack large crowds. Runners also possess a greater ability to regenerate, which helps them to sustain their more fragile bodies.

Runners produce a type of hivemind-connected spores. These spores coat living organisms and grow upon them for an extended period of time. The spores have numerous sensors and relay what they detect by encoding this information on ambient radiation that bounces off of them and finds its way to other Xenomorphs. This "spore sight" enables the hive to track hosts long after they have left the vicinity of any nearby Xenomorphs.

## Variants

The Runner possesses a very limited range of known variation, owing to its nature as an immature Xenomorph. Listed below are the known variants of the Runner.

### Cystic Acid enhanced

Runners born from hosts infused with Cystic Acid are enhanced in their strength and resilience. These variants of the Runner are denoted by a crimson stripe down their carapace. Any of the other variants of the Drone have the potential to also be Cystic enhanced.

### Virulent Runner

Some Runners develop a large number of subcutaneous stinger-tipped venom sacs across their extremities. On contact with a victim, the stingers inject high concentrations of toxic spores that multiply in sufficient quantity to turn bodily fluids black and soupy, sickening and nauseating the host organism in the process. Other Xenomorphs can use these spores to track prey that has become weakened by the sickness the spores induce. This adaptation is usually brought about at the behest of a Queen.

### "Dog Queen"

Some Runners, usually born from large hosts, can grow to huge sizes. These large Runners have been sometimes nicknamed "Dog Queens", despite this name, they are not actual Queens and are simply oversized Runners. Their size tends to make them more lethal and robust than regular Runners but they are otherwise the same. They can also spit clouds of acidic smoke.

## Evolution

As a transitional stage of the Xenomorph, much like the Chestburster, the Runner's main purpose is to molt into a Stage 4 caste. They usually do this following a pheromone command from the Queen of a hive. Below are the known evolutions of the Runner.

* Arachnoid — A high-jumping ambush hunter.
* Burster — A Boiler-esque kamikazi caste.
* Prowler — An armored ambush caste.
* Sentry — The Runner's equivalent of a Warrior.
* Spitter — A ranged support caste, similar to a Ranger.
* Worker — A smaller hive-building caste.