Boomvox (Creature)

The boomvox is a small arboreal predator, the size of a house cat. They have a long flexible spine, and run on eight stubby legs. Boomboxes dwell in burrows and hollow trees, and while being warm blooded creatures, they also lay soft shelled eggs, quite like the monotremes on earth. A century ago, they lurked in the lush jungles of Calliste, preying on all sorts of small critters, like the Sapmouse, the Treesquid or even the eggs of various flying reptiles, like the Silver Glider.

Nowadays, the boomvox adapted to the life in the urban colonies of Calliste, where it became a scavenger and a pest. It is solely because of it’s unique mode of communication that it is not hunted down to extinction. In the forest of Calliste, the boomvoxes delimit their territories by howling and vocalizing with their guttural membrane, a unique organ on their throat identical to a drum skin, that acts like the membrane of a speaker. The guttural membrane is linked to specialized muscles in the throat of the animal that allows for very fine tuning of the sounds produced. The boomvoxes also have huge lateral lobes in their brains dedicated to hearing and processing sounds. This result in an uncanny ability to imitate any sound heard. Before the colonization of Calliste, the boomvoxes used that ability mainly to imitate the mating calls, or the distress cries of the young of other species, in order to ambush their preys. To deter bigger animals, they could also let out a deafening thunder clap, quite similar to a lightning strike.

But since the colonization of the planet, they adapted to their new urban environment by imitating any civilization sound they hear, earning them the nickname "trick-weasels". Groups of hungry boomvoxes are often found near food trucks, scaring the locals into dropping their food by blaring sudden loud noises like gunshots or even the screeching of tires. Others have learned to imitate the voices of billboards advertisement, and they pester the users of public transportation with half-chopped slogans, until someone tosses them a snack.

Their antics are tolerated by the colonists, and the elderly are often sermonized about not overfeeding the many boomvoxes that live in parks and landfills. In the recent years, an attempt was made to control the growing number of boomvoxes living in the colonies by creating domesticated hybrids, that are sterile and more quiet than their wild counterpart. Since boomvoxes keep the same mate all their life, a hybrid-wild couple will never have offspring. The hybrids also lack the musk glands that give the wild boomvoxes their skunky fragrance.

These hybrids are currently popular pets, and some colonists train them to learn and repeat sentences, like earth parrots. Because they can learn all kind of inappropriate words, they are particularly popular with the Human and Reln children, and the most talented of them have their own Stream channels on YouStream, making the fortune of their owners.

**Boomvox** (Level 2) small, mammalian predator

**Armor:** 0

**Melee Dodge:** 5, **Ranged Dodge:** 5

**Movement:** 6 (ignores hindering terrain)

**Attributes:** Strength 1, Stamina 5, Reflexes 5, Concentration 1, Logic 2, Influence 2

**Actions:**

Thunder Clap : Range Attack = 4, damage 2 sonic, Effect: The Boomvox uses his guttural membrane to make a deafening sound within a 10 square radius that is loud enough to inflict damages and will jam any attempts to use echolocation (ultrasound) in the area for 1 round. All other creatures in this radius are Dazed OR Deafened for 1 round, though the other Boomvoxes in the area do not suffer the effects. The Boomvox must expend 1 Stamina to perform this sound.

Bite: Melee Attack = 4, damage 2 (AP 1) piercing

**Reactions:**

Blur: Move 1 square in reaction to an attack and gain +1 Dodge until end of turn.

Musk: Marks an adjacent square with a spray of foul smelling secretions. The target must succeed an Endurance check of 6 or else it is Weakened for two rounds. Takes an action to wipe off.

**Other Abilities:**

Agile Climber: May move full movement (but may not Sprint) across vertical surfaces or while upside down, as long as 4 of its 8 feet are in contact with the surface.

Agile Runner: May move full movement and ignore hindering terrain, but may not sprint when moving over hindering terrain.

Trickster: The Boomvox gains +2 to all Persuasion attempts related to sounds, and +4 if is is concealed from the target.

**Other Skills:** Awareness 4, Stealth 6, Athletics 4, Persuasion 4