Whereas I checked to make sure you were leaving yourself wide open with no indicators - even in narrative, where they would be no signs externally, but the players would know what's up - of defense or even preparedness to make a move, you have simply decided that you connect. You did so, with a creature that I pointed outright you cannot hear properly, that you only see the instant before the attack because you are prone, and that is moving very swiftly. Since the two characters are both capable of moving and acting quickly, it would be very important to note who was taking advantage of that more. Well, at a dead stop with no indicator of where the attack is coming from, the preparedness count goes to the one who is there and gone again in seconds. I gave plenty of a chance - went out of my way, in fact - for some defensive measure to be taken and none actually was. It is too late to declare that you intercepted, thus. You allowed me to declare damage. So, you cannot brain your opponent all of a sudden, giving ME no chance to react to IT, which it certainly would have because it has three fricking eyes-on and quick reflexes. It is too late to make such a move.
You are gouged and bloody, and if you grip anything, your hands tear at fur as it forces itself away. I'll be back when it's fixed.
Icy feeling of whatnow? Gonad had no special powers of intimidation. He was just naturally intimidating, and the predator wasn't having any of it. It was fast, its move had been carefully considered, and it was committed to it. You don't tell a monster 'Hey, buddy. I wouldn't do that if I were you' mid-leap and get any reaction worth mentioning, except...you know...the one it was going through with already. With Gonad not even moving, he left himself open and was unprepared for the attack. Even if he hadn't been ignoring it, the point of the noises was to disrupt the abiility to figure out where it was coming from by ears alone. So, without even taking a defensive posture, he was open.
All of this was just fine for the Trygon. The other was standing, wary, and taking no action to defend the big one, the big one whom its saber-claws would tear into. With not even a flinch from the prone figure, the hybrid beast's attack would carry through. The long, curved claws of its forepaw hands dug right into stomach, pushing its weight and velocity into the tear, blood flying free as Trygon came down upon him. The back legs came down swiftly, digging into the chest of the man, and pushing down hard as it then pulled free the claws with its next leap to return back to the gloom of the woods.
In the time that it took Shadow to ask what the heck the Trygon was, it was there and gone again. It had gone from a speedy wolf to a leaping horror, and was now loping itself out of range, letting out a screeching growl that echoed from all directions.
Okay, I'm a little confused. It's already attacking, and it's doing so pretty damn fast, with the first time Gonad even knows it's there is basically when it's entering his field of vision ('cause he made no indicator, otherwise). There's huge claws descending upon him, and it's making to spring right off of him too. You should be defending yourselves.
Wow, the loud one didn't even notice. It just kept on with its inane wordings while the other one seemed to remain still. For a moment, it considered just trying to weaken the big one from all the way over here. Maybe that was good for a second move... This first move needed to go as planned, about as planned as it could manage with these raging instincts. They needed to be channeled. They needed direction...
They needed blood in the teeth.
There would soon be a sound of running from all around, this distorted array of sound coming from all directions, though there was only one attacker. And where it was approaching was in the direction of where Gonad's head was pointed as he lay on the ground. With lupine speed, it darted forward, and leapt... We're not sure if Shadow noticed at this point, but since the large man had been lying on the ground, he would notice things differently.
From the top of his vision, he'd see what looked like a wolf at first, but the limbs seemed to lengthen and thicken, with the paws elongating and growing two saber-claws each, grown from different digits on each paw. He saw the wolfen body expand into something that was at least partially humanoid, but definitely not human. And he definitely saw this weird three-eyed wolf face expand its jaws, gain some needle-like teeth, and grow in some mandibles.
This would be shortly before the strike that was attempting to tear him apart.
Now, from Shadow's perspective... If she happened to notice where this thing was coming from, it had done that sudden transformation mid-leap. It had been a wolf just a second ago. A wolf with three glowing eyes, but a wolf, nonetheless. Now, it was this monster, and she could also see the two saber-talons on its feet with four or five side-toes on said feet. It was also bigger than a wolf, stronger than a wolf. And judging by the leap it had made, it was moving to tear into the prone Gonad and then leap away into the night, a cutthroat maneuver.
With two creatures present, it was difficult to suppress the instinct to leave well enough alone. Wolves hunt in packs, coordinatine against the enemy. This was two, and they were strong. It had to think clearly, had to think... Think... It would have to use its full strength to fight these creatures. It could Facinate them if it had eye contact, but that wasn't guaranteed. It could distort and magnify sounds throughout the area, and that would confuse them. Yes... That showed promise. And if it could focus the redness upon them, they would grow progressively weaker, as though willing the body to give up for ghost. That took time, though, and it would start to regain strength if it were distracted.
Such abiilities were good, but not always enough. It needed cunning. It needed to beat them, maybe separately. One could always blindside it if it were busy with the other. Which one would be first...? The beast's three eyes began to gleam with an eerie green light in the distance, watching. Over where Shadow and gonad were, some very strange sounds could be heard...from all around. Disjointed noises, which sounded like breathing at different volumes and directions at random, followed by the sounds of stalk-walking as the Trygon began to circle the area. The sounds were coming from all over. Can anyone tell where the beast would be coming from?
I'd prefer it if we had normal rounds of everyone going around once with posts. I tend to go 'Everyone else, then me, then everyone else again' with no particular order with them, except I wait for them to go when they do.
If it were possible right now for the thing to think in human terms, it might have said something like "Good lordy, that one stinks!". However, it was neither over-the-top in expression, nor could it speak at this time. Maybe in its original form, and maybe after processing enough of the words spoken, for itself. Maybe it would be interesting to speak words, though...maybe not with so much smoke and odor involved.
It was downwind. That was how it came to find the scene unfolding right now. The mist of the woods concealed it from immediate view, as it sported a rough gray-brown pelt and was hunkered down low to the ground. It could see, though. It could see perfectly fine, especially after the third eye opened up. It observed for the moment, quietly. Waiting...
This is not so much a character sheet as a species template.
Name: Unknown Age: Unknown Gender: Unknown...and possibly irrelevent. Species: Trygon Height: 6-7 Feet in base form Occupation: Mimetic Ambush Predator Residence: Anywhere that is capable of sustaining complex life...and a few areas that are not.
Physical Description:
A lean species, by nature, the Trygon are taut in muscular development. Their high metabolism wastes nothing at all. They are humanoid in the sense of having two legs, two arms, and a head...and that's about it. Barely anything else could even be considered remotely human, including their posture, though they will stand upright as well as on all-fours.
The body of a Trygon is thus... A gray-purple body, standing with toe-claws and back-talons on the feet, while numerous other toes on either side of the foot may grip the ground. The legs are built for leaping, vaulting, and running, with double-jointed knees for flexibility, meaning that they can work on their own or along with the double-joined arms with equal efficiency. They would therefore be adept to multiple terrains, perhaps only struggling in a desert for traction, as they would easily swim in water. Their general muscular build leans more towards the athletic than in brute strength, although this can...change. The hands of a Trygon are an oddity, much like their feet. There is no true rhyme or reason as to how many claws they have in comparison to simply muscular digits. One could have five total toe-claws and the rest normal toes, but a hand full of razors on one hand and two on the other hand, say. And the next Trygon will be different. The reason for this has been determined to be a matter of maturity. A fully-matured Trygon will have a full set.
The head of a Trygon is a nightmare. They are named as they are for their trinocular vision (three eyes, two where most humanoids keep them and one in the forehead), and these slitted eyes change color. They don't seem to require blinking, and only do to protect their vision from damage, like if an object is coming right at their face...assuming they don't destroy said object. Still, this won't distract you from the mouth full of needle-like teeth that are geared for rapid chewing, flanks by two sets of mandibles. Trygon devour prey quickly, the mandibles pulling in their victim to the teeth like a conveyor belt pulling things towards a grinder. All of this is wound within a neat package of skin similar to that of a shark or a smooth-scaled reptile...though they are a warm-blooded species...and their blood is gray.
Trygon also change form, sometimes on a regular basis. More on this below.
Personality:
It's kind of hard to know their personality, sometiimes. They are intelligent, not merely animals. If you were to actually hold a conversation with one and asked what their species was like, as a whole, it would actually be hard to tell you for one very good reason. They don't know. Trygon have no past. As far as they can tell, they are born with a predatory instinct and commit to it for survival until they have absorbed enough 'echoes' from other species to begin thinking for themselves. This is apparently due to their mimetic nature. They are born an immature member of the species, consume other species to gain more insight, and eventually grow to become fully-functional beings.
An immature Trygon cannot be reasoned with. Even the ones who have reasoning power before full maturity can be considered belligerent and driven by the kind of rage or fear or other feelings that can drive a human to disaster. They are foreign and horrifying to any species that exists, ergo they find it hard to believe in a co-existence, only a predator-prey relationship. A mature Trygon can be considered far more reasonable, though they can still fall prey to personality quirks. Remember, their lines of reasoning are built upon the people and creatures of their surroundings. If y'all are paranoid and mistrusting, it seems unlikely that the Trygon will be better.
One curiosity of the species is that it approaches emotional reaction differently. A Trygon does not feel angry, or happy, or sad, per se. It holds elements of alot of this in a complicated manner. It can be apprehensive, wary, and intently focused without actually being afraid. All of its emotions are a utility, for which it must assemble to CREATE a raw emotional response, which can lead to even a conversation with them getting weird. A learner, a Trygon with a supernatural quick-learning ability, will process this alot faster and understand emotional responses much easier. What it does with these, however, is up in the air.
Magic/Abilities:
General Capabilities - What you can expect from a Trygon in general is speed and agility in primary, strength in secondary. They have great mobility, flexibility, and agility. Their strength in base form can overcome a human being, normally, without supreme effort. When faced with a physically powerful specimen, they're looking to take any advantage they can find. Remember that this is an ambush predator, which means that surprise and sneak tactics are better for it than bull-rushing into a situation. Their claws are dense bone and saber-like in nature, and they have enough technique to use them with as much surgical precision as gouging brutality in that area. The hearing of a Trygon is...reasonable. Eardrums are located in the head with no visible ears. Nevertheless, they hear alright. Their sight...is extremely detailed. Once they spot you...fog, darkness, and other passive obscuring methods probably won't work. Eye contact must be broken.
Metamorphosis - Each member of the species possesses the aability to create a new form for itself by devouring significant portions (usually the organs) of a complex creature. In the event of a creature being very small, multiple versions of it may be required before a transformation is initiated. The mimetic properties of a Trygon are such that it can become what it devours. It does not copy the personality of exact form of what it eats. It creates a new form based upon it. (The third eye is generally masked.) So, if a human is eaten, it creates a new human form. This eliminates the need for trying to pretend you're someone that you're not, even though some memories, instincts, and information will be passed on to the Trygon. From here, the Trygon looks like the creature it's eaten and can act like one properly. It will be stronger, though, especially if it goes hybrid-form, with the face and limbs of the Trygon adding to the shape it was once taking. Once a creature is devoured, it can switch back and forth from it as needed until the next devouring, where it settles into a new one. And speaking of which, it cannot shrink down tiny. If a Trygon swallows a beehive, you will be facing a gigantic bee, no question.
The Three Eyes - Kind of like a Beholder, Trygon carry power in their eyes. They're often changing from green to red to gold...when they're not using the color that their current form had. Regardless of the form, when a Trygon's eyes change color, you watch out. Results my vary on the form of the power involved, but their eyes have three basic 'elements' of power...which are death, chaos, and enlightenment. For instance, one might have the ability to cause disorientation in the senses when green, learn something of the physical nature of a being or object when yellow, and rip energy from organic substances (especially if the creature is dead) when red. On the other hand, another could enslave animals with insanity, cause a psychic burst of power with enlightenment, and cause necrotic damage with death. An inherently chaotic species, half the trouble of a Trygon is figuring them and their abilities out.
History:
Yes...this is a tricky one.
As far as anyone knows, and this includes the Trygon themselves, these beings fell right out of the sky. The exact truth of that statement is that they were all encased in meteors that failed to burn up or break up when plunging down towards the planet. They emerged and began hunting, and then half of their lives were thinking that they were the thing they devoured while the other half knew that they were not. It can be a little hard at times to realize what you are or are not, depending on what occurs in your life. The Trygon lived, therefore, as the sort of bogeyman of 'What if whom you speak to is not whom you think they are?'. For a while, they were thought as doppelgangers, shapeshifters, and other form-changing beasts. However, due to their unusual nature, it had to be accepted that they were their own species, their owm special kind of threat.
The Trygon live as both predatory and paranoid beings. They merge into whatever sort of culture their form is associated with and try their damnedest not to be outed as something they're not. This was hard since the blood changes to fit the species too. Of course, those who sometimes forget who they are have shocking moments upon discovery that they aren't what they thought they were. Inevitably, though, they all get over it. Other beings are merely a suit to wear and learn more about the world around them...and to hunt. Really, there isn't much to tell about their history because that's precisely what the more intelligent ones have been trying to figure out. It's a culture of creatures with no actual past to look in on, hence why they're taking so much from every other form they assume.
@Doc Doctor I kinda' like this guy's style, and his abilities remind me of the people of a sci-fi organization I created. (That is, they achieved through genetic engineering what Gonad does with his body naturally.) I like the detail you put into this guy. Did you draw the picture, as well?
@Winter Star12 Quick question: Since we're both showing an interest, can this be done between three people? Like, would you or any of the forum rules object to that?
Both of you: Sorry for the delay in reply here. Apart from a busy weekend and such, I had to think about what I wanted to use here. I wanted to field something that fit the mood. I've used these in modern and fantasy settings.
This is not so much a character sheet as a species template.
Name: Unknown Age: Unknown Gender: Unknown...and possibly irrelevent. Species: Trygon Height: 6-7 Feet in base form Occupation: Mimetic Ambush Predator Residence: Anywhere that is capable of sustaining complex life...and a few areas that are not.
Physical Description:
A lean species, by nature, the Trygon are taut in muscular development. Their high metabolism wastes nothing at all. They are humanoid in the sense of having two legs, two arms, and a head...and that's about it. Barely anything else could even be considered remotely human, including their posture, though they will stand upright as well as on all-fours.
The body of a Trygon is thus... A gray-purple body, standing with toe-claws and back-talons on the feet, while numerous other toes on either side of the foot may grip the ground. The legs are built for leaping, vaulting, and running, with double-jointed knees for flexibility, meaning that they can work on their own or along with the double-joined arms with equal efficiency. They would therefore be adept to multiple terrains, perhaps only struggling in a desert for traction, as they would easily swim in water. Their general muscular build leans more towards the athletic than in brute strength, although this can...change. The hands of a Trygon are an oddity, much like their feet. There is no true rhyme or reason as to how many claws they have in comparison to simply muscular digits. One could have five total toe-claws and the rest normal toes, but a hand full of razors on one hand and two on the other hand, say. And the next Trygon will be different. The reason for this has been determined to be a matter of maturity. A fully-matured Trygon will have a full set.
The head of a Trygon is a nightmare. They are named as they are for their trinocular vision (three eyes, two where most humanoids keep them and one in the forehead), and these slitted eyes change color. They don't seem to require blinking, and only do to protect their vision from damage, like if an object is coming right at their face...assuming they don't destroy said object. Still, this won't distract you from the mouth full of needle-like teeth that are geared for rapid chewing, flanks by two sets of mandibles. Trygon devour prey quickly, the mandibles pulling in their victim to the teeth like a conveyor belt pulling things towards a grinder. All of this is wound within a neat package of skin similar to that of a shark or a smooth-scaled reptile...though they are a warm-blooded species...and their blood is gray.
Trygon also change form, sometimes on a regular basis. More on this below.
Personality:
It's kind of hard to know their personality, sometiimes. They are intelligent, not merely animals. If you were to actually hold a conversation with one and asked what their species was like, as a whole, it would actually be hard to tell you for one very good reason. They don't know. Trygon have no past. As far as they can tell, they are born with a predatory instinct and commit to it for survival until they have absorbed enough 'echoes' from other species to begin thinking for themselves. This is apparently due to their mimetic nature. They are born an immature member of the species, consume other species to gain more insight, and eventually grow to become fully-functional beings.
An immature Trygon cannot be reasoned with. Even the ones who have reasoning power before full maturity can be considered belligerent and driven by the kind of rage or fear or other feelings that can drive a human to disaster. They are foreign and horrifying to any species that exists, ergo they find it hard to believe in a co-existence, only a predator-prey relationship. A mature Trygon can be considered far more reasonable, though they can still fall prey to personality quirks. Remember, their lines of reasoning are built upon the people and creatures of their surroundings. If y'all are paranoid and mistrusting, it seems unlikely that the Trygon will be better.
One curiosity of the species is that it approaches emotional reaction differently. A Trygon does not feel angry, or happy, or sad, per se. It holds elements of alot of this in a complicated manner. It can be apprehensive, wary, and intently focused without actually being afraid. All of its emotions are a utility, for which it must assemble to CREATE a raw emotional response, which can lead to even a conversation with them getting weird. A learner, a Trygon with a supernatural quick-learning ability, will process this alot faster and understand emotional responses much easier. What it does with these, however, is up in the air.
Magic/Abilities:
General Capabilities - What you can expect from a Trygon in general is speed and agility in primary, strength in secondary. They have great mobility, flexibility, and agility. Their strength in base form can overcome a human being, normally, without supreme effort. When faced with a physically powerful specimen, they're looking to take any advantage they can find. Remember that this is an ambush predator, which means that surprise and sneak tactics are better for it than bull-rushing into a situation. Their claws are dense bone and saber-like in nature, and they have enough technique to use them with as much surgical precision as gouging brutality in that area. The hearing of a Trygon is...reasonable. Eardrums are located in the head with no visible ears. Nevertheless, they hear alright. Their sight...is extremely detailed. Once they spot you...fog, darkness, and other passive obscuring methods probably won't work. Eye contact must be broken.
Metamorphosis - Each member of the species possesses the aability to create a new form for itself by devouring significant portions (usually the organs) of a complex creature. In the event of a creature being very small, multiple versions of it may be required before a transformation is initiated. The mimetic properties of a Trygon are such that it can become what it devours. It does not copy the personality of exact form of what it eats. It creates a new form based upon it. (The third eye is generally masked.) So, if a human is eaten, it creates a new human form. This eliminates the need for trying to pretend you're someone that you're not, even though some memories, instincts, and information will be passed on to the Trygon. From here, the Trygon looks like the creature it's eaten and can act like one properly. It will be stronger, though, especially if it goes hybrid-form, with the face and limbs of the Trygon adding to the shape it was once taking. Once a creature is devoured, it can switch back and forth from it as needed until the next devouring, where it settles into a new one. And speaking of which, it cannot shrink down tiny. If a Trygon swallows a beehive, you will be facing a gigantic bee, no question.
The Three Eyes - Kind of like a Beholder, Trygon carry power in their eyes. They're often changing from green to red to gold...when they're not using the color that their current form had. Regardless of the form, when a Trygon's eyes change color, you watch out. Results my vary on the form of the power involved, but their eyes have three basic 'elements' of power...which are death, chaos, and enlightenment. For instance, one might have the ability to cause disorientation in the senses when green, learn something of the physical nature of a being or object when yellow, and rip energy from organic substances (especially if the creature is dead) when red. On the other hand, another could enslave animals with insanity, cause a psychic burst of power with enlightenment, and cause necrotic damage with death. An inherently chaotic species, half the trouble of a Trygon is figuring them and their abilities out.
History:
Yes...this is a tricky one.
As far as anyone knows, and this includes the Trygon themselves, these beings fell right out of the sky. The exact truth of that statement is that they were all encased in meteors that failed to burn up or break up when plunging down towards the planet. They emerged and began hunting, and then half of their lives were thinking that they were the thing they devoured while the other half knew that they were not. It can be a little hard at times to realize what you are or are not, depending on what occurs in your life. The Trygon lived, therefore, as the sort of bogeyman of 'What if whom you speak to is not whom you think they are?'. For a while, they were thought as doppelgangers, shapeshifters, and other form-changing beasts. However, due to their unusual nature, it had to be accepted that they were their own species, their owm special kind of threat.
The Trygon live as both predatory and paranoid beings. They merge into whatever sort of culture their form is associated with and try their damnedest not to be outed as something they're not. This was hard since the blood changes to fit the species too. Of course, those who sometimes forget who they are have shocking moments upon discovery that they aren't what they thought they were. Inevitably, though, they all get over it. Other beings are merely a suit to wear and learn more about the world around them...and to hunt. Really, there isn't much to tell about their history because that's precisely what the more intelligent ones have been trying to figure out. It's a culture of creatures with no actual past to look in on, hence why they're taking so much from every other form they assume.
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