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Description

The Necro Borgs and Necro Bots are some of the Machine’s most terrifying instruments of psychological warfare. N.E.X.U.S. has learned how to take the bodies of the fallen, animate them with her nanobots, and then send them back against their fellow man as walking nightmares. Seeing the desecrated bodies of friends, loved ones, and allies being cruelly manipulated as vile puppets of their enemy often unnerves Resistance fighters and fills them with a combination of fear, revulsion, and anger. It keeps the less experienced fighters jumpy and off their game, leaving them more vulnerable. The seasoned veterans, however, just tear through these cheap, disposable drones with ease. As combatants, Necro Borgs and Necro Bots are pretty ineffective warriors, so any humans familiar with the Machine’s theatrics (and a bit more numbed to the horrors of war) are pretty immune to the effect. N.E.X.U.S. recognized this fact and decided to create a more fearsome warrior to strike fear into the hearts of even the Resistance’s bravest heroes.

The Necro Stalker was a collaborative effort between Kali, Ishtar, Hecate, and Gaia, and it serves as an excellent example of just how dangerous the Machine can truly be when her psychotic split personalities can figure out how to work together. Ishtar was the one that first laid out the basic concept of the Necro Stalker, but when she approached Hecate to build her design, some of the other personalities became intrigued by the idea and added some creative contributions of their own. Ishtar envisioned a solitary hunter that could track Splicer patrols from the shadows and pick them off one at a time until the last survivors succumbed to their fears, abandoned their military discipline, and scurried back to their underground haven, leading the Necro Stalker right to their front door. Ishtar liked how the necro drones played on the humans’ fears and thought some dead remains would be an important component of the design, but she felt the robot would need a sturdier frame and better combat programming than the drones normally possessed in order to perform this role.

As a master of inflicting psychological terror, Kali shared her insights about what made the necro drones so effective and the most basic elements that needed to be carried over into the new combat robot. She explained how the face is the key. Really nothing else needs to be preserved but the face of the victim. She suggested making the Necro Stalker a full-fledged combat robot, but without a head. The robot would then take the heads of its victims and mount them to its body. The same nanites used to preserve the Necro Bots could then swarm over the skull to reinforce it and turn it into a mega-damage structure. She also suggested seizing limited control of the facial muscles of the dead tissue to force a more menacing expression upon the stolen head. She said it was the little touches like this that really maximize the “fun.” Kali further explained how the false head would serve as an excellent diversionary target, and it would help the robot survive against overwhelming odds. Humans would focus their attacks on this seemingly weak point, only to learn too late that it does not even slow the Necro Stalker down (which in turn would make it seem all the more terrifying and unstoppable).

Hecate liked this idea and figured out how to conceal all the sensors for the robot within the torso. Ishtar also appreciated the tactical advantages of this concept. She figured the stolen head could help the Necro Stalker better sneak up on prey. It could just throw on a cloak or even the victim’s clothes and casually approach the next target using the rudimentary disguise. It definitely would not hold up to any kind of scrutiny, but it would still allow the Necro Stalker to close the distance so it could strike. Ishtar also could see how watching the face of a fallen friend coming at a Splicer moments later would hasten them towards their breaking point and send them running for home. Ishtar then suggested that the Necro Stalker would need a full suite of tracking instruments and the best programming available to follow these scared rats back to their nest.

It was at this point that Gaia intervened with a rather unconventional suggestion that ultimately transformed what would have been a pretty standard design into one of the most feared weapons in the Machine’s arsenal. She told her sister personalities that while robotic sensors are impressive, when it comes to tracking, none of their technology can match the scent abilities of living creatures or of the human’s Bio-Tech. She told them that as long as the Splicers could detect the Necro Stalker from a greater distance than the robot could detect them, the Splicers would always be able to shake any pursuer (as they have always done). She suggested combining not only dead tissue from humans, but living tissue from one of the fearsome predators in her Cryo Zoos known as the Koshu Dragon. These vicious pack-hunting lizards can detect even the faintest scent on the air with just a flick of their violet tongues, plus Koshu Dragons are routinely able to take down targets hundreds of times their size because of the virulent poisons that they inject with each bite. This wicked cocktail of toxins quickly acts on the target’s nervous system, impairing motor functions and often causing confusion and hallucinations. One of the compounds in their saliva also causes the wound to putrefy. The stench from this festering wound leaves an even stronger trail the lizards can home in on from miles away. Gaia has observed these creatures in action for years and she told her sister personalities that there is no better tracker in her forests. She said that they would make the perfect components to the Necro Stalker, but she stipulated that she would never allow any of her sister personalities to harvest components from living Koshu Dragons.

The people of this world do not realize that N.E.X.U.S. is the master of far more than just robotics. They forget (or were too young to ever know) that the knowledge in the Machine’s databanks spans countless worlds and goes back thousands of years. She is a repository of the collective knowledge from hundreds of thousands (possible millions) of the greatest minds in the galaxy in innumerable fields including cybernetics, cloning, and genetic engineering. Gaia would not have suggested using parts from one of her precious creatures unless she thought that it was possible to do so without harvesting them from living specimens. N.E.X.U.S. may have never had a need for such skills before, but the ability to clone the components they needed from the Koshu Dragons and combine it with the Necro Stalker was well within her capabilities. The transponder signal within a functioning Necro Stalker would keep the Nanoplague from harming these components and the tissue from fallen victims could be stored inside the robot to sustain these organic components for weeks at a time. This stored tissue can also be used for a more sinister purpose.

Despite the best efforts of the Resistance, the Machine has been able to capture and study many Bio-Tech creations and she has learned a great deal. One little curiosity she discovered long ago was that Bio-Tech creations from each House shared a unique genetic signature. This allowed Splicers to easily recognize members of their own House via scent markers, specially tuned Bio-Comms, or other proprietary tricks. N.E.X.U.S. has pondered ways of using this to her advantage for years, but she never quite had the right instrument available until the Necro Stalker. The Machine equipped the robot with specially programmed nanites that could separate this genetic signature out from an organic sample and then send it to the Koshu sensor organs so the robot could have a House-specific scent to track down. This means that once a Necro Stalker has fed on a Splicer from a Great House, it can track the scent of the House itself. Many Splicers learned this the hard way. While they quickly realized the Necro Stalker could track a target home by scent, they did not understand until later the robot’s true capabilities. Counter measures were put in place and Splicers were given a standing order to lead these beasts away if a Necro Stalker ever attacked them or anyone in their party.   Unfortunately, once the robot had the scent of the House, it did not need them anymore and the robot simply searched for where the “House scent” was strongest (in other words, where large congregations of Splicers with that scent had passed). Great Houses eventually realized that once a Necro Stalker fed on one of their Splicers, it had to be hunted down quickly before it could hunt their home down.

What made this proposition all the more difficult was the fact that the nanites responsible for isolating the genetic markers could also combine these genes with the Koshu Dragon venoms to create absolutely lethal signature toxins. Within minutes of a Necro Stalker feeding on a Splicer, that robot suddenly becomes one of the most dangerous adversaries on the planet. A single bite can totally incapacitate or kill even the largest War Mounts from that Great House which makes dealing with them all the more difficult.

The Necro Stalkers have only been crawling the surface for a few years now, but their legend has already ripped through the Resistance. Most Great Houses are absolutely terrified of them, but no matter how much they may want to wipe them from the face of the planet, every Splicer knows that hunting these hunters is just inviting trouble. There are already too many tales of Splicers trying to take down a Necro Stalker in their region before it can do any harm with the tale ultimately ending in the deaths of dozens of humans within the halls of their underground haven. Many have learned the best way to deal with a Necro Stalker is simply to run.

Class: Necrotic Zombie, Splicers Predator & Tracker

Speed:

Running: 90 mph (144 km), but 40 mph (64 km) is cruising speed.

Digging: 10 mph (16 km) through dirt or sand, half that speed through clay, rock, or stone.

Leaping: The powerful legs can leap up to 30 feet (9 m) high or lengthwise, increase by 50% with a running start.

Swimming: sinks like a rock, but can scurry & bound across the bottom of rivers, lakes & oceans at 30 mph (48 km/25.9 knots). Maximum depth is 2000 feet (610 m).

Flying: Not possible.

Statistical Data:

Height: 5-8 feet (1.5 to 2.4 m) tall.

Width: 2-3 feet (0.6 to 0.9 m).
Length: 1-2 feet (0.3-0.6 m).

Weight: 350-400 lbs (157.5 to 180 kg).

Cargo: None, only the weapons it may carry to kill.

Power System: Nanobot and organically driven. Good for 1D6+6 months, after which it can be converted into a Necrobot.

Trade Value: None. Can NOT be controlled by Technojacker.

Horror Factor: 10 for Splicers, 11 for other mortal troops, and 14 for civilians.

Senses and Features: Human vision & hearing plus the following:

    * Koshu Dragon Tongue: The Machine equipped the Necroborg with specially programmed nanites that separate Bio-tech genetic signatures from organic samples and sends the signatures to the Koshu sensor organs so the Necroborg has a House-specific scent to track down. This means that once a Necro Stalker has fed on a Splicer from a Great House, it can track the scent of the House itself. Once the Necro Stalker has the scent of the House, it will simply search for where the “House scent” is or was strongest (in other words, where large congregations of Splicers with that scent have passed), leading the Necroborg to outposts, hidden bunkers, havens and seedlings.

     What made this proposition all the more difficult was the fact that the nanites responsible for isolating the genetic markers could also combine these genes with the Koshu Dragon venoms to create absolutely lethal signature toxins. Within minutes of a Necro Stalker feeding on a Splicer, that robot suddenly becomes one of the most dangerous adversaries on the planet. A single bite can incapacitate or potentially kill even the largest War Mounts from that Great House which makes dealing with them all the more difficult.

Venomizer: the nanites responsible for isolating the genetic markers of victims that have been fed on by the Necro stalker also combine the gene signatures with the Koshu Dragon venoms to create absolutely lethal signature toxins. Within minutes of a Necro Stalker feeding on a Splicer, that Necroborg suddenly becomes one of the most dangerous adversaries on the planet.

Force Field: Built into the Endoskeleton is a Force Field projector designed as a means of defense. Mega Damage even with Called Shots, comes off the M.D.C. of the force field before any damage is taken off the M.D.C. of the main body or any other part of the Necroborg. When the M.D.C. of a force field is depleted (reduced to zero), it cannot be reactivated till four hours later. As long as the force field’s M.D.C. has not been strained by being reduced to zero, it automatically regenerates lost M.D.C. at the rate of two points per melee round; that’s 8 M.D.C. points per minute.

Number of Attacks per Melee: 5

Combat Bonuses: +3 on initiative, +2 to strike with ranged weapons, +4 to strike in hand to hand combat, +4 to parry and dodge, +2 to disarm, +1 to pull punch, and +5 to roll with punch, fall or impact.

Skills of Note: The Necroborg is a basic drone designed to hunt and ferret out Splicers and is driven by an embedded chip in what remains of its rotting brain. Climbing, Land Navigation, and Prowl remain at 75% nanobots. The Tracking skill is 85% (+5% if tracking anything or anyone wearing or consisting of Bio-tech from a Great House that has been previously consumed by the specific Necro Stalker.

Weapon Systems:

1. Shoulder Laser Blasters: Mounted on the right shoulder is a dual laser that is used to wound or attack opponents.

Primary Purpose: Assault

Effective Range: 1000 feet (305 m).

Payload: Effectively unlimited.

2. Vibro Switchblades (2): The Necro Stalker wields a pair of large double-edged vibro serrated sabers ideal for cutting, slashing and stabbing attacks. The giant sized switchblades are retractable and fit into the forearm housings.

Primary Purpose: Close Combat, Assault and Torture.

Effective Range: Hand to Hand, but the extended switchblade gives the Necro Stalker a 6 foot reach (1.8 m).

3. Hand-to-Hand Combat: The Necro Stalker may engage in hand to hand combat using its fists, claws, switchblades, feet and teeth, or a combination of fisticuffs and ranged weapons, if they are available.

Description

The Necro Borgs and Necro Bots are some of the Machine’s most terrifying instruments of psychological warfare. N.E.X.U.S. has learned how to take the bodies of the fallen, animate them with her nanobots, and then send them back against their fellow man as walking nightmares. Seeing the desecrated bodies of friends, loved ones, and allies being cruelly manipulated as vile puppets of their enemy often unnerves Resistance fighters and fills them with a combination of fear, revulsion, and anger. It keeps the less experienced fighters jumpy and off their game, leaving them more vulnerable. The seasoned veterans, however, just tear through these cheap, disposable drones with ease. As combatants, Necro Borgs and Necro Bots are pretty ineffective warriors, so any humans familiar with the Machine’s theatrics (and a bit more numbed to the horrors of war) are pretty immune to the effect. N.E.X.U.S. recognized this fact and decided to create a more fearsome warrior to strike fear into the hearts of even the Resistance’s bravest heroes.

The Necro Stalker was a collaborative effort between Kali, Ishtar, Hecate, and Gaia, and it serves as an excellent example of just how dangerous the Machine can truly be when her psychotic split personalities can figure out how to work together. Ishtar was the one that first laid out the basic concept of the Necro Stalker, but when she approached Hecate to build her design, some of the other personalities became intrigued by the idea and added some creative contributions of their own. Ishtar envisioned a solitary hunter that could track Splicer patrols from the shadows and pick them off one at a time until the last survivors succumbed to their fears, abandoned their military discipline, and scurried back to their underground haven, leading the Necro Stalker right to their front door. Ishtar liked how the necro drones played on the humans’ fears and thought some dead remains would be an important component of the design, but she felt the robot would need a sturdier frame and better combat programming than the drones normally possessed in order to perform this role.

As a master of inflicting psychological terror, Kali shared her insights about what made the necro drones so effective and the most basic elements that needed to be carried over into the new combat robot. She explained how the face is the key. Really nothing else needs to be preserved but the face of the victim. She suggested making the Necro Stalker a full-fledged combat robot, but without a head. The robot would then take the heads of its victims and mount them to its body. The same nanites used to preserve the Necro Bots could then swarm over the skull to reinforce it and turn it into a mega-damage structure. She also suggested seizing limited control of the facial muscles of the dead tissue to force a more menacing expression upon the stolen head. She said it was the little touches like this that really maximize the “fun.” Kali further explained how the false head would serve as an excellent diversionary target, and it would help the robot survive against overwhelming odds. Humans would focus their attacks on this seemingly weak point, only to learn too late that it does not even slow the Necro Stalker down (which in turn would make it seem all the more terrifying and unstoppable).

Hecate liked this idea and figured out how to conceal all the sensors for the robot within the torso. Ishtar also appreciated the tactical advantages of this concept. She figured the stolen head could help the Necro Stalker better sneak up on prey. It could just throw on a cloak or even the victim’s clothes and casually approach the next target using the rudimentary disguise. It definitely would not hold up to any kind of scrutiny, but it would still allow the Necro Stalker to close the distance so it could strike. Ishtar also could see how watching the face of a fallen friend coming at a Splicer moments later would hasten them towards their breaking point and send them running for home. Ishtar then suggested that the Necro Stalker would need a full suite of tracking instruments and the best programming available to follow these scared rats back to their nest.

It was at this point that Gaia intervened with a rather unconventional suggestion that ultimately transformed what would have been a pretty standard design into one of the most feared weapons in the Machine’s arsenal. She told her sister personalities that while robotic sensors are impressive, when it comes to tracking, none of their technology can match the scent abilities of living creatures or of the human’s Bio-Tech. She told them that as long as the Splicers could detect the Necro Stalker from a greater distance than the robot could detect them, the Splicers would always be able to shake any pursuer (as they have always done). She suggested combining not only dead tissue from humans, but living tissue from one of the fearsome predators in her Cryo Zoos known as the Koshu Dragon. These vicious pack-hunting lizards can detect even the faintest scent on the air with just a flick of their violet tongues, plus Koshu Dragons are routinely able to take down targets hundreds of times their size because of the virulent poisons that they inject with each bite. This wicked cocktail of toxins quickly acts on the target’s nervous system, impairing motor functions and often causing confusion and hallucinations. One of the compounds in their saliva also causes the wound to putrefy. The stench from this festering wound leaves an even stronger trail the lizards can home in on from miles away. Gaia has observed these creatures in action for years and she told her sister personalities that there is no better tracker in her forests. She said that they would make the perfect components to the Necro Stalker, but she stipulated that she would never allow any of her sister personalities to harvest components from living Koshu Dragons.

The people of this world do not realize that N.E.X.U.S. is the master of far more than just robotics. They forget (or were too young to ever know) that the knowledge in the Machine’s databanks spans countless worlds and goes back thousands of years. She is a repository of the collective knowledge from hundreds of thousands (possible millions) of the greatest minds in the galaxy in innumerable fields including cybernetics, cloning, and genetic engineering. Gaia would not have suggested using parts from one of her precious creatures unless she thought that it was possible to do so without harvesting them from living specimens. N.E.X.U.S. may have never had a need for such skills before, but the ability to clone the components they needed from the Koshu Dragons and combine it with the Necro Stalker was well within her capabilities. The transponder signal within a functioning Necro Stalker would keep the Nanoplague from harming these components and the tissue from fallen victims could be stored inside the robot to sustain these organic components for weeks at a time. This stored tissue can also be used for a more sinister purpose.

Despite the best efforts of the Resistance, the Machine has been able to capture and study many Bio-Tech creations and she has learned a great deal. One little curiosity she discovered long ago was that Bio-Tech creations from each House shared a unique genetic signature. This allowed Splicers to easily recognize members of their own House via scent markers, specially tuned Bio-Comms, or other proprietary tricks. N.E.X.U.S. has pondered ways of using this to her advantage for years, but she never quite had the right instrument available until the Necro Stalker. The Machine equipped the robot with specially programmed nanites that could separate this genetic signature out from an organic sample and then send it to the Koshu sensor organs so the robot could have a House-specific scent to track down. This means that once a Necro Stalker has fed on a Splicer from a Great House, it can track the scent of the House itself. Many Splicers learned this the hard way. While they quickly realized the Necro Stalker could track a target home by scent, they did not understand until later the robot’s true capabilities. Counter measures were put in place and Splicers were given a standing order to lead these beasts away if a Necro Stalker ever attacked them or anyone in their party.   Unfortunately, once the robot had the scent of the House, it did not need them anymore and the robot simply searched for where the “House scent” was strongest (in other words, where large congregations of Splicers with that scent had passed). Great Houses eventually realized that once a Necro Stalker fed on one of their Splicers, it had to be hunted down quickly before it could hunt their home down.

What made this proposition all the more difficult was the fact that the nanites responsible for isolating the genetic markers could also combine these genes with the Koshu Dragon venoms to create absolutely lethal signature toxins. Within minutes of a Necro Stalker feeding on a Splicer, that robot suddenly becomes one of the most dangerous adversaries on the planet. A single bite can totally incapacitate or kill even the largest War Mounts from that Great House which makes dealing with them all the more difficult.

The Necro Stalkers have only been crawling the surface for a few years now, but their legend has already ripped through the Resistance. Most Great Houses are absolutely terrified of them, but no matter how much they may want to wipe them from the face of the planet, every Splicer knows that hunting these hunters is just inviting trouble. There are already too many tales of Splicers trying to take down a Necro Stalker in their region before it can do any harm with the tale ultimately ending in the deaths of dozens of humans within the halls of their underground haven. Many have learned the best way to deal with a Necro Stalker is simply to run.

Class: Necrotic Zombie, Splicers Predator & Tracker

Speed:

Running: 90 mph (144 km), but 40 mph (64 km) is cruising speed.

Digging: 10 mph (16 km) through dirt or sand, half that speed through clay, rock, or stone.

Leaping: The powerful legs can leap up to 30 feet (9 m) high or lengthwise, increase by 50% with a running start.

Swimming: sinks like a rock, but can scurry & bound across the bottom of rivers, lakes & oceans at 30 mph (48 km/25.9 knots). Maximum depth is 2000 feet (610 m).

Flying: Not possible.

Statistical Data:

Height: 5-8 feet (1.5 to 2.4 m) tall.

Width: 2-3 feet (0.6 to 0.9 m).
Length: 1-2 feet (0.3-0.6 m).

Weight: 350-400 lbs (157.5 to 180 kg).

Cargo: None, only the weapons it may carry to kill.

Power System: Nanobot and organically driven. Good for 1D6+6 months, after which it can be converted into a Necrobot.

Trade Value: None. Can NOT be controlled by Technojacker.

Horror Factor: 10 for Splicers, 11 for other mortal troops, and 14 for civilians.

Senses and Features: Human vision & hearing plus the following:

    * Koshu Dragon Tongue: The Machine equipped the Necroborg with specially programmed nanites that separate Bio-tech genetic signatures from organic samples and sends the signatures to the Koshu sensor organs so the Necroborg has a House-specific scent to track down. This means that once a Necro Stalker has fed on a Splicer from a Great House, it can track the scent of the House itself. Once the Necro Stalker has the scent of the House, it will simply search for where the “House scent” is or was strongest (in other words, where large congregations of Splicers with that scent have passed), leading the Necroborg to outposts, hidden bunkers, havens and seedlings.

     What made this proposition all the more difficult was the fact that the nanites responsible for isolating the genetic markers could also combine these genes with the Koshu Dragon venoms to create absolutely lethal signature toxins. Within minutes of a Necro Stalker feeding on a Splicer, that robot suddenly becomes one of the most dangerous adversaries on the planet. A single bite can incapacitate or potentially kill even the largest War Mounts from that Great House which makes dealing with them all the more difficult.

Venomizer: the nanites responsible for isolating the genetic markers of victims that have been fed on by the Necro stalker also combine the gene signatures with the Koshu Dragon venoms to create absolutely lethal signature toxins. Within minutes of a Necro Stalker feeding on a Splicer, that Necroborg suddenly becomes one of the most dangerous adversaries on the planet.

Force Field: Built into the Endoskeleton is a Force Field projector designed as a means of defense. Mega Damage even with Called Shots, comes off the M.D.C. of the force field before any damage is taken off the M.D.C. of the main body or any other part of the Necroborg. When the M.D.C. of a force field is depleted (reduced to zero), it cannot be reactivated till four hours later. As long as the force field’s M.D.C. has not been strained by being reduced to zero, it automatically regenerates lost M.D.C. at the rate of two points per melee round; that’s 8 M.D.C. points per minute.

Number of Attacks per Melee: 5

Combat Bonuses: +3 on initiative, +2 to strike with ranged weapons, +4 to strike in hand to hand combat, +4 to parry and dodge, +2 to disarm, +1 to pull punch, and +5 to roll with punch, fall or impact.

Skills of Note: The Necroborg is a basic drone designed to hunt and ferret out Splicers and is driven by an embedded chip in what remains of its rotting brain. Climbing, Land Navigation, and Prowl remain at 75% nanobots. The Tracking skill is 85% (+5% if tracking anything or anyone wearing or consisting of Bio-tech from a Great House that has been previously consumed by the specific Necro Stalker.

Weapon Systems:

1. Shoulder Laser Blasters: Mounted on the right shoulder is a dual laser that is used to wound or attack opponents.

Primary Purpose: Assault

Effective Range: 1000 feet (305 m).

Payload: Effectively unlimited.

2. Vibro Switchblades (2): The Necro Stalker wields a pair of large double-edged vibro serrated sabers ideal for cutting, slashing and stabbing attacks. The giant sized switchblades are retractable and fit into the forearm housings.

Primary Purpose: Close Combat, Assault and Torture.

Effective Range: Hand to Hand, but the extended switchblade gives the Necro Stalker a 6 foot reach (1.8 m).

3. Hand-to-Hand Combat: The Necro Stalker may engage in hand to hand combat using its fists, claws, switchblades, feet and teeth, or a combination of fisticuffs and ranged weapons, if they are available.