CREATURES: PUPPET TREE ~ PYTH

PYTH 9 (27)

Immense and only partly material, active pyths seem intent on winning an aeons-long
game that is inscrutable to other beings. Their origin is unknown, but they are obviously
remnants of a prior age. They retain their motivation and purpose, despite being scattered
and, in some cases, reduced to mere scraps of information coded into an artifact or oddity.
Nothing distinguishes these items from other objects of their kind until they are used, at
which time the pyth stored within them is activated and manifests.
When active, the 30-foot (9 m) tall body of a pyth is composed of silvery strands of light,
partly immaterial. A pyth’s chest forms a transparent pane on which images or symbols are If a pyth is destroyed,
displayed. all creatures in a radius
Motive: Dominate other pyths of 1 mile (2 km) are
bathed in a flood of
Environment: Active in ruins in the void and on Earth; inactive almost anywhere unfiltered memories so
Health: 90 overwhelming that they
Damage Inflicted: 10 points must succeed on an
Movement: Long Intellect defense task.
Modifications: Speed defense as level 7 due to size. On a success, a victim
Combat: A pyth can batter two different foes (or the same takes 1 point of Intellect
damage but can recall
foe) as a single action. At the same time, the pyth one piece of information
can call upon its impressive psychic abilities, from the flood as if
attacking creatures within long range. Targets having connected to the
who fail an Intellect defense task suffer 3 datasphere. On a failure,
points of Intellect damage and must succeed a victim takes 4 points
of Intellect damage and
on a Might defense task or move one step
is stunned and unable
down the damage track. to take actions for one
Alternatively, a pyth can psychically target all round due to the intensity
creatures within immediate range. Targets of the memory flood.
who fail an Intellect defense task are
teleported to a location chosen by the
pyth. The destination could be anywhere
on Earth, in the void around Earth, or
much farther away. Sometimes a pyth
chooses this option to brush away
annoying creatures, teleporting them
just far enough so it can’t perceive
them. A pyth may instead decide to
be punitive and teleport creatures to
particularly dangerous locations.
Using this same ability, a pyth can also
teleport willing creatures to locations on Mozck automaton,
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its behalf, if negotiations lead to such an
outcome.
Interaction: Pyths communicate best by GM Intrusion: A PC
who takes damage
triggering relevant memories in characters
from the pyth’s mental
in response to their questions—sometimes attack doesn’t move one
memories the characters never had previously. step down the damage
Sometimes a pyth decides that characters could be track. Instead, she fights
useful for getting the better of a rival pyth, and it for one minute as the
sets the PCs on a task in return for something pyth’s ally thanks to a
new suite of memories,
they want or need.
but she can attempt a
Use: A pyth asks that the PCs bring it a new Intellect defense
functioning Mozck automaton (or a once- roll every few rounds to
infected piece of such a being). throw off the effect.

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