Bestiary

Petryani are infected cephalopods who have developed a cold, malign sentience and a talent for mind control. They oversee the implementation of the Chulorvian agenda, moving from useful host to useful host and directing the more numerous Enfolded under their command. While Petryani normally focus on human

hosts, they’re not exclusively limited to them; in times of war, a Petryanos may bore into the cartilaginous skull of a shark, or enslave the mind and body of a killer whale to act as a living weapon.

It is worth noting that while Petryani can infect the humans they puppeteer, transforming them into Enfolded, the Petryani prefer to dispose of them once their useful-ness is ended. Generally, the Petryanos forces the host to swim far out to see, deep beneath the waves, and then disentangles itself and swims away, leaving the wounded host to drown. Nobody’s certain why the Petryani are selective in the spreading of the abyssal strain. Perhaps they fear exposure; perhaps initiating infection takes some great toll on them; perhaps they simply consider humans unworthy of elevation to the ranks of the Kraken-Born, and make no more Enfolded workers than they need.

Image: Petryani take the form of small cephalopods, most commonly nautili, octopi, and cuttlefish. They possess a few more tentacles than their mundane cousins do; these extras are long and slender, perfect for burrowing through a victim’s skull, and coiling around his brainstem. Petryani are almost never larger than a human head, all told. They can change color at will, and use this talent to conceal themselves both on and off of host bodies. Attributes: Strength 3-5, Dexterity 5, Stamina 3, Ma-

nipulation 4, Perception 4, Intelligence 4, Wits 4. Petryani use the host’s Charisma and Appearance; without a host, they possess 0 in both traits. Abilities: Alertness 2, Athletics 3, Brawl 3, Enigmas 2,

Occult 4, Stealth 5. Petryani may also use the Abilities of its host.

Health Levels

OK, –1, –2, –2, –5, Incapacitated Powers: Basic Chulorviah powers, Brain-Burrow, Im-

munity to the Delirium. To use Brain Burrow, the Petryanos must initiate a clinch and spend a Willpower point. This inflicts one level of lethal damage, as the Petryanos makes a hole in the base or back of the victim’s skull. Afterward, the Petryanos exercises full control over its victim’s body, while the victim’s mind remains fully conscious and helpless. The victim can attempt to gain control of his body for a few moments by spending a point of Willpower and making a Willpower roll at difficulty 9; each success grants one turn of free action. Petryani often deny a recalcitrant victim sleep for days on end in order to deplete their Willpower reserves.

Petryanos possession can be ended through Gifts such as Exorcism, or by driving away or surgically removing the Chulorviah. Simply ripping a Petryanos loose is possible with a successful grapple attempt, but rarely a good

idea, as the Chulorviah generally comes away with big chunks of grey matter grasped in its tentacles.

Notes

Petryani generally fight as the host body; in a pinch, they can grapple and bite for +1 lethal damage.