Bestiary

From a distance, the aigamuxa might be mistaken for a normal man. He has a head, two arms, a torso, and two legs. When someone approaches, though, it’s clear that he’s anything but normal. Perhaps his arms are too long, or the witness glimpses his long fingers, ending in sharp nails, or maybe they hear the sound of his feverish snarls and snorts. Certainly, the lack of eyes on his face is a clue to this creature’s uncanny nature. No, the aigamuxa doesn’t look at all normal up close. But then again, by the time you realize that fact, it’s probably too late.

Aigamuxa has his eyes on the soles of his feet. Blind while standing still, he relies on scent and hearing to tell when someone else is near. His perceptions are keen enough to smell the differences between a human and an animal from far away — and he much prefers the meat of a person over that of an animal. When pursuing prey, he hops up onto his hands and runs using his arms, not his legs. With his long limbs, he can chase that person far faster than they can run, particularly if they struggle with the sandy dunes of the aigamuxa’s desert territory; how he keeps that sand out of the eyes on his feet is one of those mysteries whose answers wait beyond the shell of rationality. Like so many legendary creatures, the aigamuxa exists beyond logic, in the space between fevered dreams and vibrant life.

Once the aigamuxa captures his prey, he’ll crush it into a sack of skin and shattered bones, then use sharp teeth to tear meat from the body. The best way to escape this fate involves waiting until the beast is standing, blinded, on its feet. If the prey remains silent and doesn’t move, it won’t disturb the air and attract the aigamuxa’s notice. To elude his sense of smell, the target needs to use stinky natural materials, like animal feces or mud, to obscure its own scent. Once the aigamuxa stands on its hands to use its eyes, though, the target has a chance to run — it’s hard to grab when he’s running on his hands. Once he knows its scent and can return to his feet, unless it manages to escape him completely, it’s only a matter of time before it becomes his next meal.

Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 4, Stamina 3, Charisma 1, Manipulation 3, Appearance 1, Perception 4, Intelligence 3, Wits 3

Abilities: Alertness 3, Athletics 4, Awareness 3, Brawl 3, Intimidation 3, Stealth 4, Survival 2, Investigation 3

Willpower: 5

Rage: 3 (from Ferocity Advantage)

Health Levels: OK, ‒1, ‒1, ‒2, ‒2, ‒5, Incapacitated

Armor Rating: 0 (three soak dice, total)

Powers/Advantages: An aigamuxa grapples (Strength bashing damage), body slams (Strength + 2 lethal damage), and then bites (Strength + 1 lethal) and squeezes its prey until the victim dies. / Alacrity (2 pts.); Fangs and Claws; Ferocity (6 pts.); Needleteeth; Nightsight

Image: Larger in build and stature than a normal human being, an aigamuxa’s distended torso and limbs give him a grotesque physicality. His nails and teeth are long and mangled, and his face is devoid of eyes.

Roleplaying Notes: Sense, stalk, feed, repeat.