Haun

Psionics Summary

Psychokinesis - Science: telekinesis; Devotions: animate object, inertial barrier.

Telepathy - Science: mind link; Devotions: aversion, contact, inflict pain, invisibility, repugnance.

Hauns are chaotic ice worms with mental powers. They often parasite haundars which they use to travel outside their frozen tunnel lairs.

A haun looks like a furry gray maggot with occasional purple or black warts. Its small, slimy face is devoid of hair, and features two tiny black eyes and a mouth with serrated teeth. This fat worm undulates and jiggles like gelatin in order to move. Its internal organs create constant waves and swells visible underneath its skin. A haun often produces slight hums, growls, clicks, snaps, pops, and other chattering sounds, depending on its humor, which are its primary communication method. It can also use its psionic mindlink ability to communicate quietly.

A haun is only capable of a slow slither. However, once per turn it can compress its body, and release enough energy to leap up or forward. In this manner, it can leap forward up to 18 feet (3d6 feet) or upward up to 9 feet (1d6 +3 feet). A haun can burrow through ice at half its normal slithering speed.

Hauns are notorious parasites of the haundar. Haundar are huge slugs that hauns use, literally speaking, as moving fortresses. When one is found, a haun brood attempts to get closer and then leaps on its tail. From there, they can burrow under the haundar's thick armor. The brood usually carves out a hollow chamber under the thickest part of the armor on the haundar's back. This is done at no damage to the haundar, since this part of its body is mostly fat. The hauns cut out small slits into the carapace, in the manner of a fortress.

Hauns can spin silk to close off openings, fabricate warm, comfortable cocoons, or store food. Hauns are naturally incapable of making armor or using weapons or objects of any kind. They can, however, psionically animate objects.

Combat: The best hauns can physically do is force an opponent to fall over another haun strategically placed behind him, and try to bite him when on the floor. Hauns cannot bite anything higher than 2 feet above them because of their small size. Once per encounter, however, they may attack someone by leaping. Hauns always try to avoid getting personally caught in a melee. To attack foes, hauns much prefer riding inside their haundars. They direct the huge creatures to crush foes in their way.

As an alternative to psionics, hauns can once a day use shield, invisibility, scare, suggestion, and telekinesis. Otherwise, hauns use their psionic abilities to harm their foes. Initially, they remain invisible, and inflict pain or provoke repugnance among their foes. Otherwise, hauns activate their inertial barrier, and cause aversion while they attempt to flee.

Habitat/Society: Hauns live in tunnel networks in the ice. Several broods can share a large network. They are fiercely independent, and recognize no leader among them. Hauns are prone to incessant palaver and sudden, often short-lived quarrels that may or may not lead to a consensus decision (50% chance at best).

Hauns prey on sha'az eggs because they contain a substance reducing resistance to mental contact. The eggs allow automatic success for psionic contact and mindlink (except on a roll of 20), and so at half the required PSPs (Psionic Strength Points, rounded down) for a period of a week per egg. When inside the haundar, the parasites inject the egg's contents into the haundar's blood.

With these eggs, hauns easily establish and maintain a psionic mindlink with haundars and make it understand that if it does not obey, pain will soon follow. Haundar behavior ultimately changes after years of this treatment, and they become totally submissive. Owning a haundar is a status symbol among haun broods.

Ecology: Hauns feed on lichen and rotten flesh. They routinely slither through shallow tunnels, seeking carcasses left by predators.