species:phasma

Phasma

Phasma are an evolved race of bioweapons based on the template that The Mother of Many provided. They should not be engaged under any circumstances unless heavy firepower or a handler is available. The first iteration was an adaptation of the experimental Winter II chassis, but early-stage Phasma otherwise uses a custom skeletal framework (Usually an acorium blend when possible) for the bones combined with Sylt for everything else - if they follow the conversion mold, that is. When they develop humanoid forms, they tend towards femininity over masculinity, with androgyny being the closest they become to masculinity due to their original template. When they choose or develop more beastlike or monstrous bodies, the variance in shape increases immensely. Known entities can be found here.

Abilities Shortlist

  • Developed Phasma can create Thralls
  • Tendency towards obsession
  • Able to integrate new weapon, shield, and scanner systems given enough time and fleshmass.
  • Able to recompose internal parts from base components
  • Can and will eat other creatures, regardless of species.
  • Can and will eat other objects, regardless of solidity.
  • Does not play well with others.
  • Very, very hard to kill.
  • Passive Psionic influence. Effects may vary.
  • Active psionics are HIGHLY DANGEROUS, DO NOT ENGAGE WITHOUT PSIONIC DEFENCES.
  • DO NOT LET IT GET HARDLIGHT PROJECTORS.
  • Shit glows when they're angry. Steams too.
  • Generally attempts to devour or kill Sourcians on sight
  • A Phasma unit can either be “converted” using a neural read or made fresh.
  • There's an adjustment/growth period of around one month while they get used to their form.
  • They lack the complete adaptation ability in the first six to eighteen months of their life, having not gotten used to the Sylt's capabilities.1)
  • Beyond that point, they are in full control.
  • Mentally, they generally start childish and end up grim and inhuman.
  • Over time, Phasma become obsessed with someone or something - tangible or intangible. How they find this interest is entirely up to both chance and predisposition of the neural read. Metaphorical concepts aren't unlikely, such as true love or cleanliness - but physical concepts are much easier to enact, such as blood, light, and so on. Once the obsession seeds, it becomes increasingly possessive.
  • Possession manifests in hoarding, overprotectiveness to the point of destruction, and more.
  • Their bodies start doll-like and end up more machinelike/beast/plantlike, and then lead into something far beyond machine or beast or flora.

These traits are generally more applicable to fresh-style Phasma rather than conversion style, though there's some blending between the two as flavour needs.

Dermal

Phasma generally have skin with default a texture and appearance similar to a silicon/plastic blend, but they can change that at will. The base, stage 0 style Phasma maintain the appearance of an unclothed doll or a bodysuited one, but make no mistake - they don't wear clothes. There are hardened plates of metal (Connected to their skeleton directly) at key points over the body for ease of mounting mountable weapons and technology to. Components mounted onto the hardplates on their body change over time, and gain a coating personalized into the Phasma (Based on diet, personal choice, obsession, the “parent” phasma where applicable, and numerous other small factors like personality traits). This also applies to the skin itself, which is the first part to reform.

Mouth

Mouths on stage-0 Phasma units are completely sealed over when not in use. When the need arises, their flesh parts into lips and can extend as far as the back of the jaw. Their teeth may be formed of whatever metal they find, but the standard is titanium.

Voice

Their voices can range the usual sort of humanoid frequencies, but can also match the resonant frequencies of objects or blow out windows with a screech.

Ears

Phasma start out with simple, rounded pods where their ears should be, and then over time these grow customized like the rest of their body.

Face

Phasma start with regular noses and eyes as a standard feature reminiscent of their respective templates. Whether they keep either in their traditional form is entirely up to them. When enraged or otherwise heated up, their eyes and mouth have a tendency to vent steam

Body

Phasma begin life with relatively normal humanoid shapes2), though their arms and legs are slightly exaggerated lengths. As time goes on (See Dermal) Phasma learn to manifest weapons and accessories on their forms, which commonly may feature wings or thrusters, but also armor and guns. In place of blood, they have a water-based lubricant they store in their bodies for weapon maintenance and cooling, white in colour. It tends to spill out whenever they try to augment themselves. Physical augmentations and additions are added with the ease of surgery on the Phasma, splitting flesh with the touch of a fingertip. Personal fluids end up being a less-concentrated surface level of the lubricant, transluscent with iridiscent sparkles throughout. Additionally, like the face, the ribcage area can split into very narrow slits for venting of steam. It is very difficult to sever a limb, due to Sylt's innate self-cling properties. A simple longsword for example is not wide enough to clear a limb before it is able to stick to itself again: A cutting implement that makes a total clearance of both halves of the limb or part to be cut is required.

Average Height and Weight

Phasma can be anywhere from 4' to 12' tall. It is entirely up to their template's choice.

Senses

Phasma start with relatively high sense ability. They can sense vibrations in the air and smell through their skin. They can see exceptionally well with their eyes (including ultraviolet and infared), and can also detect radio waves and radiation. They have a very powerful tasting palette as well. But, the Phasma can gain additional senses by way of adaptations of tech they find or are given.

Organs

There's multiple organic powerplants throughout the body supplying electric and other forms of power where needed. Otherwise, normal bodily functions are handled by the Sylt. This includes waste and toxin management, which tries to break things down as much as possible for potential uses.

Immunology

Given their nature, Phasma cannot be poisoned with anything less than things on the far ends of acid or base scales, and virology and bacterium have no place in their bodies.

Brains

See the article for Syltrucol "Sylt". Phasma brains are starry black goop that is distributed throughout the body to prevent death in event of losing the head. They can survive and reform from as little as a drop of the Main and a cup of the Sylt proper, though such a drastic injury takes time to recover from.

Diet

Phasma have an indescribable hunger for anything that isn't an end-level base or acid (But they prefer meat). They are inherently predatory towards structol, based on Sylt's original creation, and generally will devour and assimilate structol and structol-based life on sight.

Intelligence

A Phasma can either be formed from a base template of random factors (Similar to how an genetank human is made) or can be copied from the neural scan data of an individual. Template Phasma learn incredibly rapidly, consuming as much information as an 18 year old human in their first month of life alone. Beyond that point, how much they learn is purely up to them, whether they maintain a childlike innocence or a veteran's grit is up to them. Convert Phasma need not learn as much as template Phasma, but still have an adjustment period where they can very easily lose faith due to their new nature. One final note: Template Phasma have no concept of death.

Outlook

Phasma start full of curiosity and interest in the world. As their obsessions and interest form, this can very quickly turn to jadedness or full blown mania. A Phasma very late in their life is very likely to be very cruel and uncaring by human standards.

Interactions

With strangers

Early-life Phasma tend to treat strangers with a newborn's curiosity. Late-life Phasma have a wide variance.

With Familiar

Early-life greet familiar faces with interest and joy. Late-life Phasma tend to covet or reject familiar faces based on even the smallest of slights or gifts.

With Constructs

Phasma shun Constructs, seeing them as inferior creatures and has a tendency to maim them on sight. They enjoy the taste of maesii, as well.

Psionics

Phasma Psionics manifest in about as many variable ways as the Phasma form allows, but one of the most common features is turning the surrounding area via fieldic ability into some form of control-space. A particularly powerful Phasma doesn't just affect the surroundings, but can create their own pocket of space, effectively creating their own fey domain.

Magics

This one solely depends on whether a Phasma was converted from a magic-creating species or not. If it wasn't, then that Phasma cannot do magic. If it was, then its potential is limited by its creativity. A fresh-template Phasma will likely develop their soul-capabilities to handle magic if their parent Phasma had the ability.

Theoretically, if one were to breed with somebody, the child would be a crossbreed of Phasma capabilities and the other parent's features. Theoretically. In actuality, there are no examples as of yet of a Phasmabreed child. There is, however an example of a midgrade Phasma, something that rests outside the bounds of regular Phasma.

“Alright what hare-brained idiot suggested this? Seriously, what the fuck? Do NOT breed with them! That's a terrible idea! Whoever suggested this is getting thrown off my shit!”
Researcher's Note
“We must know. For science! But I am NOT getting near one of them unless we have the strongest restraints in the galaxy!”
Another Researcher's Note

Moogle created this article on 2016/03/29 10:14.


1)
This is of course subject to an even wider variance; if given time to develop without interruption (I.E. by conversion by another Phasma in some form of cocoon) They will skip some of the early development steps and move to a more finished state.
2)
In the case of a humanoid species conversion. In the event of nonhumanoids, such as Belza, the progression is wildly different.
  • species/phasma.txt
  • Last modified: 2018/06/05 03:13
  • by moogle