SPACEFUTURE: Bathalian Crawlers (80038, 80040, 50288, 50062, Craboid Alien) PIC-HEAVY

[Rigel]

The Red Planet is home to more than just the age-old Martians and the newly-arrived Reds. Its sands--and the sands of many another planet, and the echoing, dripping corridors of many an abandoned spacecraft--are home to the fearsome Crawlers. An ancient and cosmopolitan species of non-host-specific invertebrate parasitoids, they are a Galacteer's worst nightmare. Much smarter than a mindless hive, much more vicious than any technological peoples, they seek out new life and new civilizations and promptly turn them into incubators and meat. 

They have enough intelligence to hate you personally, but neither ego nor sense of self-preservation enough to fear you. It is unclear if they are sentient as we understand the term; certainly, it is not a sentience that produces art or invention, literature or recognizable religion. They are aware of their incessant, gnawing hunger, and desire to expand, infest, spawn, and devour.

They do not make, but repurpose and appropriate the works of others to further this goal. Spacefaring cultures tell stories of the distress beacon recently activated on a centuries-old derelict; the spacesuit, mirrored-visored, reaching out to you with no heat signature; the colony always advertising free land for new colonists, but never sending back video feed.

It is not impossible that they are the descendants of an ancient bioweapons program.

Specimen 80040, the 'Primarch' caste. Psionically control other castes; can mindjack or psychically blast humanoids as well. Astral Flensing is said to be a fate worse than death. 




Specimen 50062, "Exarch" caste:



Specimen 80038, "Centurion" caste. The scythes on a full-grown member of this caste can bisect a Titanian shellback in one stroke. 


Oh. Oh no. That's not a Martian academician at all. That's a grotesque travesty of the Martian form, still wearing its host's formal robes. Specimen 50288, a member of the "Mastermind" caste, newly eaten free of its host/prison/chrysalis.



And here's a new specimen, this one with crushing pincers. Its paralytic tentacles are currently withdrawn, but its ovipositor is unsheathed and ready to implant a stream of glistening eggs. (This is Black Cat Bases' 'Craboid Alien,' whose carapaced form seemed similar enough to use.)




They can't survive on Venus and they've never been reported from Europa and that's about the only good things you can say about them. Here's a serious infestation: 

[Glitterwolf]

Awesome!

 

Dr. Schmerz looked at his assistant, the young man had an expression of horror on his face.

What is it Godried?

The assistant looked back at the Professor, I...might have left the incubator doors open last night..

Dr. Schmerz turned pale.

You mean...

Yes, they're out there now!

OMG!

 

[Rigel]

Godfried, you had ONE job! And now so do we all have but the one job...

...to SURVIVE.

[KruleBear]

Awesome backstory and great figures--including those background markers (pods?). The mottled marking really add to the organic feel of these creatures. Well done. 

[Metalchaos]

Welcome to Mars InSight. Great setup for a serie B Space Horror story.

[Iridil]

Great backstory and wonderful setting. Agree that the mottling really settles on these looking 'realistic' - and creepy. The fleshy pink of the tentacles seals the deal.

[Rigel]

8 hours ago, KruleBear said:

Awesome backstory and great figures--including those background markers (pods?). The mottled marking really add to the organic feel of these creatures. Well done. 

Thanks! The pods are Tillandsia plants that didn't make it; I matte-coated them and mounted them on washers. They are very good for alien desert plants. 

 

2 hours ago, Iridil said:

Great backstory and wonderful setting. Agree that the mottling really settles on these looking 'realistic' - and creepy. The fleshy pink of the tentacles seals the deal.

Thank you! Yeah, something about the juxtaposition of slick, tongue-pink flesh and mottled chitin really doesn't sit right with our brains. I painted these a while back and think I would try 'flicking' that dark blue paint on with a stiff brush if I were to do it again.

[Warlady]

These are amazing!  Love the backstory and your paint jobs!