Lyran Bloodslug

Creature Feature

By Brian Campbell

As an abundant farming world on the fringe of the Outer Rim, Lyran IV is known for its rolling plains,
feudal government, and agricultural exports. Unfortunately, throughout the Rise of the Empire era, a
small but virulent infestation of criminals has repeatedly exploited this sleepy backwater planet,
gradually transforming it into a smuggler's paradise. By investing heavily in the local agricultural
communities, and making a steady but marginal profit on agricultural sales, they've built an unassuming
cover for their smuggling operations.

Regular trade with Kessel and Ryloth bring a steady supply of illicit substances to smuggler bases on
Lyran, which smugglers then sell throughout the Outer Rim. Docking officials who let pilots land their
innocuous cargoes of Lyran grain and wheat rarely find the far more profitable ryl that spice smugglers
have hidden on board. The local peasants find a bit of irony in this criminal infestation, comparing the
crimelords who exploit them to an omnivorous parasite from their own world: the Lyran bloodslug.

The bloodslug is an omnivorous parasite that can grow anywhere from 1 to 6 centimeters long. In its
dormant state, it can survive on a diet of wheat and grain, foodstuffs it easily finds in Lyran IV's silos
and warehouses. Slowly fattening itself, it sluggishly moves from one food source to the next,
burrowing through ripening piles of grain by exuding a trace amount of a powerful, toxic acid. The
bloodslug doesn't truly become a menace until it finds another living creature that feeds on the same
diet. Vermin that sleep near Lyran grain piles commonly become hosts. After creeping up to a sleeping
creature, the parasite uses a sudden outburst of its toxic venom to burrow quickly into the sleeping
body. The attack doesn't kill the host, but instead gives the parasite enough time to worm its way into
the larger creature's digestive tract, where it nourishes itself for days on consumed grain and a steady
supply of blood.

Lyran IV's crimelords have found a rather devious application for the bloodslug. When one of them feels
the need for revenge against a visiting spacer, he may hide a few of the slugs in the grain carried by an
outgoing ship's cargo hold. The parasites wait and fatten themselves up, until they have a chance to
seek out the ship's pilot. If they can get close enough to burrow into the victim's skin, the host slowly
goes insane from the pain of the bloodsucking parasites feasting off his viscera. Any victim of the
bloodslug is also consumed by a voracious appetite, particularly for Lyran grain. The host's pallor begins
to whiten over a period of several weeks as the parasite in his intestines slowly drains him of blood.
When the victim dies, the creature burrows back into the nearest food supply -- fatter, stronger, and
ready to infest another host.

Because of this rather inventive punishment, several bloodslugs have been carried offworld, multiplying
as they infest other spaceports that import or export grain. The largest infestation of bloodslugs
occurred on Agamar, where an outbreak of plague weakened the populace enough for the parasites to
claim over 100 victims. Of course, the idea of using bloodslugs as a method of killing smugglers has
spread offworld as well. Any pilot hired to transport a cargo of grain, Lyran or otherwise, may
unwittingly be transporting the creature that will kill him. Any smuggler who decides to become
"legitimate" may fall prey to this unusual method of assassination.

The only common technique for finding a bloodslug in a cargo hold full of grain is to sift through it
metric ton by metric ton. (This requires a Search check at DC 20 for each metric ton examined; each
attempt takes about an hour.) It's theoretically possible for a Jedi with the Sense ability to sense the
parasite's life force in a cargo hold, but few Jedi bother to spend their time searching through grain
silos for exotic parasites. Of course, there's a third method of tracking the creatures down, but this
requires the searcher to wait until the bloodslug has claimed a sleeping host. Removing a bloodslug
from a host's intestinal tract requires a Treat Injury check (DC 20) or the Jedi power Heal Another (DC
25); multiple attempts are possible, but each failed roll inflicts 1 wound point to the victim.

Lyran bloodslug: Plains parasite 1, Init +8; Defense 23 (+1 natural, +4 size, +8 Dex); Spd 2 m, 4 m
burrow; VP/WP 1/1; Atk +12 melee (1d4-5, bite) or +12 ranged; SQ Disease, numbing bite; SV Fort -1,
Ref +8, Will -1; SZ D; Rep 1; Str 1, Dex 26, Con 4, Int 1, Wis 9, Cha 2; Challenge Code: A.
Skills: Climb +7, Hide +10, Listen +2, Move Silently +8, Spot +2, Survival (plains) +3.
Feats: Weapon Finesse (bite).

Special Qualities: Disease --The most serious threat posed by Lyran bloodslugs is the slowly increasing
pain and madness they inflict on their hosts. After burrowing into a victim, the bloodslug attaches itself
to its host's intestinal tract, gradually drains it of blood, and slowly secretes an infectious toxin to
weaken the character (Injury, DC 15, incubation 1d4 days, initial damage 1 Int and 1 Wis; Secondary
damage 1d3 Int and 1d3 Wis. See Disease on page 111 of the Star Wars Roleplaying Game core
rulebook). A target bitten several times in a single encounter needs to make only one save against the
disease, but if bitten in a different encounter, the target must make a new save.

The victim's chance of delaying the madness increases if he or she can consume a massive amount of
Lyran grain (eating an amount equal to his or her body weight during the incubation period gives a +4
circumstance bonus). Unfortunately, if the victim is carrying a cargo of bloodslugs on a space transport,
the disease will usually prove fatal before the victim can get to a proper medical facility.

Lyran bloodslugs aren't the only creatures to bedevil a starship. Find out more inStarships of the
Galaxy!

Want more nasty critters like this one? Check out the Alien Anthology accessory, which features more
than 100 aliens and creatures ready for use in your campaign!