AForms

Subspecies
See also: Assemblers

Assemblers create a variety of subtypes of Assembler Forms, or AForms.

Substrate is pure assembler material. Substrate is primarily nano-machinery and variable protein compounds, using intermolecular forces to form mercury-like liquid, microscopic lighter-than-air puffballs, or silver beads (in liquid). Substrate can transfer like a bloodborn pathogen, with a high chance of infection via open cuts, mucus membrane, or fluid exchange. In open air, substrate has a limited lifespan, before trace reactive gases or electromagnetic radiation destroy the protein compounds. Substrate is similar to metametal because both are generic building materials. The difference is that metametal is inert while substrate carries assembler instructions.

• Assembler Lord: a humanoid-assembler hybrid.
• Bloats: cocoon-like structures for growing other AForms and protecting them as they grow.
• Bursters: AForms that take on the appearance of a humanoid or other normal creature, while actually carrying one or more AForms inside (e.g., a pack of leapers, a Sleeper-Killer).
• Crawlers
  • Clowns: small quadrupeds that create distracting noises and lights. They may emit telekinetic fields that interfere with telepathy and/or electromagnetic transmissions.
  • Leapers: small, fast-moving quadrupeds designed to insert intruders into fresh targets.
• Gray Matter: concentrated centers of reasoning and consciousness. Gray matter is often carried and maintained by swarms of AForms. For example, a large AForm may have one or more armored "nodes" of gray matter near its center.
• Hunter-Killers: large, fast-moving humanoids with natural armor and weapons. ((Hunter-Killers are inspired by the xenomorphs of the Aliens universe.))
• Intruders: specialized substrate packets, capable of limited surface movement using cilia and electromagnetism. Other AForms insert intruders into living tissue, machinery, or circuitry. They have simple neural field transceivers to communicate with gray matter. In the absence of instructions, intruders and their evolved forms instinctively expand throughout a host, passively monitoring and learning its functions.
  • Editors: microscopic parasites that reshape their host into other AForms.
  • Ghosts: microscopic parasites that control circuitry.
  • Gremlins: microscopic parasites that control machinery.
• Sleeper-Killers: specialized Hunter-Killers that lurk inside Bursters. They often attack with surprise.
• Webbers: microscopic spider-like AForms that move by crawling. They can scale almost any surface. Webbers build the creep that covers the interior of an AForm hive. Webbers can also weave protective web-skins on larger AForms. Webbers have simple neutral field transceivers to communicate with gray matter. In the absence of instructions, webbers instinctively weave webs wherever there are none.
• Wisps: microscopic wasp-like AForms that move by floating on air currents and flapping tiny wings. Wisps have simple neural field transceivers to communicate with gray matter. A small swarm of wisps generates a sufficiently-powerful local neural field to serve as scouts, sentries, or hunters. Wisps are useful throughout a nest, from monitoring the perimeter to enhancing the sensory information of larger AForms.