Mortasheen - Lesley

"Dollface"

CLASS: BIOCONSTRUCT

A specialized upgrade of the Lester, the Lesley was designed to collect genetic samples and research the reproductive patterns of wild hominids by closely imitating a receptive female. Unfortunately, the camouflage proved as transparent and disturbing to humans as that of the Lester, necessitating paralytic and aphrodesiac components to its stinking, memory-wiping toxic gas. Helpless research subjects quickly forget the Lesley's appearance, recalling only some indistinct, invisible presence.

When discovered, a Lesley may inflate its fleshy tunic with gas and unleash a noisome explosion, knocking out all witnesses and launching itself several dozen yards. Its upper eye can extend hundreds of feet on a thin, flexible cable to monitor potential subjects, and it can safely split apart at the waist, its posterior fleeing with its brain intact as its largely empty upper body distracts attackers.

Like the Lester, Lesley are often employed as combat minions, easily underestimated by monsters who have difficulty distinguishing the fast and powerful creature from a normal, vulnerable Homo sapiens.

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This is a female counterpart to one of last year’s monsters, both of them essentially “bogeymen,” though the Lester spies on people and kidnaps children while the Lesley’s routine is closer to “old hag syndrome,” a form of sleep paralysis which is widely believed to be the real inspiration behind the legends of succubi and incubi.

MORTASHEEN BONUS STORYLINE STUFF:

Larger human cities are usually aware of Mortasheen and its society of deadly monsters, but tucked around the planet are completely isolated human colonies, which to us might look eerily like 20th century suburbs, completely unaware (or willfully ignorant) of anything beyond their borders. These are very interesting to Mortasheen scientists, who may take great care to “preserve” their “culture,” in other words keeping them completely cut off from the outside world for research purposes.