The Insect Man From Beyond the Stars

12th level Bionoid (Medium-sized Shapechanger), Neutral Good

Numbers in Brackets represents Bionoid stats

2nd edition stats :
The Insect Man (bionoid): AC 7 [-3]; MV 12 [48]; HD 12; hp 70; Str 18 [25], Dex 18 [25], Con 18 [25], Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 12 [6]; # AT 1 [6]; Dmg by weapon [1d8*2, 1d10*2, 2d8*2]; AL NG; SA Vorpal Attacks, Energy Blast; SD Regenerates 1 hp/round, if destroyed consciousness hides in the gem until it regenerates or someone touches it; if in danger changes into a bionoid; SW: Permanently killed if its crystal eye is destroyed; THAC0 15 [12], Morale 15;

"Ladies and Gentleman welcome to the Carnival, the greatest collection of entertainers living or dead. Within this Carnival you will see wonders without peer and sights that will make your blood run slow and your hair turn white. Freaks of every kind, mutated animals and things that cannot be defined, all can be found within.
See that bright tent over there? That pavilion contains something never seen in all the Lands of Mists and you should believe me, we know because we have traveled through all the land.
Go inside and see something unbelievable, as the mighty Insect Man From Beyond the Stars will use his incredible powers for your amusement.
We don't know from whence he came, but he claims to be from beyond the stars where magical ships fly and spiders talk, where tall blue skinned giants are common and deadly danger is the norm. But do not be deceived by his looks, even though he appears just as human as you and me he is in reality an insectoid monster. He could be anyone and you would never suspect.
See him use his forearm blades to cut things without effort! See him run a incredible speeds! Watch as he performs mighty strength feats and be prepared for the extraordinary grand finale. All that you can see for only one silver piece for adults, five coppers for kids. Come in and enjoy the show, if you dare..."

The Insect Man from Beyond the Stars is one of the shows that the carnival puts for its paying costumers. The setup for the show is rather simple and it consists only of a round pavilion and sitting benches. In the center is the performing area, a circle etched in chalk. Two wood poles flank the circle and are joined overhead by a metal tube, which in effect divides the circle in two halves.
The show is pretty straightforward, but is also highly charged emotionally. The announcer gets the public caught up in his rhetoric about the Insect Man, describing what he can do and its horrific appearance, also telling his story and how anyone could become one. When the crowd is in a state of frenzy, the insect man enters. To everyone's surprise he is an unremarkable man in his mid-twenties, 5´7 tall, balding and with a red beard. He does not appear very muscular or specially threatening or dangerous.
At this point the crowd usually boos and claims for their money. That’s when two helpers tie the Insect Man and raise him towards the metal pole. Then a huge burning brazier is put under the dangling man. At this point the announcer whips the crowd into another frenzy, claiming that the Insect Man can only survive the fall, if the insect inside him bursts out from within.
While the insect man is hanging, one of the helpers starts cutting the rope slowly with a knife. Before he can completely cut the rope the man undergoes a startling transformation, as he monsters out and transforms into a Bionoid (a creature from space): a chitinous, bipedal humanoid insect with a glowing circular gem in the center of his forehead. He easily climbs the rope and jumps forward, landing in front of the crowd, who gets its first close-up of him. He stands before them as a tall, muscular creature with an iridescent, chitinous exoesqueleton. Hard clawlike blades protrude from both forearms and his head. Also he has two other eyes, one at each side of the forehead, beyond the normal two and moving independently
While the crowd gasps, a big stone block and some bricks are brought before the Insect Man. Making a backwards jump he lands in front of them, lifts the block and crushes it with his bare hands. Then he destroys the piled bricks with his forearm blades. The blades cut the air literally and this point usually makes the crowd go wild. Then he uses his great speed to dazzle the audience, running, making acrobatics jumps and even jumping towards the benches where some people sit. After the little demonstration he stands without moving in the center of the chalk circle. At this point the crowd may think that the show is over and start to leave, but the show is not yet finished.
Taking the cue, the announcer claims that the greatest feat of the Insect Man is yet to come. For he will do something that will amaze them beyond belief. He points up, towards a burned hole in the fabric of the pavilion. Then the Insect Man lifts another stone block, bigger than the last one, and throws it towards the hole. While the audience is watching he opens his twin dorsal plates on its chest, exposing two highly charged membranes. The public see them glowing and ten seconds later a cone of energy erupts from them, hitting and completely destroying the stone block, reducing it to ashes, while the cone of energy continues its travel beyond the hole.

The use of its energy attack signals the end of the show so the Insect Man bows and leaves from whence it came. All in all the show lasts about half an hour, once per day.

The Insect Man from Beyond the Stars is an infected bionoid named Claude. He was a spelljammer sailor that once encountered a bionoid egg and, mistaken it for a gem, activated it. It is not widely know but bionoids reproduce by leaving a jewel-like egg that infects the person who touches it, transforming it into another member of the species.
Activating the egg he was infected, and whenever he was under a great deal of stress the insectoid monster would monster out. Bionoids are not respected in wildspace. The humans and elves see them as monsters and abominations, so a bionoid, whether natural or infected, almost never finds acceptance in a spelljammer ship.
Claude tried to hide the fact that he was infected, but during the first combat the Bionoid took over his body and slaughtered everyone, friend or foe. Horrified he spent a year racked by guilt and learning to control the Bionoid inside him, and finally he succeeded, or so he thought. He could not keep the insectoid monster from appearing every time he was under a great deal of stress, but at least he could control his action while transformed or so it appeared. He had kept the Hammership he once crewed and decided to use it to ply the spaceways. He traveled far and wide, keeping his Bionoid nature secret from his crew.

It was during a planetfall that the mists claimed him. The sailors had finally learned about his true nature and mutinied. He changed into Bionoid form but this time the bloodlust was stronger than his willpower and he slaughtered every sailor in the ship. While he was killing them a strange mist rose from the sea and when it lifted he was no longer a Bionoid and no longer in the planet he has been.

Confused he managed to find his way to a nearby village. There he was attacked by a mob that mistook him for an assassin who has been terrorizing the region. The sudden attack caused the bionoid to "monster out" and he was forced to defend himself against the enraged peasants. After escaping from them he despaired. This New World was just as unforgiving as the old one he left, so he started walking alone, always alone but craving for companionship and fellowship.
It was in Mordent that he first saw the Carnival. A group of freaks, like him, that traveled and were marginally accepted. Also he saw the camaraderie they shared. Desperately needing companionship and understanding he tried to join, but was rejected because he was "just" human. Even though he explained his dual nature they didn't believe him and sent him his way.
It was in Borca that he finally joined the Carnival, as enraged peasants attacked them while he was taking with Isolde and the Bionoid within him appeared. He joined that night and has been with the carnival ever since.

Claude enjoys the camaraderie of the freaks and loves to perform his act and amaze the audience, especially the little children. But still he is worried that someday he won't be able to control the Bionoid and that he will kill his friends...
The announcer always tells his story as that of a young man who was infected by an unknown insect creature and now is forced to hide between freaks, because the insect man can take over him. Only by changing once a day can he keep the insect from devouring his body and destroying all near it.

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