<big>SPECIES: Homunculus (plural form, Homunculi)</big>
Type: Parasite
Place of Origin: The Void
A globular organism whose size is understood in HUs (Homunculus Units), with a newborn Homunculus having one HU. This understood as if the Homunculus cells were organized in a sphere of a diameter of five inches. Any larger, the excess would be counted as another sphere, from which the excess of that sphere would be added to a new sphere and so on.
Natural Abilities:
Parasitic Possession – Given Homunculus's nature, it is capable of infecting bodies and controlling them. However, in order to do so, it must merge his energy with the host's. Given the often extreme scaled difference in power, Homunculus's energy signature is almost always overwritten by the host. This in turn makes it difficult for others to track him as his 'unique' energy signature is highly volatile and will often change upon possessing a new body.
Unfortunately, this proves a greater challenge for Homunculus to control a new body, for it takes time to understand the 'ins and outs.' If trying to control a body that is less than human, the difficulty will increase naturally as a Homunculus innately responds best to humans.
Diseases Prone to:
Compatibility Issues – In theory, it can possess the bodies of nearly any multicellular animal native to Earth (and animals similar to them). However, as the name would lead you to infer (if you are aware of the names etymological origins), Homunculus is best suited at controlling human bodies. Near humans, like those with the X-Gene, vampires, werewolves, and even zombies yield little difference in possession (of course, assuming the biology is still relatively human... ).
Though when you start venturing further away, it becomes increasingly problematic. especially dealing with non-vertebrates. Homunculus tends to reside along the spinal column and the brain; so controlling a grasshopper would be a poor choice for it has no spine and only a loose group of ganglia for a brain. With so little space, only so many Homunculus cells can infect this type of body. With the best result it could achieve is an infection over a swarm and projecting mental influence over a large area (One, risking too lose many cells and two, straining to broadcast such a single over a large area.)
Distortion Issues - Metabolism produces energy from food in an animal's mitochondria. This process is not perfect. It generates energy that is not utilized by the animal in the form of free radicals. These free radicals fly out of the mitochondria, damaging cellular structures that are in its path. In response, the body has antioxidants to shield against this assault, and repair mechanisms to fix and damaged cellular structures.
Now with that in mind, there are two main problems one can infer from Distortion: energy and free radicals.
The default gathering and storing of energy for Distortion is identical to a human's mana/spiritual energy mechanisms. They both collect energy from living and from external sources delivering bonus energy (like meditating or mana replenishing spells). They both store energy as an aura, which they may or may not be able to conceal from others. However, Homunculus can build upon these methods.
A human body naturally cannibalizes itself to derive additional energy to keep itself alive until another food source comes by. Homunculus can either induce the body to digest food faster or consume its own flesh for a slow energy release safely. Otherwise it will use Distortion to squeeze the very life force out of the host's organic components by shrinking them down, only to expand back shriveled and dead. For energy storage, not only Homunculus accumulate this power in normal well points in the body like a human, but also hoard a massive amount within the space where the soul should reside. Only after expunging the original soul from the host body can it acquire this impressive container of energy.
The Signature Issue – Within the multiverse, whenever there are hiders, there are seekers. For Homunculus, this proves to be quite a dilemma. Yes, when obtaining a new host body, his previous spiritual tag/signature/identification (whatever you call it, ki tracking... ) is overwritten by the current host signature. However, if it decides to reject the soul of the host, it becomes easier to track it if the sensor is adept at finding other soulless creatures. Also on a minor note, fusing parts of multiple bodies might draw attention as well, for the organs will retain their original essence that it had before it was transplanted.ÂÂ
Then there are emotion trackers, ones that could sense his intentions from his brainwaves.
Technological Status:
The same as their host.
Unique Attribute:
Distortion – Cast onto the host body, it allows Homunculus to manipulate the cells to his design. Best understood with the following concepts: expansion, contraction, and shifting. When looking at a partially inflated balloon, adding heat will cause the air in the balloon expand. Under same principle, replacing heat with a command by Homunculus, it can force a proportional expansion on to a part of the body, such as a arm to throw a projectile with more force. However, much like a balloon, adding too much heat will cause the balloon to burst. In the same vein, if the arm is forced to expand too much, it will explode. Soon the material will revert back to its original size as the expansion principle acts temporarily.
For contraction, it acts on the reverse scale. When you freeze a balloon, the air will instead condense down into water and take up less space. Same goes for the host body, it can proportionally shrink down the segment of the body down. It might do this to reach for things in tiny crevices or to avoid attacks. Likewise, shrinking beyond its critical point will lead to an implosion and cause the flesh then to randomly connect together as it grows to its original mass. Similar to ice, though far more volatile.
And for the last principle, shifting, allows for the greatest adaptability. Mentally, Homunculus shifts tissue around in the manner of a free-form shape-shifter. If it loses an arm, it can reattach the appendage; relocate an eye behind his head to watch out for attack from behind; and similar techniques. This means it requires important focus. While it may recover after a slip-up of maneuvering his internal organs to avoid fatal blows and punctures a lung with a rib in the process, continuous assault will make it harder to preform complex changes in the heat of battle. As for why expansion/contraction require less concentration compared to shifting is the fact that there are less commands sent to to body in contrast to shifting. Last of all, Homunculus will make frequent use of all three principles simultaneously.
Diet:
They will derive nourishment by redirecting blood flow to their tissues. Without a body, they cannot survive that long par assistance.
Reproduction:
After amassing enough spiritual to recuperate the vitality, they can divide their consciences into two or more facets that will separate themselves from the core. Then, the Homunculi convert nearby cells instanstly into those of a Homunculus.
Races:
There are no known variants of Homunculus that cannot be accounted for.
((More will be put up today.))