Horrorspawn

Horrorspawn are autonomous pieces of a Beast's Horror, capable of acting somewhat independently.

Creation
A Beast can create a Horrorspawn in one of two ways. First, she can induce her Horror to shear off a piece of itself in a nightmare (such as laying an egg or shedding its skin). If the Beast can keep this piece from re-merging with the Horror, it becomes the seed of a Horrorspawn.

Beasts may also engage mate with other Beasts while merged with their Horrors in order to generate Horrorspawn. While the Horror in and of itself has no reproductive organs, the human part of the Beast provides a template for sexual reproduction that allows this method of Horrorspawn formation to work. One or both Beasts engaged in the act may produce a seed this way.

Either way, once the seed of a Horrorspawn is created, it must germinate for a period of time before the Horrorspawn is fully formed. This may occur in some kind of nest within the Lair, or within the Beast's own body. The incubation period depends on the Beast's Lair rating.

Form and Abilities
A Horrorspawn usually resembles the larger Horror it formed from, though it need not be an exact copy. Like the Horror, a newborn Horrorspawn exists only in the Primordial Dream, though it has very limited ability to open Primordial Pathways into the material world. A Beast may give the Horrorspawn a physical form, usually by providing it with a body to inhabit, or the Horrorspawn may find a host body on its own (consuming and destroying the victim's soul if necessary). The Horrorspawn merges with this body much like a Beast undergoing the Rampant Inheritance, warping it to conform to its dream form. This body will eventually decay, however, so the Beast has to keep providing new ones.

Horrorspawn have animal-level intellects, but will attempt to obey guidance from their parent to the best of their ability. They do not have access to all the powers of their parent, but may have powers of their own that the parent does not share. A Beast can communicate with its Horrorspawn across long distances, and the two are constantly aware of each other. Perhaps most importantly, a Hero who attempts to track a particular Beast will always be lead to their Horrorspawn instead, and Anathema are similarly deflected onto the spawn.

A Horrorspawn can increase its parent's Satiety by feeding for it, but creating a Horrorspawn lowers a Beast's maximum potential Satiety by one. Thus a Beast may have multiple active Horrorspawn at one time, up to a theoretical maximum of ten -- but such a Beast would be permanently locked in the Ravenous condition and unable to regain Satiety.

In the even that the Horror is killed in the Lair, a Horrorspawn can attempt to take its place. Even if this is successful, the Beast suffers the Soulless condition and becomes increasingly monstrous, as the Horrorspawn cannot fully make up for the loss of the full Horror. Such Beasts are likely to end up undergoing the Merger, unless other Beasts choose to put her out of her misery first.

Parenting
A Beast who spends too much time in the presence of their Horrorspawn begins to lose their connection to their Life, becoming more and more monstrous as their social ties degrade. However, a neglected Horrorspawn may roam the Hive on own, becoming more and more independent of its parent and provoking conflict with other Beasts. It may attempt to fulfill some of its parent's Aspirations, or even claim its own Chamber. Its presence nearly always antagonizes the Horror, which wants to reclaim its missing piece, so the Beast is well-advised to visit the Lair frequently to placate its monstrous alter ego.

If the Beast is outright killed, the "orphaned" Horrorspawn may survive indefinitely, though it is a creature driven by hunger and instinct. It may remain in the Primordial Dream or continue to take new host bodies in the material world.

Lifespan
A fully developed Horrorspawn can live for a year or more, depending on its Potentcy rating. When it dies, either from being killed or of natural causes, the Beast instantly regains one Satiety as the Horror re-absorbs its missing piece.

Very short-lived Horrorspawn can be created in an emergency simply by willing a piece of the Horror into an available recepticle, which may include a severed piece of the Beast's body. These spawn are not truly separated from the Horror and last for a matter of hours or days before their body decays.