This creature has been around as long as anyone can remember. They are strange, solitary beings who use public transit of all manner to hunt for sustenance, as well as a way to reproduce. Legends of such beings are found on every world where public transit is used, and can go back as far as when people still used horses and carriages to travel or to get from place to place.

Their natural appearance is that of a gaunt humanoid with black, stringy hair and large white eyes. They have a toothless mouth, and the flesh is a sickly grey in coloration. The average specimen is only about five feet in height, and they weigh at the most 100 pounds. The arms are very thin and are also nearly as long as the body, the knuckles barely touching the floor. There are no obvious sexual organs, and do not have an actual sex. A set of four worm-like tentacles protrude from the creature’s side. Each ends in a mouth that is reminiscent of lampreys, and the end is always glistening wetly. The substance they exude is a toxin which can easily put people to sleep.

Transit hunters live only to feed. Using mass transport, they typically travel during the nighttime or on lonely routes where there are few travellers, or where the travellers tend to sleep. They are able to take any appearance they wish, including sex, but still have to use clothing. The way they hunt is by befriending other travellers, lulling them into complacency in order to let their guard down. When the opportunity presents itself, they then use the tentacles to put the victim to sleep, and they begin to feed.

For some strange reason, the creatures are exceedingly vulnerable to alcohol, which is very toxic to them. Even imbuing a little will kill them outright, and the touch can and often paralyzes them, making the creatures vulnerable to attack.

Even though they hunt through stealth and subterfuge, the creatures are not afraid or above using weapons and armor. Typically they carry simple weapons, which are easily concealable such as daggers or derringers, but if their hunting-grounds tend to be dangerous, it is not uncommon for the creatures to carry other weapons. They are also not above using weapons of the victims they kill.

Solitary in nature, they are never found with others of their kind. The creatures reproduce asexually, by paralyzing a victim with the toxin, and they then feed until the victim is almost dead. At this time, they will implant a single egg into the torso of the victim, using their tentacles. The egg will eventually hatch, and the larva will then consume the hosts body from the inside out. The host is then lost, and the exterior will slowly transform over a period of weeks until it takes on the appearance of the transit hunter.

Once they are discovered, they leave their hunting grounds and travel until they locate a suitable location to continue to hunt, feed and kill.

The creatures are quite intelligent and will not act rashly. If they are discovered and cannot escape easily, they will use whatever means necessary to ensure their survival and help them escape. They are not above taking hostages, especially children, in order to secure their safe passage. If they have access to weaponry, they will use it to defend themselves, and they will also use their tentacles to lash out at attackers, using the toxin to knock attackers unconscious.

Starfinder Creature Index

Chris Van Deelen is the creator and contributor to over half of the Wisdom from the Wastelands series, contributor to the Swords of Kos: Hekaton anthology, and the recently released 'Swords of Kos: The Rite'. He also wrote Creatures of the Tropical Wastelands, and 100 Oddities found in a Car. As prolific as he is, Chris Van Deelen continues to write and produce material which will be in publication soon. Not only is he a prolific content creator, he also has a wide selection of fiction and stories! If you like his work, please follow his personal author page on Facebook and on Twitter to keep up with his latest news and game content.