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The term “Devouring Hand” is used colloquially to refer to a rare parasitic symbiote of unknown origins. The reason for such a generalized term is due to the varying form and function of the symbiotes. However, all Devouring Hands possess the same basic need: to find and consume magical energy. The creature cares little about ulterior motives and is just as likely to strike down and consume an innocent civilian as it would be to do the same to a horrendous villain. This is the parasites sole purpose. It does not love, it does not hate, nor does it hold any recognizable thought within its body. Good and evil are abstract, life and death are alien concepts, and it remains completely devoid of any recognizable compassion or empathy. A Devouring Hand embodies a bottomless hunger, with only a mind for finding sustenance.

This can be especially unfortunate for the host who is not only likely to care very much whom the creature attacks, but also probably had no intention of getting the symbiote in the first place. The process by which one receives a Devouring Hand is truly bizarre, and most either attribute it to some kind of curse or black magic, while others claim it is some alien disease. The only requirement seems to be that any would-be recipient must be crippled in that they are missing one of their arms (left or right, it doesn’t particularly matter). The new host has no say in the matter as, one day, they inexplicably fall ill. Others will find have no luck deducing the nature of the malady and any treatments they attempt seem to have little effect (even psionic and magic healing). Meanwhile the host has developed a dangerously high fever as well as severe hallucinations. These symptoms persist for approximately one week during which the victim’s cognitive capabilities are so impacted that they are likely to require constant care and supervision. The hallucinations vary from person to person, but most see themselves falling into a deep pool of black liquid from which they cannot escape. They feel as though they where under the effects of sensory deprivation, with the exception of feeling as though one’s body where being eaten.

After the first week the hallucinations die down and the victims fever lowers. However, at this point they appear to have slipped into an unexplainable comatose sleep-state. Even stranger is that their crippled limb appears to be rapidly regenerating! This point is the most pivotal in the cycle because it marks the last chance to remove the budding Devouring Hand with no ill effects. This window of opportunity lasts five days, at the end of which not only has the victim made a full recovery, but their missing limb has been fully restored. At first glance the new limb appears to be normal, but upon closer inspection it is revealed that the skin of the arm appears to have been badly burned at some point and the finger nails have taken on a charcoal color. Additionally, all of the victims veins from the point where the original arm was severed to the base of their neck and most of their chest on the new arms side have become black and can be seen through the surface of the skin.

Now the growth is complete and the Devouring Hand has been born. From here on in the essences of the two beings are irreversibly intertwined. Any attempts made to remove the Devouring Hand via surgery, magic, violence, etc. will kill the host. Likewise, once the host dies, so does the symbiote. The host can also now feel the will of the creature attached to his body, and will likely have to contend with it for control from time to time. In most situations, the Devouring Hand lies in a semi-dormant state, giving the host full control of the limb and access to a few of its powers. However, in the presence of strong magical energies the creature immediately awakens. At this point the host and the parasite will probably have a conflict of interests (although maybe not) and will be clashing over the use of the arm. If the host wins then they beat back the will of the Devouring Hand, temporarily forcing it back into a dormant state. If the parasite wins however, then the host loses all use of the arm as it begins to lash out towards its prey. Once unleashed the symbiote will not stop until it has consumed all of the potential energy of its intended victim, and it will use every means available to it to do so (even dragging the unconscious body of its host toward its target if need be). There are also a few other means by which a host can subdue the rampaging Devouring Hand listed below, but by default it will stop once all potential victims in the local area have been drained.

Lifecycle of the Devouring Hand
At first level the parasite must kill creatures with a number of caster levels equal to twice the hosts hit dice to survive. This can be either individual or multiple creatures. Whenever the host gains a hit dice the amount of energy needed to feed the parasite increases, reflecting its growing hunger. Once the minimum requirement has been meant, the host is +1 to save against the parasites influence. For every additional four hit dice over the minimum requirement the host receives another +1 as the creature becomes engorged and lethargic.

For every day after the first week that the creatures feeding requirements are not met the host suffers a -1 penalty to resist the symbiotes influence. After a week without feeding, both the host and the Devouring Hand begin to starve to death. In a desperate attempt at survival, the Devouring Hand begins to siphon off some of its hosts energy. The host receives one permanent negative level per day that cannot be healed by any means until the creature has been fed. When the hosts negative levels equal their hit dice they and the Devouring Hand both die of starvation.

Unfortunately a parasite will only siphon energy from a living, or recently slain, creature. As such, it cannot feed off of environmental energy. However, the creature can kill and feed off animals if need be. Plants and trees cannot be consumed, despite being living things.

Resisting the Devouring Hands influence
The parasites gluttony is constant, and the host can feel the pangs of its hunger at all times. At times however, he may want to refrain from allowing the creature to engorge itself. If that is the case the host must immediately make a will save against the symbiotes current Ego.

A successful save means that the host has subdued the arm and can continue to use it like normal (although he may lose access to some of its abilities). A failed save results in the arm acting independently, lashing out at its target despite the intentions of the host. In this state the Devouring Hand is treated as a separate creature that may make a single Standard or Move action per turn. It can only move by crawling or dragging itself along the ground and it otherwise uses the hosts statistics when making attacks.

If the host is knocked unconscious at any point they lose the ability to resist the Devouring Hands will at all. The creature acts independently as it sees fit, lashing out at victims and dragging the collapsed figure of its host along with it. Remember that the creature knows no fear, only hunger, so it may end up dragging its unaware host into even more danger.

Other Notes
The Devouring Hand has no need to sleep, so it is constantly awake. However, when not in the presence of powerful magic energies the parasite enters a semi-dormant state allowing its host to make normal use of its abilities while still watching for any potential victims. Creatures without a caster level don’t normally attract the parasites notice and will not shake it from its dormant state unless the creature is starving.

If the parasite does start lashing out independently the only way to stop it without killing anyone is to remove it from the presence of all other eligible targets besides the symbiote and its host. Only then will the parasite calm down and reenter a dormant state after approximately 20 minutes.

James Findlay (user name "tin_man") is an ex-army engineer and combat veteran formerly of the 571st Sapper Company.

Born in southern New Mexico, Findlay scored high marks all the way through primary school and on into technical school, specializing in material engineering. Looking to help cover the costs while enrolled he enlisted with the army reserves, later opting for full enlisted status after graduation. Around that same time he met a nice girl, settled down, and had a couple of kids.

It wasn't until a few years later that he received active duty orders sending him overseas. His unit was a deployment of the 864th Engineer Battalion that specialized in EOD and demolitions operations, sent primarily to aid route clearance during Operation Dragon Strike's summer offensive. Eight months into his tour he was wounded in combat, the extent of which qualified him for a trip back to the states and later a full medical discharge.

Returning to normal life was difficult, to say the least. Between his disability pay and a civil service position they were well-off, financially speaking. Rather, Findlay's problems tended to crop up in his home life. He had become distant, having difficulty getting along with others (including his own family). During the day he drifted off, sometimes for hours at a time, and at night he was confused and prone to outbursts. Despite this, it was only when things became a serious concern that he sought professional help.

James Findlay was diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress and Depersonalization Disorders as a result of his experiences in the army. With proper treatment and medication he was able to regulate, though not completely control, his symptoms. His therapist also recommend that he commit to a hobby; something to help him focus his attention. Having been exposed to tabletop games in the army as a cheap and simple means of entertainment for active duty soldiers, he chose to turn to them here as an outlet. Conveniently, they also helped him reestablish connections with his wife and children with the game as a medium.

One night in the fall of the following year, Findlay awoke abruptly from a dead sleep. He felt groggy, as if he had been off his medication for some time, so he didn't immediately question the glowing computer screen before him. Eventually he brought himself to reading the words there; some kind of character creator by the looks of it. His first instinct was that he was having an episode - in the past his therapist had had him write down traits about himself whenever he started losing his grip, so maybe that's what this was. Just an exercise. Carefully he started sifting through options, trying to rebuild himself using the material presented. Minutes, maybe hours, passed like this, all the while Findlay's sense of sickness was growing. Halfway through translating his military experience into "feats" he blacked out, and then a second time about 10 minutes after that. Each time, he awoke to the same screen right where he had left off. In the end, after silently pleading with himself to "wake up" he was left with finishing the character as his only option.

Hands shaking, head pounding, and drenched in sweat, only one box remains. His memory once again calls back to his days in the army. The bullet sponges that ran with his platoon had taken to calling them "Tin Men" on account of the heavy EOD suits they had to wear while clearing roads. For whatever reason the name stuck with him.

Slowly he manages to fill the final box.

The words "tin_man" hang on the screen before everything disappears in a brilliant flash of light and James Findlay blacks out for a third and final time.