Metalhorror

INTRO TEXT

Acquisition

Metalhorrors can either be be found in infected pawns or implanted into an already existing pawn. Pre-infected pawns may arrive as guests or raiders. a Metalhorror has a small chance to be implanted into a pawn by any other anomaly through attacking.

During the monolith awakening, several mature metalhorrors will be spawned to defend each void structure. Additionally, once all void structures are defeated, a final group of metalhorrors will spawn around the Void monolith.

Summary

Metalhorrors are entities that infect other creatures, creating more of themselves as they do. It is possible to test pawns in order to find out who is hosting a Metalhorror. Upon detection, Metalhorrors will cut their way out of their hosts, leaving them wounded and bleeding. The death of their host will also cause them to emerge, even if they have not been detected first. When attacked, they only receive 25% of damage.

Metalhorrors can spread between colonists in various ways and cannot be detected before a gray flesh sample has been found. A pawn can be implanted through the following vectors:

Before their arrival at the colony. This can apply to creepy joiners, but it is unclear whether other pawns can be infected this way.^[Verify]
During revenant hypnosis.
By an insectoid.^{[Detail needed]}
During sleep.^[Detail]
During surgery by an infected pawn.^[Detail]
Through a meal cooked by an infected pawn.
During Unnatural healing by infected pawn.
When fed a meal by a infected pawn.
Chance of infection from fleshbeast attacks. Unclear if this applies to all fleshbeast hits or just ones that result in scars.*

The creepy joiner can already have a metalhorror infection upon joining the colony. Contrary to other non-humanlike entities, they have three different life stages. They need 1 day to grow from larva to juvenile, and another two days to grow from a juvenile to a mature metalhorror.

Metalhorrors do not leave behind corpses when killed, instead breaking down into a pile of 10-20 bioferrite, and occasionally 1 shard.

Yield

The metalhorror yields 4.4 bioferrite and 220W per day.

Combat

A metalhorror's attacks are identical to those of a scyther. Metalhorrors attack with a blade attached to each arm, dealing a massive 20 damage per blade. Even for brawlers with high melee skill, metalhorrors are extremely dangerous.^[Maturity?]

Melee Attacks	Damage Amount	Cooldown
Cut	20	2.0 sec

Unlike scythers, however, metalhorrors are highly flammable. They can be ignited very easily, and will disengage from combat while on fire.

Metalhorrors have a psychic sensitivity of 150%, making certain psycasts more effective on them.

Analysis

Metalhorrors subtly manipulate their hosts, looking for opportunities to spread to others, and making them lie about test results if the tester is infected. Communal areas and shared bedrooms do most of the work for Metalhorrors, giving them ample opportunity to spread.

Detection

Paramedics can never become infected or lie about test results, so they can be used to test for Metalhorror infections safely.

If you don't have a paramedic, the following procedure can be done:

Have 2 doctors
The instant you become aware of a Metalhorror infection, have doctor 1 check someone other than doctor 2
If they find an infection, doctor 1 is clear.
If they do not, have doctor 2 check the patient
if they find an infection, doctor 1 is infected
If they do not, have doctor 1 check again
if doctor 1 finds an infection, doctor 2 is infected
if doctor 1 does not, then either both doctors are clear or both are infected.

In the event of total infection, a sufficient number of Mechanoids can safely clear out the revealed Metalhorrors, as long as the Mechanitors they are linked to are still alive.