Dyne Myte

None can perceive the apparent logic (or lack thereof) of the Great Machine. A massive, universe-sized, sentient, clock-worked machine would be a hard thing to relate to, much less understand. Nevertheless, it seems that either the Great Machine either has a twisted sense of humor, a sadistic streak, or is outright insane - this seemingly aberrant behavior is clearly seen in the existence of the Dyne Mtyes.

The Dyne Myte is a small creature of amazing clock-worked and spring-driven precision; commonly only 1.5 cm or less in size. As is common with the other creations of the Great Machine, such as the Klik, no two Mytes are alike, each looking as if it was hand-crafted by the finest artisans. Each Dyne Myte clearly displays these amazing and clever inner-workings, with it's various gears and springs visible within their bodies.

These tiny gears and springs power six segmented legs, allowing them to leap great distances just like their biological namesakes. Dyne Myte legs end in unusual combination of both spikes and claws, allowing the Mytes to find purchase upon (and pierce) the metallic bodies of their prey. Many Mytes also sport tiny, thorn-like spikes protruding from their backs, which scientists and sages theorize allow for communication or electrical power transfer (or both) from one Myte to another.

Dyne Mytes require energy (usually the energy of other Klik) in order to survive. They latch onto a larger host, store up a reserve of energy and move on, often before being noticed. Mytes possess incredible speed and agility, so they avoid most attempts to crush them, even if they are detected by their host. Being of a persistent nature, if dislodged, they will often follow the host Klik until they finish their meal or they are killed.

Capable of entering a dormant state when food is scarce, the Mytes will find an overhead location to hang from and "power down". Even while in this state, some still unidentified process allows the Mytes to monitor their surroundings for suitable power sources. As soon as one is noticed, the Dyne Myte "awakens" and attempts to spring onto and find purchase upon said power source.

While on the Great Machine, Dyne Mytes are considered a nominal pest, since the Event, these metallic parasites have made their way to the worlds of Ai and Earth. On Ai, the creatures quickly starve, finding only magical energy present upon the L'na home world. (However, some rumors are beginning to stir about "modified" Dyne Mytes upon Ai that have "adapted" to survive upon magical emanations...)

However, on Earth, these creatures are quickly becoming an epidemic which sweeps through High-bred installations. It is unknown if the Mytes are somehow reproducing once they find the rich sources of High-bred electrical power, or if they somehow are emitting a signal to others of their kind, drawing them to feed upon the bounty provided by Apoc ingenuity. Regardless, a single Dyne Myte infestation can quickly drain an entire High-bred base within weeks if not left untreated, effectively relegating the High-bred back to the Stone Age...

Tactics: The little pests leap and scurry among the gears of their world; waiting for an unsuspecting Roller or Tripod to wander by. Once a potential victim is in range of the Myte, they leap for a likely spot to latch onto and settle in for a feast of Klik energy. Having settled onto a host, they attach their mouth to a surface with a tiny weld and slowly drain energy. If the Myte is knocked loose, or slips and falls, the spikes across the creatures back will often hook, helping the Myte to regain purchase on the host. The single-minded Myte will risk everything to fill its reserves before letting a host escape.

Nothing is known of the manner in which Mytes are created, or if they, in fact, procreate.