Laundry Files: Creatures
There are all kinds of other-worldly creatures, pushing on the fraying edges of our universe, and sometimes sorcers intentionally or accidentally let them in.
This page will list all commonly known occult entities as information about them is released to your current Security Clearance.
The first important distinction is between those creatures native to our reality and those that are not. Exonomes are the strange alien things which usually cannot tolerate our planet physically, so they take over an available body. Autonomes are those strange native things which have shared this planet with us for aeons. It is hard to say which category may be more dangerous, but the key difference is that you can banish Exonomes to whence they came. Autonomes...not so much.
Exonomes
Exonome is a catch all term used for Non-Physical Entities from another universe, often described by the less scientifically-minded as Demons. They are classified according to their intelligence and power on the Arneson-Crowley scale[1] which can be simplified as follows:
Class 1: Mostly Harmless... but don't touch them...
Class 2: Will eat your brain
Class 3: Will eat everyone's brain
Class 4: Run
Class 5: Everyone dies, no save
Feeders of the Night
Categorization: Class 1
Perhaps the weakest and most basic exonome an agent is likely to encounter, but no less deadly.
These creatures seem to exist in another dimension that is very close to our own and slip through very easily, they are the most commonly summoned entity and the most likely to be the cause of any occult problem the Laundry has to deal with.
Laundry scientists often use Feeders for their experiments and they can be summoned and contained within a fairly basic Class 1 grid.
However underestimating a Feeder is the last mistake you will ever make, their touch results in immediate death and possession.
Feeders are barely sentient and most are only capable of expressing basic emotions and drives, such as "hunger" and (rarely) "fear".
Possession: As an action, the Feeder can attempt to possess anyone within the area, killing them instantly and animating their body as the Feeder takes up residence within. This succeeds automatically unless the target is protected by at least a Class 1 ward in which case they are safe. The Feeder also cannot use this ability if it is properly bound within a Class 1 or greater grid.
Entropic Entity: Feeders cannot exist for any length of time within our universe unless they have help. If they haven't managed to possess someone within a round, they return whence they came. A summoning grid binds them in place however and allows them to remain in our universe until they are banished or manage to escape.
Enochian Instruction Set: The Feeder has a fairly simple mind that can be overridden and even verbally reprogrammed using Enochian. A character with at least one point in Enochian can use the skill to issue commands that the Feeder must obey. These could be simple commands like "follow", "attack!", etc. Or they could be complex commands with complicated conditions ("wait here and attack the first person you see that is wearing a red tie"). Each command or condition requires an Enochian roll and in order to counter or remove a command added by someone else you need to roll higher than they did.
Residual Human Resources
Categorization: Class 1
Due to a loophole in the Laundry's employment contract, no one can ever cease to be on their payroll. Even staff who have died are still legally employees and remain entitled to certain benefits. The Laundry never overlooks an asset it can use and so those employees who have passed on are retained as Residual Human Resources (The "Z" word is considered terribly impolite). A Feeder of the Night is summoned to animate the employee's body and extensive bindings are placed upon it to ensure loyalty. From that day forth the employee continues to serve either tending to the Stacks or as part of the building's security.
The average Zombie only lasts for about a year though before the body decays too much to be usable.
Undead: Zombies are already dead, their flesh animated by the Feeder within and this makes them incredibly difficult to destroy. They don't have a set amount of health, instead for every 2 damage they take they suffer a cumulative -1 penalty to all future rolls and -1 to movement. They are never actually destroyed but can be reduced to so many small pieces that they are no longer capable of moving or achieving anything.
Possessing Touch: Zombies will normally try to grab their victims. Skin to skin contact causes 2 damage and if this kills their victim, they are possessed by a new Feeder of the Night, making another Zombie.
Enochian Instruction Set: Zombies are "minimally scriptable", they are animated by a Feeder which remains vulnerable to being verbally reprogrammed using Enochian. Zombies are affected by this as described above and this is how the Laundry usually keeps control of its Residual Human Resources.
Autonomes
Autonomes are native to this universe, although not necessarily to this planet. They are physically present and cannot be banished however this does mean that more... mundane solutions[2] can be applied[3].
If we condense the life on Earth into 24 hours, then the deep sea BLUE HADES would pre-date humanity by five minutes. The mysterious DEEP SEVEN would have appeared hours ago. There are records of other civilisations, perhaps visitors from other worlds, living on this planet even earlier but then vanishing.
The Laundry has entered into various treaties with the major forces which coexist with us, as have other OCCINT agencies. If you believe that you may be infringing upon matters of inter-species diplomacy, we recommend you refer the matter to Legal Affairs.
There are also variants of humanity which fall under this category. Under the Monster Control Act of 1864 the Laundry possesses the authority to remove these individuals to secure facilities if they are deemed to be a risk to the population at large. Refer to your line manager for further advice.
BLUE HADES
Colloquially known as the 'Deep Ones', BLUES HADES is an advanced aquatic civilisation which predates humanity by several million years.
Physically, they are scaly skinned, amphibious and apparently immune to the effects of deep sea pressure and cold. They have protruding yellow eyes, webbed hands and feet, gills and tails. Internally they possess two respiratory systems and an impressive digestive system. Some of these abilities may be due to their highly advanced biological-based technology, where if they require a particular ability they modify themselves rather than create a tool for the task. Their skin gives them considerable resistance against conventional weapons.
History shows that they are capable of mating with humans.
Politically, BLUE HADES is the only definitely non-human culture on this planet that we have diplomatic relations with. Prior to 1953 there was little interaction between the civilisations, aside from certain coastal towns and the subsequent cults. After several confrontations and near-misses (for surface life) the Benthic Treaty of the Azores was entered into by BLUE HADES and the British Government. Later on members of NATO and the Helsinki Protocols (ie. the USSR) also signed.
The Benthic Treaty mainly lists the things which humanity will not do, and in exchange BLUE HADES will not interfere with matters on the surface. Inducing mass extinction and mating with humans are both covered by this arrangement.
DEEP SEVEN
Legends of dragons are common across the Earth and DEEP SEVEN is a likely reason why. Enormous gray worms, tentacled, blazing with heat and capable of burrowing through solid rock, they are believed to infest much of the upper mantle of this planet. All official attempts to contact them have so far ended in insanity and death.