Soul of the Homunculus
Back to Level 4.
Tremere in need of assistants for their research work cannot always rely upon the loyalty of apprentices. But who can doubt the loyalty of one's own flesh? A homunculus is a tiny creature crafted out of the caster's blood and tissue, which acts as an extension of the caster's will.
Crafting a homunculus takes several hours of uninterrupted work, and a thaumaturge can have only one homunculus at a time. The horrid little entity takes shape in a bubbling morass of oil, blood, denuded bone and chunks of the caster's body. At the conclusion of the ritual, the homunculus crawls from its fatty birthing caul to serve its master. The homunculus can move about under its own power and may be used as a spy or a means to fetch materials.
Many types of homunculi exist; different thaumaturges create different sorts of beasts. The most common are flyers (which resemble tiny winged demons), grubs (which look like worms with their master's faces), and hoppers (small, bald, imp-like entities with their casters' features reduced to miniature). The homunculus acts according to its master's orders, which may be issued nonverbally as long as the beast is in its creator's presence. Over time, some homunculi develop their own personalities and goals, and more than one unnerved Tremere has discovered his homunculus playing malicious pranks behind his back.
System: A homunculus has two health levels and two dots in each Physical Attribute. It works much like a limb of the creator - the homunculus only moves or acts if the caster so wills it. A homunculus cannot fight effectively, but can push or carry objects, and can often hide or spy on locations unnoticed due to its small size. Though the homunculus is initially wholly loyal, its experiences may eventually (over years) cause it to form a personality of its own, often spawned from the worst qualities of its creator. Homunculi are damaged by sunlight and fire like Kindred.
A homunculus, though created from the caster's flesh, is a separate physical entity and thus does not count as an arcane connection, nor do its bodily fluids count as its creator's blood. However, establishing a psychic connection to a homunculus instead projects into the consciousness of its controller.
A homunculus must be fed one blood point each week or it will wither and die. Feeding may be an unsettling act to witness - some Tremere suckle them at their own breasts, acting on some undead parental urge, while others treat their imps derisively, holding their open wrists far above the creature's head while forcing it to caper about for its sustenance.
