The Hermit
The Hermit is a particularly prolific Breacher-type zed that has claimed the tunnels beneath Motor City as its hunting ground. Breachers are distinguished by their fused, paddle-like hands that terminate in sharp bone ridges, powerful enough to burrow through soft earth and pry open weak points in metal defenses. The Hermit is a stronger and more cunning specimen than the standard variant, with heavier natural armor and an unsettling ability to detect prey in total darkness through heightened tactile senses.
In the confined spaces beneath Motor City, the Hermit is a nightmare. Its paddle-claws have reach that standard Breachers lack, and it can halve the protective value of armor on prone or grappled targets by wedging those claws into gaps in the plating. Scavengers searching for pre-Fall relics in the underground tunnels and Jones prospecting for salvage are its primary prey. The tight corridors and low ceilings that characterize the undercity play to the Hermit's strengths and deny the flanking tactics that work against it in open ground.
The Hermit has puzzled Ironworks zombologists because it demonstrates behavior that goes beyond the mindless aggression typical of most zed. It stalks, it waits, and it strikes when its prey is most vulnerable. Whether this represents genuine tactical intelligence or simply a predatory instinct refined by the underground environment is a question no one has been able to answer, because studying the Hermit requires going into its territory, and most who do that do not come back to write reports.
In the confined spaces beneath Motor City, the Hermit is a nightmare. Its paddle-claws have reach that standard Breachers lack, and it can halve the protective value of armor on prone or grappled targets by wedging those claws into gaps in the plating. Scavengers searching for pre-Fall relics in the underground tunnels and Jones prospecting for salvage are its primary prey. The tight corridors and low ceilings that characterize the undercity play to the Hermit's strengths and deny the flanking tactics that work against it in open ground.
The Hermit has puzzled Ironworks zombologists because it demonstrates behavior that goes beyond the mindless aggression typical of most zed. It stalks, it waits, and it strikes when its prey is most vulnerable. Whether this represents genuine tactical intelligence or simply a predatory instinct refined by the underground environment is a question no one has been able to answer, because studying the Hermit requires going into its territory, and most who do that do not come back to write reports.
Civilization and Culture
History
The Hermit earned its name from the Jones and scavengers who work the tunnels beneath Motor City. Unlike most zed, which operate in hordes or wander aimlessly, the Hermit claims a defined territory underground and defends it with predatory patience. It has been active long enough to become a known hazard, a named threat that experienced underdwellers warn newcomers about before they descend. Ironworks zombologists have attempted to classify it as simply an oversized Breacher, but the tactical behavior it displays in its home territory suggests something more. The Gravemind may have found a use for a zed that guards the spaces beneath a city the Ironworks would prefer to keep sealed.
A named Breacher zed that stalks the tunnels beneath Motor City, hunting scavengers in the dark.
Type
undead
