Sandy petersens cthulhu mythos 385

In attacking, the proto-shoggoth typically bursts
through its human skin in a surprise move, spraying
itself over its intended target, and trying to suffocate
and otherwise kill. Afterwards, it may gut the target,
wearing its victim’s body as a shell to begin the
masquerade anew.

Ecology
The term “proto-shoggoth” is something of a misnomer.
It is indeed a creature formed from shoggoth-like
protoplasm, albeit far more delicate. It is less toxic and
much weaker proportionally than a true shoggoth,
and it also lacks the same mutational power. However,
because of its greater “liquidity,” a proto-shoggoth is
capable of holding a shape and masquerading as a
human, at least when contained within
tough clothing and the husk of a living
creature. By contrast, with its power,
heat, and consumptive enzymes, a true
shoggoth would rapidly break through a
borrowed skin. Some wicked scholars find this
characteristic of a proto-shoggoth immensely
useful, and they apply arcane and
biological science toward creating and
domesticating these entities.
A proto-shoggoth is unable to
maintain as large a size as a true
shoggoth, and is rarely more than a
few

hundred kilograms in mass. It does not have the

brute strength of a shoggoth, and while it can strangle
or burn an enemy, it does so less quickly and efficiently.
On the other hand, it can easily squeeze through a pipe
or under a door, and it can also mimic the humanoid
vocal apparatus with amazing accuracy.

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