Charybdis

The monster designated "Charybdis" by the TSN is a bit of a mystery. In some ways it is similar to the other creatures that inhabit TSN patrolled space, as it has an outer carapace which is hardened to radiation and vacuum. However, TSN sensors have been unable to penetrate this outer shell, and so the monster's inner structure is unknown. It is reasonable to assume that Charybdis may have evolved along the same lines as the Space Shark and Dragon, but there simply is no evidence to support that. Some have even theorized that Charybdis is not a living thing at all, but is instead some sort of Doomsday Weapon designed by an advanced alien race.

If it is the latter, it appears to be deactivated, because the Charybdis is largely a peaceful entity. It is not known what Charybdis consumes, as it has not been observed feeding on metals, natural materials like asteroids, or energy sources like anomalies or starships. It is theorized that the Charybdis absorbs the background radiation of stars, as it tends to become more active as it enters a star system, and tries to plot a course keeping it within the star system for as long as possible.

Whatever the source of the energy needed for Charybdis to function is, the byproduct of its consumption is obvious. As the Charybdis travels through a sector, it belches out nebulae, leaving a trail of them in its wake. The intent or purpose of this behavior is unknown, it is simply what Charybdis does.

As with all monsters, it appears on the LRS as a purple dot, and on Science as a purple asterisk. It must be scanned to identify it as a Charybdis. Once identified, its classification "CHARYBDIS" will appear on the Science display. (This is the longest monster name used)

Behavior and Stats:

It is a good thing that Charybdis is not an aggressive monster, because if it was, it would be the most dangerous monster in the game. (Outside of The Space Monster, of course) Its massive, hardened shell is capable of withstanding 3 direct hits from a Nuke, and the nebulae it spits out act as a natural defense, preventing travel faster than Warp 1. It is not known if the Charybdis has any kind of defensive weaponry, and it simply ignores any aggressive action taken against it. It will just continue its meandering course through the sector.

The Charybdis becomes much more dangerous when there are other threats around. The combination of the Space Monster and Charybdis is doubly dangerous, as Charybdis limits the ship's speed to Warp 1, preventing escape from the Space Monster. Other monsters can be a threat as well, and enemy ships in the area may ambush you while you are trying to whittle away at Charybdis. (It is possible Arvonians will defend Charybdis, if they are in range)

When killed, Charybdis will drop a huge amount of anomalies, up to eight or more, each giving the usual rewards.

Quick Stats