Okay, for whatever reason I can’t seem to put my finger on exactly where in the book it breaks down the various ways one might detect a Vaylen. So I thought it’d be fun/useful to sketch them all out here.
In every case, I’m guessing. If there’s a section or a chapter my wormy master is blocking from my consciousness, let me know!
Physical inspection of the skull (sub-index or higher, only detects the trepanation hole so won’t pick up the through-the-eyeball thing)
Surgical consult, presumably using CAT/MRI, for any kind of hulling (zero index or higher)
Psychology
Remote Vaylen detector (low index or higher?)
Skill use to pick up on tell-tale personality changes? I have no idea what skills might apply (other than Psychology, but that’s not what I’m thinking of)
Well, pages 194-95 go into the details of Hulling. For detecting Vaylen, you’ll need to turn to page 571, under “detecting Vaylen”.
Remember, the trepanation hole won’t be detected as it gets filled in with the skull substitute. The Foramen Magnum hulling doesn’t bore a hole in the skull.
Any low index brain scan automatically detects the worm.
I believe the Psychology skill IS the one that picks up on tell-tale personality changes. You don’t have to have a Bright Mark to figure out Old Man Withers ain’t keepin’ the kids off his property like he used to. At least that’s the way my group plays it.
But no, I can’t think of anything you missed off the top of my head. Good list.
I’d assume it’s either through the eye socket or through whatever big hole in the skull they can find (like, say, a big blaster hole or something that somehow didn’t grease the worm at the same time).
They chew through the soft pieces. Like the eyes, or the nose, or maybe the back of the mouth, where the dangly bit is. Or maybe through the ears.
The Foramen Magnum is where they insert the worm through the little part between the spine and the skull, it means only a smal incision in the neck and not a full on powerdrill to the cranium.
Considering how flat the naiven can get, you might be able to “field hull” through the upper palette, maybe through dental surgery. It occurs to me that a Vaylen Dentist would make a sinister figure. “say aah!” (sound of the little drills starting up)
One of my Vaylen FoN is a human merchant league official convinced she can open trade with the Vaylen. One of her beliefs is “I’ll stop at nothing to ensure the well-being of my unborn child.”
So of course the Vaylen will hull it in the womb. She might even ask for it.
At least that’s the way my group plays it.