Inspector

Inspectors, also known as Hydras or Axons, are creatures exclusive to the Downpour DLC. They vary in color and have three heads. They act as protectors of Iterators'.

Appearance
Inspectors have three one-eyed heads attached to long necks that radiate from a central body. The body has thin protrusions that vary in number between individuals arranged like a propeller, as well as trailing fibers similar to those on the red tendrils and surfaces throughout Five Pebbles’ can. Inspectors are blue in and yellow in. They become red when enraged.

Combat
Fighting an Inspector can be quite a challenge, especially when encountered in zero-gravity environments. Their slow movement speed is offset by the dexterity of their heads. Attacking one up close is not recommended, as Inspectors grab and throw any objects within their reach, such as objects held by the Slugcat, any Spears stuck in its necks, and the Slugcat itself. Attacking from too far away, however, becomes impossible, as past a certain distance thrown s lose velocity and become harmless. Due to the difficulty, provoking an Inspector is not recommended.

An Inspector can be killed by attacking its core or its heads. Hitting the heads or necks with standard Spears or Rubbish consistently deals 0.12 damage. Since both deal the same damage, the latter should ideally be used for combat and nearby spears should be hidden away from the Inspector, to prevent it from lethally attacking Slugcat. Attacks to the core can very rarely kill it (0.1% chance), but otherwise deal no damage. 's mauling ability, as well as damage not directly caused by an object or creature, such as explosions, suffer neither of these restrictions and can easily kill an Inspector.

Stealth
Due to their extensive sight range and their multiples heads, sneaking around an Inspector becomes extremely difficult once provoked. It is however possible by hiding in pipes outside of its lines of sight, or by staying too far away from it to be able to see Slugcat. Hiding does not cause Inspectors to lose track of Slugcat, however, so reentering their line of sight causes them to continue attacking.

Evasion
Although their attacks are fast, Inspectors are rather slow, making them easy to outrun. They do not pursue the Slugcat between rooms, so it is recommended to flee if an Inspector has been angered.

Abilities & Behavior
Inspectors are initially passive, roaming through the zero-gravity environment. The fibers trailing on their bodies may reach out and contact fibers in the environment, lighting up blue at the ends.

Upon being approached, they use their tendrils to probe and feel Slugcat; this is a harmless behavior and does no damage.

Aggression
Inspectors become aggressive if attacked or if the Slugcat grabs or attacks in their presence. They flash between red and white when angered. The state entered by grabbing a Neuron Fly is different to that of eating one or directly attacking an Inspector. Instead of trying to kill Slugcat, Inspectors pick up and drop items as if in warning, and attempt to dislodge the neuron from Slugcat's grasp, becoming passive once it is released.

Directly attacking an Inspector or eating a Neuron Fly within its line of sight makes it aggressive for the rest of the cycle.

Relationships
Despite having an Attacks relationship with the Rot, Inspectors do not attempt to kill it. Inspectors turn red when in close proximity to Rot but this is independent of their emotional state, as they can fade back to normal even when the Rot is within their line of sight. This is similar to Inspectors' behaviour upon Slugcat grabbing a. Inspectors do not attack each other and their aggressive state cannot be triggered towards other Inspectors, even if hit by a direct attack.

Trivia

 * When pulled by an intense force, Inspectors briefly shift to a red color that is more vibrant than their enraged state.
 * s work because most of their damage is not immediate.
 * On death, Inspectors explode and disappear save for their eyes. This is a trait shared by.
 * In Five Pebbles, certain Inspector spawns are replaced by in later campaigns.
 * Inspectors use the Daddy Long Legs creature template, so most creatures are afraid of them.
 * A probably unintended side effect of this is that Inspectors do not lose aggression towards a creature upon its death and keep attacking as long as they can see it.
 * Inspectors and the Rot also share the ability to keep track of live creatures outside their line of sight as long as they have 'seen' them once.
 * In Arena mode, Inspectors may spawn in orange or green. These colorations likely belong to Seven Red Suns and No Significant Harassment respectively.