Pylop

The frightened Dwarf stormed into the camp. Only one of the mining party was still awake at this hour. He sat with his back to Aberim. The Dwarf shook his companion by the shoulders, "Chaggi, boy! D'ya ore in yer ears?! T'was screamin me head off, lad! Rally the boys! We need to get back to Loggstad!"

There was no response. Chaggi wouldn't turn from the fire.

The lad's body was limp, reflexive, as Aberim turned him about. "D'nt ya hear me say d'ya ore in yer-", but Aberim was shocked! Chaggi's pupils were gone, his eyes as white as stone!"

— returning to the Plateau's End Camp, Chaggi's fateful encounter, Aberim's remorse

A Pylop, Amorpho Clep is a terrifying mutation that occurs to a Plop when it is within the process of division. 3-5 dominant Plop remain within the mass, tangled together. It doesn't complete the process of division; instead it repeats the process of consuming the living, spreading Slimy Sickness, and assimilating Ooze material into its form.

Pylops are a frightening parasitic species of Ooze that has numerous sub- species and variants, including the Arcane Pylop and Undead Pylop. The Arcane Pylop is capable of minor spellcraft while the Undead Pylop is a hunter and transmitter of Undeath. Elemental Plops don't become Pylops under normal circumstances.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Pylops are formed of 3-5 Plops that awaken as a hivemind. This mutation occurs during the fission process of proliferating more Plops. As 1-3 Plops emerge from the mass, a knot of rubbery cords braid the red cores (or "eyes") of the separate Plop into a matrix of nerves between the fused Plops. A layer of gelatinous, liquid slime coats the cores, providing the Pylops with protection. Only one of the cores are critical to the Pylops; the others are useful as sensory organs but redundant as life supporting organs. The cores regenerate the Pylops, sharing this characteristic with its predecessor, the Amorpho Blup.

Biological Traits

Stone and slime splintered beneath the press of the ancestral battle-axe. Pools surrounding him ceased to sputter their foul ichor. Aberim was apopletic, heaving with heavy breaths. A rash was starting to form on his eye, cheek, and palm, in the streak of a green line. He pulled his gaze from the reflective axe.

More of the bulbous organs appeared from beneath his tunic collar, wrapping Chaggi's body in red, gooey threads. The Dwarf seized with forward, pressing Aberim against a pyramid of barrels.

His back slammed hard, snapping the wood and pouring alcohol over his shoulder. "Chaggi!" he growled. As he lifted his axe, Chaggi grabbed his arms, panic in his countenance was unmistakable. Chaggi's mouth opened and a bubble of slime popped.

"Spirits preserve me!" Aberim slammed the axe hard against the barrels. Bursting, a torrent of alcohol washed over them as Aberim shielded his eyes."

— the struggle at Plateau's End Camp, Aberim's serendipidy

Pylops' main body is a thick, viscous ropey knotted strand of gelatine with a flanged shape. Nodules appear at the end of the body as large as a human's head; 3-5 are clustered together. Red "eyes" with black pupils form on connective red veins inside the membranous, translucent body. These cores travel freely along the network throughout the mass. Unfurled from the ropey bundle, the main body of a Pylop increases its width as elastic wings composed of the inner veins appear as a complex interwoven net. The shape appears similar to a nervous system and is said to aid when the Pylops invades a living host.

The Pylop may retain a host that it has infected and use the host as a transmitter of the Slimy Sickness. It will use the limited time to hide within the hosts body and send it into towns or gatherings of people, where it slowly drains the host's life and spreads the sickness.

Pylops, like most Ooze, are averted to sources of intense temperatures. Cold induces dormancy in Pylops and is an effective means of dealing with one.

There are two variations of the Pylops: the Arcane and Undead Pylops.

Amorpho Mana~Cleps
This unusual variant has absorbed magical energy from a person or object, allowing them to cast spell-like abilities. They may gain new spells by assimilating magical Source in this manner. In addition, they gain the ability to drain magical Sources, as if they were consuming other materials. Engulfing a magical item sustains the Arcane variant.

Amorpho Fatus~Cleps
The Undead Variant is a Pylop that perished during its mutation, causing it to become a vector for diseases that transmit Undeath effects. It chooses to destroy its host and transform it into an Undead, at which point it leaves the host and controls the Undead, forming new Undead in a path of carnage.

Genetics and Reproduction

Aberim released his grasp on Chaggi's shoulders. The rigid body remained warped, looking back as strange shadows from the lanterns cast about the Dwarf's face.

Chaggi rose, stepping over the stone that had been his seat. Mortified, Aberim watched as Chaggi's lips spewed a foul, murky ichor! Aberim rose his forearm and coughed as the spittle splat around him.

He shuffled to his feet and drew his father's battle-axe. "Protect me, merciful Spirits, what has happened here?!"

Chaggi held his arm to Aberim as pools of the liquid in the dirt seemed to ripple and sputter beneath the press of his dead eyes.

— the horror at Plateau's End Camp, Chaggi's fate, Aberim's terror

Pylops return to their natural instincts as Plops, seeking out warm and cold blooded prey or Ooze. When a Pylops reaches a certain phase of its life relative to its maturation rate as a Plop, its anatomy changes once more, causing it to seek out fission just as they did as Amorpho Blup. Once they find a suitable host, they drain them of their blood. Once the body has been weakened, this parasitic ooze infects the victim with Slimy Sickness. As a result, the host produces Plops, until the Pylop has absorbed all of the host material.

Growth Rate & Stages

A colony of Plop that mutate through the process of division become a Pylop. After a few years, a Pylop will find a host and expand its mass by draining the host completely of its blood. Once this is done, it will consumed the physical matter, engulfing the host from the inside out, and using that material to form new Plop. It uses all of the material in this process, leaving nothing but Plop behind. This process can create anywhere between 5-20 Plop, depending upon the size of the potential host.

As a Pylop continues to add and shed new Plops to its form, it starts to develop a "coat" which increases its size to Large. Noted to have 10 or more cores, the Pylop inevitably will enter a dormant state, where it will end its life cycle as a Pylop. The lifespan of a Pylop is 5 more years than normal Plops (approx. 15yrs).

Variant species of Pylop don't collect Plops during "fission heat" as the common species. They end their life cycles as Pylop, consuming other Plops and Pylop when they meet. They are considered absolutely asexual in this regard, neither colonizing or dividing. Their Size remains medium.

The bubbling pools of slime began congealing into shapeless masses around Aberim's boots. Barrels and excavation equipment prevented his escape! Firmly, his father's battle-axe held aloft, Aberim said, "Chaggi, if there be anything left o ye, say anything!"

A bubble formed from beneath Chaggi's bloodstained tunic, as a bulbous, soggy red eye emerged dripping with slime. Chaggi drew his older brother's sword. "I... I don't... want to... do this." He gaped between gulps of blood and fluid.

If Aberim could save him, he swore upon his father's craft, that it'd be with Dwarven guile. Aberim swung his axe." the battle for Chaggi's Life, Plateau's End, Aberim's resolve

Ecology and Habitats

Pylop live in the same places as Plop- underground, subterranean areas. They may appear on the surface, near lowland hills or forest fields. Pylop also do well near local sources of water, such as pools or lakes. Moving water is avoided.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Pylops consume large portions of blood, draining victims dry. When they encounter Oozes, they will inject one of their eyestalks and consume the prey from the inside, leaving behind either rejected material or another Plop, which imprints upon the Pylop. The Pylop can melt and consume inorganic material but prefers to only do this when it needs to survive.

Biological Cycle

As with most Ooze, Pylops go into a dormant state when the seasons or environment is extremely cold. They can remain in this dormant state long enough to unthaw and resume as normal.

Additional Information

Social Structure

As an intelligent species, Pylop are known to wait by hosts of their disease, Slimy Sickness. The Pylops collects or discards emerging Plops so that it may form its extra coating. Plops are suggestable by the Pylop, as they imprint on other Amorpho Blup when they emerge.

Uses, Products & Exploitation

If someone is successful in harvesting the gooey red cores from the creature (living or dead), then they can acquire Plop Goop. This is a transmitter of the Slimy Sickness condition. Extra caution is needed as failure to remove the gland not only destroys it but may also infect the one who attempts.

FORAGE DC:20

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Pylops are known to infest cities, where they are subtle hunters of the living. They usually only do this when they feel the need to assimilate and divide. Otherwise, they remain hidden in subterranean environments, near the mouths of caverns, swamps and marshes, or near local sources of water.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

With multiple "eyes", the Pylops has an incredible range of sight, able to see all around it. These "eyes" are able to pick up thin light sources in the darkness, using this method to sneak upon unsuspecting prey items. Unless this Ooze is in a "puddle" state, it can't use its vibrational senses, which are used to feel its surroundings at a range of 20ft.

Civilization and Culture

History

It is unknown when the mutation that causes Pylops to form emerged but it is accepted that the Pylop is an Ancient creature, having spread itself through jungles where it was said to grow to enormous sizes and live much longer life spans.

The slippery slime slipped into the shadows, for now. A solvent rain of alcoholic spirits had saved them both. Chaggi's complexion returned to normal after a few moments and Aberims breathing returned.

The green streak still coated his eye and right hand. Aberim's cough had receded; he flexed his thumb. "Father, I'll be raising me cups to ye if I survive the morning." Chaggi motioned restlessly at his side, both Dwarves exhausted."

— the ordeal at Plateau's End Camp, Aberim's guile, Chaggi's twist of fate

Scientific Name

Amorpho Clep

Origin/Ancestry

Amorpho Blup

Lifespan

1-5yrs

Average Height

7-8ft Tall (Medium)
10-14ft. Tall (Large)

Average Weight

100 lbs. (Medium)
350lbs. (Large)

Average Length

8-12ft. (Medium)
11-15ft.(Large)