Gurgle-Plunk

Exmortis

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Gurgle-Plunk

« on: 16 August 2011, 19:32:02 »

Name: Gurgle-Plunk (The Gluttonous beast)

Overview:
A dreadful breed of creature inhabit the warm, humid regions of cursed countryside of Osthemangar, constantly migrating in order to stay coordinated with the completely uncoordinated climate pattern. While this behavior does not seem necessary (as it is insulated by thick rolls of fat on practically every side) it does seem to be a very deeply rooted.
The infamous Gurgle-Plunk is a ravenous orb of crawling flesh, fat and gruel which devours anything and everything that it detected by it's sense of smell. Unless, said scent causes the gluttonous beast to withdraw in repulsion, which, as it turns out, is quite an infrequent event.

When the ever hungry monstrosity is close to something with a particularly delicious smell permeating from it the upper section of the creatures face (The rest occupied by an enormous mouth# tears open, revealing an intricate array of small, fleshy antenna which flick about erratically, feeling the odors in the air. Being essentially blind and rather slow moving the Gurgle-Plunk is forced to resort to ambush tactics and trickery and rely on it's superior sense of smell.

When extremely close to 'food' (The term is used loosely as the Gurgle-Plunk will often swallow something, usually anything, first and think about it later) the Gluttonous beast will extend four rather long, fibrous tendrils which grasp and drag it's prize back towards the Gluttonous Beast. When about to consume something, the Gurgle-Plunk opens it's maul 5 or 6 times it's ordinary size in order to forgo any concerns regarding the dimensions of said 'food'. Even more impressive, the Gluttonous beast can expand it's stomach and by proxy it's entire body 10 to 20 times it's usual size, be it to accommodate food or to intimidate disgusting or dangerous food items.
The stomach of the Gluttonous beast makes up almost 80 percent of the abomination's body volume, all other organs are small and feeble in comparison, because of this a Gluttonous beast can only live for three or four years (In that time however they often grow a great deal).

When a food item is safely inside the Gurgle Plunk's porous, incredibly tough stomach the creatures lips seal with mind boggling pressure and it's entire body suddenly contracts. By doing this the Gluttonous beast forces hundreds of thousands of needle-like protrusions out of the heavy muscle that makes up the stomach wall. These needles are dripping with digestive juices which cause the insides of the Gurgle-Plunk's victim to liquify at an alarming rate (Granted that having you insides liquify at any rate is alarming, but the point is that this process is remarkably fast). Within minutes the major organs and larger muscles have been reduced to a pulpy mush, within hours all other manner of organic materials have been dissolved, within days resilient and/or non-living materials like steel, iron, wood and stone have broken down completely. As a final resort, a threatened, injured or otherwise frightened Gluttonous beast can throw up it's entire stomach and by means of contracting the muscular walls tightens the stomach into a rather dense sack which is covered with spines dripping with digestive juices. The end result is a deadly, needle covered club which the Gluttonous beast can swing at it's antagonists.

However should a foe appear more cunning or knowledgeable about the Gluttonous beast then normal prey items then the revolting creature can employ various other methods aside from brawn. Most notably, the Ravenous Gurgle-Plunk will often imitate the sounds a creature makes while being digested by it's stomach. The Gurgle-Plunk's semi-intelligence in this regard allows it to almost flawlessly reproduce anything from shrieks of panic and abject terror to pleas for help, most frequently it will imitate the sound of digestive juices churning about it's stomach.

Several expeditions into the dark mists have been lured into a Gurgle-Plunk's maul by the sound of a man screaming for assistance. This ability to seemingly speak by way of the sentient languages is by no means a sign of intelligence as the gluttonous beast has no actual understanding of what the words it says mean, rather it merely restates them. Additionally, the gluttonous beast will often replace the sound it makes should it discover a new noise which seems to draw in a larger number of delicious smelling things.

[This is merely an overview of this creature. If you wish to see this organism developed further then please comment]


« Last Edit: 17 August 2011, 07:25:43 by Exmortis »	Logged

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Deklitch Hardin

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Re: Gurgle-Plunk

« Reply #1 on: 17 August 2011, 04:23:19 »

Exmortis, the only comment I have for you is: Please break it up into paragraphs, and into the templace headings. At the moment that wall of text you've got there gives me a headache and no desire to read it.

Thank you

Dek


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seth ghibta

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Re: Gurgle-Plunk

« Reply #2 on: 17 August 2011, 18:05:22 »

Hi Exmortis,
Oh, looks like somebody's been reading up on starfish and similarly squishy creatures! I really like this idea, but I have two questions that I'd be grateful if you considered when developing further:

1. Does it need to be confined to Osthemangar? I know that is the traditional realm of deadly beasties, but we do have other such places on Santh, and by toning down deadliness and perhaps (though not necessarily) size, I think it could be reaslly useful elsewhere. Which brings me to my second question:

2. Our Bestiary is, as far as my meanderings can ascertain, pretty short on detritivores - the things that clean up dead material and help recycle it into soil and generally keep us from wading around in... well, you get the idea. Strikes me that if you were to sway this creature's diet slightly more towards dead or dying things, that might help fill the gap? Not that it couldn't still be a hunter - Terran predators are most often very catholic in their tastes, eating almost as much scavenged waste as live prey.

anyway, feel free to say no, I don't like those ideas, but please atleast consider them. as it is, I think their method of eating is fascinating, and I love the regurgitated-stomach weapon. these feel like things that would be discovered by dissecting a dead specimen, so maybe moving it out of the myth-encrusted, mysterious Osthemangar region could help in that way as well.


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Exmortis

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Re: Gurgle-Plunk

« Reply #3 on: 17 August 2011, 19:24:26 »

I compose all my creations with Osthemangar in mind.

As a matter a fact I have been planning on releasing three more new organisms and resurrecting and remaking two previous projects for Osthemangar.

Two of which are forms of flora, the rest fall under the category of fauna.

Additionally, two of my conceieved organisms feast largely on dead flesh, with a few additional feeding quirks...

But you will find out more about them provided I manage to find a reasonable amount of time between my studies.

All of these organisms have been carefully designed to thrive in the harsh realm of Osthemangar.

Regardless, I will do what I can, provided you leave me with a suggestion of a region which you believe would be best suited to this organism.


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seth ghibta

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Re: Gurgle-Plunk

« Reply #4 on: 17 August 2011, 22:54:05 »

hmm, well what if they've managed to creep out to certain areas and migrated from there? I can look up a few places they're likely to have crept into if you like - though it'd probably depend on more information than there is now. for instance, if they have small young, or eggs, they might accidentally hitch a lift with people.


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Deklitch Hardin

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Re: Gurgle-Plunk

« Reply #5 on: 18 August 2011, 03:16:08 »

How would anyone get close enough to this creature of yours to be able to research it and bring it back to the compendium without being digested?


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Exmortis

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Re: Gurgle-Plunk

« Reply #6 on: 18 August 2011, 15:05:06 »

I am planning to add a whispers in the tavern type element to this entry Deklitch, after all (as I have been quite frequently informed) Osthemangar is quite a harsh place to proform experminations, what with all of the death and doom.

I wished to write the overview in a scientific format because I can easily convey what I want to create.

After I have produced the other sections I intend to reverse construct a overview with underlined mythological explainations instead of scientific ones.


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Deklitch Hardin

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Re: Gurgle-Plunk

« Reply #7 on: 19 August 2011, 04:22:55 »

You seem to have missed my point, Exmortis.

The beast eats anything that it thinks is food, which I gather is anything that is moving or could be moving or could be there.

The beast is in Osthemangar, which is a very nasty place.

For information/rumours to be around about your beast, Exmortis, rumours that apparently someone in the compendium thinks are real/important enough to include, I'd think they would have to come from a trustworthy source that a compendiumist would trust, especially if it is going to be put into the bestiary. Otherwise the compendiumists would be chasing after the comments of every drunk, halfwit and trouble maker that wants to get their name in lights, so to speak.

So, think about the source of the rumours/whispers, Exmortis. Ask yourself who they came from. Perhaps see if there are explorers already in existence (and I think if you look in the people's forum for unentried people and the people's section of the compendium you'll find people who might fit what I am suggesting here). And if there aren't any, consider naming one.

I just realised I never said this before now, but I do like this beast, Exmortis ... I'm just throwing up ideas for you to consider, that's all


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Gurgle-Plunk