Gelatinous Cube

GELATINOUS CUBE
One of the most terrifying and dangerous oozes on the face of Glaun Encaru, the gelatinous cube can come in all shapes and sizes. Despite its woefully misleading name, this ooze, like many others, is not strictly a “cube.” The “gelatinous terror” as I prefer to call it, most often chooses the form of a cube when in a dungeon or sewer environment, enabling it to reach corners and block tunnels. However, in a cavernous space, it will likely manifest as a shapeless blob of goo.

Classification:
Ooze/dissolver/lie-in-waiter

Demeanor:
Mindless; like all oozes, it is not one intelligent organism, but rather, a collection of microorganisms that respond to stimuli.

Habitat:
The gelatinous terror hates sunlight, and avoids exposure to it at all costs. A sewer is their most ideal habitat, as there they are safely hidden from the sun and have plenty of disgusting vegetation and sewer-dwelling vermin to feed on. Apart from this, they can most often be found in underground caverns, but during my perilous explorations of the Snakelands last year, the Brivlthak tribe of lizardfolk told stories of a deadly “mucus” that slimes its way through the thick, shady undergrowth of the northern Nurnian jungles, hiding in the dense shade and preying on unsuspecting forest dwellers.

Diet:
Anything that moves

Abilities:
Apart from its ability to sense vibrations in the ground, alerting it to nearby prey, the gelatinous terror possesses two particularly horrifying traits. Firstly, its transparent form is almost invisible while motionless. Secondly, it drags any living organism it touches into its center, where the doomed creature will immediately begin dissolving in the cube’s acidic body. The digestion is rapid and lethal, killing all but the heartiest of beasts in under a minute. Avoid contact with a gelatinous cube at all costs!

Weakness:
Oozes do not possess the ability to see, hear, smell, think or learn. They are mindless piles of acid that can easily be tricked, trapped, or outsmarted. Use your intelligence and cunning to your advantage, and remember: unlike the famed ochre jelly and/or black pudding, the gelatinous terror is incapable of climbing sheer surfaces, and is quite slow.

Uses:
There are endless alchemical applications for bits of acidic gelatinous cube (and oozes in general). Wizards, too, will be quick to purchase large amounts of gelatinous terror for the creation of magical inks and the like. Bits of the slime can even be used as acidic weapons, makeshift garbage disposals, and cleaning products (in thin, watered amounts).