Creeping Compound

Look into my eyes...

A quivering mass of eyeballs and glutinous jelly-like flesh-matter, Creeping Compounds are literally sentient collections of eyeballs originally created by an unknown Hag as a way to spy on her enemies. They are alternatively known as Crawling Eyes.

Description

Creeping Compounds are amorphous beings composed of fleshy matter that has a jelly-like consistency, and multiple eyeballs that appear to be floating uselessly within. However, the Creeping Compound is capable of moving each of these eyeballs independently, as well as extending its jelly-like body into various shapes. The irises, sclera and pupils of the eyeballs within can vary greatly, as each eye can potentially have come from a completely separate individual. The number of eyeballs within a Creeping Compound can also vary greatly depending on the age of the creature, the availability of "collectible" eyeballs, and whether or not the creature has recently been through fragmentation. The smallest recorded Creeping Compound had a single eye within a potato-sized globule of flesh-jelly, while the largest had over a thousand, and was as big as a cart. They do not make any sounds other than the wet slapping and scraping of their bodies across surfaces.

Behaviour and Abilities

When passively observed, Creeping Compounds appear harmless, minding their own business or only passively paying attention to those around them. If attacked without attracting their full attention, Creeping Compounds will simply run away and hide. They have a fascination for colourful and sparkly objects, and will follow items that attract their attention until they can play with it. When they get bored, they simple move on to the next shiny item. Despite this apparent frivolity, Creeping Compounds are actually very intelligent, and are able to follow complex commands with ease, as well as form bonds with those who treat them well.
However, if you lock eyes with a Creeping Compund (which is easy to do, given the number of eyes they have) it will automatically fixate on you, recognising you as a creature with sight. Once this happens, it will relentlessly follow its prey, chasing and stalking until it has the opportune moment to strike. Its target... eyeballs. Creeping Compounds have no interest in killing or consuming others; only in collecting their eyes. The more eyes a Compound has, the stronger and larger it becomes. Death by Creeping Compound is usually an accidental occurence, with the creature suffocating their victim without meaning to as it attempts to remove the eyes. If attacked while fixated on someone, the Compound will immediately attack the person it is fixated on, attempting to grapple them and remove their eyes. All other targets are secondary to their fixated target, however if someone else locks eyes with it while it is fixated, it will target them next. If a Creeping Compound locks eyes with someone with which it has formed a bond, it may choose NOT to fixate on them if the bond is strong enough.
The jelly-flesh of a Creeping Compound has anaesthetising properties, meaning that the removal of eyes from a living creature is effectively painless, however the creature effectively sucks and rips them out, adding them to its own collection, so it is not without trauma. Depending on the number of eyes it has, a Creeping Compound can effectively have 360 vision and can therefore not be surprised. It is immune to blinding effects and can see through magical Darkness. It is thought that some Creeping Compounds have other vision types, such as infrared or ultraviolet vision, but not all specimens displayed this trait. As an amorphous being, a Creeping Compound can pass through spaces as small as 1 inch without squeezing.
Creeping Compounds do not like fire and will avoid it where possible.

Ecology

Habitat

Creeping Compounds can be found almost anywhere, as the majority of them are crafted by magic. However, they hate fire and will try to avoid enviroments that are overly hot.

Diet and Feeding

Creeping Compounds do not need to feed to survive, but absorbing the eyeballs of others into its being does allow it to become bigger and stronger. They will absorb the eyes of the living, as well as the recently deceased. They will absorb preserved eyes if they are still intact, but will not accept eyeballs that are obviously damaged.

Reproduction

Creeping Compounds are predominantly crafted by magic, usually by Hags or Weavecrafters with ties to Necromancy. Some stronger Compounds are capable of reproduction through Fragmentation, but this is a very rare occurence.

Taming, Harvesting and Taxidermy

So long as you do not lock eyes with them, it is possible to tame a Creeping Compound that does not already have a Master. Some can even be taken as Familiars in exceptional circumstances. Special, tinted goggles that hide the eyes of the wearer are very useful to those who wish to tame a Creeping Compound and can be easily obtained from specialist monster-oriented stores. To those they have formed a bond with, they can be cheeky but helpful creatures, and very entertaining to have around as they play with shiny, colourful objects. They are not known to be particularly destructive, but are prone to clumsiness. Tamed Creeping Compounds will often gift their Masters some of their eyeballs, particularly if they have ones of an especially vivid or beautiful colour.
While the eyeballs within a Creeping Compound can be useful, their most coveted feature is actually their jelly, which has anaesthetic properties. It can be harvested without harm to the Compound, but taking too much at once runs the risk of killing it.

Locations of Known Specimens

Tremolite Tower, Muriedge Magecraft Tower and Academy of Arcane Studies, Muriedge, Curtana, W. Eirinn

A specimen is kept at the Mage Tower in Muriedge for study. It is believed to be something of a pet to one of the Necromancy tutors.