Mimic
A mimic is a a Monstrosity best known for its shapechanging abilities. It hunts by disguising itself as a harmless inanimate object until a potential victim approaches it, then grappling them with a long, sticky tongue or pseudopod.
They adapt the shapes they take on to blend in with their environments. For instance, cultural depictions of mimics often portray them as treasure chests in dungeons that open to reveal tongues and teeth, but a mimic that lives in a populated environment may instead change into an armchair or dumpster. Mimics tend to prefer forms that allow for a mouth-like opening; they use this to protrude their tongues and grapple their opponents more easily.
Basic Information
Genetics and Reproduction
Mimics reproduce asexually by splitting off tiny parts of their body, in a process similar to cellular mitosis. Depending on the quantity and quality of the parent mimic's food source, a newly spawned mimic may be as small as a grape or as large as an average Human fist.
Growth Rate & Stages
Mimics can grow almost indefinitely as long as they can gather enough food. The youngest mimics are only large enough to imitate objects like keys, coins, or spiderwebs. They grow most rapidly in the first decade of their life, by which point they can imitate objects like treasure chests or chairs. This is by far the most common size for mimics; it is at this stage that most mimics either lack sufficiently large prey to grow further, or are killed by a target who turns out to be larger and more deadly than they expected.
By the time a regularly fed mimic reaches 100 years old, it may be the size of a small room. Legends from the Liberty Coast region tell of casinos and fortresses that train mimics to copy the appearance of their treasure vault and consume any burglars that get past their other defenses.
Ecology and Habitats
Mimics can thrive in any environment, so long as prey exists. They are seen everywhere from caves and isolated ruins to abandoned houses and even urban alleyways. Some mimics are extremophiles, living at the edges of the Material Plane or even within the Elemental Planes. These mimics, who eat far more Elemental creatures than usual, may slowly take on traits of the elementals they consume over time.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Mimics consume exclusively live prey. (Elder mimics—who often catch multiple victims at once—keep these creatures alive but unconscious, for later consumption.) Insects and rodents are common food sources, particularly for young mimics, but they seem to have a preference for sentient prey. A mimic poses particular danger to the unsuspecting Adventurer.
Additional Information
Domestication
Mimics are not intelligent or docile enough to fully domesticate, but those provided with a sufficiently steady food supply can learn simple signals and respect their handlers. Such mimics are sometimes used as decoys for treasure to discourage burglars. However, these can be costly to maintain as they grow, due to the constant need for live prey.
Related Ethnicities
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