Mimics
Mimics are a fairly common type of sprite found in a lot of unclaimed wild areas of the realm of Fae Home. They do not travel to the mortal plane easily, but once they get into the mortal plane, they rarely leave.
Mimics are shapeshifting Sprites that have limited intelligence and great patience. They will take the form of whatever they think will draw prey near them, fruit bearing shrubs, treasure chests, comfortable benches, and more.
Basic Information
Anatomy
In their true form, if you call it that, they are an amorphous greyish blob, or a bluish blob, or brownish blob or a greenish blob depending on what minerals it has been eating recently.
Mimics rarely take on their true form unless forced by magic though they take on their true form briefly when reproducing.
Unlike most shapeshifters, Mimics are not negatively impacted by the light of the full moon, not even a little bit.
Mimics do not like to move more than they have to. They can move by forming tentacle-like appendages of their true form to drag themselves along or they can turn their bottom sides into a vaguely slug-like form and slither and ooze forward like a snail. Either way, long distance travel is not fast and Mimics are not very effective at mimicking things while moving.
Mimics are slow but they are sticky and they can crawl on walls and ceilings with approximately the same speed they can move on the ground.
Genetics and Reproduction
Mimicks reproduce asexually. As they get older and feed, Mimics gradually grow bigger. If it grows to a certain point, Mimics split into two Mimics of equal size.
If a Mimic is growing slowly and goes for a very long time without splitting in half, it might split a smaller Mimic off of itself.
These little Mimics are less skilled at shapeshifting complex colors and textures but not for a lack of trying. Fair Folk often find this cute and might keep them as pets or living decorations, cutting them loose into the wild when and if they get too big and skilled at mimicry to no longer be cute.
Ecology and Habitats
Mimics can live almost anywhere but they prefer to live in elementally balanced areas generally avoiding areas of Fae Home with an over saturation of fire, water, air, or earth energies. Either Mimics find these areas uncomfortable or they have noticed that their disguises are less effective in these areas.
Because of this love of elemental balance, any Mimic that finds its way into the material plane is unlikely to ever want to leave despite the fact that Mimics seem to have trouble breeding in the material plane.
It is also been noted that most Fair Folk can easily spot a Mimic in disguise, sensing that they are off with their metaphysical senses. Most mortals have trouble spotting Mimics because they rely on their eyes which many Fair Folk find hilarious.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Mimics put the "omni" in "omnivore". They can eat animal or plant matter, but they clearly prefer meat.
They can eat rocks, sea water, wood and dirt and other inanimate materials. They cannot digest these things, but Mimics can only mimic a limited variety of colors and textures at any given time. A Mimic that moves into a new area needs to ingest the local materials in order to recalibrate itself to mimic the local colors and textures.
They are also thaumnivore that can passively feed off of ambient magical energy. They can survive on less food in magic heavy areas. They are also believed to feed on psychic energies having a clear preference to feeding off of intelligent creatures.
When potential prey draws near, Mimics quickly grow sharp teeth to bite at their prey while simultaneously trying to constrain their prey with sticky grasping tentacles.
Mimics rarely eat rotten carrion and they never attack undead though they will defend themselves from undead if attacked first. They also avoid living creatures that kind of smell like the dead. They will not attack an undertaker, necromancer, or spirit loa unless truly desperate.
Some necromancers and free-willed undead choose to keep mimics around their lairs to guard their treasure hordes. Mimics seem okay with this arrangement as long as they are fed some fresh meat periodically. This is especially handy for vampires. They can drain a victim of his/her blood and toss the remainder to a mimic to dispose of.
Biological Cycle
In the realm of Fae Home, Mimics grow as they mature till they are roughly 2000 pounds in mass then they split into two or three smaller Mimics.
Mimics, usually but not always grow smarter as they grow bigger and they tend to regress mentally after splitting into smaller entities.
In the mortal plane, Mimics never stop growing. Sometimes Mimics grow so big that they cannot move and they may ironically become so fat that they starve to death. Though some larger mimics can still catch prey from a stationary position, especially if they can mimic a house or building though generally a carnivorous house will eventually be discovered by mortals and put to torch.
Some Fair Folk will help/force larger Mimics in the mortal plane to re-enter Fae Home so they can properly bud into smaller Mimics. More often than not, they do not bother helping Mimics in the mortal plane, especially since Mimics will actively resist being moved out of the mortal plane.
Additional Information
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Mimics do not need visible eyes to see, ears to hear with, or nostrils to smell with. Their whole skin acts as a sensory membrane giving them the ability to see in three hundred sixty degrees and make a full auditory/olfactory maps of their surroundings.
They are somewhat farsighted and their senses are not especially precise towards objects or creatures very close to them. Often, before attacking they will grow temporary eyes to increase their accuracy.
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