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Description

On the Subject of Slimefolk
from the writings of Sedara Fairchild
by Miss Mouse

    The Milar—known colloquially as “Slimes” or “Slimefolk”—are a sentient race of non-humans. They are distinguished from other sentient races due to their unique biology and lack of social structure, which will be explained over the course of this essay.
    Firstly, the biology of the Milar is unique in that they lack any definite shape. They are comprised primarily of a viscous, colored fluid or plasma (shades of blue are most common, but green, red, and more exotic varieties have been noted) which moves as a single, living organism. There is a small “core” (or sometimes a small group of cores) which is thought to be the house of intelligence and the controlling force for the fluid of the body, but Milar are rare and little research has been possible in this regard.
    There are two phases to the life-cycle of the Milar, most often triggered by the seasons and weather. While existing as a collection of fluid, Milar are agile and able to squeeze into exceedingly small spaces, but are otherwise extremely vulnerable to predation by wild animals, as their nutrient-rich body and lack of natural defenses make them valuable targets. To protect themselves, they generate a sort of transparent “skin” which clings to their mass and which allows them some semblance of structure.
    Milar spend most of their lives being protected by this skin, which they manipulate to take on humanoid appearances and speak and interact with other races. Often they maintain a single form as much as possible in this stage, as prolonged time spent in a single shape causes the skin to take the form better, giving better rigidity and postural strength. Still, if needed, a humanoid Milar can become completely amorphous, moving around within its skin to overcome environmental obstacles.
    The skin is roughly as sturdy human skin and has a dry, slick texture, almost like glass, though not as hard. In healthy individuals, it is often shiny and completely transparent. It serves as a sensory organ and is very receptive to touch, deforming around objects to press into any nooks and crannies to get a feel of what it is. The skin is also very sensitive to stretching, which seems to give a pleasurable effect to the Milar, and many can be found seeking out this sensation.
    They are able to see through the production of light-sensing organs which they can produce at-will, though the process may take several hours. These organs are spheroid and white, and while in humanoid forms, most Milar keep two of them positioned as one might have eyes. These organs sense light in every direction, though are usually only exposed to the surface of the creature on one side, and so most of the light received is filtered through the body of the Milar, distorting it. Even without that obstacle, these organs seem to be less well-equipped than human eyes in regards to visual acuity, meaning that many suffer from sub-par vision.
    Milar have no visible organs except for their “eyes” and their core, but while in humanoid form, they maintain cavities for specific purposes. They have a mouth and throat for speaking (no lungs are visible, but it is thought that air stored in the body’s plasma is pressed out to allow for speech), as well as a “stomach” for digesting. This “stomach” is really just an internal cavity, most often connected to the mouth and the groin (though in some cases an individual might make two stomachs, one going to the mouth and the other to the groin), and can be used for a number of things. The Milar’s skin lines its insides, and is undifferentiated from the skin outside
    Their unique biology requires an extremely varied diet, and Milar are often hungry and craving a specific sort of meal which their biological instinct tells them they require. They are completely omnivorous, even consuming rocks, wood, and other indigestible matter in order to leech specific nutrients from them. Although they eat meat, they are not predators and most often eat carrion.
    Food travels to the stomach (most often by way of the mouth) and is held there. The skin lining the stomach thins and plasma seeps in and begins breaking down the material into its usable parts. Digestion often takes a long time, but the Milar produces little to no waste afterwards, at worst simply expelling a small pile of sand from one of their feet after a rock has been used up for all of its relevant minerals.
    Nutrients are stored in the plasma, but Milar often pick a part of the body (most often a simulacrum of hair, but some choose to make breasts or other extremities for this task) to store a special form of high-density plasma. This serves as a store of nutrients when food is scarce, and can also be drawn upon to aid in shapechanging, such as to make oneself larger or smaller by converting plasma between the densities. These storage locations are visible as dark spots within the body.
    A Milar’s skin can stretch within a limited capacity, but rarely lasts more than a few months before it no longer fits quite properly. Either the Milar has excess nutrients, increasing its volume of plasma and causing the skin to be too tight, or a lack of nutrients and the skin becomes too loose. In either of these cases, the skin must be shed in order for a new, properly-sized skin to be formed.
    If food is readily available, a Milar might simply eat until it manages to overstrain its skin and burst, then reform a new skin over the next week or so with its plentiful nutrient reserves.
    In cases where food is scarce, things become more difficult. A skin that is oversized is particularly uncomfortable, and as plasma diminishes, a Milar might begin to consume whatever is available simply to maintain a high internal volume. In some cases, a Milar might reproduce with another creature, carrying the resulting offspring within itself. Although one might think that pregnancy would strain a Milar’s already-taxed nutrient reserves, a Milar’s plasma is so calorically and nutritionally dense that even a small amount is sufficient to carry a pregnancy to term. They seem to be capable of breeding with almost any species, and with any member of those species, male or female. The mechanism by which they conceive is unknown.
    Even a healthy Milar will often undertake pregnancy simply for the fun of it, as the stretching of their skin is pleasurable and they seem to enjoy having living creatures inside of them. Due to their ability to manifest multiple internal chambers, the number of concurrent pregnancies an individual might have is limited only by its skin and maximum internal volume.
    In some cases, an individual might carry multiple pregnancies long past term, allowing the fetal volume to break the skin, rather than relying on food.
    As for their own reproductive cycle, Milar reproduce every eight to thirteen years on average. This is carried out parthenogenetically, with the new individual simply forming in a cavity of the parent. They grow to full volume within, and are often born with a skin already formed. They lack a childhood stage of development, the newly-born offspring being able to stand and walk and talk as well as an adult. It is thought that a portion of the parent’s intelligence and memories is copied into offspring, allowing for such rapid independence.
    Because they reproduce asexually, Milar have no biologically defined sex. Each chooses a gender according to its own desires, though the majority seem to lean towards femininity (perhaps gender is influenced by inherited thought-patterns, and there was particularly fertile “Eve” somewhere in history), but some present with masculinity, are genderless, or move between any number options at-will.
    A Milar’s health is most quickly gleaned from its size; a healthy, well-fed Milar will have a large quantity of darkly-colored plasma, and range anywhere between four and six feet in height. At less than four feet, an individual likely does not have enough variety of nutrients stored in its plasma to maintain a healthy, functioning system. Above six feet, the diminishing returns of size in biology begins to catch up and an individual is unlikely to be able to find enough food to maintain such a size.
    This is, of course, a generalization and an averaging of things; what matters is not the height, but the weight of an individual, though this is not nearly so easily measured by eye. Depending on the body-type the Milar chooses, it may require more or less volume for its height. A Milar that chooses to have breasts, or a tail, or large ears, or extra arms, or any other curious anatomical features will have more places to store plasma than simply converting it all to height.
    Because the Milar are so greatly composed of water, freezing temperatures are particularly dangerous to them. The formation of ice crystals in its body can inhibit shapechanging, metabolic processes, and even cognitive functions. Because of this, individuals living in areas with freezing winter weather will either migrate to warmer climes, or hibernate.
    It is not true “hibernation” but a Milar can undergo a process by which excess water is expelled from the body, dehydrating it and concentrating all of its plasma together until it may be no more than an ovoid as small as a foot long. While in this state the Milar is unconscious and appears dead, but once warmer temperatures and water are reintroduced, the Milar will re-hydrate and begin the process of rebuilding its lost plasma reserves. In some cases, they may enter this state near frozen bodies of water so that they easily rehydrate afterwards.
    Another alternative is seen much more rarely, but seems to be the optimal method for surviving in cold conditions. Milar are extremely adept at passing fluids through their skin, as well as excreting and absorbing nutrients. In some cases, an individual might seek out another creature (often a willing humanoid) and enter its body, to remain in the host’s stomach or uterus. Once there, the Milar sustains its host by secreting nutrients, allowing one to go almost indefinitely without eating. In some cases, (for comfort) a Milar will expel excess nutrients in large amounts and shrink itself almost as though it were entering a hibernative state, then when the weather begins to warm up it will leave the stomach and enter the uterus where it will begin to leach nutrients from the host and re-grow to a normal size and weight before exiting.
    Some individuals have been seen changing their color anomalously. Color is thought to be largely based on diet and is therefore regional, but in some cases Milar have been observed changing color involuntarily as a reaction to stimulus or mood. The cause of this is unknown.
    They are a very docile and friendly race, although many farmers see them as pests. Interestingly, they seem to have some cultural connection to Mimics, as Milar will naturally seek them out in attempts to get their eggs (the shells of which they absorb after birth, apparently prizing them as a delicacy), but despite what would seem to be a symbiotic relationship, reports state that Mimics dislike the Milar and will only use one as a host if no other alternative presents itself.
    Although Milar are primarily solitary, it is thought this is due to a scarcity of food. The massive dietary needs of a Milar are enough that two cannot often live close together without having to compete for food. As they are not naturally combative, rather than fight one another they will simply move farther away until they find a place with enough food. Some Milar have expressed strong feelings of loneliness, and this may be why they seek out the companionship of other humanoids rather than their own kind.
    In the rare cases where two Milar can exist for long periods of time in close proximity, it seems to have a beneficial effect on both individuals, improving mental and emotional wellbeing. In such cases, the pairs are often inseparable, and will spend as much time as possible together.
    It is theorized that there may be Milar living entirely in ocean environments, where food would be plentiful, but the difficulty of pursuing submarine exploration has prevented confirmation of this.
    —

Description

On the Subject of Slimefolk
from the writings of Sedara Fairchild
by Miss Mouse

    The Milar—known colloquially as “Slimes” or “Slimefolk”—are a sentient race of non-humans. They are distinguished from other sentient races due to their unique biology and lack of social structure, which will be explained over the course of this essay.
    Firstly, the biology of the Milar is unique in that they lack any definite shape. They are comprised primarily of a viscous, colored fluid or plasma (shades of blue are most common, but green, red, and more exotic varieties have been noted) which moves as a single, living organism. There is a small “core” (or sometimes a small group of cores) which is thought to be the house of intelligence and the controlling force for the fluid of the body, but Milar are rare and little research has been possible in this regard.
    There are two phases to the life-cycle of the Milar, most often triggered by the seasons and weather. While existing as a collection of fluid, Milar are agile and able to squeeze into exceedingly small spaces, but are otherwise extremely vulnerable to predation by wild animals, as their nutrient-rich body and lack of natural defenses make them valuable targets. To protect themselves, they generate a sort of transparent “skin” which clings to their mass and which allows them some semblance of structure.
    Milar spend most of their lives being protected by this skin, which they manipulate to take on humanoid appearances and speak and interact with other races. Often they maintain a single form as much as possible in this stage, as prolonged time spent in a single shape causes the skin to take the form better, giving better rigidity and postural strength. Still, if needed, a humanoid Milar can become completely amorphous, moving around within its skin to overcome environmental obstacles.
    The skin is roughly as sturdy human skin and has a dry, slick texture, almost like glass, though not as hard. In healthy individuals, it is often shiny and completely transparent. It serves as a sensory organ and is very receptive to touch, deforming around objects to press into any nooks and crannies to get a feel of what it is. The skin is also very sensitive to stretching, which seems to give a pleasurable effect to the Milar, and many can be found seeking out this sensation.
    They are able to see through the production of light-sensing organs which they can produce at-will, though the process may take several hours. These organs are spheroid and white, and while in humanoid forms, most Milar keep two of them positioned as one might have eyes. These organs sense light in every direction, though are usually only exposed to the surface of the creature on one side, and so most of the light received is filtered through the body of the Milar, distorting it. Even without that obstacle, these organs seem to be less well-equipped than human eyes in regards to visual acuity, meaning that many suffer from sub-par vision.
    Milar have no visible organs except for their “eyes” and their core, but while in humanoid form, they maintain cavities for specific purposes. They have a mouth and throat for speaking (no lungs are visible, but it is thought that air stored in the body’s plasma is pressed out to allow for speech), as well as a “stomach” for digesting. This “stomach” is really just an internal cavity, most often connected to the mouth and the groin (though in some cases an individual might make two stomachs, one going to the mouth and the other to the groin), and can be used for a number of things. The Milar’s skin lines its insides, and is undifferentiated from the skin outside
    Their unique biology requires an extremely varied diet, and Milar are often hungry and craving a specific sort of meal which their biological instinct tells them they require. They are completely omnivorous, even consuming rocks, wood, and other indigestible matter in order to leech specific nutrients from them. Although they eat meat, they are not predators and most often eat carrion.
    Food travels to the stomach (most often by way of the mouth) and is held there. The skin lining the stomach thins and plasma seeps in and begins breaking down the material into its usable parts. Digestion often takes a long time, but the Milar produces little to no waste afterwards, at worst simply expelling a small pile of sand from one of their feet after a rock has been used up for all of its relevant minerals.
    Nutrients are stored in the plasma, but Milar often pick a part of the body (most often a simulacrum of hair, but some choose to make breasts or other extremities for this task) to store a special form of high-density plasma. This serves as a store of nutrients when food is scarce, and can also be drawn upon to aid in shapechanging, such as to make oneself larger or smaller by converting plasma between the densities. These storage locations are visible as dark spots within the body.
    A Milar’s skin can stretch within a limited capacity, but rarely lasts more than a few months before it no longer fits quite properly. Either the Milar has excess nutrients, increasing its volume of plasma and causing the skin to be too tight, or a lack of nutrients and the skin becomes too loose. In either of these cases, the skin must be shed in order for a new, properly-sized skin to be formed.
    If food is readily available, a Milar might simply eat until it manages to overstrain its skin and burst, then reform a new skin over the next week or so with its plentiful nutrient reserves.
    In cases where food is scarce, things become more difficult. A skin that is oversized is particularly uncomfortable, and as plasma diminishes, a Milar might begin to consume whatever is available simply to maintain a high internal volume. In some cases, a Milar might reproduce with another creature, carrying the resulting offspring within itself. Although one might think that pregnancy would strain a Milar’s already-taxed nutrient reserves, a Milar’s plasma is so calorically and nutritionally dense that even a small amount is sufficient to carry a pregnancy to term. They seem to be capable of breeding with almost any species, and with any member of those species, male or female. The mechanism by which they conceive is unknown.
    Even a healthy Milar will often undertake pregnancy simply for the fun of it, as the stretching of their skin is pleasurable and they seem to enjoy having living creatures inside of them. Due to their ability to manifest multiple internal chambers, the number of concurrent pregnancies an individual might have is limited only by its skin and maximum internal volume.
    In some cases, an individual might carry multiple pregnancies long past term, allowing the fetal volume to break the skin, rather than relying on food.
    As for their own reproductive cycle, Milar reproduce every eight to thirteen years on average. This is carried out parthenogenetically, with the new individual simply forming in a cavity of the parent. They grow to full volume within, and are often born with a skin already formed. They lack a childhood stage of development, the newly-born offspring being able to stand and walk and talk as well as an adult. It is thought that a portion of the parent’s intelligence and memories is copied into offspring, allowing for such rapid independence.
    Because they reproduce asexually, Milar have no biologically defined sex. Each chooses a gender according to its own desires, though the majority seem to lean towards femininity (perhaps gender is influenced by inherited thought-patterns, and there was particularly fertile “Eve” somewhere in history), but some present with masculinity, are genderless, or move between any number options at-will.
    A Milar’s health is most quickly gleaned from its size; a healthy, well-fed Milar will have a large quantity of darkly-colored plasma, and range anywhere between four and six feet in height. At less than four feet, an individual likely does not have enough variety of nutrients stored in its plasma to maintain a healthy, functioning system. Above six feet, the diminishing returns of size in biology begins to catch up and an individual is unlikely to be able to find enough food to maintain such a size.
    This is, of course, a generalization and an averaging of things; what matters is not the height, but the weight of an individual, though this is not nearly so easily measured by eye. Depending on the body-type the Milar chooses, it may require more or less volume for its height. A Milar that chooses to have breasts, or a tail, or large ears, or extra arms, or any other curious anatomical features will have more places to store plasma than simply converting it all to height.
    Because the Milar are so greatly composed of water, freezing temperatures are particularly dangerous to them. The formation of ice crystals in its body can inhibit shapechanging, metabolic processes, and even cognitive functions. Because of this, individuals living in areas with freezing winter weather will either migrate to warmer climes, or hibernate.
    It is not true “hibernation” but a Milar can undergo a process by which excess water is expelled from the body, dehydrating it and concentrating all of its plasma together until it may be no more than an ovoid as small as a foot long. While in this state the Milar is unconscious and appears dead, but once warmer temperatures and water are reintroduced, the Milar will re-hydrate and begin the process of rebuilding its lost plasma reserves. In some cases, they may enter this state near frozen bodies of water so that they easily rehydrate afterwards.
    Another alternative is seen much more rarely, but seems to be the optimal method for surviving in cold conditions. Milar are extremely adept at passing fluids through their skin, as well as excreting and absorbing nutrients. In some cases, an individual might seek out another creature (often a willing humanoid) and enter its body, to remain in the host’s stomach or uterus. Once there, the Milar sustains its host by secreting nutrients, allowing one to go almost indefinitely without eating. In some cases, (for comfort) a Milar will expel excess nutrients in large amounts and shrink itself almost as though it were entering a hibernative state, then when the weather begins to warm up it will leave the stomach and enter the uterus where it will begin to leach nutrients from the host and re-grow to a normal size and weight before exiting.
    Some individuals have been seen changing their color anomalously. Color is thought to be largely based on diet and is therefore regional, but in some cases Milar have been observed changing color involuntarily as a reaction to stimulus or mood. The cause of this is unknown.
    They are a very docile and friendly race, although many farmers see them as pests. Interestingly, they seem to have some cultural connection to Mimics, as Milar will naturally seek them out in attempts to get their eggs (the shells of which they absorb after birth, apparently prizing them as a delicacy), but despite what would seem to be a symbiotic relationship, reports state that Mimics dislike the Milar and will only use one as a host if no other alternative presents itself.
    Although Milar are primarily solitary, it is thought this is due to a scarcity of food. The massive dietary needs of a Milar are enough that two cannot often live close together without having to compete for food. As they are not naturally combative, rather than fight one another they will simply move farther away until they find a place with enough food. Some Milar have expressed strong feelings of loneliness, and this may be why they seek out the companionship of other humanoids rather than their own kind.
    In the rare cases where two Milar can exist for long periods of time in close proximity, it seems to have a beneficial effect on both individuals, improving mental and emotional wellbeing. In such cases, the pairs are often inseparable, and will spend as much time as possible together.
    It is theorized that there may be Milar living entirely in ocean environments, where food would be plentiful, but the difficulty of pursuing submarine exploration has prevented confirmation of this.
    —