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Bone Hunter — Description

New Form of Slime Discovered! A Fusion of Two Deadly Variants Into the Ultimate Predator!
When one mentions Slimes, the public tends to think of the garbage eaters that live in dumps and forgotten places. A simple species in its purest form, one driven by basic instinct and wants. Yet, recent discoveries on Slimes suggests that this image may be changing soon, as the species is showing incredible growth in their abilities and adaptations. Already many know that Slimes can take on different forms, with the likes of Fire Slimes, Flayers and Rock Chimneys. For any other creature of this world, these would be different species, yet for Slimes, they are all one. That is because any Slime is capable of turning into one of these forms with the right knowledge, resources and time. A Bamboo Snipe is radically different from an Ice Slime, yet they could become one another if they chose to. This gives Slimes an incredible range of adaptability, perhaps even giving humanity's expansive range of magics a run for its money. And with a new form recently discovered, it is possible that Slimes may not see humans as competitors, but as prey.
It is not fully certain on how this form came to be, but we do certainly know its root origins. It is a form that takes on a rough humanoid shape, with its slime thicker and more congealed. It is typically green colored, but observations have shown that it will subtly change its hues to blend in with the environment around it. Protruding from its pseudobody is a vast collection of bones and broken shards, grim trophies collected from its prey. But these are not just for ornamentation, as they wield them as claws and defensive spikes, but most notably, they know how to spit them like deadly darts. Using a hollowed out bone and air pressure, the Slime form known as the "Bone Hunter" can fire off ivory spikes as if it was a living blowgun. These shots are impressive for their range, accuracy and power, able to skewer prey with lethal precision. Those well educated in Slimes will find this form of hunting familiar, as it is the same method Bamboo Snipes use to kill their food. But with the bone weapons and collecting, one can see Flayer influence, and they are correct. Bone Hunters are a fusion of Bamboo Snipe and Flayer, taking the knowledge required to create each form and combining them into one terrible predator.
Bone Hunters are ambush predators, leaning more towards the ways of the Bamboo Snipe to hunt. They climb up high or position themselves in areas where they can get a clear shot at prey. Altering the color of their pseudobody helps them blend in, giving them the veil of an assassin. When food approaches, they riddle them with bone darts, giving chase if the victim is still able to run. They will eventually wound their prey enough that they cannot escape, and the Bone Hunter will envelope them in their thick slime. Food is eaten live, smothered in their pseudobody and shredded with their various collected claws and shards, acting like a crude gizzard. Some Bone Hunters may skip the shooting and instead drop onto prey from above, consuming them in their slime as the victim thrashes against the choking prison. Victims are digested until only bones remain, which will then be harvested and added to their collection. Bone Hunters not only gather these bones for ammunition and weaponry, but they seem to decorate their bodies with them too. Thus, it isn't a stretch to suggest that they may choose some prey purely for the bones their corpse may provide. These could be Slimes that don't just hunt for food, but for trophies as well.
Bone Hunters have shown themselves to be incredible predators with an impressive kill rate. Though only a few specimens have been found, they have proven capable of bringing down a wide variety of prey, including man. Though they tend to hunt alone, there is no doubt that teaming up with others of their kind would allow them to drop even bigger creatures, conquering beasts that even trained hunters would fear. With this skill, Bone Hunters easily put themselves at the top of the food chain, able to kill and consume nearly everything within an ecosystem. This leads us to a concern about this form, and how it is a hunter not restricted by the usual barriers a species may face.
With Bone Hunters being a recent discovery, and the potential for any Slime to become one, it raises worry about the lands it can appear in. The arrival of a new species to any ecosystem can cause issue, even more so with a predator this powerful. Bone Hunters take the lethality and cold precision of the East and combine it with the hardiness and savagery of the arid lands. Bringing such a deadly combo to fertile lands like ours is a recipe for disaster. And also take into account the typical Slime approach to eating, often consuming anything edible in front of them with little thought, and you may have a horde of hunters that easily strip the land bare. Few can fend off Bone Hunters, and they not only kill for food but also for trophies, meaning they may slaughter prey even when not hungry. Species may not have the time to adapt to their form of hunting, and the Bone Hunters easily take advantage of this naivety.
This is a danger that arises with invasive species, where ecosystems are ravaged by a foreign creature that takes advantage of this new land. But in this case, Slimes are not foreign to many different regions, as they are a species already found there. Instead, it is the knowledge and adaptation that doesn't belong, being more of an invasive concept. This would be the introduction of alien ideas and information to a land not suited for it. What may work in one region could be poisonous within another. Think on old traditions and culture within a kingdom, and how it has sustained itself on these notions for centuries. But bring in a foreign concept that is new to these lands, and it could cause dangerous disruptions, which the Bone Hunters easily show. There are some places where certain species and concepts shouldn't be, and this is an example of the damages that can be done when they do arrive.
The issue to address, of course, is how the Bone Hunters may spread. As mentioned before, this isn't a case of a species migrating or being displaced, but instead outside information being transferred elsewhere. Slimes are capable of linking with one another to transferring knowledge between them. While this could be used to inform each other on conditions, favored hunting spots and survival tips, it can also impart the information needed to utilize new techniques. Though Slimes are capable of becoming any form, not all of them have the knowledge and know how to pull it off. Normally, this stuff is learned through trial and error, or built up over a lifetime of experience. With these transfers, however, all this knowledge could granted in an instant. Thus, a single Bone Hunter given access to a Slime hive could turn the entire population into more Bone Hunters by giving this information to the network. This means that any Slime form could rapidly spread, and that any Slime colony could change overnight into vicious predators.
This information transfer and recent discovery show the hidden potential within these simple piles of goop, and how rapidly they could develop. As most people see them now, they are simple scavengers and opportunistic omnivores, acting purely on impulse. They eat whatever is around them and split when they have grown enough mass. It is as simple form of life as it gets. But looking at Bone Hunters show how they can grow beyond that. Not only do they use tools and parts from other prey, but their mere image also shows this development. It is no coincidence that their elevated style of hunting and adapting has caused them to take on a humanoid form, the typical shape of the advanced and enlightened. Even their use of bone tools and decoration mirrors that of primitive people, crude and savage it may be. And with how Slimes learn from their surroundings, it is any surprise that they may mimic man? But the difference here is that they can spread this advancement to all their kind with a mere touch, cutting past decades of growth and development that other creatures must slog through. This is why Slimes are found in so many environments, thriving where other species and races struggle. One must wonder how much more they can grow, in both population and development. Perhaps these gooey beings may become more than garbage eaters lounging in our trash heaps, and grow into something that can even challenge man.
Of course, while this is an incredible research opportunity to see how a species develops, there is no denying the dangers to it. Bone Hunters show the lethality that Slimes can ascend to, and it may not be long til that trait spreads. With Slime populations spread across the globe, there are many environments not suited for the arrival of this hunter. This includes biomes and settlements as well, as Slimes tend to gather round civilization, scavengers feeding off of refuse and scraps. Introducing this information to one of these populations can quickly turn them from mere bottom feeders to deadly predators. And as observation has shown, they are keen to feed on any and all prey they come across. A colony of Bone Hunters near any town or city would be disastrous, as they will feed on the local populace. Thankfully, this form is very limited and has been spotted far from man. However, there is no telling when that will change. Even if they did remain isolated, there are other forms of Slime emerging, and some current ones that are plenty deadly. With the knowledge that any Slime colony can be converted to such forms, there is a need for caution and information. Populations that live near Slime colonies should be made aware of what may come from them. They should be informed of the different types and abilities they could gain from a transfer, and how that may affect their homes. We cannot afford for people to be ignorant of things like the Bone Hunters, or else they would be slaughtered when such a form appears overnight. They need to know how to defend themselves from such a threat, and be aware of how quickly it can spread.
Slimes are a fascinating species, but one that must be watched with utmost caution. The speed of their development and spread is worthy of research, but must also be monitored closely so that we are not caught unaware of the dangers that lie within.
William J. Gant
Explorer and Researcher of the Unknown
Personal Note: I am planning on presenting more on this subject in the upcoming conference, so this entry will need some bolstering and cleaning. I already know of some ludicrous accusations that are being thrown out right now, and I need to cut those off with my presentation before it causes some stupid scene. My critics simply cannot help themselves at creating drama from out of nowhere, especially the loudest of them all. I swear you could mistake her for my biggest fan for how fast she gets her hands on my publications. But of course she does this purely to complain and accuse, coming up with the most insane allegations I have ever heard. My recent writings on the Bone Hunters has whipped up some real wild ones in that cabbage head of hers.
Her latest accusations are that my writings on Bone Hunters ,and Slimes in general, are nothing but fearmongering and encouraging distrust and violence towards the species. She is pretending that my work will turn the public rabid against Slimes, and that my want to inform the people of the dangers Slimes may pose is harmful. An utterly preposterous conspiracy! Where have a said such things? Where in my writing is me openly advocating violence towards Slimes? Point to it! Show me! There is nothing of the sort in there, yet she is insistent in these claims! And what of my concerns for the public? Where is the evil there? Can she not take a step back and see how insane she sounds? How does warning people about potential dangers translate into hate and violence in her head? What I am proposing is logical in any other scenario! Wild animals loose around town? Crazed bandits spotted near main roads? A rampaging dragon's path coming near a settlement? It would be criminal to keep the public in the dark for such scenarios, as they have the right to know of such dangers so they can protect themselves! But apparently for Slimes, it is different! We must remain silent and secret about their adaptations, refusing to let the public know what they are living next to. Utter nonsense. Thankfully, I am sure others will be far more reasonable about this subject, and far less hysterical. Proper authorities will agree that it is a matter of public safety, and that is an incredibly just cause. One that science wholly supports. - W.J.G.
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Hey, another entry for Slimes and species from Kot-whoa waitwaitwaitwait- who is this?! That's not Chlora! Well well well, it seems a different researcher has reared their head round here. A fellow named Gant, which some folk may remember from a certain drunken rant. @Lediblock2 was curious to read writings from the man who sent Chlora into a inebriated rage, so here we are! If some parts of the entry seem a little dicey, that's on purpose, because Gant is not a nice fellow. We won't be seeing a whole lot of him, but I hope this entry gives a nice view of what Chlora is dealing with.