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Humongulus — Description

Creating new life though flask and fluid is no easy feat, something the Academy of Veritas Mundus has learned time and time again. Their breakthrough in creating the first homunculi was encouraging, but they may have celebrated a bit too early. Though they have refined the process and are capable of creating more coherent specimens, they are still far from the goal of growing homunculi that can rival man. Yet, there is no sign of them stopping in these attempts, and they even try to find new recipes that can create specialized creatures to do jobs that others cannot. However, the major word in that is "try," as failure is a common sight in these experiments. Not all, however, are complete wastes...
It was said that this "type" of homunculus came to be during their early attempts of mass producing the little creatures. They took quite a lot of time to make, and so came the wonder if they could make a dozen or so in a single concentrated batch. Despite their efforts to partition the growing primordial ooze, the many wound up congealing back together into a horrifying brute. The end result of this process was a single homunculus, but one far bigger than the tiny critters they originally wanted.
The very first of its kind was granted the name "Humongulus," cheekily referring to the fact it was the size of a carriage. The swollen beast was far from perfectly formed, perhaps being even worse off than the little ones. Its fusion from many has given it many eyes and a tangle of sloppy organs. Its skin is still wet and slimy, yet in some parts, it has congealed and hardened into crude patches. Its limbs are equally as bloated and malformed, more like squishy clubs than usable hands. The weight of its fluids and the failure of a support structure within forces it to walk on all fours, shambling about like some hunched horror. And to go with it all was a simple mind, even more reduced than that of the original homunculi. If those ones could be compared to children, this type is more akin to an infant.
While this soggy behemoth is far from what the Academy wanted, the fact it didn't immediately die and dissolve into a bubbling pool got them interested. Crude as it was, it could survive, which was more than some other attempts produced. It also showed that even larger creatures could come from this process, even bigger than the refined versions. Like the original batch, it was far from perfect, but it was a good start. Thus, the Humongulus was kept alive, though some would question if that was truly a blessing or not.
When the Academy learned this beast was far hardier than other versions, they saw the perfect experiment specimen. The Humongulus could take a whole lot of punishment, and keep on shambling. Thus, the Alchemists felt comfortable running a battery of tests on it, seeing if there were post-creation techniques that could alter or improve existing homunculi. Devices and infusions of all sorts of fluids were jabbed into this hulking creature, to see what would happen. While the beast contended with these invasive pains, the Alchemists watched and took notes. In some cases, the being could be granted temporary humor powers or even regeneration. They were all short lived, but it showed progress! So much so, that the Academy even made more of its kind, so that more tests could be thrown at its soggy hide.

The "Humonguli" live pretty bleak lives, acting as lab rats for new tests and theories. Most of them time, they remained tied up with heavy braids so that these simple brutes don't wander and break things. They have their dingy chambers they are locked in, only released when an experiment must be done elsewhere, or the Academy needs something heavy moved. In rare cases, they act as beasts of burden on the grounds, though they require constant supervision to insure they don't get distracted. When the Church is able to break into an Academy hall that houses one of these beasts, the Alchemists are quick to send this hulk into battle.
Though it looks to lead a tormented existence, it would seem its reduced intelligence is a blessing. As some Alchemists would say "it is too stupid to realize it is suffering." Thus some would use that as an excuse for the testing, as any pain inflicted is quickly forgotten. But some would question if this is actually true, as they do remember certain actions or times. They do also appear to recognize the smaller ones, developing some kind of communication the Academy doesn't yet understand. The little ones have been found sneaking into the holding chambers at times to deliver small treats and toys to their larger brethren. While some suggested these actions be stopped, others saw potential. If some sort of bond could be established between the two, maybe the brains and brawn didn't need to come in one package...