Full Description
Grex is a simple and humble slime mold that can often be found under the litter layer of a forest. For most of it’s life Grex lives as a single celled organism that feeds upon tiny things so small not even the keenest hunter’s eye can see them, that live trapped under dying leaves and such in the forest. However when food supplies run short in an area and a few of the Grex start to die off from starvation everything changes.
Once the food supply is exhausted the first Grex that succumbs to starvation will send out a chemical message to other Grex in the area. This signal draws Grexes into a single confined area. Individual Grex move towards the signal’s center. The Grex then begin to aggregate, or clump together. Waves of Grex are visible as expanding spirals or concentric rings formed around the dead Grexes. The Grex begin to clump into one solid mound of slime. The mound then orientates it’s self into a head and a rear tail like region, forming a Grex Slug. The Grex Slug is capable of free movement and will crawl to an area on the forest floor that is sparsely littered with leaves. The Grex Slug will then sit up on it’s tail end and form an ooze stalk proboscis. The stalk extends from the Grex Slug upward for two to three feet. At the head of this stalk is a sticky bulbous mass know as the fruiting body. The fruiting body’s sole responsible is for secreting a toxic sticky gel that acts on the nervous system to paralyze and kill prey. The Grex is now hunting.
A master of the waiting game, the Grex Slug will stay motionless for up to several days waiting for a hapless small creature to blunder into it’s trap. Grex is not particular about it’s prey any bird or animal will do nicely. Once the animal has contacted the sticky blub the neurotoxin takes immediate effect paralyzing the animal and causing reparatory and cardiac arrest leading to death. Once the trap is sprung the Grex Slug begins to enjoy it’s bountiful feast. Once well fed the Grex Slug will deposit spores in the remains of it’s meal and will crawl off to die leaving nothing more of it’s passing than a slime trail. The remains of it’s last meal a gift for the next generation of Grex.
Additional Information
Grex itself is not a horrible dangerous organism to most large animals or human like organisms. However a popular fairy tale told to young children, particular those whos families live on the boarders of a forest, is that once a crazy and evil mage enchanted Grex Slugs to grow to enormous size then turned them lose in a deep area of the forest. Children are then told never to venture into the forest for fear of being eaten by a slimy Grex.
New Submissions



April 25, 2006, 21:25
It is very short and concise, it purely shows everything that details a life cycle of this grex... however odd it may in fact be.
It is definately interesting to say the least, but it almost seems like a narration from National Geographic from the 80's.
However, this is probably one of the most unique ideas I have ever read on here pertaining to a lifeform. Other than a few mispelled words and misplaced words, it was done very well. I especially enjoy how it migrates from a simple creature to such a defined hunter. Regardless that it's life cycle even as the more advanced hunter is lilmited. I do not care for the instant death effect of cardiac arrest though, but a simple edit and explanation of some other toxin that spreds the spores over the forest floor while the animal flails about in agony as it tries to get away is also possible.
Good job.
April 25, 2006, 22:21
Certainly unique and something that I have never seen before! Keep it up!
April 25, 2006, 22:51
I liked it a great deal. Admittedly, I prefer the "National Geographic"/ "Documentry" style of post. However this is something to make a fantasy ecology "come alive". These things are not a threat to adventurers (unless they are really stupid), or humans (again, see stupid), but are an important ecology part.
Although, I could see a master villian tying an adventurer to a long table and lowering a ramp that has a Grex slug slithering down it.
"Do you expect me to talk Scarabomontus?"
"No Sir Lorning, I expect you to die."
(ah, I love that line....)
April 26, 2006, 17:13
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