Mimic Menagerie

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Angler Mimic

Camouflaged amidst the urban sprawl, the Angler Mimic cunningly masquerades as mundane structures like an alley wall or manhole cover, blending effortlessly into the cityscape. From its deceptive stillness springs a thin, nearly invisible pseudopod, artfully extending towards its gullible, unsuspecting prey. At its end, a lure, remarkably resembling a forlorn kitten, a child, or perhaps conspicuous treasure. It plays on the sympathies or greed of the unwary. This mimic, with a keen intelligence uncharacteristic of its kin, orchestrates elaborate ruses, using its pseudopod to manipulate its lure with unsettling precision. It lies in wait, a silent predator among the hustle and bustle, turning a simple act of concern into a dangerous snare for those drawn by its deceptive manipulations.

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Book Mimic

Book Mimics blend into libraries and bookshelves, masquerading as ordinary books. They lure prey with their ability to replicate voices and "read" stories aloud. These mimics captivate listeners with their narrations, making it difficult for enchanted listeners to leave their vicinity. When disturbed, such as when someone attempts to open them during their performance, they reveal their adhesive form and attack. Book Mimics lie in wait for the curious and unwary, turning a seemingly harmless action like picking up a book into a potentially dangerous endeavor.

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Building Mimic

The Building Mimic is an entity shrouded in mystery and often dismissed as mere urban legend. Contrary to popular belief, which portrays these creatures as singular, monolithic entities, Building Mimics are actually a collective—a swarm of Structure Mimics that have come together to form what appears to be an entire building. This hive-like aggregation allows them to operate as a pack, sharing a communal desire to feed and grow. Scholars who acknowledge the existence of these creatures remain divided on their origins; some speculate that the first Building Mimics were formed as a defensive response to large predators, such as giants or dragons, forcing individual mimics to band together for survival. This has led to a complex social structure unseen in other mimic species, allowing them to dominate entire urban landscapes as living, predatory constructs. The notion of a building preying upon its occupants remains a chilling thought for many, ensuring the Building Mimic's place in the annals of monstrous legends.

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Crystal Ball Mimic

Crystal Ball Mimic's intelligence is a curious anomaly within the mimic family. Scholars theorize that the original Crystal Ball Mimics may have briefly been domesticated by mages and used as magical sentinels or pets, trained to protect valuable or obduscate secrets. Its possible that over time, these creatures absorbed and learned from the spells, incantations, and vast knowledge swirling around them.

Unlike its larger, more traditional kin, this mimic possesses the unique ability to communicate, almost reflexively telling or showing individuals exactly what they desire to hear or see. These tiny mimics prey primarily on small insects. At least in the traditional sense, they are not particularly dangerous. Still though, be wary of what they say or show you.

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Horse Mimic

Horse Mimics are elusive and free-spirited creatures that blend seamlessly among wild horse herds. These shapechangers roam plains and forests, adopting a protective role over the herds they join while discreetly feeding on the beasts they ostensibly protect. Their nature makes them resistant to domestication and wary of people, often considering them as competing predators. Still, on rare occasion they have been known to let trusted individual ride them.

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Kitten Mimic

Kitten Mimics are deceptive predators that have evolved to thrive in human-populated areas by adopting the appearance of harmless kittens. These tiny monstrosities use their ability to mimic the playful antics and endearing qualities of young felines to lure in unsuspecting prey, including children and smaller animals. Beneath their cute exterior lies a gelatinous core capable of producing an Enchanting Mew, a sound that charms and draws victims closer, only to reveal their true, dangerous nature when it's too late. With fur that can shift from soft to adhesive in an instant and eyes that sometimes betray an unnatural gleam, Kitten Mimics are a reminder that not all is as it seems in the world of the fantastical.

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Lantern Mimic

Lantern Mimics are nocturnal hunters. They can be found in urban settings, camouflaged as ordinary lamps, lanterns, and chandeliers. They use light and fire to lure and fascinate small game, including domesticated pets. Several peculiarities set these shapeshifters apart from their kin, including their propensity for cooking their prey before eating it and mysterious talent to cast simple spells.

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Master Wardrobe Mimic

The Master Wardrobe Mimic is the alpha among wardrobe mimics, combining its predatory prowess with a unique flair for fashion critique. This mimic not only devours its prey but also judges their fashion sense, often redressing victims in absurd outfits as a whimsical final judgment. Its role as a leader and its keen eye for style make it a feared yet peculiar figure among its specific mimic kin.

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Mug Mimic

Mug Mimics, tiny relatives of the more familiar mimic species, have adapted to blend seamlessly into urban environments, particularly within the confines of taverns and bars. These diminutive creatures are adept at camouflaging themselves as beverage recepticals, lying in wait for an unsuspecting patron. While inherently wild, some Mug Mimics have been domesticated by tavern owners and barkeepers, trained to serve as unorthodox guardians. These domesticated Mug Mimics are used to deter theft, manage unruly guests, and protect valuable stock, all while adding a layer of intrigue and defense to their establishments. Despite their utility, they require cautious handling due to their natural instincts and hazardous abilities.

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Pet Bed Mimic

The Pet Bed Mimic is a cunning and deceptive predator, masquerading as an inviting resting place for household pets. At first glance, it appears as a soft, plush bed, often adorned with enticing fabrics and cozy cushions that mimic the look and feel of a genuine pet bed. Its ability to emit a unique pheromone scent makes it particularly dangerous, as this unique aroma is irresistible to beasts, drawing them into its clutches under the guise of a safe haven. Once a creature comes into contact, the mimic's adhesive nature traps the unsuspecting animal, revealing the monster's true, terrifying form only when it's too late. This mimic preys on the natural instincts of animals seeking comfort, turning their most vulnerable moments into a deadly trap.

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Postbox Mimic

Postbox Mimics are crafty predators that have adapted to urban environments, taking on the form of postboxes to exploit the unsuspecting residents and mail carriers who reach inside them. These mimics secrete an acidic neurotoxin that not only injures but paralyzes their prey, ensuring an easy meal. Clever mail professionals and observant city dwellers, having recognized the threat, began using patchouli oil on their wrists, a scent and taste so repulsive to the Postbox Mimics that it effectively deters them. As a result, some have turned these dangerous entities into unwitting guardians of their correspondence, feeding them raw meat to satiate their hunger and using their predatory nature as a defense against mail theft. Woe be to the unsuspecting mail thief and their one remaining arm.

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Potion Mimic

Potion Mimics, trained by devout priests and philosophical healers, seamlessly blend into collections of salves and potions. They intuitively assess the beliefs of those who interact with them, attacking any misaligned with their last owner's creed. True however to their amorphous nature, these monsters will shift in loyalty, adopting the alignment and convictions of those who best them.

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Structure Mimic

Structure Mimics represent an unfortunate adaptation of the common mimic, grown excessively large due to a combination of overfeeding and a sedentary existence. No longer capable of the nimble movements of their smaller kin, these large mimics have adapted by assuming the form of and replacing stationary structures found within buildings. This adaptation allows them to occupy and control significant portions of a structure, lying in wait for unsuspecting prey. Their increased size, however, comes at the cost of a reduced ability to blend seamlessly into their surroundings, making them somewhat more detectable to the wary observer. Despite this, the sheer unexpectedness of encountering a predatory wall, floor, or staircase makes Structure Mimics formidable and terrifying predators in any inhabited area.

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Tome Mimic

The Tome Mimic is a rare and venerable counterpart to the more common Book Mimic, distinguished by their advanced intellect and unique abilities. These elder mimics have been nurtured and educated through generations of devout priests, monks, and other religious figures, absorbing the sacred texts and liturgies to which they were exposed. Possessing the remarkable ability to speak, Tome Mimics can articulate complex theological arguments and recite holy scriptures with eloquent fluency.

Tome Mimics are not merely passive predators; they serve a higher purpose within religious communities. In times of need, such as the illness or absence of a cleric or holy person, a Tome Mimic can step into the breach, delivering sermons and conducting services with such conviction that they are indistinguishable from the real thing to all but the most discerning observers. When threatened or desecrated, a Tome Mimic employs both physical might and divine invocations to protect itself and the sacred space it guards. Their presence in a church or cathedral is often a well-guarded secret, known only to a select few within the highest echelons of the religious order.

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Wardrobe Mimic

The Wardrobe Mimic is a formidable and aggressive variant of the common mimic, distinguished by its chosen appearance as an ordinary wardrobe. With a more predatory nature than its kin, this mimic foregoes the slow consumption of its prey in favor of engulfing them whole, stretching its form to accommodate victims surprisingly larger than its outward appearance suggests. Once close enough, the Wardrobe Mimic reveals its gaping maw, swiftly enveloping its prey and dissolving them with potent digestive enzymes. This mimic's aggressive hunting method and ability to consume creatures whole make it a particularly dreaded entity among those who dare to explore abandoned homes and forgotten mansions.

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Mimic

Mimics are shapeshifting predators able to take on the form of inanimate objects to lure creatures to their doom. In dungeons, these cunning creatures most often take the form of doors and chests, having learned that such forms attract a steady stream of prey.

Imitative Predators. Mimics can alter their outward texture to resemble wood, stone, and other basic materials, and they have evolved to assume the appearance of objects that other creatures are likely to come into contact with. A mimic in its altered form is nearly unrecognizable until potential prey blunders into its reach, whereupon the monster sprouts pseudopods and attacks. When it changes shape, a mimic excretes an adhesive that helps it seize prey and weapons that touch it. The adhesive is absorbed when the mimic assumes its amorphous form and on parts the mimic uses to move itself.

Cunning Hunters. Mimics live and hunt alone, though they occasionally share their feeding grounds with other creatures. Although most mimics have only predatory intelligence, a rare few evolve greater cunning and the ability to carry on simple conversations in Common or Undercommon. Such mimics might allow safe passage through their domains or provide useful information in exchange for food.