Acid Jellies

Looking at an Acid Jelly, no matter the size, it is perhaps difficult to believe that they belong to the same family as the snail. Even though common naming conventions only names as snails those gastropods that bear a shell they can fully retreat into, this does not mean they are not related to a variety of slugs and limpets as well.

Gastropods live in a variety of habitats, from dry to wet, from aquatic to terrestrial, from the depths to the heights - they can be found almost everywhere. They have a well developed head, one or two pairs of sensory tentacles, and a ventral foot for propulsion. Not all gastropods have visible external shells. Some have smaller internal shells, and some have none at all – it all depends on their environment and the adaptations they have made.

It can be said with confidence that one of the oddest of the gastropod family is the Valorn-based Acid Jelly. These creatures are predatory carnivores. As with their simple garden slug cousins, what appears to be slime oozes on their exterior and in their path. However, here the differences begin. The Acid Jelly’s slime is, as may be obvious from the name, acidic. This aids the Jelly in deterring predators when it is small and in smoothing the area in which it lives. Areas that contain large numbers of these creatures tend to have smooth, almost slippery floors. Staying too long on these surfaces will result in soft tissue damage. In the case of boots, it appears the soles wear out faster with the extended contact with the acid.

The mud and other…matter often found in sewers appear to neutralize the acid trail the smaller Jellies leave. This may be why the Dundee Sewers have not been adversely affected by the hordes of Acid Jelly that dwell there, and people can tramp around even unshod.

Acid Jellies prefer to live away from direct light, and they are often found in sewers and cave complexes. When they are small, they live off insects and as they increase in size so too does their prey. Sizeable ones have been found in the Dundee area, but the largest ones discovered in Valorn to date have been in the caves near Caernivale. Whether the size difference is due to the number of Adventurous that hunt and scavenge in the Dundee area versus the Caernivale area, or if it once again has something to do with the nearness of the salt air, is unknown.

There may also be seepage from the sewers into the underground river that runs through the area. If that’s the case, a smaller Acid Jelly that outgrows its area may well find a weak point and ooze through, gaining conveyance to the sea caves where it may continue its growth. Recent examination of the underground river still leaves a possible migratory path unable to be proven. The area between Dundee and Caernivale seem riddled with a variety of caves, caverns, and other geographic areas of ‘softness,’ so an underground, and as yet undiscovered, migratory path is quite possible.

Current research indicates that all Jellies, no matter their size, are the same species. If further investigation shows otherwise, updates will be made. When a Jelly dies, a hardened substance is left behind. This can be used for a variety of purposes. The longer the substance is around, the less acidic it becomes.

Although some gastropods are edible, ingestion of Acid Jellies is not recommended.

Fleur: “I use those to polish my nails. I don't imagine they are digestible.”

Valera, on facing the Jellies near Caernivale: “It took some getting used to, the way they move. I wasn't used to an opponent that could flow like that! It was a challenge until I'd tried several types of attack to figure out the best way to handle them...”