Limus

Return to Laetus: Other Intelligent Species

The Limus are not like most other species on Wyld. Limus are intelligent, gelatinous, telepathic blobs that live in various bodies of water. Some live in streams, ponds, lakes, rivers, and oceans. Limus require a source of water to remain alive, as witout it, their bodies become progressively smaller and more dense, until they finally become very much like a marble or gemstone and die. They are, however, able to survive several days without water given favorable conditions, and can harvest the water from nearby plants or animals without harm to the source. Their natural bodies vaguely resemble a cell, with a thick outer skin-like permeable membrane, and a less viscous interior. They have no internal organs, other than two dark spots that resemble eyes in appearance. In fact, these creatures are a network of millions, if not billions, of individual, independent cells all working together to form a single functioning consciousnes. These cells communicate with each other via electric impulsees, much like neurons in the human body.

These cells differ, however, in that they are each an organism that can live independent from the host, able to take in energy and move, assuming they are in a body of water. The host body cannot commune with these "stray" cells, but should they be reintroduced to the host body, they will share their "memories" with the host. As such, Limus are capable of splitting themselves into two or more independent beings, each capable of thought and action, and can later reintegrate their multiple forms to recieve the sensations and memories of the copy. Limus are capable of sharing the entirety of their memories, sensations, and expeiriences with other Limus by sharing a part of themselves with another. Among Limus, this is considered the most intimate form of contact, and is almost excluseively practiced by mates.

Mates may be a misnomer, however, as Limus do not reproduce sexually. Rather, each individual cell in a Limus' body is capable of mitosis, through which an entire new Limus may be created. This form of reproduction may lead one to believe these beings are all genetically identical. However, that is not the case, as for one, they do not have genes as humans or most other species do. Also, the traits of a Limus change depending on their surroundings, matching their habitat, and in some cases, the company they keep. These changes could be in disposition, coloration, size, natural form, as well as other changes. There have been recorded cases of Limus that resemble jellyfish in their natural form in oceans.

Limus are capable of changing their bodies at will, able to take on any form they desire, but retaining their gelatenous appearance and coloration. Many Limus choose to mirror those around them, as can be seen with the rare case of Limus interacting with humans. They take a general humanoid form, but seem to have their own preferences for body shape and physical features.

Limus are largely solitary beings, content to spend their days relaxing in a pool of water or being pushed and pulled by the tide and they filter out microorganisms for their food. As such, they spend much of their time in a dream-like state, where their imaginations run wild and they tend to dissociate from the world around them. Because of their constant time to think and dream, they can be very colorful, insightful, or simply strange conversationalists, without much of a grounding in the real world.

Unfortunately, due to their unique physiology, Limus are often sought after as pets, concubines, or even philosophical advisors, and are sold in trafficking rings for a small fortune. The fact that these beings are as intelligent as their captors is often lost on those attempting to take them. It can be both extremely difficult, and very simple to capture these beings. Difficult, as they are almost impossible to find. Simple, as they are very likely not paying attention to their surroundings, and thus can be snuck up on quite easily.