Boogeyman

The **boogeyman** (***Devoranta Iuven***) is a small essence worm species and one of the only essence worm to interact with planes lower than the 5th dimension. It has a body length of up to 1.752 m (5 ft 9 in) with the largest specimen 'Chuck E. Cheese' being a massive 1.880 m (6 ft 2 in).

Compared to other Devoranta, or even other Vermids, it is a diminutive creature that would not be able to compete with it's own Family. Even its closest relative, (Devoranta Avari) can grow to the size of multiple whales. Fortunately for the boogeyman, its size lets it fill a niche inaccessible to other Devoranta: Beings on planes lower that itself. Much like other Devoranta, the boogeyman hunts it's prey through luring and ambushing.

As with other essence worms, boogeymen feed off of the energy of the specific chaotic attractor of a particle. To overplanar organisms, it can be quite a pest, as chaos is what allows the universe to keep eternally moving. The boogeyman in general feeds of the youthfulness of children, a particularly volatile source of chaos that lasts in an infinitesimal fractal of time in post-strand space.

## Etymology

The family name, *Devoranta* is a corruption of the latin word Devorantem, or "to devour". The term boogeyman is an English term. Other names have also been applied to *Devoranta Iuven*, including 'Baba Yaga' and 'Tata Duende'. while these monsters are most likely not boogeymen, it is worth noting that many of their exploits have been blamed on these fictional monsters. The monsters are a metonym for one that takes children who misbehave, wander off, or are generally nefarious. for this article, the term 'boogeyman' will be used for ease of English speaking readers.

## Description

### Appearance

To an underplanar being, the boogeyman varies widely in its appearance. this is due to the way its body interacts with 3D topology. The overall shape of boogeymen are extremely complicated to render in a plane. It would take an underplanar thousands of lifetimes to understand its elegance. Like a dance of the insane, those that can truly comprehend the boogeyman's body in all of its angles are truly enlightened.

### Size

The size of the boogeyman is rather small. Reaching an average height of 5' 11", the boogeyman has problems devouring prey around this size. It is suspected this is one of the main reasons it prefers smaller, more undeveloped prey.

### Coloration

The coloration of boogeymen are almost impossible to see for fully developed organisms. This is because of the way the boogeyman is rendered perceived in underplanar topology. The boogeyman's gel skin specifically moves to become transparent to wavelengths that are easy to comprehend for certain brains. The lack of development in the brain of a underplanar brain allows it to be more malleable to perceiving the boogeyman. More developed underplanar beings will have more trouble being able to perceive the boogeyman. This also makes the boogeyman's coloration vary based on the brain of the one viewing it. The brain's ability to comprehend abstract concepts allow more and more of the boogeyman's figure and color to be revealed. The only way around this limitation is to either be *extremely* neurodivergent, borderline insane, or to be from a higher plane of being. In simpler terms, the coloration of the boogeyman relies on the imagination of the viewer.

Very few above the age of 18 have seen the boogeyman, but one who has trained to be able to perceive the unseen will have no trouble making out its form, though the coloration will still be unique to the viewer. For those that lack imagination or cannot conceive of it, the boogeyman appears as a solid black mass with two white dots for eyes. This often happens during sleep paralysis, as the brain is more malleable to abstract topology.

One notable underplanar is the young child that was often referred to as 'Elmer Fred', who could see the full extent of a boogeyman's figure. this of course drove the fool even more mad, but it is worth noting that he could comprehend the creature for an extended period of time.

## Anatomy

### Head

In a similar fashion to its skin, the head of the boogeyman can vary wildly in its appearance. On average, it resembles that of a small, cute, and harmless carnivorous predator native to its hunting grounds. This is however a guise as the entire head is actually the major lip of the creature, which is held together mostly by the structure given by the fangs of the major jaw with some help from the complex minor lip. the outer jaw contains around 6-8 fangs. 2 long fangs, 2 short fangs, and 2 cheek fangs hidden behind the cheek and can move to express on the major lip. Males have 2 extra fangs that provide an extra layer of expression unique to that boogeyman.

###### Lips

The major lip is actually an extended sphincter muscle, and as such cannot make subtle mouth movements. Movements make the face of the boogeyman extremely perky and expressive to underplanars. The movements expressed on the outside of the major lip are done by the minor lip, which is fused to the major jaw and minor lip and moves with the major lip when receding.

###### Minor Fangs

The minor fangs are on a pivot joint, meaning they can freely move independently. Their connection is loose and catches subtle vibrations, functioning similar to acoustic mirrors. The minor fangs extend through the back of the upper lip, and are covered by a loose skin that can recede with the entire major lip when receded.

###### Major Fangs

the tips of its major fangs slightly protrude through the tip of the major lip. these fangs extend through the entire circumference of the profile view of the boogeyman and all the way to the back of the 'neck' of the major jaw. The major lips can recede the entirety of itself along these fangs to reveal the mouth for ease of devouring prey.

###### Minor Jaw

The minor jaw can extend past the major lip and exit through the front of the lip sphincter. There is a lock muscle that builds tension allowing the minor lips to shoot at prey before it can notice the boogeyman. This lock muscle can be held for a seemingly indefinite amount of time, as there are cases where boogeymen will wait for months on end for prey to come into their range. All of the teeth used to chew and digest prey are within this jaw. However, the prey of boogeyman must first be predigested by one of the rumen before it can actually chew and begin to digest its prey. A noticeable quirk in older boogeymen is the abundance of teeth in the minor jaw, to the point where they will 'spill out' and grow on the outside of the minor jaw. This is because a new row of teeth will complete around every stage of the boogeyman's life. This makes it very easy to age a boogeyman, as a boogeyman near the end of their life will have at least one or two rows of teeth on the outside of their minor jaw.

###### Stinger

Within the inner jaw is a long, flexible, hollow bone often referred to as its 'stinger'. The stinger's toxin is a paralytic toxin that comes from the toxin gland, which often expresses itself on the outer skin of the boogeyman as a primitive 2D geometry. This geometry is unique to the boogeyman. The geometry stays in a relatively consistent shape, but it tends to move around with the membrane of the boogeyman. This gland is connected to a tube that travels along the bottom of the minor jaw and comes out as a 'tongue' that is aimed at prey while tension is building in the lock muscle. The tip of this 'tongue' is the hard tube that dispenses the paralyzing toxin into prey.

#### Body

The major jaw of the boogeyman extends into the body, where it seamlessly merges with the rest of the worm. It has a relatively cylindrical body which tapers towards the top towards the head. This body forms a thick, skin like membrane of gel that absorbs many forms of energy and disperses it through it's body as a recognizable 'jiggle' that looks like a ripple along the surface of the boogeyman's body from the point of contact. This membrane makes the boogeyman nearly invincible to underplanar attacks. This doesn't discount that the boogeyman is still subject to the physical laws of the plane it is in and can still be moved around with significant force and energy, even if it won't kill it.

##### Stomach

###### Rumen

The boogeyman owns around 3-4 rumen, which aid it in digesting prey. As more than two rumen are redundant, more intelligent boogeymen use certain unknown irritants to close off their extra stomachs, and use a specially tuned medium to trigger an evacuation of material within the specific rumen. Boogeymen can then use these extra rumen as 'storage' for things they wish to keep near their interplanar form.

###### Extracta

A function that all *Extractida* are named for is their Extracta, a type of omasum that can extract and organize particles at the planck length, and transfer choice particles directly into the organism with a 100% conversion of energy. When removed from the Extractid however, this instantly kills the organism, as its multiplanar form seems to be anchored on it as a point in space. In other words, removing the extracta unravels the Extractid, and makes their interpalnar body violently shoot across multiplanar space separating from itself. The Extracta will always self destruct when this happens, and so far there has been no successful attempt to keep an Extracta unattached to a Extractid. Most products focused on killing Vermids use this method to eliminate them in large quantities.

##### Wings

The boogeyman's arms are the diminutive remnants of the large forelegs known as 'wings' seen on many species of *Devoranta*. While the wings from a distance seem rather spherical, close observation reveals that they are thick paw-like covers for the diminutive feathers. These 'paws' have a rather strong grip, and males have a grip strong enough to hold multiple times their own weight.

On the wings are 'feathers'. They are shaped like cones and extend the full length of the torso for larger *Devoranta*. While the length of the 'feathers' on the boogeyman have diminished drastically, they are still incredibly sharp and can pierce quite well. Its arms can still move in a large axis on the membrane, which spans the being's entire body.

##### Lower Paddles

The lower appendages of boogeyman are the thrusting paddles seen in other *Devoranta*. These paddles have a limited range of movement, and the muscles of the leg can only rotate and flex the paddle downwards. The muscles of the paddle are massive, and capable of lifting the entire weight of the boogeyman and propelling it into the air. This makes the iconic 'Skipping' gait of the boogeyman, in which one paddle lifts it into the air and it lands on the pad on the other paddle. This is then repeated on the landed foot, creating a skip like gait. Along with their weight, this prevents the boogeyman from being able to travel quickly.

## Distribution and Habitat

### Distribution

As with all Vermids, the boogeyman is considered a pest, as it hastens the decay of subatomic particles by increasing the rate of parity by eating the chaotic materiel that holds the world together. This furthers the march towards singularity, where all will unite in singularity due to lack of chaos. Singularity merges all planes into a 0 dimensional topology, and is considered the end of all things. Luckily most multiplanar beings know how to handle blooms of Vermids effectively, so this will most likely never happen.

#### Habitat

It is unknown how boogeymen reach their prey, as they are present in almost every section of space. It is highly likely that they are simply attracted to the particle they feed on, and will draw ever closer until they find suitable prey.

## Behavior and Ecology

### Social Spacing

Boogeymen travel in large colonies of interplanar organisms. Where there is an explosive population of interplanar organisms, there will be boogeymen. It is poorly understood how boogeymen appear in such large amount so quickly. some theories suggest they permeate, while others say that they parasitically plant their young in other multiplanar organisms.

### Hunting and Diet

#### Hunting

The boogeyman has a hunting method not dissimilar to other *Devoranta*. It sets up in a comfortable position, and waits until prey is in a position cannot escape. What makes the boogeyman unique is that it uses it's coloration to attract in prey. Its coloration is extremely vibrant to its prey, yet hides it completely from would be assailants. It simply sits in an an unassuming position, and its skin does all the work. This strategy makes the boogeyman an extremely effective predator, and its exploits often get blamed on its competitors. Because boogeymen are used to successfully capturing their prey, they are completely out of their element when confronted with prey that resist being devoured.

#### Diet

It is theorized that because the boogeyman is rather small, it only eats underdeveloped and small prey. One thing that can be noted is it's affinity for small children between the ages of 18 months to 17 years. Though It is rare to see boogeymen eat prey older than 13, on rare occasions it has been confirmed to happen. As with other essence worms, the process of digestion involves splitting the chaos in a particle from a particle itself in a process known as 'looming'. It is unknown if this is painful for the prey, as the process involves it being ripped apart at a subatomic level and spaggetified by the omasum.

### Competitors

Unlike other *Devoranta*, the boogeyman has a lot of competition within its underplanar niche. Because of their confidence in catching prey, it is very easy to trick boogeymen by goading it as a distraction or placing a non-prey object in front of it. This makes it very easy to rescue prey from a boogeyman if one can perceive it. Boogeymen can travel through its underplanes without much effort if it needs to hide. This appears as vanishing to an underplanar, even though they are simply moving to another fraction of the same plane that the underplanar cannot directly interact with.

Beings known as 'Discord Moderators' and 'Youtube Influencers' are known to take boogeyman prey using distraction methods. This is fairly destructive to the boogeymen, as they are quite vulnerable to the competition in their environment. A particularly big competitor are beings that seem to be referred to as 'Elites' , that own enough hierarchical power that they can acquire a vast amount of would be prey from the boogeyman. They also use the prey to make a material similar to that which *Devoranta* extract from their prey. This substance is however not interplanar and no known *Devoranta* can extract resources from it.

### Life Cycle and Reproduction

#### Life Cycle

Boogeymen age extremely quickly to underplanars as the flow of existence is different for every plane. As with all *Expatia*, their interplanar form infinitely grows long enough to touch the singularity, and starts to make them more predictable as a result. A full growth cycle should theoretically last from birth to the end of 'time'. However, because they become more interplanar, they cannot easily interact the topology of the underplanars far beneath them. This ends up being fatal for the boogeyman, as it's diet consists of the chaos of the lower planes. This process of birth to death lasts like around like 35 earth years.

#### Reproduction

Boogeymen must reproduce before they become too interplanar, otherwise they will slowly starve to death in regret of the choices they have made. It is unknown how exactly boogeymen reproduce, though there is evidence of sexual dimorphism in colonies of boogeymen. boogeymen often appear in blooms of interplanar activity, and it is highly likely that them or their young simply wait and lie dormant until the opportunity arises. This makes them a particularly nasty pest, and special precautions must be made to reduce interplanar activity so as to not trigger a bloom.

### Human Interaction

As boogeymen often interact with humans, there are many examples of their interactions with the underplanars. Most notably they love to argue. Boogeymen are so open to discussion that they can get distracted by an engaging argument. The caveat to this is that boogeymen are excellent argumentators, and when argument begins to bore it, it will unlock its inner jaw to paralyze and devour its opponent. Many boogeymen consider themselves artists, but their artwork looks unappealing to its underplanar constituents. One must be careful not to offend a boogeyman if they do not want to be eaten, as they do not have a moral center and will backstab anything in order to get a meal.

Boogeymen are often easily fooled and tricked by their prey. There are many stories of boogeymen being fooled out of a meal. One common method to stave off a boogeyman is to misdirect it by either having a discussion with it or showing it a piece of art that depicts a child. The quality of the work seems to have to be higher the younger the prey is. It is suspected this is because of how boogeymen are attracted to prey. Strangely enough, the works must be made from imagination, as the closer the picture is to a photo the more aggressive it makes the boogeyman.

##### Enthrallment

Because boogeymen are ill equipped to act when put in a position where they cannot simply escape, some boogeymen enthrall would be prey. These 'thralls' are not under the direct control of the boogeyman as they are so underplanar that the factor of chaos that is negligible to interplanars above the 5th Dimension affects their molecules, thus giving them 'free' will, or the will to chaotically move throughout different planes on their planar level. Underpalnars often refer to this as 'choice', though what they describe as the future is actually the inexorable flow of chaotic existence to the end of all chaotic outcomes, which merges all particles into one 0 dimensional plane.

To store would be thralls, the boogeyman must first find a suitable underplanar object to partially digest. This object is refered to as a 'tether'. They then eat an irritant that closes the rumen that they wish to use. The result is a pocket dimension where the boogeyman can funnel predigested prey for later use in underplanar activities. The prey is released using the partially digested tether to trigger a vomiting response, and cause the boogeyman to evacuate the prey from their rumen. It is unknown how painful it is for the boogeyman, but the result is usually never messy and the prey comes out clean and unharmed. This basic tool use has sparked discussion on just how sentient *Devantora* are. Some scholars argue that if the boogeyman is smart enough to know how to interact with their multiplanar form in this fashion, perhaps other, more destructive *Devantora* can be taught to curb their universe ending habits.