The Zocs

A close up face portrait of a Zoc

"Nature is an outstanding thing, isn't it." - Masked Omega

In a world full of life, nature manages to find many ways to build what it calls an ecosystem, and when it does so, it looks at the rest of its creations and sees where its newborn could possibly fit. In the case of the Deusverse, this lead to the terrifying implementation of the Zocs... where did they come from, & why are they here? that may not matter when you are running from one of these, as the Zocs, as said by many, are an apex predator that no new blood can escape from.

"Only the strongest survive."

## History & Profile

### Origins

The Zocs were initially a race of tiny avian microbes, said to have fed on dust and scraps of various fallen residents, and have been known to grow the more they consume, with no sign of shedding any matter they've ate. Overtime, they began to evolve, becoming bigger and more hostile as decades went on, occasionally even going after smaller beings. It wouldn't be until modern Deusverse times when they would finally become what they are now.

### "Personality"

There is really no set or known "personality" for the Zocs, as they are just gargantuan creatures driven by instinct. Some may develop a sense of sapience after consuming more than a couple humans or boss monsters, which opens up a whole new can of worms (figuratively speaking). They can be described as territorial and rapacious, but as apex predators, they tend to pass down many hunting strategies and bestow their own experience to their younglings, even forming packs with other Zocs for the benefit of greater yields.

### Appearance

The zocs themselves are quite simplistic in form, resembling massive ovular blobs of a gel-like substance, with birdlike beaks and an eye on each side of their head. Most Zocs are made from "Dark jelly", a substance that naturally generates throughout the outskirts and Nightmare grounds as a manifestation of darkness, making them appear as bird-like shadows. However, when a Zoc consumes a light or energy based being, they will become a *Pale Zoc*, converting their matter to "Dawn Jelly", which is a physical manifestation of twilight (Semi-darkness, for a lack of better terms).

### Abilities

* **Consumption**: One distinct feature of a Zoc is their ravenous hunger and the ability to obtain physical traits and skills from those they eat. for example, If a new blood was a sans that had the ability to cast Gaster Blasters, A Zoc could consume them and be able to either spew lasers or even create mini-Gaster blasters from its own substance. This ability is limited to what they consume and a bit of luck, as only one ability can be obtained per prey. However.
* **Cellular Regeneration**: on a fair note, Zocs are not only large & adaptive, but also boast a strong form regeneration, allowing them to survive being crushed by a moon as long as one cell of dark jelly is present.
* **Mimicry** (pale zocs only): Pale Zocs are known for using their amorphous state to take the form of other people, albeit gooey and unable to speak. while transformed, they will replicate the physical traits (Strength, durability, and agility) of who they've taken the shape of, but are still only limited to the abilities they've gained from consumption.

### Weaknesses

* **Bright lights:** The Zocs themselves seem to be intolerant towards ultra-violet rays or anything brighter, or being flashed with bright lights in general. If someone were to at least bring a strong flashlight, it is quite easy to blind them.
* **Bird-brains:** While they are more than capable of thinking & even communicating, they do have a lack of intellect in comparison to an average civilian or most new bloods, so they can be tricked quite easily.
* **Gummy worms:** Due to their avian-like physiology, they still seem to have a craving for worms. In fact, Gummy worms seem to suffice their hunger quite easily, and can be used as a distraction. When in an encounter with a zoc, it is advised to at least bring one bag of gummy worms and throw them out, one by one.

## Trivia

* Zocs, while preferring live prey, are not picky eaters, and will consume any edible object they see.
* The dark/dawn jelly they are made from can be consumed, but it's rather sour, and contains chunks of undigested matter (ew).
	+ However, by obtaining the dark jelly, it is possible to resurrect whoever they had consumed throughout their lifespan if you were to bring it to am entity with resurrection or healing capabilities.
* While Zocs are mostly found in the outskirts, they aren't limited to that area, as Zocs are also found in the pit (albeit in a more aquatic form), the Nightmare grounds, and the infinite galaxy as Cosmic Zocs (which are extremely massive in size)
* Zocs give birth to offspring through shedding dark jelly from their eye sockets, in which they become blind for awhile in this process.
* A group of Zocs is called a Carnage
* It is considered Illegal to own a Zoc as a pet, due to their violent behavior and their tendency to deposition anyone who attempts to own them.