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Description
Found only in temperate rainforests, the Selsillik is a creature that looks more at home in some dimension beyond. When it is at rest, with its limbs retracted and compressed, some mistake it for an odd plant or colorful stone. It doesn't help that they tend to hide amongst the ferns and moss. But when they extend to their full height, they become a bizarre beast to behold! Long boneless limbs of bright colors, a small stony looking body and some protuberance that looks like a deadly horn. I have heard people fleeing the forests in fear when they catch sight of the Selsillik walking amongst the trees, freaked out by their bendy limbs and lanky silhouettes. While many would be quick to call them otherworldly, the Selsillik is very much a normal creature. In fact, some believe that they are some distant relatives to barnacles and the such, but these ones are much more mobile! I have to wonder if these claims are true, and if it is a coincidence that the Elmis Spires are also believed to be like barnacles as well. It sure would be crazy if those two had some kind of relation, but then again, weirder things have happened in the field of natural history!

Though many find the Selsillik to be creepy and unsettling, they are actually quite harmless. Their diet is made only of bugs, which they catch with their sticky tendrils. While they hide amongst the moss and ferns, their large colorful "horn" will be exposed. The colors alone catch the attention of insects, but the sweet scent they secrete make them practically irresistible. When the bugs begin to swarm over their heads, the Selsillik will lash out with its squirming tendrils to snare them. The many floppy branches of these limbs are covered in a sticky mucus, which captures the insects and holds them fast. After one of its limbs is properly coated with bugs, they will run it through their mouth where the food will be strained out by their oral appendages. This diet of theirs is backed up by the fact that they don't move around all that much. They prefer to stay rooted to the forest floor with their suctioning tendrils, sitting in one place so that they can just eat bugs and rest. The only time they fully extend all their limbs and become active is when they need to move to another feeding site or if they are accosted by predators. Usually their hard shells will protect them from tooth and claw, but foes with cracking jaws can pose a real problem. Their solution is whip out all four limbs in a startling display and use that moment of surprise to bound off into the forest. The sudden explosion of limbs can put quite a scare into anyone, and that is often what happens to travelers who stumble upon a hiding Selsillik. It must be a humorous sight to see, as two beings jump up in surprise and then run away from each other in terror!

For reproduction, the Selsillik will temporarily abandon their lazy lifestyle and instead go on the hunt for a mate. When mating season arrives, the odor of their insect luring secretions will turn from sweet to something quite musky. It smells kind of like mulch that has been left damp and rotting, which isn't the most pleasant. This powerful odor, though, will be an indicator for these wandering creatures. If they pick up this stench, then they know a partner is nearby. They will quickly chase after this potential mate, which is quite a silly sight when you see those boneless noodle legs fly! When a partner is found, they will form sticky globs within their mouths and use their tendrils to present them to the potential mate. If the two accept one another, they shall exchange and ingest these gooey presents. Since Selsilliks are hermaphrodites, both of them shall begin forming eggs from this exchange. When they are ready to lay, the Selsillik shall climb into the trees and use their mouths to spread strands of these damp clusters onto the branches. There they shall be high up from terrestrial predators and the humid air will keep them moist. When they hatch, the young shall drop from the branches onto the forest floor below. Be sure to watch your head when hatching season comes, because it will be raining both water and larvae!

Due to their bizarre appearance and tall stature, many have found these creatures quite unsettling. Legends have also agreed with this sentiment, as there are tales of the "Tall Men" who walk the forest at night. I find this kind of funny, because that means we now have two rainforest biomes with spindly "monsters!" Looks like the Selsillik and the Stalked Men have something in common now! On that note, though, the Selsillik are often seen as watchers of the forest by the people who call these lands home. Their hidden lifestyle and the way they seemingly erupt from out of nowhere may have led to the notion that these "Tall Men" can appear out of thin air. If you happen to trip on one in the middle of the night, it can sure give that impression!

Chlora Myron

Dryad Natural Historian

-------------------------------------------------

Back with it with the species! Woooo!

Description
Found only in temperate rainforests, the Selsillik is a creature that looks more at home in some dimension beyond. When it is at rest, with its limbs retracted and compressed, some mistake it for an odd plant or colorful stone. It doesn't help that they tend to hide amongst the ferns and moss. But when they extend to their full height, they become a bizarre beast to behold! Long boneless limbs of bright colors, a small stony looking body and some protuberance that looks like a deadly horn. I have heard people fleeing the forests in fear when they catch sight of the Selsillik walking amongst the trees, freaked out by their bendy limbs and lanky silhouettes. While many would be quick to call them otherworldly, the Selsillik is very much a normal creature. In fact, some believe that they are some distant relatives to barnacles and the such, but these ones are much more mobile! I have to wonder if these claims are true, and if it is a coincidence that the Elmis Spires are also believed to be like barnacles as well. It sure would be crazy if those two had some kind of relation, but then again, weirder things have happened in the field of natural history!

Though many find the Selsillik to be creepy and unsettling, they are actually quite harmless. Their diet is made only of bugs, which they catch with their sticky tendrils. While they hide amongst the moss and ferns, their large colorful "horn" will be exposed. The colors alone catch the attention of insects, but the sweet scent they secrete make them practically irresistible. When the bugs begin to swarm over their heads, the Selsillik will lash out with its squirming tendrils to snare them. The many floppy branches of these limbs are covered in a sticky mucus, which captures the insects and holds them fast. After one of its limbs is properly coated with bugs, they will run it through their mouth where the food will be strained out by their oral appendages. This diet of theirs is backed up by the fact that they don't move around all that much. They prefer to stay rooted to the forest floor with their suctioning tendrils, sitting in one place so that they can just eat bugs and rest. The only time they fully extend all their limbs and become active is when they need to move to another feeding site or if they are accosted by predators. Usually their hard shells will protect them from tooth and claw, but foes with cracking jaws can pose a real problem. Their solution is whip out all four limbs in a startling display and use that moment of surprise to bound off into the forest. The sudden explosion of limbs can put quite a scare into anyone, and that is often what happens to travelers who stumble upon a hiding Selsillik. It must be a humorous sight to see, as two beings jump up in surprise and then run away from each other in terror!

For reproduction, the Selsillik will temporarily abandon their lazy lifestyle and instead go on the hunt for a mate. When mating season arrives, the odor of their insect luring secretions will turn from sweet to something quite musky. It smells kind of like mulch that has been left damp and rotting, which isn't the most pleasant. This powerful odor, though, will be an indicator for these wandering creatures. If they pick up this stench, then they know a partner is nearby. They will quickly chase after this potential mate, which is quite a silly sight when you see those boneless noodle legs fly! When a partner is found, they will form sticky globs within their mouths and use their tendrils to present them to the potential mate. If the two accept one another, they shall exchange and ingest these gooey presents. Since Selsilliks are hermaphrodites, both of them shall begin forming eggs from this exchange. When they are ready to lay, the Selsillik shall climb into the trees and use their mouths to spread strands of these damp clusters onto the branches. There they shall be high up from terrestrial predators and the humid air will keep them moist. When they hatch, the young shall drop from the branches onto the forest floor below. Be sure to watch your head when hatching season comes, because it will be raining both water and larvae!

Due to their bizarre appearance and tall stature, many have found these creatures quite unsettling. Legends have also agreed with this sentiment, as there are tales of the "Tall Men" who walk the forest at night. I find this kind of funny, because that means we now have two rainforest biomes with spindly "monsters!" Looks like the Selsillik and the Stalked Men have something in common now! On that note, though, the Selsillik are often seen as watchers of the forest by the people who call these lands home. Their hidden lifestyle and the way they seemingly erupt from out of nowhere may have led to the notion that these "Tall Men" can appear out of thin air. If you happen to trip on one in the middle of the night, it can sure give that impression!

Chlora Myron

Dryad Natural Historian

-------------------------------------------------

Back with it with the species! Woooo!