Black Holes and Dragons (Part 9): Gelatinous Cubes

Desktop role-playing games did not succeed in becoming widespread in Iranian culture, but their legacy, namely role-playing video games, made up for this unpopularity, and today role-playing games , Both Western and Japanese, have many fans in our country. It may be hard to believe, but all of these games have the same direct or indirect roots, and that is the root of the Dungeons & Dragons board game, which was released in 1974 and has since become the face of the gaming industry. Always changed. Games like Baldur's Gate, Planescape Torment, Neverwinter Nights are direct adaptations of Dyandy, and many other titles like The Witcher and Dragon Age are direct and indirect Dyandy games were inspired to take a different path. In this series of articles, we intend to get more acquainted with the world of Diandadi, because getting acquainted with Diandadi means getting acquainted with a large part of the game world. Join us.

"He paused while Haptooth seemed to be meditating.

The gelatin cube is produced and stored. When the victim is surrounded by a cube, one or more of these stimulus bubbles change position to contact the victim. "This fluid has no effect on any metal, and as we have all heard, metal objects remain in the body for some time and are excreted through the skin, but the digestive fluid has a deadly effect on meat and cellulose."

After Heptoth finished talking, he loosened his belt and unbuttoned it. There was a roar of surprise from the crowd. The bare ribs of Heptoth were exposed. Around this large hole, his flesh was tangled like half-melted wax. Geological Cube Ecology, No. 124, Dragon Magazine

Suppose you are walking in the ancient Black hole of a wizard. A voice rises from somewhere behind you and distracts you. You keep moving forward without looking back. But suddenly you realize that something has taken over your body. An acid begins to burn your skin and flesh. You will notice that a few pieces of bone are suspended inside the transparent cube that you have stepped on. You do not have enough power to get out. As your body decomposes, you realize that there is no escape from the fate that awaits you.

This cube is called the Gelatinous Cube or Athcoid. In the long list of dinosaurs, the Gelatinous cube is one of the most iconic and unique monsters. Although gelatin Cubes are not the smartest or most dangerous creatures, they have been in the wild for decades and can still be a crisis for novice adventurers.

• Black Holes and Dragons (Part 1) : History of Black Holes and Dragons Board Games
• Black Holes and Dragons (Part 2): Aboliths
• Black Holes and Dragons (Part III): Observers
• Black Holes and Dragons (Part 2) Part 4): Carnivorous Reptiles
• Black Holes and Dragons (Part 5): Dragons
• Black Holes and Dragons (Part 6): Demons and Demons
• Black Holes and Dragons (Part 7): The Elementals
• Black Holes and Dragons (Part 8): The Dark Ones

History of Gelatin Cubes h2>

Gelatin Cubes were first introduced in the original Dyanddi set in 1974. Their creator was Gary Giggs and they were one of the original monsters. Their popularity led to their inclusion in all future monster cultures. However, because of their simplicity, no extensive supplement was ever written about them, and the only outstanding content that could be found about them was a short article in issue 124 of Dragon Magazine.

1:17 - Image of an article about gelatin Cubes published in issue 124 of Dragon Magazine

In previous editions they were introduced as independent creatures, but from the third edition onwards they were classified as Ooze Monsters. , Monsters such as Gray Ooze, Black Pudding and Ocher Jelly.

Gelatinous Cube Properties There are creatures that seem to be made to live in a Black hole environment. They are 3 meters long, wide and high and fit perfectly with the standard size of a corridor in a Black hole. As they crawl forward, they are not allowed to pass anything.

An image of a Gelatinous cube

whatever they come in contact with gets stuck in the sticky environment inside their body: goblins, elves, plants, equipment, gold and everything Another that can be found in tombs, Black holes, temples, etc.

Any living tissue trapped in the cube decomposes very rapidly due to the acidic nature of the cube. One of the side effects of this acid is paralyzing the victim, so it is very difficult to escape from this cube without receiving outside help.

Image of a Gelatinous cube devouring a dwarf

A Gelatinous cube feeds this way: Decomposing body tissues to absorb nutrients From his victim. However, the victim's bones do not decompose next to any metal or stone that accompanies them, and they remain suspended in the cube for some time. To identify a Gelatinous cube. Otherwise, it is very difficult to detect an almost transparent cube in the corridor of the dark Black hole.

A picture of objects left over from the victims of a Gelatinous cube

One good way to tell if a Gelatinous cube is in a Black hole is to see if it has a corridor. Does it sparkle from cleanliness or not? If the corridor is abnormally clean, it can be assumed that a Gelatinous cube is nearby, as the acid removes their dirt. Reacts. Gelatin Cubes are absorbed by vibration or light, but have no hearing and avoid cold surfaces or objects as much as possible.

They can also move their body to keep moving. They will be more flexible, but will always return to their cube shape.

As mentioned, their initial state is a cube that is 3 meters long, wide and high and weighs between 4 and 7 tons. p>

Of course, in two special situations, their shape becomes larger than this. The first situation occurs when they collide with another Gelatinous cube as they move. This method of reproduction is not Gelatinous cubes, but in the event of a collision, these Cubes join together to form a giant cube. After a few days, or if they hit the third cube, they will return to their original state.

An image of a Gelatinous cube

The second position is more common. The more the gelatin cube feeds, the bigger it gets. After reaching a certain size, which usually occurs once every six years, this large cube splits into two smaller cubes, each with its own unique brain. Then, in a short period of time, both Cubes grow to their normal size.

Gelatin Cubes do not grow fast and cannot climb walls or ceilings. They do not have real intelligence and therefore can not be controlled by anyone like other creatures. But the owner of a Black hole may want to have a Gelatinous cube in his Black hole to remove corpses and other debris.

Image of a Gelatinous cube

Of course, they can be forced in certain ways to move only in certain areas of the Black hole. Because unlike other secretory monsters, gelatin Cubes can not change their body to pass through doors or other obstacles. It is possible that crazy witchcraft created gelatin Cubes for such a purpose (cleaning the Black hole).

Gelatin Cubes are devoid of culture, society, and psychology and have no purpose beyond moving and eating. Gelatin Cubes are certainly not the most interesting creatures in the world of a role-playing game, but their uniqueness has earned them a special place in popular culture.

If you have ever played a game, chances are you have never Do not be killed by a Gelatinous cube. But you probably know what a Gelatinous cube is, and sometimes that's enough.

Source: Exploring Series YouTube Channel