Denzelian

A denzelian is a large, flat being, normally about 10 feet in diameter and 6 inches thick. It appears to be composed of smooth stone, but its thick skin is somewhat flexible, allowing it to squeeze through tight places and to travel up and down inclines. A denzelian may be of practically any color, depending upon the minerals it absorbs. Though browns and grays are most common, brilliant red or yellow denzelians have been seen.

Denzelians normally inhabit areas far away from civilization, traveling through the rock to find choice mineral deposits. Many minerals are absorbed through a denzelian's skin after its acid breaks them down sufficiently. However, denzelians do not like metals. Metal ores are often uncovered and left along the meandering trails created by the denzelian.

Denzelians secrete acid from their entire surfaces, normally using the acid to burrow through rock and break it down so it can be eaten. If it is frightened, a denzelian can greatly increase the amount of acid it produces, allowing it to escape by sinking into the rock, leaving a crumbly, blackish, sand-like residue behind. They can sense the vibrations caused by movement and keep track of intruders in this manner.

These rock-eaters are normally peaceful and nonaggressive. They will fight back if attacked, at least briefly, and they will go to great lengths to drive off or kill anyone who threatens their young. If it wishes to attack, the denzelian rushes towards its enemy at twice its normal movement rate, and attempts to trip the victim, causing him/her to fall on top of the denzelian and take damage from the acid. A denzelian may also attack by burrowing through the rock until it is above its enemies, and then dropping on them.

Denzelians have no features. They seem to have a rudimentary form of language, consisting of vibrations sent through the rock. No member of any other species has been able to master this form of communication, though some denzelians may be trained to respond to taps on their surface. Denzelians seem to have gender, though no sage has ever determined how to tell them apart. Mating takes place only once in a decade, whenever two denzelians of the opposite sex meet, apparently at random. About a year later, the female lays several gemlike eggs, depositing them hundreds of yards apart over the course of a month. The eggs are quite beautiful. A denzelian egg is a fist-sized, faceted gem which looks much like smoky quartz. In the center of the gem is a milky, grayish liquid, the embryo of the new denzelian. If the egg is not moved too roughly, which will destroy the embryo, a baby denzelian will hatch in about a year. During this time, the mother stays near enough to the eggs to sense if anyone approaches.

Note: The denzelian originally appeared in this form in the Fiend Folio Monstrous Compendium Appendix for the AD&D game from TSR. Their use here is for the purposes of providing context for the campaign only.