CLASS: JOKER
BIOLOGY: The Locomeleon is a large, powerful predatory Joker adapted to lie in wait almost indefinitely for passing prey. With a pliable, collapsible body and octopus-like capacity for camouflage, it can appear to "melt" and vanish into its surroundings in the blink of an eye, springing back to shape and flashing psychedelic colors when a suitable meal draws within reach. Even moreso than other Jokers, the Locomeleon is truly little more than an elaborate, membranous bag of gas, moving as though under dramatically lower gravity. Only its incredibly strong, tubular tongue can whip and writhe with lightning speed, spraying prey with the monster's laughing gas and dragging the delighted, giggling victim down its elastic gullet. The Locomeleon's internal gases keep prey in a euphoric hibernation state for weeks or years, depending on the creature's needs. Even as they slowly dissolve, their snickers and chuckles can be heard from deep within its throat, and their barely-conscious bodies may actively work to prevent other, more resilient prey from escaping. BEHAVIOR: Despite spending much of its existence either lying deathly still or lazily, ponderously climbing to new feeding grounds, the Locomeleon's mind is as frantic and disorganized as any other Joker, entertaining itself with surreal trains of thought and personal jokes. The odd, stifled snort of amusement may even betray the monster's hiding place, and the right joke or absurd enough sound can send it into a fit of bass, slow-motion hysterics as its meal silently slips away. The tongue of a Locomeleon produces a honking, trilling sound as it vents gas. APPLIANCE: Locomeleon have been used as guard beasts in a wide variety of environments, though they appear to be most comfortable wherever they can hang upside-down. They may also be stuffed into small containers or even folded into an unrecognizable bundle, disguised as an oddly colored rug, draped like a certain or worn like a backpack until ready to re-inflate and engage an adversary. SEMIMORPHOUS: like an octopus, the Locomeleon retains a basic shape but can distort almost like a mass of fluid. CAMOUFLAGE: the monster can alter its coloration and texture instantaneously to match any surroundings. LAUGHING GAS: the Locomeleon's tongue emits the common toxin associated with Jokers, inducing prey to feel only intense joy and amusement. Victims become especially amused by the monster's swirling, changing colors, and offer little resistance as they are ingested. GASTRIC IMPRISONMENT: the Locomeleon can keep prey alive and subdued within its body for extended periods, with or without initiating digestive processes.   Contents copyright Jonathan Wojcik
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