Soupy sludge

A is a low level ooze. They mainly appear in the Rainbow Wood if a liquid interacts with 500 or more drams of. If spawned from primordial soup, the sludge has a special ability to absorb liquids on the ground to rapidly gain level, stats, and status inflicting attacks. Because soupy sludges have no other unique features if they do not spawn from this soup, the rest of this article will assume that the sludge was spawned from it.

Sludges that emerge from the primordial soup will also gain a liquid spitting ability, similar to but not the same as 's spitting ability. This has a range of 8 tiles and will spit a liquid in a 3x3 area. The liquid has a 20% chance of being the first liquid that the sludge has absorbed (unless it is or, in which case fresh  will also be included, making them spit dilute cloning draught or dilute brain brine instead); otherwise, it will be a combination of all absorbed liquids. These liquids are not considered poured and thus do not become salty when spawned unless one of the liquids absorbed was salt.

Soupy sludges start with 4 pseudopods, cudgel weapons that do damage and have a +6 to-hit bonus, but can grow more as more liquids are absorbed. Each of a soupy sludge's pseudopods have a 100% chance to attack in melee, meaning it will attack with all of its pseudopods at once when making a melee attack. This, combined with the cudgel's ability to daze, can cause a creature to become stunlocked.

Classification
Depending on the number of liquids a sludge has absorbed, the name of the sludge will change. This is in addition to the liquid stained prefixes that the sludge will have. This rename will overwrite custom names if the soupy sludge was renamed. Note that a sludge can only absorb a maximum of liquids: neutron flux and primordial soup are unabsorbable, the former because it explodes if it exists on the ground. Cloning draught and brain brine cannot be absorbed unless it is the first liquid a sludge has absorbed, so one of these liquids is removed from the pool as well.

Absorbing liquids
Soupy sludges will absorb most liquids that they step into. Being covered in or having liquid poured on them does not let them absorb the liquid. The chosen liquid will be the most abundant type in that liquid volume. If it was already absorbed or the primary liquid is primordial soup or cloning draught, the secondary liquid will be chosen to be absorbed. For each new liquid absorbed:
 * They gain 10 QN
 * They gain 20 max HP
 * They gain 3 Levels
 * Their name will be updated
 * They will be given a new pseudopod based on the liquid absorbed, which they will equip in one of their "hands" (also called pseudopods). If they don't have any more free "hands", they will grow two new ones and equip the new pseudopod on one of them.
 * That liquid will be added to the liquid the sludge will spit (unless it is cloning draught, in which is it replaced with only fresh water)
 * If it is a pentasludge or greater, "You witnessed the rare formation of [sludge name]" is added into your Journal.

Pseudopod types
Each pseudopod deals damage and has a +6 to hit. The only difference is the effect that they have.

Lava Sludges
Lava sludges are soupy sludges that have absorbed lava. They start with a temperature of 1,000T. If they end the turn below their flaming temperature (350T), they will cool into. This counts as instant death.

Tips

 * They are the easiest companions to proselytize because of the low level and willpower of a monosludge. However, only their level, HP, and damage improve by adding liquids. They have no DV or AV to speak of, and must be provided by worn gear.
 * Pouring liquids cause them to become salty, so letting them absorb salt first may be a good idea just in case the sludge absorbs the salt instead of your intended liquid. That, or use your most valuable liquid as the initial catalyst to avoid salt contamination.
 * Giving them acid pseudopods may provide harmful due to acid possibly harming gear and items. This effect can be lessened if the player has perfect acid resist and/or no feet like after eating the Cloaca Surprise or has Lacquered all of their gear.