Absinthes are a clade of predatory Slithersucker an advanced form of the Fragrant Sucker 5 million years earlier. Found anywhere one could find tree branches that are significantly high, these Slime Molds have taken the lure style of their ancestors further. With better coordination amongst the cells making up the organism it unfurls a pair of long stems from its body, most often at night when the vision of its prey is obscured. From its limbs, they release their spores into the sky.
This is where Absinthes get their name along with many of them giving off a green tinge like the Green Fairy Absinthe it also comes from the drink that can supposedly cause violent hallucinations. The spores are formed as a byproduct of their digestion system and contain a neurotoxin that when inhaled that affects the victim's brain through the bloodstream messing with their vision as if they were severely intoxicated. As a hunter of flying insects and small Blishmost notably Ephemerals, this effect is deadly disoriented prey often fly right into the slime to be broken down by digestive enzymes.
Breeding in Absinthes is a rather tricky process. For a few weeks in the late summer will stop eating and lay still until it's disturbed by a large animal. When disturbed it will release its spores into the air some will then float down onto the animal's back. The spores will then lay dormant until their carriage stops against another tree the spores will then germinate on the tree bark into a new Absinthe. For the spores that don't end up floating into the air. Some of these floating spores will then mix with the spores of other Absinthe allowing them to reproduce both sexually and asexually.
Although a hunter of flying insects there is one group that is largely unaffected and even benefits from their presence. Like their ancestors bees benefit most from the Absinthes. Like with the Ephemerals Bees can use the slime in the same way as flower nectar and will often feed on the slime when it's not hunting. Having much more food than any flower makes Absinthe prized territory for hives and those that can stake a claim to one will defend it from animals like beetles, moths, and Ephemerals. Because of the bee's service to the Absinthe, they will tolerate their presence.
Even with all of its unique abilities, it's this relationship with bees that will take the Absinthe forward as the Ice Age counties onward and beyond in time this alliance of Arthropods and Amoebozoa will infiltrate every forest and change both parties in unexpected ways.
