Strategic slaughter
Cursed with bad luck would be the best way to explain the fate, of which this geezer suffered.
Gerlach was the smallest creature of the group, as he only stretched around four-inches long; yet he was the only one who got struck with all of that green-tar!
Certainly unfair to some extent. But what other option did the tiny old man have? He could only deal with this misfortune.
He could feel a great portion of his skin, sizzling to the point of madness thanks to all the discomfort!
The old man could feel that most of his legs broke off already, as if the chunk he was entrapped in carried nothing but direct spite!
So understandably the process was anything but peachy.
Yet the rest of the team didn't even realise what the oldest was going through. Osira didn't exactly notice the other's lack of presence.
And the rest couldn't notice such detail either, since the old man was simply dragged along by the patch of tar.