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| − | {{Animal simple
| + | The [[Didaa Beach Ecosystem]] is a mutualistically symbiotic [[lifeform]] consisting of several species living in close communion. <br> |
| − | |name= Sapow
| + | The species are: |
| − | |type= Carnivore/Pouncer & Heterotrophic Consumer | + | * [[Bespine]] |
| − | |terrain= Terrestrial/Beach
| + | * [[Enpent]] |
| − | |locomotion= Crawling/Slithering
| + | * [[Nocjaw]] |
| − | |size= (3m length 0.4m diameter) / (50kg)
| + | * [[Sapow]] |
| − | |speed= Quick Attack, Speed 1 Crawling
| + | |
| − | |strength= Typical Hits to wound/kill 10/7
| + | == Description (Specifications) == |
| − | |quantity= Solitary Pouncers
| + | No information yet available. |
| − | |weapons= Claws/Teeth Inflict 16 Wounds
| + | |
| − | |armor= None, Attack if surprise, Flee if surprised
| + | == History & Background (Dossier) == |
| − | |home= {{WorldS|Didaa|Fornast|2622}}
| + | No information yet available. |
| − | |multi= No
| + | |
| − | |canon= No
| + | === Derived Products (Goods) === |
| − | |extinct= Extant
| + | No information yet available. |
| − | |ref= Ronald B. Kline, Jr.
| + | |
| − | |footnote=
| + | === [[Travellers' Aid Society]] Advisory === |
| − | }}
| + | The [[Travellers' Aid Society]] (TAS) classifies the [[TBD]] as both ''threatening'' and ''dangerous'' to most [[sophont]]s and advised to avoid these [[creature]]s. |
| − | The '''Sapow''' is a radially symmetrical, poikilothermic consumer. It is a carnivore and pouncer native to the beaches of [[Didaa (world)]]. They are among the largest and most dangerous of the terrestrial carnivorous species found in the beach ecosystems. They evolved from early amphibious forms but now dwell exclusively on land, yet still near the vast dark oceans of their world. They have a long tapered body with four major appendages. These 0.9m arms terminate in sharp scything claws. They use these arms to move, to dig, and to assemble camouflage. The original zoological notations for this species was a notation: sand pit pouncers. This became corrupted and shortened into Sapow. The body is divided into thick tubular, muscular segments. The black and red striped body segments are sheathed in thick layers of keratinocytes, integrated into flexible epidermis. The surface of the skin is rough, this provides traction and facilitates their movement when buried in sand and when crawling over it. They are well muscled but are not particularly well protected. They have four neural chords running the length of the body and numerous breathing pores in clusters of four, on each body segment, linked to muscular pumps which circulate oxygenated fluids. Copper based oxidized compounds bound to tailored proteins carry oxygen and carbon oxide to and from the cellular structures. The copper based biochemistry tended to make them almost inedible. Their quick movements are facilitated by the thick oxygen rich atmosphere, which allows a high metabolic rate of aerobic cellular respiration. Anatomically, the anterior most segment is thicker, and the body tapers and narrows toward the posterior segments. The four bladed mandibles can inflict deep wounds and rip and tear flesh effectively. They use a long muscular body and contractile tail to spring from their ambush pits. They gather flora, vegetable matter, decaying "plant" parts to hide their nesting pits. They can crawl and pull themselves along with their arms. The use acutely sensitive chemorceptors to detect prey while hidden. These sensors handle gustatory and olfactory duties. These are paired with the breathing pores in each body segment. Once they emerge they have seconds to grasp their prey and withdraw into their burrow to devour it. They have four clusters of optical sensors stalks tuned to IR near their mouth. They use these eyes to perceive and target their prey under a red star. Adjacent to the eye stalks are four antennae which are used to detect vibrations and handle auditory duties. Their four bundles of spinal nerves, help them detect bio-electric fields as well and the electrically conductive nature of their bodily fluids helps with that. They wait and ambush by day, reliant on finely calibrated passive sensor systems to only strike when prey is in range. They move and relocate at night. The specialize in grabbing smaller animals. When an area is hunted out, they crawl out at night and make their way to another ambush site. The internal framework structure is akin to cartilage, there is no true bony structure. There is a single gender, during mating, cells are exchanged and both adults become pregnant. Egg masses are deposited on carrion left behind from kills. Periodically these are buried in shallow sands, and are hidden with vegetable matter camouflage. When the egg masses mature, the tiny young emerge and devour the carcasses left behind by the parents. The eggs masses can be chemically treated with local zinc deposits to precipitate the copper compounds from solution. Once well cleaned and drained the remaining protein, lipid, nucleic acids and carbohydrates are edible, if bland. They can attack and gravely wound careless humans who stray into range. They are not large enough to drag an adult underground but young children have been taken. | |
| | | | |
| − | {{Animal simple
| + | == [[World]]s & [[Sector]]s ([[Astrography]]) == |
| − | |name= Enpent
| + | This [[creature]] can primarily be found in the following areas: |
| − | |type= Herbivore/Intermittent & Heterotrophic Consumer
| + | * [[Fornast Sector]] |
| − | |terrain= Terrestrial/Beach
| + | ** [[Nareshakir Subsector]] |
| − | |locomotion= Crawling/Slithering
| |
| − | |size= (7m length 1.1m diameter) / (200kg)
| |
| − | |speed= Quick Speed 2 Crawling
| |
| − | |strength= Typical Hits to wound/kill 22/8
| |
| − | |quantity= Solitary
| |
| − | |weapons= Thrasher Inflicts 9 Wounds
| |
| − | |armor= None, Attack 8, Flee 4
| |
| − | |home= {{WorldS|Didaa|Fornast|2622}}
| |
| − | |multi= No
| |
| − | |canon= No
| |
| − | |extinct= Extant
| |
| − | |ref= Ronald B. Kline, Jr.
| |
| − | |footnote=
| |
| − | }}
| |
| − | The '''Enpent''' is a radially symmetrical, poikilothermic consumer. It is an intermittent herbivore native to the beaches of [[Didaa (world)]]. They are the largest and of the terrestrial animal species found in the beach ecosystems. They evolved from early amphibious forms but now dwell exclusively on land, yet still near the vast dark oceans of their world. They have a long tapered body with four major appendages. These 3 m tentacles are muscular and enormously strong. These thrashing limbs can grab and throw predators foolish enough to attack them. They use these tentacles to grab and pull vegetable matter towards their grinding mouth parts. They have a complex series of digestive chambers running the length of their long tapered bodies to facilitate the slow, complex depolymerization of the native fiberous plant matter. They use obligate microbes to facilitate much of this digestive process. Their long muscular body guides over the sandy beach surfaces, assisted by the arms. They are twice as fast as any of the other species in this environment and use this speed to escape predation. Their skin does not provide much in the way of protection. The original zoological notations for this species was a notation: enduring, tentacled sand serpent. This became corrupted and shortened into Enpent. The body is divided into thick tubular, muscular segments. The black and red striped body segments are sheathed in thick layers of keratinocytes, integrated into flexible epidermis. The surface of the skin is rough, this provides traction and facilitates their rapid movement across open ground or among the groves of plants and "trees" along the waters edges. They share a great deal of anatomical and biochemical features with the Sapow. Each feeding tentacle is driven by its own spinal nerve cord. Their breathing system is augmented to permit greater endurance. This allows them to outlast and out distance pursuing predators. Their sensors are adapted to an early warning trip wire electro-magnetic reflex. They quickly start slithering away from any aggressive or rapid approaching bio-electrical field. They don't think about it, they just spook and slip away as fast as they can. Twice as fast as a human, native hunters learned to slowly approach, this requires hours, and very slow controlled movements and steady breathing to get within range with their {{TL|2}} 2m recurved composite bows. They use barbed arrows dipped in powerful neural paralytic tranquilizers harvested from dangerous spiny sea creatures. The Enpent also uses olfactory and auditory sensors to remain alert. Their vigilance makes them extremely challenging for amateur safari parties, who lack the patience and discipline to stalk them without alerting their delicate sensors. Their other senses are less well developed. They move among the forest groves, pulling down the more nutritious and softer plant parts, these leaves and shoots are maneuvered into their grinding and chewing mouth by the powerful coiled tentacles. Tentacles damaged while dealing with predator attacks can regrow slowly over a local year. They are oviparous hermaphrodites. Breeding when individuals meet, and egg and sperm packets are exchanged by tentacles which intertwine. The cells cross over and meet in a protective mucous layer. Fertilized eggs develop internally and are eventually laid high up in trees. The young emerge and eat the fruiting bodies of the plants they are placed on. The low population density ensures that they do not over tax the available tree clusters adjacent to the beaches. The young are small enough to stay in an arboreal mode. Eventually they grow too massive for the trees to support them. Once they crawl down to the ground, they begin to grow and mature more rapidly. Their caloric demands require they disperse to find enough to eat. They generally shun others of their species except for occasional mating encounters. The fatty pads that protect the thick tentacles and the fatty linings of the stomachs are not vascular and can be cleared of copper, which permits human digestion. They generally flee to avoid contact, but if cornered and alarmed they can kill with strikes from their muscular thrashing tentacles. They are strong enough to toss a human several meters into the air.
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| | | | |
| − | {{Animal simple
| + | === Homeworld: 1105 === |
| − | |name= Nocjaw
| + | The [[homeworld]] of this [[creature]] is: |
| − | |type= Omnivore/Hunter & Heterotrophic Consumer
| + | * [[Didaa (world)]] |
| − | |terrain= Terrestrial/Beach/Arboreal
| |
| − | |locomotion= Climbing/Crawling/Slithering
| |
| − | |size= (1.5m length 0.3m diameter) / (6kg)
| |
| − | |speed= Typical Speed 1 Crawling
| |
| − | |strength= Typical Hits to wound/kill 6/8
| |
| − | |quantity= Solitary
| |
| − | |weapons= Claws and Teeth Inflicts 8 Wounds
| |
| − | |armor= None, Attack 3, Flee 3
| |
| − | |home= {{WorldS|Didaa|Fornast|2622}}
| |
| − | |multi= No
| |
| − | |canon= No
| |
| − | |extinct= Extant
| |
| − | |ref= Ronald B. Kline, Jr.
| |
| − | |footnote=
| |
| − | }}
| |
| − | The '''Nocjaw''' is a radially symmetrical, poikilothermic consumer. It is an omnivore hunter native to the beaches of [[Didaa (world)]]. They are a smaller terrestrial animal species found in the beach ecosystems. They evolved from early amphibious forms but now dwell exclusively on land, yet still near the vast dark oceans of their world. They have a light weight body with four major appendages. These are long, flexible arms which end in short grasping claws. These sharp talons permit the animal to climb and maneuver in an arboreal habitat where the foliage permits. They rest and hide in the tree tops during the day and hunt for food at night. During the day they gather fruits and seeds among the tops of plants. They seek to avoid flying hunters and terrestrial pouncers. At night they climb down and seek out food. They specialize in collecting the young of the other beach species. Too small to attack and kill the other adult species, they seek sustenance from among the hatchlings of other species. Expert in finding the hidden nests of other species they exploit these resources. Their birth rate and solitary nature prevent them from slowing down the other organisms native to their environment. They serve as a population check and limiting factor. Island and beach ecosystems can be easily thrown out of balance by the over population of any one species. They have similar biochemistry to the other major species in this habitat. They do fall prey to Sapow on occasion and generally seek to avoid those encounters. Their skin does not provide much in the way of protection. The original zoological notations for this species was a notation: Nocturnal, Dis-articulating Jaw. This became corrupted and shortened into Nocjaw. The body is divided into thick tubular, muscular segments. The black and red striped body segments are sheathed in thick layers of keratinocytes, integrated into flexible epidermis. The surface of the skin is rough, this provides traction and facilitates their rapid movement across open ground or among the groves of plants and "trees" along the waters edges. They share a great deal of anatomical and biochemical features with the Sapow. Each arm is driven by its own spinal nerve cord. Their mouth has four mandibular plates which can, unhinge and expand to facilitate swallowing very large prey items. They have the ability to scoop up numerous small prey items and then retreat into the tree tops. They spend several days digesting these large meals. Their distended bodies don't allow rapid movement during these times and leave them vulnerable. Their sensor suite is tuned to function best at night. Using infra red and tracing faint heat trails allows them to locate food items, even when they are buried in sand. Their claws allow them to dig into nests and extract unhatched young. They gorge themselves and them escape to their arboreal nesting lofts. They tend to dig deep nesting tunnels under local trees to hide their young. Ironically they dedicate a large percentage of metabolic energy into the production of numerous young. Their tiny 1g young hatch with a fluffy coating and will blow and drift on powerful storm wind currents. The planets dense atmosphere provides spectacular storms dwarfing terrestrial hurricanes. They also take advantage of surface tension to float on the ocean currents. This allows them to arrive on remote islands and distant beaches across vast open ocean distances. Much of this floating mana is collected by aerial and marine consumers. This is a vital intermingling of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and energy flow within the food web. | |
| | | | |
| − | {{Animal simple
| + | === World Listing: 1105 === |
| − | |name= Bespine
| + | Significant communities of this [[creature]] are known to be found within the following [[system]]s and [[world]]s: |
| − | |type= Scavenger/Reducer & Saprotrophic Decomposer
| + | {{ClusterWorlds2}} |
| − | |terrain= Terrestrial/Beach
| |
| − | |locomotion= Burrowing/Crawling/Slithering
| |
| − | |size= (1m length 1.1m diameter) / (1kg)
| |
| − | |speed= Typical Speed 1 Crawling
| |
| − | |strength= Typical Hits to wound/kill 2/0
| |
| − | |quantity= Solitary
| |
| − | |weapons= Horns Inflicts 1 Wounds
| |
| − | |armor= None, Attack 8 Flee 6
| |
| − | |home= {{WorldS|Didaa|Fornast|2622}}
| |
| − | |multi= No
| |
| − | |canon= No
| |
| − | |extinct= Extant
| |
| − | |ref= Ronald B. Kline, Jr.
| |
| − | |footnote=
| |
| − | }}
| |
| − | The '''Bespine''' is a bilaterally symmetrical, poikilothermic decomposer. It is a scavenger and a reducer native to the beaches of [[Didaa (world)]]. They are among the smallest of the terrestrial animal species found in the beach ecosystems. They evolved from early amphibious forms but now dwell exclusively on land, yet still near the vast dark oceans of their world. They have a flattened black body. The ventral surface is covered into rasping mouth parts which emerge from shielded alcoves. The dorsal surface is covered in a thick mat of spines. The body lacks sophisticated organs and consists of thick layers of specialized tissues working in concert. They have a thick syncitial integument. They are coordinated by diffuse neural ganglia. They exchange gases, and pass nitrogenous wastes through pores in the dermal layers. The secrete thick layers of mucus to avoid desiccation, and facilitate movement with their muscular foot. They crawl onto food items and use their myriad of scraping and scooping mouth parts, the whole surface area of the ventral side facilitates nutrient absorption. They reclaim and recycle nutrients left behind by other organisms. They move toward food items based on chemoreception nodes which line the edges of the body which divide the spiny dorsal surface from the ventrally located muscular feeding side. Crude light receptor tuned to IR allow the animal to detect day and night cycles. They typically lie just below the surface, hidden by loose sand and decaying plant matter. Plants along the beach side dunes are typical for them. Their sides facilitate gas exchange while buried. If disturbed or stepped on while hidden the spiny layer tends to dissuade many would be predators. When carrion is detected they crawl toward it and slide over it. Corpses of animals are often found with a layer of these slimy, spiny discs covering all visible surface areas. They remain attached until nothing remains of the carcass. They are simple and very efficient. They are not difficult to kill, once you get past their spiny dorsal array. The original zoological notations for this species was a notation: beach spines. This became corrupted and shortened into Bespine. What early human visitors discovered the hard way is that once the skin has been ruptured they display a strange adaptive tactic. Any claw or bite wound results in an eruption of reproductive cells. Undisturbed adults can asexually produce and deposit young, but the primary method of ensuring the survival of the species involves taking parasitic advantage of a would be predator/host. Thick gouts of sticky tendrils of slimy endosporic cells cling to skins, appendages, and mouth parts. As the Bespine adult dies, millions of the next generation explode onto and eventually into the would be consumer. The cells are immune to digestive acids. They colonize the new host and grow within its body as parasites. Eventually the mature stage are excreted from the terminus of the native life forms gastrointestinal tracts. These young adults have a great head start on life and continue to grow until reaching the 1 kg full grown size.
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| − | == References and Contributors == | + | == References & Contributors (Sources) == |
| | + | {{Intermediate}} |
| | + | {{Detail}} |
| | {{Sources | | {{Sources |
| − | |S1= Author & Contributor: Lord (Marquis), Captain, and Lead Naval Architect [[User:Ronald B. Kline, Jr.|Ronald B. Kline, Jr.]] of the [[Imperial Navy]] | + | |S2= Author & Contributor: Lord (Marquis), Captain, and Lead Naval Architect [[User:Ronald B. Kline, Jr.|Ronald B. Kline, Jr.]] of the [[Imperial Navy]] |
| − | |S2=
| |
| | |S3= | | |S3= |
| | }} | | }} |
| | | | |
| − | {{LEN}} | + | |
| | + | {{LEN|Creature}} |
| | + | [[Category: Guidebook to Fornast Sector]] |
