#the animation of the creatures and the environment is incredible | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

lovebites-if · 7 months

Text

DEMO (tba) - FAQ - NAVIGATION

Tag(s): Slice of Life, Fantasy, Comedy, Drama, Romance, YA, LGBTQ+, Text-based, Lighthearted. Inspired by The Office and What We Do In The Shadows.

Congratulations, human!

You have been chosen to join the extraordinary Creature Mediation Center (CMC), a unique workplace where all kinds of different monsters creatures collaborate to bridge the specieist gap in our society. As the newest and only human of our team, you'll navigate a world of diverse creatures, handling counseling sessions, managing projects, and making critical decisions to foster harmony between two worlds.

Welcome to a realm where diplomacy is a blend of corporate intrigue and fantastical diversity!

Customize your human MC's physical appearance, personality, age (25-35) and many more features.

Build relationships with diverse colleagues, each with unique personalities, backgrounds, and challenges. Strengthen alliances or face consequences based on your interactions.

Encounter a plethora of fantastical creatures, each with its own cultural nuances, habits, and communication styles. Learn to navigate this rich tapestry of diversity.

Juggle various projects aimed at fostering understanding and cooperation between monsters and humans. Successes and failures affect the overall atmosphere in the office.

Engage in crucial decision-making that impacts office dynamics, relationships, and the overall course of monster and human relations. Your choices influence the harmony or discord between both species. Good luck, human!

RO Intros • Choosing a route

Among the various members of your team, we present you the Monsters Working With the Human Division (MWHD) provisional name.

Naira/Namid (she/her or he/him) • THE WEREWOLF • 32 years old

Animated, bubbly and incredibly friendly, our beloved N brings an energetic and passionate, and lively spirit to the office. As a Werewolf, their empathetic nature makes them adept at counseling. They joined the office seeking a bridge between the worlds, hoping to dispel misconceptions about werewolves and foster understanding.

Friends to lovers, idiots in love, (possible) friends with benefits. It's possible to enter a poly relationship with N and Val.

Val (she/her or he/him) • THE VAMPIRE • age undisclosed (200+)

Mysterious and meticulous, Val is the epitome of a centuries-old vampire. Their adherence to rules and structure contrasts with the unfortunate chaotic nature of the office. Val took on this role to observe and maintain order, ensuring the delicate balance between humans and monsters.

Slow-burn, (Val's) First love. It's possible to enter a poly relationship with N and Val.

Maureen/Marius (she/her or he/him) • THE GRIM REAPER • age undisclosed (300+)

Enigmatic yet compassionate, M retired from their reaping decades ago. They've been part of the office for a few years now, working almost exclusively with ghosts and their human relatives. M's unique perspective offers profound insights into life and afterlife.

Forbidden love, friends to lovers, mutual pining.

Devan (they/them) • THE ONI • 28 years old

Devan embodies the mischievous spirit of an Oni, their playful and curious personality makes them difficult to handle, yet very useful in dynamic environments. Their love for challenges drew them to the office, eager to tackle the complexities of monster and human relations.

Idiots in love, (possible) friends with benefits. Oblivious to love (Devan).

Lucian/Leah (he/him or she/her) • THE MERMAID • 25 years old

L's calm and observant personality brings a tranquil presence to the office. As a Mermaid, they contribute a unique perspective on the challenges of both land and sea. L joined to explore new horizons and bridge the gap between underwater and terrestrial life.

Rivals to lovers, (possible) rivals with benefits, pining (one-sided, mostly MC's).

Cyrus (he/him or she/her) • THE ZOMBIE • 30 years old

Cyrus defies zombie stereotypes. Their ability to empathize and understand others' emotions makes them an excellent counselor. Cyrus joined the office seeking redemption and a chance to demonstrate that even the undead can contribute positively to society.

Everyone can see it, Girl/Boy next door, Soft love.

??? (he/him or she/her) • ??? • ???

Are you sure about that?

Enemies to lovers. Red flag RO. “I can fix them.”

While we support, Human-Monster relationships, dating a coworker is prohibited. If you suspect anyone in your work environment of engaging in such behavior, contact your boss and supervisor Arion/Arianne (a proud gorgon).

We hope your time with us is fruitful, human.

#love bites if #love bites #cog #choice of games #choice script #hosted games #interactive fiction #if game #cog wip #intro post #interactive fiction game #if intro

608 notes · View notes

hellsitegenetics · 3 months

Note

my Valentine’s Day love letter is for chytridiomycota :D the grandmother of every single fungi on the planet, the chytridiomycota is somehow unlike any other fungus in varying ways

such as its environment. chytridiomycota are largely aquatic,yet they’re one of the most common land parasites :D on the same topic, their spores are flagellated in order to literally swim through the water, which is unique almost entirely to them.

Chytrids are also one of the only fungi that reproduce oogamously relating them closer to LAND ANIMALS !!!! Than any aquatic creature or fungi.

This makes me believe that they actually had a hand in the creation of humans during evolution, since fungus and human genomes are so incredibly close to each other. It’s one of the most simple fungi but it’s so incredible to me :D 🖤🖤🖤

String identified:

at’ a tt ctcta : t gat g g t at, t ctcta a t g ag a

c a t t. ctcta a ag aatc,t t’ t t c a aat : t a tc, t a agat t ta tg t at, c at t t t.

Ct a a t g tat c ga atg t c t A AA !!!! Ta a aatc cat g.

T a tat t acta a a a t cat a g t, c g a a g a c c t ac t. t’ t t g t t’ c t : 🖤🖤🖤

Closest match: Odiellus spinosus genome assembly, chromosome: 13 Common name: Harvestman

#tumblr genetics #genetics #asks #requests #sent to me #spiders #harvestman #i know harvestmen arent actually spiders but im tagging like it is #because technicality is not how phobias work #arachnophobia tw #bugs #insects #valentines day

316 notes · View notes

autistichalsin · 4 months

Text

The world we live in right now is not particularly kind to caring about things, particularly in the online environment. Think about the increasingly popular online persona of someone who is above it all, doesn't care about anything, is just there to laugh at everyone. Think about the trends of incredibly cruel TikTok pranks, where the entire punchline is to emotionally devastate people and then further humiliate them for their reactions, or where animals are subject to incredibly harmful practices (coating reptiles in butter, etc) for people's amusement.

There is an entire movement, propelled by online personas, that sets to demonize the entire notion of caring- about anyone and anything- which is then followed by increasingly sadistic genres of posts that capitalize on this disconnect. Once caring is uncool, then basic decency will become uncool very soon after.

Needless to say, kindness isn't something that's particularly rewarded in this landscape. People who are kind will get mocked, accused of disingenuity, and more. The idea of open kindness makes people uncomfortable and people don't know how to deal with that.

So characters like Halsin are, to me, more important than ever, because not only is he kind, but he cares about everything, to the point of pain. He finds meaning in everything. There is no "just a tree" to Halsin; that tree has meaning. The tree has a story. It's endured storms and grown stress wood from it, it's housed birds, it's seen the changes of seasons. Animals are much the same; they are living creatures with emotions and needs, and a capacity for fear and pain, and that is to be respected.

All living things are worthy of that consideration in Halsin's eyes.

And in this world we live in, where kindness is punished, where even the vague notion of caring about something is mocked, Halsin is important. He is the antidote to all those bullying TikToks; he is there to show that other living beings have needs too, and are worthy of respect. He is a giant middle finger to Andrew Tate and similar figures; he is there to say: you can love deeply, you can put others above yourself, and still be a real man.

Halsin is a counter to the increasing emotional numbing being pushed on people today. He's like a flashing neon sign that says no! caring about something, anything is what makes you who you are. Look who and what you can be if you don't close your heart off, even when you suffer.

And I just think that's a really beautiful thing, honestly. It resonates so much with me, and inspires me to find the meaning in things that are easy to write off as meaningless.

#halsin #halsin silverbough #bg3 #baldur's gate 3

178 notes · View notes

inexplicifics · 2 months

Note

Hi the fashion designer in training again, you posted my og ask and it got me thinking about it again (as if i ever stop) and I was thinking about how different monsters would be categorized and how that might change the fashion sense of things too. For example, theres humanoids, animal adjacent, insect adjacent (broadly), and plant adjacent.

Humanoids, to me, would be creatures/monsters that have little to no animal, insect, or plant otherness, such as trolls, drowners, bruxa, even sirens (even though they overlap into animal). Witchers obviously have magical uses from their kills but from a fashion/mundane perspective a lot of what these creatures provide would be equivalent to that of what a human might. Now, there is a lot of real world history that is sensitive and triggering about the use of human remains, especially in recent times of widespread slavery that has a lot of themes of cannibalism, farming practices, and lack of humanity even after death, such as leather tanning for clothes, the use of human remains in parchment (as parchment is made from animal remains and not wood or plants, that’s what differentiates it from paper), and more. This is why anything that leans more human than monster (such as a bruxa, vampire, succubus, etc) I don’t think I’ll touch with a ten foot pole unless it is to deal with their unique remains. Creatures that lean more monster such as trolls get thrown through the wringer though.

Trolls specifically have really thick skin, which in a tanning process would take… forever to turn into leather but the results would be potentially amazing. Thick strong leather would last for centuries if treated right, I have no doubt in my mind that troll leather would make fantastic saddles, boots, furniture — awful clothes but the other implications mean a lot to me because it might just make excellent armor.

Sirens, as the middleman between humanoids and animal adjacent, would be excellent to discuss scales. There is a company that currently helps with fish scale waste and uses them to make clothes that are naturally soft and have added benefits of being moisture managing (helps with retaining moisture in skin in dry environments) and also is naturally anti-odor! This is incredibly cool for the fashion world and I could see it being a real thing for the witcher world… if they had the time to do it, as I fear modern technology would need to be replaced with magic and I’m not sure mages, researcher included, would be interested in going out of their way to collect siren scales to create fabric (unless they could imbue it with magic? 🤔 A potential concept to long lasting charmed clothes) So very interesting but not as plausible in a fantasy world.

But! Reptilian scales are highly sought after in fashion designs and are not as wasteful as fish scales. The Witcher basilisk is reptilian in nature, which would make for excellent clothes, anything in fashion you can think of in scales you can bet it exists. Scales are widely loved and used even today, so basilisk skin? Oh yeah, it’s up there for fashion. Even says so in various wikis 😉.

Animal adjacent clothing will look a lot like what we have for animals now, adjusted as needed. Basilisks are large so their hides would be easy to convert to many items, whereas snake skin is small and you would need several to make a significant piece of cloth. This would make it far more valuable. Not to mention the claws, claws which are used in various forms. From clasps on just about everything, to jewelry, to decor, to piercings, I know a basilisk claw would be on a noble’s cloak or belt, I just know it.

This translates to, as mentioned before, wargs and other furred animals. The larger, the better, the more you can take, the better, the more *dangerous* to prove your worth, the better. A bear claw is nothing compared to a warg fang, and so on and so forth. I haven’t even gotten started on the length of griffin feathers and what that would do for fashion. No one understands what length in natural materials means to me except for other people who’s special interests are fashion, fantasy worlds, and survival skills. I cannot explain *length of feathers* in gowns. In cloaks. In *jewelry.* But that’s a post for a little old me who isn’t up at 1am on a school night.

Enjoy my midnight ramblings, I realize that this got out of hand and is uh… not really well connected in terms of thoughts but I hope it made sense to people who aren’t deep in the trenches like me lmao

Please imagine me sitting here with my chin on my hands, staring at you with hearts in my eyes as I listen to your interesting and informative midnight ramblings.

#questions answered #accidental warlord au #witcher fashion

60 notes · View notes

arr-jim-lad · 6 months

Text

watched a fantastic show today; scavengers reign

it's a short series (12 eps) about a couple of survivors who become stranded on an alien planet after their space ship gets damaged

the show puts a lot of attention on the strangeness and beauty (and dangers!! oh boy are there dangers) of the planet, and something i particularly enjoyed was that there are many quiet scenes that just let you soak in the stunning environments and interesting creatures.

in my opinion, it's pretty much a perfect example of what a proper adult animated show should be like.

it looks incredibly gorgeous and has some of the most interesting and unique alien worldbuilding i've seen recently. the simplicity of its art style also allows for some elegantly subtle changes in expression, making the characters look like they truly feel.

if anyone has been looking for a strong, mature animated show to check out, i can't recommend this one enough

#scavengers reign

147 notes · View notes

nasa · 1 year

Text

What are Phytoplankton and Why Are They Important?

Breathe deep… and thank phytoplankton.

Why? Like plants on land, these microscopic creatures capture energy from the sun and carbon from the atmosphere to produce oxygen.

Phytoplankton are microscopic organisms that live in watery environments, both salty and fresh. Though tiny, these creatures are the foundation of the aquatic food chain. They not only sustain healthy aquatic ecosystems, they also provide important clues on climate change.

Let’s explore what these creatures are and why they are important for NASA research.

Phytoplankton are diverse

Phytoplankton are an extremely diversified group of organisms, varying from photosynthesizing bacteria, e.g. cyanobacteria, to diatoms, to chalk-coated coccolithophores. Studying this incredibly diverse group is key to understanding the health - and future - of our ocean and life on earth.

Their growth depends on the availability of carbon dioxide, sunlight and nutrients. Like land plants, these creatures require nutrients such as nitrate, phosphate, silicate, and calcium at various levels. When conditions are right, populations can grow explosively, a phenomenon known as a bloom.

Phytoplankton blooms in the South Pacific Ocean with sediment re-suspended from the ocean floor by waves and tides along much of the New Zealand coastline.

Phytoplankton are Foundational

Phytoplankton are the foundation of the aquatic food web, feeding everything from microscopic, animal-like zooplankton to multi-ton whales. Certain species of phytoplankton produce powerful biotoxins that can kill marine life and people who eat contaminated seafood.

Phytoplankton are Part of the Carbon Cycle

Phytoplankton play an important part in the flow of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into the ocean. Carbon dioxide is consumed during photosynthesis, with carbon being incorporated in the phytoplankton, and as phytoplankton sink a portion of that carbon makes its way into the deep ocean (far away from the atmosphere).

Changes in the growth of phytoplankton may affect atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations, which impact climate and global surface temperatures. NASA field campaigns like EXPORTS are helping to understand the ocean's impact in terms of storing carbon dioxide.

Phytoplankton are Key to Understanding a Changing Ocean

NASA studies phytoplankton in different ways with satellites, instruments, and ships. Upcoming missions like Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) - set to launch Jan. 2024 - will reveal interactions between the ocean and atmosphere. This includes how they exchange carbon dioxide and how atmospheric aerosols might fuel phytoplankton growth in the ocean.

Information collected by PACE, especially about changes in plankton populations, will be available to researchers all over the world. See how this data will be used.

youtube

The Ocean Color Instrument (OCI) is integrated onto the PACE spacecraft in the cleanroom at Goddard Space Flight Center. Credit: NASA

#NASA #Earth #phytoplankton #biology #plankton #ocean #sea

1K notes · View notes

docgold13 · 5 months

Text

Batman: The Animated Series - Paper Cut-Out Portraits and Profiles

Poison Ivy

The brilliant botanist, Pamela Isley, waged a war of eco-terrorism as the villainess known as Poison Ivy. Isley had concocted all manner of plant strains, offering her a bevy of different phytotoxins that enabled her to control the will of others. She additionally developed rapidly growing plants that could become animated and obeyed her mental commands.

As Poison Ivy, she sought to punish all whom she deemed as culpable for environmental crimes. Following her unsuccessful foray to take down those she held responsible for the raising of wetlands for the construction of a penitentiary, Ivy escaped and hatched a new scheme wherein she posed as ‘Dr. Daphne Demeter’ the director of high-end resort called The Eternal Youth Spa. Ivy offered free invitations to the spa to various business magnates each of whom she saw as guilty of crimes against nature. She planned on using her powers to transform them into plant-like creatures whom she could then control.

Wayne Enterprises had been involved in a deal that would involve clear cutting swashes of the Amazon Rain Forest. Although Bruce Wayne had vetoed this operation, Wayne himself was nonetheless offered an invitation to the spa. He gifted the invite to Alfred who went to the spa alongside his date, Maggie Page. After Alfred and Maggie disappeared, Batman investigated The Eternal Youth Spa and ultimately defeated Ivy and rescued Alfred and the others.

Ivy was remanded to Arkham Asylum. She would escape on multiple occasions to continue her fight to punish mankind for crimes against the environment. One caper saw her joining forces with fellow villainess, Harley Quinn. Although the two did not share much in common, Harley and Ivy became incredibly close and would have many adventures together. Indeed Harley may be the one human being Ivy truly loves and cares for.

Actress Diane Pershing provided the voice for Poison Ivy, first appearing in the ninth episode of the first season of Batman: The Animated Series, ‘Pretty Poison.’

#batman the animated series #Batman #Poison Ivy #Diane Pershing #Harley and Ivy #cut-out #paper art #DCAU #dc comics

88 notes · View notes

mayajadeart · 3 months

Text

Sharks really are the perfect animal for the trans community. They are completely harmless as a rule, yet feared and misunderstood due to the way the media talks about them. Out of over 500 known species, most have a maximum length of under two meters, and less than 5 are considered to be even potentially dangerous to humans. And even amongst those few, actual attacks are vanishingly rare, and deaths even rarer, even in places where encounters between humans and these "dangerous" sharks are a daily occurrence-- they simply don't see humans as food. At most, these sharks are curious about humans, and may approach them briefly to see what they are, but far more often they simply ignore humans in their environment, or even flee from them. And yet, every single attack that does happen and even more that don't becomes global news for months after they occur, creating the impression that the danger is ever-present when in reality it simply isn't there at all. Attacks are newsworthy *because* they're so astronomically rare. If shark attacks were common, you'd never hear about them at all.

Sharks are wild animals and can bite and injure a human if they're bothered, threatened, or excited by the scent of injured fish in the water, just like any other wild animal. When left alone and allowed to live freely, they pose absolutely no threat. At their core, they're just normal fish, doing the same things that other fish do. And, like all wild animals, they are in far greater danger from humans than humans are from them. Humans hunt and kill them regularly, and even when they don't mean to, humans can harm sharks with fishing gear, floating garbage, and accidental boat strikes. The ocean is a dangerous place, for them as well as for us, and it can kill you in more ways than you can count before you even set sight on a single shark. And yet, for some reason, sharks are the thing that people are afraid of.

And also like sharks, trans people are incredibly resilient, adaptable creatures, who have been here since almost the beginning of time, and who will continue to be here long after we're all gone. They are beautiful, graceful, and perfectly shaped for their natural environments, and the lives they lead are so much more complex, mysterious, and fascinating than most will ever realize. There's so much we don't know about them, and so much they can teach us, about life, the world we share, and about themselves, because it's worth learning about them just for their own sake.

They are also shy, toofy babies who explore with their mouths and get spooked by bubbles.

#trans #shark #sharks #lgbt #queer #blahaj #ikea shark

73 notes · View notes

seandwalsh · 4 months

Text

The Origins of Pikmin (Part 1)

The following is Part 1 (because Tumblr's text limit sucks) of an adaptation of my first published Pikmin Theory in written form. While I’ve previously presented this as a YouTube video, it was actually originally written for this blog. As Pikmin 4 has released and only provided even stronger support for the theory, I’ve decided to publish it here once again, as originally intended, with more evidence from both Pikmin 4 and its predecessors - an extensive expansion to say the least, so even if you've seen the video this should still act as an interesting piece of supplementary material.

I hope you all enjoy!

In Pikmin 1, Olimar crashes on what we know as Earth, seemingly after the extinction of humans and familiar wildlife:

“This is an ever-surprising ecosystem. What has caused this planet's vegetation to grow to such gigantic proportions? In comparison to the Pikmin and the other creatures of this planet, the scale of the plant life here seems inexplicable. Perhaps, long ago, creatures of incomprehensible size walked the surface of this planet. Just imagine!”

[Source: Captain Olimar, Employee of Hocotate Freight and Captain of the S.S. Dolphin, Playable Character in Pikmin 1, December 2001]

“This must be the fossilized remains of an enormous land-dwelling creature. I was unable to piece together the entire beast, but it certainly had a massive head! It's obviously quite different from the Pikmin and other creatures I've encountered. Perhaps it's an extinct creature that couldn't adapt to changes in its environment.”

[Source: Captain Olimar, Employee of Hocotate Freight and Captain of the S.S. Dolphin, Playable Character in Pikmin 2, August 2004]

“This appears to be a huge bird feather, but I've never seen the creature it once belonged to. I wonder if I ever will. I've only seen a few airborne creatures on this planet. I wonder why? Maybe it's just because I haven't encountered them yet. Oh no... What if they saw me take this feather? They could be watching me, waiting for the perfect moment to take their sweet revenge!”

[Source: Captain Olimar, Employee of Hocotate Freight and Captain of the S.S. Dolphin, Playable Character in Pikmin 2, August 2004]

When Olimar arrives on the planet, later dubbed by Koppaites as “PNF-404”, he discovers the Pikmin, species of plants with animal-like features. The Pikmin are seemingly quite close to extinction upon discovery, with their nests, the Onions, buried in the ground and incredibly low in population. In fact, it appears the only reason they aren’t extinct is because the Onions are able to produce emergency seedlings after a Pikmin extinction. The Pikmin don’t seem to know how to hunt for the nutrients necessary to survive and reproduce without Captain Olimar’s help.

“Even some wild Pikmin have become extinct, it seems, and there are some very rare varieties that can only be created by tossing Pikmin into a flower called a Candypop Bud.”

[Source: Chet, Mihaman Scientist and Research Task Force leader, Pikmin Garden, Nintendo Co., Ltd. website]

At the end of Pikmin 1, we see that Olimar has taught the Pikmin how to fight for themselves, when they attack a Bulborb on their own and seemingly remain on the planet’s surface overnight as Olimar heads for home. This carries over into Pikmin 2, where the Red Pikmin are seen fending for themselves when Olimar and Louie return to PNF-404, as well as Pikmin 3, where the Red Pikmin, Yellow Pikmin and Rock Pikmin at the very least have somewhat large populations despite some of their Onions being in peril.

The essence of my point is that the Pikmin don’t seem equipped to survive on this planet, which begs the question of how it is they survived through the planet’s evolutionary history until the point of Captain Olimar’s arrival…

The Pikmin certainly have some peculiarities. They’re Ambuloradices, described as having both plant and animal features by explorers in various games:

“Pikmin are part of the Ambuloradicis class, which consists of creatures that exhibit both plant and animal characteristics.”

[Source: Captain Olimar, Employee of Hocotate Freight and Captain of the S.S. Dolphin, Playable Character in Pikmin 4, July 2023]

“[#] days have passed since I began my search with the Pikmin. They are an ever-mysterious life-form. They grow like plants do, but they're also mobile and active like animals are. Individually, they seem weak, but in truth, I am beginning to believe that they could be an exceptionally mighty species if properly organized. I certainly hope so.”

[Source: Captain Olimar, Employee of Hocotate Freight and Captain of the S.S. Dolphin, Playable Character in Pikmin 1, December 2001]

“What exactly are these Pikmin? One could classify them as both plant and animal. They mature from leaf, to bud, and finally to blossom. When all of one color are lost, the Onion instinctively puts out new seeds... How does it know to do this? What a mysterious life-form!”

[Source: Captain Olimar, Employee of Hocotate Freight and Captain of the S.S. Dolphin, Playable Character in Pikmin 1, December 2001]

“The Pikmin sprout from seeds and transform from plants into animals when uprooted. They treat outsiders like us as their leaders, obediently following us and even risking their lives for us when necessary. Yet it's this obedience that has aided in their propagation and survival. Perhaps it is actually the Pikmin who are controlling us.”

[Source: Alph, Koppaite Scientist and Engineer of the S.S. Drake, Playable Character in Pikmin 3, July 2013]

“The leaf on a Pikmin's head can develop into a bud, and then into a flower. It seems that if a Pikmin sprout is left in the ground, these developments take place over time. In this way they appear very plant-like, and yet once they have been plucked they show their animal aspect. A completely fascinating creature...”

[Source: Brittany, Koppaite Botanist and Crew Member of the S.S. Drake, Playable Character in Pikmin 3, July 2013]

This is despite the fact they're believed to have evolved from terrestrial root vegetables:

“It is generally believed that the Pikmin body was originally the root of a plant that has evolved over centuries, if not millennia, developing structures analogous to muscles, neural networks similar to those of a brain, and more.”

[Source: Captain Olimar, Employee of Hocotate Freight and Captain of the S.S. Dolphin, Playable Character in Pikmin 4, July 2023]

“The accepted theory is that Pikmin evolved from terrestrial root vegetables, and so would be unable to breathe underwater and subsequently drown.”

[Source: Captain Olimar, Employee of Hocotate Freight and Captain of the S.S. Dolphin, Playable Character in Pikmin 4, July 2023]

The bodies of Rock Pikmin are special stones stored within Rock Candypop Buds and Rock Onions which the root system and vital organs of the Rock Pikmin spread throughout. Why and how would the Onions and Candypop Buds develop this stone stockpiling functionality?

“This species is definitely a member of the Pikmin genus, but its body does not share any of the plant-like traits that Pikmin are known for. Instead, it's composed primarily of stone. The stone is actually the chosen host for a parasitic subset of Pikmin species nicknamed "Hermikmin." Similar to how a seed can sprout and push through the cracks of a rock, the Pikmin's roots stretch deep into the stone, storing its vital organs in an interior cavity that resembles a crystal geode.Because this species displays characteristics common in parasitism, one could hypothesize that the Rock Onion and Rock Candypop Bud stockpile stone that will eventually host the Rock Pikmin.”

[Source: Captain Olimar, Employee of Hocotate Freight and Captain of the S.S. Dolphin, Playable Character in Pikmin 4, July 2023]

Winged Pikmin feature distinctly insectile wings on their bodies, a massive evolutionary improbability. It's hypothesised by leaders that perhaps the Winged Onions absorbed DNA resulting in the modern Winged Pikmin's body plan, but why would Onions have that capability?

“The wings on the back of this flying Pikmin species closely resemble the wings you would find on a flying creature. It's possible that an ancient Winged Onion somehow absorbed a flying creature's DNA, which then resulted in the precursor to the Winged Pikmin transforming into the species we recognize today. If this theory is correct, then Onions might also be serving the role of messenger, transmitting new traits and characteristics to their Pikmin.”

[Source: Captain Olimar, Employee of Hocotate Freight and Captain of the S.S. Dolphin, Playable Character in Pikmin 4, July 2023]

Olimar even mentions that it’s almost like the Pikmin were waiting for the brain of an alien leader of some sort to lead them, like they knew following Olimar would help them survive.

“I wonder if these Pikmin were waiting for me to arrive. No... Not necessarily me, but an alien being like me who could fight alongside them. On this planet they are a weak species, but maybe they see that they can use the power of an alien brain to climb to the top of the natural order. Such ideas make me wonder if it isn't I who is being used by them...”

[Source: Captain Olimar, Employee of Hocotate Freight and Captain of the S.S. Dolphin, Playable Character in Pikmin 1, December 2001]

“The Pikmin's Purpose I wonder if these Pikmin were waiting for me to arrive. On this planet, they are a weak species, but if they're trying to use the power of an alien brain to climb to the top of the natural order... I have to wonder if it isn't me who is being used by them.”

[Source: Captain Olimar, Employee of Hocotate Freight and Captain of the S.S. Dolphin, Playable Character in Pikmin 4, July 2023]

They seem to have a natural inclination towards or instinct for following and taking orders from intelligent humanoids, as is further noted by the Hocotate Freight ship in Pikmin 2, Alph in Pikmin 3 and Olimar in Pikmin 4:

“At last, you have encountered them! They seem to have gill-like ducts on their cheeks. They must be blue Pikmin! Like the other types, they look to you for direction. While they are indeed surviving naturally they still seem to long for a valiant leader.”

[Source: The Hocotate Freight ship (First model S.S. Dolphin), Deteriorating Hocotate Freight adventure vessel, Non-Player Character in Pikmin 2, August 2004]

“It seems that Pikmin are driven by instinct to carry away anything they see lying around. Prey that will increase their numbers are carried to the Onion, whereas things they cannot use are carried to the spaceship or to their original location. Thus, their carrying instinct lets them form symbiotic relationships with species like us. This could be the key to their success.”

[Source: Alph, Koppaite Scientist and Engineer of the S.S. Drake, Playable Character in Pikmin 3, July 2013]

“A Pikmin will instinctively follow whoever plucks them from the ground, so it is quite common for them to form symbiotic relationships with another species or accept a leader of a different species, as it serves the goal of propagating their own species as a whole.”

[Source: Captain Olimar, Employee of Hocotate Freight and Captain of the S.S. Dolphin, Playable Character in Pikmin 4, July 2023]

“Pikmin have a disposition to carry things that will increase their ranks to the Onions, and to carry everything else to their leaders' spaceship. They may instinctively sense what we need and seek to strengthen our symbiotic relationship...”

[Source: Chet, Mihaman Scientist and Research Task Force leader, Pikmin Garden, Nintendo Co., Ltd. website]

Pikmin form a natural symbiosis with the leaders from the moment they're plucked. With their leaders commanding them, Pikmin quickly become one of the most powerful species on the planet.

“TOPIC 2 - A SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP WITH LEADERS What is a symbiotic relationship? Symbiotic means a mutual relationship that different organisms have with each other while active in the same space. But both sides don't always benefit from it; sometimes it only seems to be a one-way street. What about Pikmin though? LEADERS AND PIKMIN EACH BENEFIT When a Pikmin sprout is plucked, it will appear to recognize its leader as such and follow them. From this moment on, a symbiotic relationship of sorts between leader and Pikmin is formed. (The leaders' benefit) With lots of Pikmin in tow, they will be able to transport heavy objects and defeat creatures that stand in their way. (The Pikmin's benefit) With a capable leader on board, the Pikmin can rapidly increase their ranks and become the most powerful creatures on the planet.”

[Source: Chet, Mihaman Scientist and Research Task Force leader, Pikmin Garden, Nintendo Co., Ltd. website]

Even Pikmin that have become separated from the squad, fail to form a symbiotic relationship and become wild will instantly fall in line and take orders in the presence of a leader to command them. It's almost like it's part of their very DNA...

TOPIC 3 - WILD PIKMIN Spotted by the Crew! Pikmin in the Wild The Pikmin that fail to establish a successful symbiotic relationship and decrease in number, as well as those who become separated from their group, may sometimes revert to a wild state and move their activity underground.

[Source: Chet, Mihaman Scientist and Research Task Force leader, Pikmin Garden, Nintendo Co., Ltd. website]

“Wild Pikmin Wild Pikmin found underground can be brought to the surface and added to an Onion. However, when tasked with transporting a pellet, the resulting seed ends up the same color as the Onion. I must be careful, as these Pikmin cannot be propagated right now.”

[Source: Captain Olimar, Employee of Hocotate Freight and Captain of the S.S. Dolphin, Playable Character in Pikmin 4, July 2023]

That’s not to mention some other oddities, such as the natural cap of a certain number of Pikmin being active within a given radius of a set of Onions in the field, which is apparently believed to help prevent a Pikmin extinction, or the fact that in order to reproduce Pikmin require being plucked from a sprout after being planted.

“I have made yet another Pikmin-related discovery. Just when I was about to exceed 100 Pikmin in the field. the Onion stopped expelling seeds, yet the total number of Pikmin continued to climb. It seems that once there are 100 Pikmin in the field. subsequent seeds get stored inside the Onion. Thus, no more than 100 Pikmin can be in the field at one time in any area.”

[Source: Captain Olimar, Employee of Hocotate Freight and Captain of the S.S. Dolphin, Playable Character in Pikmin 1, December 2001]

“The Onion stopped spitting out seeds! But the Pikmin inside the Onion still seem to be increasing in numbers. Apparently, once the number of Pikmin in the field reaches 100, any new Pikmin will stay inside the Onion. This means that a maximum of 100 Pikmin can be active outside the Onion at any one time.”

[Source: Alph, Koppaite Scientist and Engineer of the S.S. Drake, Playable Character in Pikmin 3, July 2013]

“Maybe Pikmin have evolved to self-limit how many can be out on the surface at a time to prevent unnecessary loss.”

[Source: Captain Shepherd, Giyan Leader of the Rescue Corps, Rescue Pup trainer and Captain of the S.S. Shepherd, Non-Player Character in Pikmin 4, July 2023]

“Preservation Instincts The Onion stopped releasing seeds! I went to check on it and saw that the Pikmin will only propagate inside the Onion once a certain number are out on the surface. Could limiting the number of active Pikmin be a strategy to avoid extinction?”

[Source: Captain Olimar, Employee of Hocotate Freight and Captain of the S.S. Dolphin, Playable Character in Pikmin 1, December 2001]

“When the number of Pikmin on the surface exceeds a certain number, they start to multiply inside the Onion. Apparently, they are trying to control the number of Pikmin active at one time to prevent their total extinction.”

[Source: Chet, Mihaman Scientist and Research Task Force leader, Pikmin Garden, Nintendo Co., Ltd. website]

Who “naturally” does this plucking when beings like the Hocotatians and Koppaites aren’t around? How can the Pikmin exist in the way they do?

There’s also an odd, seemingly “intentional” way for Pikmin to reproduce - using the easily accessible crystallised nectar of Pellet Posies, which develop quickly and pull all of the necessary nutrients from the ground. They even produce pellets with colours matching each Pikmin type in a region, tend to grow near Onion landing sites and have literal human numbers on them, indicating exactly how many Pikmin are required to carry them. It’s clear there’s a deeper connection here.

“In the stem of the pellet posy, one can observe the muscle fiber unique to half-plant, half-animal species such as the Pikmin and candypop flowers, so the pellet posy is a species that can be considered a close relative. Although the ability to crystallize nectar is unique to a small group of the pellet weed family, the fact that these plants reach maturity so quickly and that their pellets contain such high concentrations of the natural nutrients in the soil explains why the Pikmin and so many of the other indigenous species are so reliant on these pellets for sustenance.”

[Source: Captain Olimar, Employee of Hocotate Freight and Captain of the S.S. Dolphin, Playable Character in Pikmin 2, August 2004]

“The pellet cradled in its petals changes colors like some form of chameleon, aligning to match the color of nearby Pikmin. It's almost as though it's inviting us to come harvest it to make more. Even though it appears to be helping out, it's really just using us to spread its seeds!”

[Source: Dalmo, Sozorian Animal Enthusiast and researcher, Non-Player Character in Pikmin 4, July 2023]

Which brings me to the Onions themselves. When Olimar first discovers a Red Onion in Pikmin 1, he notes that it awoke as if it was waiting for his arrival. He questions what it is, whether or not it’s alive and then whether or not it’s a machine.

“A strange thing has appeared before me. I had barely begun my search when it reared up as if it were waiting for me. It then dropped a single seed. What is it? Is it alive? Is it a machine? It resembles a vegetable on my home planet that we call an onion. I shall call this an Onion too.”

[Source: Captain Olimar, Employee of Hocotate Freight and Captain of the S.S. Dolphin, Playable Character in Pikmin 1, December 2001]

Onions are clearly unnatural in some sense. They seemingly have mechanical parts, such as their flower-like propellers and jets. Some types even have what appear to be solar panels. Some types have a unique pattern, which also appears on the wrists of Mamutas, who themselves have a clear connection to planting and growing Pikmin. Onions take flight, entering orbit during the night, and are described as “a Pikmin mother ship” by the Hocotate Freight ship in Pikmin 2.

“The Onion ejected more seeds! The pellet from that flower must hold nutrients that breed Pikmin. Yes! The Pikmin gather nutrients, haul them to the Onion, and further propagate the species! The Onion is a Pikmin mother ship! Reviewing Olimar's report, it seems holding {A} lets one rapidly pluck Pikmin sprouts.”

[Source: The Hocotate Freight ship (First model S.S. Dolphin), Deteriorating Hocotate Freight adventure vessel, Non-Player Character in Pikmin 2, August 2004]

“Sometimes it lies dormant, much like a bulb, but dig it up from the ground and provide it with the right stimulus—for example, a good, hard shake—and it will activate, sprouting three rootlike legs. It serves a role similar to a nest or an incubator for the Pikmin, absorbing pellets or the bodies of dead creatures for their nutritional value, then propagating Pikmin the same color as itself. Onions also seem to greedily attempt to replicate certain characteristics of the matter they absorb by combining with, or absorbing, other Onions, sometimes of the same type. It's been confirmed that just like Pikmin, an Onion has muscle fibers in its body, and though it is unable to walk it is capable of a small range of motion. However, when one breaks down the biological matter it has absorbed a fuel similar to bioethanol is created. Onions spray this fuel out of the mouths on their underbellies and are able to fly using their flowerlike propellers for stabilization.”

[Source: Captain Olimar, Employee of Hocotate Freight and Captain of the S.S. Dolphin, Playable Character in Pikmin 4, July 2023]

The Onions were later classified by scientists as an entirely different species from Pikmin. This means that much like the Pikmin-leader symbiosis, the very basis of Pikmin reproduction is symbiosis with the Onion species.

“"The majesty of nature," "the mystery of life"… I feel that these stale clichés can't fully express the extraordinary symbiotic relationship between Pikmin and Onions. Is there a connection here of an affectionate nature, perhaps? There's so much we still don't know!”

[Source: Dalmo, Sozorian Animal Enthusiast and researcher, Non-Player Character in Pikmin 4, July 2023]

“Pikmin not only increase in numbers by living symbiotically with their leaders, but seemingly even the means by which they are born are obtained through symbiosis. By providing nutrition to the Onion, an object which can be considered their nest or incubator, they sprout seeds and multiply. But in fact, while Onions are similar in species to Pikmin, they are said to be completely different beings... Next time, we'll report about these so-called Onions.”

[Source: Chet, Mihaman Scientist and Research Task Force leader, Pikmin Garden, Nintendo Co., Ltd. website]

On the subject of Onions, Pellet Posies and Pikmin reproduction, the recently observed Lumiknoll exist in a very interesting related position. Lumiknolls and their juvenile form Tricknolls sprout at night and produce Glow Pikmin. Glow Pikmin, while resembling Pikmin in appearance and behaviour, are not technically classified as Pikmin. Lumiknolls appear at Onion landing sites, smell like Onions and are even speculated to be Onion rhizomes of some sort. It seems that Lumiknolls and Glow Pikmin, with their leaf-dissolving enzymes, exist for the purpose of breaking down deceased Pikmin (and other nectar-based wildlife) and returning their nectar to the soil for Pellet Posies to absorb and crystalise, perpetuating the life cycle of the Pikmin.

“Besides the fact that they serve as incubators and nests for Glow Pikmin, we know very little about the Lumiknoll's ecology. When nocturnal creatures die, a Lumiknoll can break them down into glow pellets through its strong dissolving enzymes. This matter, when condensed, becomes glow sap. One might assume glow sap is then an extremely dangerous substance, but it has hardly any negative effects. In fact, I've had it administered to me personally as a curative medicine to break down growing leaves. Lumiknolls will only appear in places where an Onion was located earlier in the day, and since they propagate Glow Pikmin, one could surmise that they are rhizomes from those Onions. Perhaps, using its dissolving powers, it returns the nectar that supports the ecosystem back to the soil.”

[Source: Captain Olimar, Employee of Hocotate Freight and Captain of the S.S. Dolphin, Playable Character in Pikmin 4, July 2023]

“Smells a lot like an Onion. The green juice is particularly delicious!”

[Source: Louie, Employee of Hocotate Freight, Playable Character in Pikmin 4, July 2023]

[PART 2]

#pikmin lore #pikmin theory #pikmin 4 #pikmin #captain olimar #olimar pikmin

56 notes · View notes

soylent-crocodile · 2 months

Text

Vizzerdrix (Monster)

(Vizzerdrix by Dave Dorman)

(Behold, a late Easter AND an April Fool's Day special, all wrapped up in one not-so-fluffy bunny! I wanted to capture the idea of a puzzlingly high-value creature with no special effects and not as much combat capability as its peers, so I went with a mad genius. There's also just a couple of tropes here that I tend to avoid- or lean on- if you can spot them. Enjoy!)

CR16 CE Large Aberration HD25

Vizzerdrix are savage beings created by a mad wizard, ravenous beasts who tear apart any who meet their path. It is generally accepted that the vizzerdrix were the last creation of said wizard before being torn apart by vizzerdrix. Unfortunately for the world, her creations bred true, and now vizzerdrix can be found leaving swathes of blood and death in their path.

A vizzerdrix is a hybrid between a rabbit, a giant, and a piranha, creating a being with incredible intelligence, sharp claws, a craving for destruction and flesh, and big floppy rabbit ears. Vizzerdrix are among the most brilliant beings to exist, and use this to their advantage- they’re expert at evaluating threats, manipulating others, and devising cunning traps. Fortunately for a vizzerdrix’s enemies, they lack any particular abilities to put this brilliance to use, and without external help or tools, must fall back on ripping and tearing. This isn’t to say that a vizzerdrix has distaste for such combat- indeed, tearing other beings apart with their claws and incisors is the deepest pleasure a vizzerdrix can experience, and all their goals and conniving generally works to the end of getting a vizzerdrix a never-ending source of innocent victims to destroy.

Vizzerdrix are obligate carnivores, only able to digest animal flesh. Despite this, they have a deep craving for root vegetables, which give them incredible indigestion and, occasionally, food poisoning and intense gastric distress. It is suspected that this was a failsafe created by their master and the reason to include rabbit parts, as vizzerdrix will do anything for proper digestive aids that allow them to comfortably eat their favorite food.

This hulking, clawed beast has powerful human musculature, furless skin, and the head of an angry rabbit. Misc- CR16 CE Large Aberration HD25 Init:+8 Senses: Perception +27 Darkvision 60ft Stats- Str:28(+9) Dex:18(+4) Con:18(+4) Int:32(+11) Wis:9(-1) Cha:20(+5) BAB:+18/+13/+8/+3 Space:10ft Reach:10ft Defense- HP: AC:30(+4 Dexterity, +17 Deflection, -1 Size) Fort:+14 Ref:+12 Will:+17 CMD:39 Resist: Acid 20, Cold 20, Electricity 20, Fire 20 Immunity: Fear Special Defenses: DR5/Adamantine Offense- Bite +24(2d6+9), 2 Claw +25(1d8+9) CMB:+25 Speed:40ft Special Attacks: Rend (2 Claw, 2d8+14) Feats- Improved Initiative, Power Attack (-5/+10), Weapon Focus (Claw), Iron Will, Great Fortitude, Vital Strike, Combat Expertise, Improved Dirty Trick, Improved Disarm, Improved Trip, Greater Dirty Trick, Critical Focus Skills- Acrobatics +27, Climb +17, Escape Artist +32, Knowledge (Arcana, Dungeoneering, Engineering, Geography, Nature, Planes, Religion) +26, Knowledge (Local)* +29, Perception +27, Sense Motive +24, Spellcraft +39, Stealth +32, Survival +27, Swim +17, Use Magic Device +30 Spell-like Abilities- (Caster Level 20, Concentration +25) Dispel Magic /at-will Special Qualities- Ferocity Ecology- Environment- Forests, Swamps (Any) Languages- Common, Aklo, Abyssal, Draconic, Giant Organization- Solitary Treasure- None

#soylent original #monsters and races #homebrew #pathfinder #mtg #mtgblr #vizzerdrix #april fool's day

34 notes · View notes

the-fluffy-folio · 6 months

Text

Fluffy Folio on Alchemy

I’m more than happy to announce that a large part of my creatures is now available over at Alchemy ❤️

Alchemy is the world's first virtual tabletop (VTT) built specifically for cinematic immersion and theater of the mind gameplay. Its scene-based structure empowers gamemasters to tell incredible stories with animated environments, particle effects, ambient sound, and music.

In case you want to check them out: app.alchemyrpg.com/marketplace

#fantasy art #artists on tumblr #creature design #bestiary #dnd item #baldur's gate 3 #illustration #artist #animation #art #dnd #hand drawn #paintings #fantasy #digital art #dungeons and dragons #ciritcal role #ttrpg #worldbuilding

69 notes · View notes

bypandoramaxum · 1 year

Text

journey through the reefs [an atwow series] chp. 2

summary: settling down on the ship was difficult enough with scientists hovering over you every second and recom avatars driving you to your wits end, now you had to bear witness to the cruelties of mankind towards innocent life forms, especially on a certain Na’vi that got caught up in this mess with you.

[prev] [next]

pairings: ao’nung [25] x fem!human!reader [20]

word count: 3.9k

warnings: depictions of animal cruelty, violence, swearing, destruction of environment, whaling, blood, imprisonment, humans being complete scums and reader not having it, Quaritch being Quaritch.

taglist: @jakesully-sbabygirl @im-in-a-pansexual-panik @eywas-heir

a/n: the long awaited chapter 2 is here! this one was especially hard to write as the animal cruelty part had me tearing up a bit. reader discretion is strongly advised for this one!~

»»————-　.　————-««

You swore you could feel your patience running thin as it had been nearly a couple hours since these lab geeks, as you liked to refer them as, conducted physical and psychological examinations on your well-being to ensure that you were fit and healthy enough for whatever they were planning to put you through. Your annoyance didn’t go unnoticed by them either, as you never bothered to hide your reluctance when it came to another test they had you perform. They were tedious, and brought you nothing but boredom and headaches, but if you had to entertain them to even have the slightest chance of fleeing this hellhole, it would be your best bet to just suck it up and push through.

“How are you doing so far? You feeling okay?” the scientist, Thomas, questioned as he had a clipboard cradle in his arm.

“Do I have to be here for long? It feels like we’ve been at this for ages already.” you sighed as you briefly closed your eyes in exhaustion.

“Look, kid. All of this is just as hard for you as it is for everyone here. Dr. Aragon would have our heads on the chopping block if anything were to go wrong with you.” he explained, almost empathising with you.

“Not to mention we would be on Colonel Quaritch’s shit list.” one of the younger apprentices chimed in.

As the scientists continued scrambling left and right attending to you, a deep and thunderous roar travelled through the hallways outside the laboratory, almost causing the room to shake slightly. Many were startled by the noise, you included, and everyone looked at each other wondering what type of beast could have made such a deafening noise. Hence, the line of chattering ensued.

“Does anyone here have a clue as to what that was?”

“Could be one of the thanators or viperwolves that was brought out for testing, probably?”

“Now, I’ve been working with those creatures for a while, and none of them sounded like that.”

The scientists carried on with their silly debate on what made that booming roar, causing you to become an afterthought. Not that you minded really as you could use a quick break from all those tedious examinations. Out of curiosity, your feet carried you to the large window of the lab, allowing you a wide view of the hallway. Your eyes scanned it from left to right, hoping to catch a glimpse of the creature.

Something out there must have heard your silent wishes, because no longer than a matter of seconds later, a giant turquoise figure ran up to the window, causing you to fall to the floor and the scientists to flinch back from shock and horror. It stood tall and broad, with its massive palms propping itself up against the glass, the sight incredibly menacing in front of you.

Once the beast regained some of its composure, its eyes then gazed upwards, now looking through the window where it saw a sea of terrified faces, all of them cowering away and taking steps back. A deep and heavy growl escaped its throat, further terrifying the humans inside as its eye scanned the room until it made contact with one of the occupants inside.

You.

You weren’t very distant from the window, it seemed.

What an easy target.

The grizzly creature wasted no time in letting out another ear-piercing scream, followed by aggressive pounding being delivered to the thick glass. Everyone in the room was caught up in a messy havoc, scrambling around to either find hiding spots or potential weapons for self-defence.

“Everybody, try your best to stay calm! He can’t get to us! It’s a bulletproof glass window!” Thomas shouted, attempting to get the lab under control. “Our fear shouldn’t be evident! It only triggers this son of a bitch even more.”

As if time took a pause from reality, so did the punches to the window. You could see fresh blood staining the spot that got assaulted the most, a trail making its way down the glass.

But through the bloodstains, you could see a jagged line that was not there before. Taking a closer look at it, a cold shiver of fear was sent down your spine, a pit forming in your stomach and your breath hitching when you realised what you were looking at.

“G-Guys… look over there…” you whimpered as you pointed upwards.

Everyone drew their gaze towards the line in question, gasps following afterwards upon realisation.

A crack.

This was three inches of bulletproof glass, designed to withstand the strongest of any gun ammunition out there, and this colossal of a being just put a fucking crack into it.

Just how much strength was this monstrous beast possessing?

This seemed to bring a sense of sadistic joy to the creature, as a demonic toothy smirk formed on its lips, displaying the large fangs. It soon raised its bloodied hand into a tight fist again, ready to continue the abuse inflicted onto the thick glass, when suddenly, a couple of tranquilisers were shot into its upper back. The beast flinched from the short second of pain but started losing its consciousness with its eyelids growing heavy before passing out onto the cold metal lab floors.

Moments later, the sound of combat boots could be heard as a group of recom avatars came rushing in to control the situation. It took nearly took six recom soldiers to even lift the guy up, making the size of this giant man even more daunting to picture in your head. These avatars were nearly ten feet tall, and the guy they were carrying managed to dwarf their already insane height and weight.

Once the coast was clear and the atmosphere of the lab started to calm down slightly, Colonel Quaritch made his entrance to check up on his fellow subjects.

“So, what did y’all think of that performance? Like what you saw?” the colonel joked as he struck a mischievous grin.

“Yeah, it was splendid, sir. Nearly died from a couple heart attacks, but still, splendid.” one of the younger scientists replied sarcastically.

“Just what the hell happened out there? He could’ve broken the glass and your loyal test subject right here would’ve been gone in two bites from that thing.” Thomas fearfully exclaimed while gesturing to you, who was still shaking for anxiety.

“Relax now, would ya, squirt? The dude just didn’t get sedated enough the first time ‘round and woke up a little early. That’s all.” Quaritch explained exasperatedly. “I don’t see a scratch on any of y’all, and that’s all that matters.”

“Well, if you had been a second later, his violent rampage would’ve probably turned this lab into an all-you-can-eat buffet.” the slight tease from Thomas caused some chuckles to erupt.

As their conversation carried on, you moved to sat on one of the stools, hoping to calm yourself from your near-death experience earlier. You couldn’t help but feel bewildered by the appearance of that being, he wasn’t something that you had seen before, at least not from the illustrations and notes left by your late parents. He shared many similar features with the Na’vi that you were used to seeing, from the pointed ears to the broad nose and lack of eyebrows. The key differences that separated him from them were his skin colour, a light blue that matched the shallows of the ocean, his tail was broader, and his arms were shaped in a way that made them looked like fins. Build wise, he was a lot taller, bigger, and packed more muscle than other Na’vi.

“What k-kind of Na’vi was he? He looked a l-little different compared to y-you and the ones my parents were s-studying.” you stuttered out your question.

“Oh, that? His kind resides in the reefs of Pandora. Na’vis, just like humans, biologically adapt to their surroundings.” Thomas explained. “Compared to humans though, their evolutionary distinctions between each other are a lot more evident and easier to identify.”

“W-What’s going to happen to him? We’re not k-killing him, are we?”

“Haha, no, no. Well, at least not yet. We still need him around so we can… observe him a little bit.” the colonel said. “And that’s where you come in, our little lab rat!”

“And what am I supposed to do with him? He’s massive, even bigger than you are, it seems! He’s going to snap me in half as soon as he sees me.”

“Now why don’t ya just settle down for a second, ay? What do you think my team is for? Like I said, you’re one hell of an expense here on this damn ship, and we got guns to stop anything from happening to you, got it?” Quaritch reassures you sternly. “Besides, we got him chained up in the holding cell, so even if he does cause a ruckus, it won’t last long before he starts to tire out again.”

“You all are some sick bastards, huh? Just what do you plan on doing to that poor guy?”

“I’m glad you noticed, my little guinea pig. Why don’t you follow me, and I’ll show you?”

»»————-　.　————-««

The walk to the holding cell wasn’t too far, but it sure as hell felt like it. Quaritch strode in front of you, guiding you to your next destination, with you following behind him, although it was a little hard to keep up with him due to his height as you required more steps to match each of his.

Both of you passed by many other laboratories that also had large and wide windows built in for you to look inside them. You saw a variety of Pandoran flora and fauna being experimented on. Just looking at them made you feel ill and your chest heavy with grief and guilt, wishing that you could take their pain and suffering away and apologise profusely for the cruelty of humanity.

But nothing made you more enraged until you walked past a window that allowed you an outside view of the ship, where you could see a gargantuan creature, twice the size of the now extinct blue whale, being held in a large drilling station. Its large mouth was propped open by heavy machinery, and you got a clear view of the roof of it.

“What’s happening to that animal?” you frantically asked as you ran up the window.

“That is what the natives call a tulkun. A somewhat similar creature to the blue whale. They’re drilling a hole through the roof of its mouth.” Quaritch replied, clearly annoyed with your sudden worry of said creature.

“What… what the actual fuck? Why are you people doing this? What do you gain from destroying everything you lay your filthy hands on!?” you screamed as tears brimmed your waterline before flowing down your cheeks.

“Jeez, when will you cease that endless whining of yours? What you need to understand is that Earth is no longer a habitable planet for humans anymore. Hunting those tulkuns allow the longevity of humans to prosper. The ‘amrita’ that’s collected from them can stop humans from aging completely. Imagine the wonders we could create, the future we could have if humans never have to worry about the inevitable end again.”

The selfishness of your kind never failed to astonish you even more than you were before. The ruthlessness and brutality of humans carried on to other extra-terrestrial life forms after the demolition of planet Earth’s countless number of beautiful creations. What was next on their list of destruction? To slaughter every single native of Pandora? Were you about to witness a mass xenocide take place sooner or later?

Before you could continue your morbid train of thought, the now disgruntled colonel grabbed you harshly by the arm, dragging you with him to the holding cell area, not paying your woeful cries any mind as you reluctantly trudged forward.

»»————-　.　————-««

You soon found yourself standing in front of an empty cell. Before you could process anything, you were forcibly chucked inside, with Quaritch shutting the glass door to it and entering a code to keep you locked in, preventing any escape.

“Now, this is where you’ll be spending your nights at. You have everything you need here. We’ll bring you out for the observation exam tomorrow evening. In the meantime, why not get acquainted with your next-door neighbour?” Quaritch instructed before nodding towards the cell next to yours before walking away.

Once the colonel was out of sight, you turned your gaze to where he gestured at, and you saw the Na’vi from earlier, passed out onto the ground, curled up into a foetal position. The only barrier separating the two of you was a thick glass wall that had a few holes drilled into it to allow contact with each other. Upon closer inspection, he was shivering slightly, his face and torso were littered with cuts and bruises that weren’t there before when you first saw him. His hair, long and black with voluminous curls splayed out around his head and away from his face, giving you a clear view of his features. Your eyes then caught a glimpse of something around his neck, your stomach churned when you saw a chain attached to it, with the other end connecting to the wall. These bastards put a fucking collar and chain on this poor guy like he was some unhinged dog.

Seeing the Na’vi in this wretched state, being brought here against his will, placed in a cold and lifeless cell, not before receiving a few blows to his body, brought fresh tears to your already swollen eyes from crying so much. Your heart broke for him. He must have been incredibly frightened, being forcefully separated from his family and clan, taken here to have heinous experiments performed on him. You wondered if he had any idea of what was in store for him later. That notion easily gave you goosebumps all over as you worried about him.

You probably weren’t as subtle as you thought you were, as it seemed your sobs and sniffles alerted the sleeping Na’vi, who soon roused from his uncomfortable slumber. His eyes groggily opened and started looking around to inspect his surroundings. By the look on his face, you could sense a feeling of dread wash over him as he began to frantically touch every surface in the room, attempting to find an escape from this claustrophobic enclosure.

It didn’t take him too long for his eyes to meet yours once more. Upon the sight of you, his brows furrowed, his glare reignited the fury from earlier as he let out a seething growl. He then proceeded to pounce in your direction, ready to bash onto the glass barrier shielding you, when his chain collar put an abrupt stop to his assault. The force of the pull caused the distressed Na’vi to cough violently, as the spikes from the inside of the collar pierced his skin, drawing fresh crimson blood to flow down his neck.

Despite his ferocious attempt at ending you, you didn’t flinch back in fear this time. His actions only furthered the pain in your heart as you wailed harder at the sight of him, placing your hand onto the glass barrier, as if trying to reach out to him in solace.

This gesture of yours downright confused the Na’vi. If it wasn’t for the damn collar and the glass barrier, there was no doubt that a bloodbath would ensue. But here you were, bawling your eyes out, and not from fear, but from woe and despair which he could sense from your eyes. However, your behaviour seemed to make him grow suspicious, as he then backed away from the glass barrier and into a small corner of the cell, bringing his knees up to his chest while maintaining his glare on you.

Once you had collected yourself, you made a hasty and pathetic attempt at wiping your tears away, before glancing at him with a guilt-ridden look in your eyes. You contemplated whether to say anything to him, finding yourself to be lacking in any confidence in words. Your knowledge in his mother tongue wasn’t anywhere near fluent, but from the long and tedious lessons your parents had you sit through as a young child, you knew enough to probably say a few things in comfort, perhaps to help him in taking the edge of the tension even just a little bit. With a deep breath, you mustered up all the courage you had within and spoke your first words to him.

“If killing me could bring you peace, I hope I can grant it to you one day.”

Silence.

So quiet.

The eye contact between you two never faltered, but there was an alter in the Na’vi’s gaze as he looked at you in absolute astonishment. Hearing you speak his native tongue was something completely alien and foreign to him, as the fake Na’vis that captured him had never even spoke a lick of it. A melancholy feeling started to brew within his timid heart, an unfamiliar sensation that he had never experienced with anyone he had ever encountered before, much less a sky demon. It was almost as if he felt… remorseful for his actions from earlier. You could have said anything to ruffle his feathers even further, or perhaps rubbed his bad luck in his face, but instead, you wished to grant him a chance to kill you? Regret slowly trickled within him as he thought about what you said. But he couldn’t allow himself to fall for that so easily as it could be a trap you laid out to trick him into trusting you. Instead, he turned his back to you and laid down on the ground once more, closing his eyes in an attempt to sleep his shame away.

Upon his actions, you let out a deep sigh in dejection, looking down at your hands in your lap, wondering if you made a mistake in even saying anything to him. But his eyes didn’t hold the same ferocity from before anymore, so you could say that was a win in your book. Since the both of you were going to be seeing each other a lot more from now on, it would be best to at least get a little cordial with one another. You hope for him to be comfortable enough to trust you one day, but you knew that moment wouldn’t be in the near future for you any time soon. Looking at him once more, you wished him a silent good night then stood up to walk towards the bed before lying down on it, allowing yourself a few moments of tranquillity before drifting off to a soundless slumber.

»»————-　.　————-««

You couldn’t exactly recall how you ended up in this situation, with your vision blurry and your hearing muffled. One thing was for certain, however. The surrounding air was extremely crisp, making a simple action such as breathing a gruelling task to carry out. Cold and rigid hair strands brushed against your numb cheeks, with more and more wintry frost starting to form from the wetness of your locks. Your attempts at making any sort of movement were futile, as you felt something engulf you firmly, not wanting to let you go, almost as you would cease to exist if that were to happen.

You felt your eyelids growing weaker, your heartbeat getting slower by the minute, when you felt gentle caresses against the flow of your head. The motion brought you back to a time when you were still a young child, your mother stroking your head lovingly to wake you up in the morning.

Was that what this was? Were you back in your childhood home, with your mother gently rousing you from your sweet slumber? Your eyes soon fluttered open as they met the affectionate gaze of your beloved mom. You couldn’t help but tear up at the sight of her, as you had been missing her with all your heart.

“What’s wrong, sweetheart? Why are you crying?” your mother asked, looking at you worriedly.

“Nothing, mama. I just… really missed you.” you answered back in a child-like voice, which stunned you a little.

Ah, it seemed to be a memory of some sort.

“Aww, honey. I’ve missed you, too.” your mother beamed before planting a kiss on your forehead. “But dear, it’s time for you to get up.”

“But mama, can we stay here a little bit longer?” you begged.

“No, you have to get up now.” your mother retorted, sternly this time.

“Mama, why are you-“

A tight grip onto your hair cut off your speech. You reached up to your head to pry your mother’s hand off when you locked eyes with her, which now held a hateful glare in them. This wasn’t like her at all, she had never been violent or raised your voice at you. What happened to the sweet, loving woman you grew up with?

“Get the fuck up before I make you, you lazy bitch!”

»»————-　.　————-««

“Hurry and get your ass up, young lady! I don’t have time to put up with your bullshit today.” a female recom avatar exclaimed, tossing your blanket off you before dragging you harshly onto the floor of the cell.

Another recom soldier came up next to her and tossed you some fresh clothing, a towel and dental care set.

“Go freshen yourself up and be ready in thirty minutes. You’ve got a long day ahead of you.” He ordered before leaving with the female recom.

You begrudgingly stood up to your feet before picking up the items and set them on the foot of your bed, stripping yourself from your old clothing and stepping into the shower of your cell. Once the water cascaded onto your face, you allowed your sorrows to blend in with it. Of all the dreams you could be having why did it have to be that one? Was your mind so dead set on bringing you more misery than what you had been put through so far? The human brain can sometimes play really cruel jokes on someone’s psyche. You occasionally wondered whether you were losing it or not.

Stepping out of the shower with a towel wrapped around you, you made your way to the sink and began brushing your teeth. After spitting into the sink and wiping away any excess toothpaste off your lips, you splashed some cold water onto your face, giving yourself the needed jolt to start your day off with. You looked into the mirror at your tired features. The bloodshot eyes and dark circles were evidence of your restless night, and lips chapped from dehydration.

Looking behind you through the mirror, you got a view of the other cell that held the Na’vi man. You hoped to catch a glimpse of him in the morning, but you didn’t see a sign of his presence. Turning around to face the other side, you found yourself staring at an empty cell, everything in it was left untouched from last night. The only thing that was missing was the collar and chain.

Where could he have gone?

Where did they take him?

Those were the questions that you would soon find yourself regret asking.

»»————-　.　————-««

a/n: thank you so much to everyone for finishing chapter 2! despite the dark and difficult themes, I really enjoyed writing this. look forward to chapter 3!~

like and reblog if you enjoyed!~

190 notes · View notes

evolutionsvoid · 10 months

Text

I must say that animals are quite the architects sometimes. I feel like it doesn't get acknowledged enough. Us sapient species like to pretend that we are the only ones who do it, that no simple creature could ever achieve such a thing. But look at the intricate nests of birds, the incredible spires of the Mountain Makers and the gorgeous weaving of spiders! How can we pretend these are inferior? Each are so beautiful in their own right, and impressive in their design and complexities! I would say that there are many animals out there that earn the title of "builder" and "architect." In the case of the Mason Maw Carcolh, it is right in the name!

Mason Maw Carcolhs are certainly a member of the Carcolh family, being large shelled mollusks who are known for their impressive size, appetite and adaptations. The Mason Maw is one that shares a similar range with the regular Lou Carcolh, though they tend for rockier areas, but there is no way you would ever get the two confused! First off is that blazing orange color they have! Quite gorgeous and eye catching! Then comes their shell, or what stands in place of their shell. Mason Maws do have shells like the majority of their family, but you rarely ever see them because they are always buried beneath these odd stone constructions. In fact, a whole lot of the Mason Maw is covered in these rocky plates and growths! What's the deal? Do they carve stone and wear it like armor? Not really! The secret behind these structures can be found with the Mason Maws.....well....maw.

These carcolhs have a noticeable pouch formed around their radula, and here the snail produces copious amounts of a gray sticky substance. This paste-like gunk is referred to as "mortar," and the carcolh fills this pouch with as much as it can carry! Maybe that should tell you about the origins of their name, eh? Obviously, though, mortar in the mouth doesn't explain how they have all this stuff on their shell and back. To figure out how that happens, just look to their oral tendrils. Unlike the Lou Carcolh, these aren't nearly as hairy or sticky, and they have special structures on their ends. Any builder or mason would recognize these shapes in an instant! They are the tools the carcolh uses to scoop mortar out of its mouth and spread it onto whatever surface it wants, be it the earth or its own body! Once the mortar is removed from its moist radula pouch, it will begin to dry and harden at a rapid rate. It can turn rock-like in only a few minutes, which means the Mason Maw must work fast! But once it does finish drying out, it can be just as tough as stone! Quite useful, and for a variety of reasons!

Just like its other brethren, the Mason Maw likes to take its prey by surprise. At the speed these snails move, you can certainly rule out the tactic of pursuit. These ones use their stony exterior to blend in with surrounding rocks and landscape, remaining perfectly still as it waits for food. How it catches prey can vary depending on the situation. In most cases, the Mason Maw vomits out a whole bunch of mortar onto its victim when they get close, and the paste sticks fast to fur and hide. The weight and stickiness alone can slow food down enough for the tendrils to grab hold and reel them in. Even if they run, it won't take long for the stuck on mortar to harden. Victims will find themselves slowly petrifying, as their limbs get locked up from the hardening mortar and the weight becomes too much to carry. In minutes, they will be rendered a partial statue, trapped in this stony cocoon as the Mason Maw slowly follows their trail. I can't imagine how terrifying it would be, being stuck in these stone shoes as you watch your painful demise creep towards you inch by inch.

In other cases, the Mason Maw may set a trap. They can either find a shallow hole in the environment or dig one out with their tendrils. Whichever is the case, they then fill the hole with mortar til it is almost level with the rest of the earth. They will then apply a special mucus coating to this pit of gunk, which forms a layer that prevents it from hardening too fast. This mucus is used on their body in places they don't want the mortar to form, that way they don't get bogged down or trap their own movements. The Mason Maw may cover this layered puddle with loose vegetation or dirt, or they may leave it as is. With the mucus layer on top, it gives the reflective look of a pool of water. They then wait, and hope that prey trundles by and steps on this spot. When they do, their limbs will punch right through the disguise and moistening mucus, and straight into the sticky mortar. They will suddenly find themselves in a makeshift tar pit, struggling to get free. This is usually enough for the carcolh to slink out of its hiding place and take them down. No matter how you are caught, death by shredding against their razor toothed radula is certain.

This mortar sure is handy for making traps and catching prey, but what else can it do? Just look to its shell and see the answer! It is great for defense, creating stone hard plates and rocky armor. The Mason Maw layers its back with mortar to create this intricate armor, which protects it from predators. This prevents the Mason Maw from retracting into its shell, but it seems to work just as good! And speaking of shell, that impressive mass of sculpted mortar is their masterpiece! All Mason Maws use their mortar and tendrils to build upon their shells and create unique pieces of art! While it certainly works great for defense, it is also believed to show off strength, health and win over mates! I have to imagine there is a bit of pride in it too! While they certainly use mortar for the majority of their construction, they also like to add extra bits to it. Shiny rocks, leftovers from prey, random pieces of pretty junk, and even old armor and weapons! Infamous Mason Maws tend to have the armor and blades of knights and slayers built into their shell spires, carried like trophies of previous battles.

Some stories claim that the Mason Maw may trap live prey within these constructs as well! It seems improbable, but they do have paralytic venom and the mortar cures pretty quick. It is probably a rare scenario, but certainly a horrifying one! Imagine being carried around like a piece of jewelry, waiting to be freed by either heroes or death! Pretty freaky! Mason Maws work on these shell sculptures their entire lives, always adding to it or repairing it when needed. In some cases, the carcolh may be so old and intent on making its sculpture bigger that it can trap itself under its own weight! Making a shell too heavy to even carry! If this happens, the carcolh is kind of doomed unless something breaks enough chunks off to lighten the load, or if enough prey is dumb enough to walk right in front of the trapped snail.

Now you may be wondering what society thinks of these strange snails and their intricate sculptures. They are still flesh eating mollusks who won't hesitate to go after any meat in front of them, but do these ones differ in any way? Why yes they do! In fact, humans worship these incredible snails! Take another look at that shell and the mortar creations. Look familiar? Why, it looks like a castle! And humans build castles too! You seeing the link here? Indeed, humanity learned all they know about masonry and rock stacking from these incredible snails, whose unique adaptations ignited a whole new era for humanity. They saw the wondrous mortar and witnessed its use in building great spires and binding one rock to another. From there they were inspired, and they wound up creating the very castles and walls you see to this very day! Why, it is hard to imagine what would have happened to man if they never met a Mason Maw! Would they have ever stumbled upon the secret technique of sticking two bricks together? Well, I think....that I am totally messing with you.

No, humans did not learn how to build stone structures from Mason Maws, I was just being a goof. It is mainly because I keep reading about stuff where some people love to attribute great creations to anyone and anything save for the people who actually made them. They love their fantastical ideas of knowledge from the gods or secret magics lost to time, all while the folk that put in the time and effort to actually construct these things get ignored. Kind of awful, if you ask me. So that is why I did the whole "humans couldn't have possibly built castles on their own thing." Wait, should I be explaining the joke? Probably not, but it wasn't the greatest one to begin with...

So what do people actually think of Mason Maws? They think they are impressive and intriguing when they are a good distance away and not ambushing travelers or livestock. Their shells are admired for their incredible structure and arrangement of random pieces, to the point where empty ones are displayed like art. Some folk even hunt Mason Maws to get the goods that are buried inside all that hardened mortar. I recall a tale where a jewel thief was escaping the law with a whole sack full of goodies when they fell into a Mason Maw trap and were devoured. The stolen stash was then added to the snail's personal artwork, suddenly making it priceless! A whole number of slayers, knights and folk eager for lots of money went running after that unwary snail! The poor thing! It was probably so confused why it was suddenly the most "popular" carcolh around! Sadly, I don't think these people came to admire its craftsmanship!

Chlora Myron

Dryad Natural Historian

---------------------------------------------------

Hey, since its August, that means its Smaugust! So that means I am going to aim to be posting dragons! So here's one! Another snail dragon! Though it isn't exactly called that. And yes carcolhs aren't dragons. Certainly not True Dragons! Look do you want the snail or not?!

#carcolh #snail #mollusk #lou carcolh #art #drawing #creature #monster

92 notes · View notes