Post by A®heim on Apr 19, 2010 22:54:35 GMT -5
Species Name: Altean devourer shark voro partis
Species Type: Cartilaginous Fish
Planet of Origin: Aiaru
Average Maximum age: 80 years
Age of Maturation: 20 years
Average Length: 60-90m
Average Weight: 1000-1600 tonnes
Notable biological features: Rocky, cartilage plates cover almost the entirety of the body with natural bioluminescence being visible though the cracks in this armor and through the gaping mouth.
Number of limbs and Type: 2 pectoral fins, 1 tail, various vestigial fins
Research Notes:
This deep sea denizen of Aiaru is rarely seen and even more rarely survived. Vicious predators, devourer sharks wait motionless among the rocky crags awaiting prey to wander closely before they lunge up, illuminating their maw to further startle/confuse the food before they consume it whole. In cases where one or more devourer shark may choose to take on prey larger than it's mouth, they will ram it with a vicious, bony spike on their lower jaw. This, in combination with the many other hazardous spines and ridges along the body, will serve to rend chunks of flesh from the prey for individual consumption once the creature is dead.
Devourer sharks are extremely aggressive and will attack nearly anything that wanders too close to their ambush. Possibly one of the most frightening sights in all of Aiaru, this creature has garnered fear and respect from many coastal cities and villages. Attacks on surface-going watercraft are rare as the devourer shark generally lives in extraordinary depths such as those of the Great Altean Trench.
Species Name: Crag-top Jellyfish calx crusta
Species Type: cnidarian
Planet of Origin: Aiaru
Average Maximum age: Effectively Infinite (individual organisms 3-18 months)
Age of Maturation: N/A
Average Height: 15-700cm (1-80m tentacles)
Average Weight: 0.1-90 tonnes
Notable biological features: rocky, spined carapace, bright array of bioluminous organs suspended beneath it, and any number of long, translucent, light organ tipped tentacles
Number of limbs and Type: Any number of tentacles.
Research Notes:
A strange and mysterious creature, crag-top jellyfish, known as lifestones to some coastal cultures, are found throughout all of Aiaru's waters but are not often sighted. Well, rather they are sighted rather regularly but are rarely known to be more than a jagged stone. These creatures are actually made up of incredible numbers of microorganisms that form the luminescent colonies below the rocky carapace as well as the ethereal tentacles. This carapace is actually the proto-carbon excrement waste of these colonies exuded to form a protective layer as it hardens. The shell provides many benefits including protection, camouflage, and a basis for which whole new ecosystems may grow upon. It is not unusual to find entire coral formations growing atop of it. It is a popular legend that the entire continent of Altea in fact sits atop the shell of a great lifestone as old as the planet itself. In regards to this creatures age, they can live almost indefinitely as the organism colonies that makes them up constantly reproduces. It is possible for a crag jelly to reach more than respectable size.
Their capability to survive in nearly any salinity of water is, in part, handled by the bulbous, spherical organs visible beneath the shell. In truth, the creature can function only on pure, desalinated water, however these organs filter out all impurities and use an NaCl fueled form of cold fusion reaction creating intense spots of visible light. While settled on the ocean floor, this light is completely muted by the shell, however, when in motion, it seems as though several searchlights are emanating from the bottom of the creature. The shining circles of illumination it casts are used to guide a simple light sensing form of visual reception. These are located on the tip of each long tentacle which will begin to drift towards the spots of light the organs cast. The light emitters themselves are guided by electricity-detecting sensory organs which home in on the electric signals of living creatures for the tentacles to then move to capture.
Species Name: Tidebringer deus orcus
Species Type: Cetacean
Planet of Origin: Aiaru
Average Maximum age: 2,000 years
Age of Maturation: 400 years
Average Height: 270m
Average Length: 2,200m
Average Weight: 17,000 tonnes
Notable biological features: One of the most massive known creatures in the galaxy, has an extremely slow metabolism to the point where it almost exists in permanent state of semi-hibernation completely oblivious to its surroundings, an external baleen extends down the side of this beast filtering krill gathered and funneled in by the creature's two massive brushes directly into its stomach, no eyes or other sensory organs
Number of limbs and Type: dorsal fin, two pectoral fins, and a tail
Research Notes:
A creature of legendary status among the native people of Aiaru, the Tidebringer is rightly named for the effects of its sheer mass on coastal currents. The presence of a Tidebringer is considered a bittersweet time as many revere it as a God of purity and a harbinger of fortune. However, the sheer amount of food the creature must consume can decimate entire fishing villages for months at a time. Individuals traveling too close to the shore may additionally cause severe flooding and even small tidal waves. Any watercraft risk destruction within close proximity to these creatures as the wash created by even the laziest of tail motions can easily drag small boats underwater and severely damage larger ones.
Needless to say, these creatures are extremely rare with individuals in the wild numbering only in the tens. How the creatures reproduce is still a mystery to galactic researches, none of them living long enough to witness it. Tidebringers are also at great risk to any who may try to poach one. Being visible from low orbit, it is not unheard of for bored/naive freighter pilots to turbolaser one. The Aiaru council punishment for even harming one (seen as the ultimate act of sin in some cultures) of these creatures is up to a lifetime imprisonment.
Species Name: Star Swallow rutilus pennae
Species Type: Avian
Planet of Origin: Aiaru
Average Maximum age: 9 years
Age of Maturation: 9 years
Average Height: 9 cm
Average Weight: 9 oz.
Notable biological features: Unremarkable tan songbird until it reaches maturation and explodes into bright, golden light
Number of limbs and Type: 2 legs, 2 wings
Research Notes:
Rather common throughout multiple climates of Aiaru, Star Swallows soar the skies in large flocks as the planet's dominant avian species. Primarily insectivores, the bird shares a similar resistance to many potent venoms as the magnalui, allowing it to feed upon insects such as zyphters with impunity. Like the magnalui, it is believed this immunity stems from the same chemical composition that gives them their bioluminesence. Unlike most of the other bioluminesent life on the planet, however, the Star Swallow's remains completely dormant for almost its entire life until sexual maturity.
At this time, entire flocks of these creatures will burst into intense light as the chemical is pumped through hollow supports at the root of every feather. The light persists night and day and lasts for up to 3 months during which mating and incubation of the eggs occurs. Afterwards, the Star Swallow will perish (possibly from the chemical, possibly from coincidental old age) if it hasn't done so already being extremely easy targets for predators.
Species Name: Abeonan Terrorbeast silva coma
Species Type: Creature shows aspects of both feline and reptilian phylum.
Planet of Origin: Aiaru
Average Maximum age: 30 years
Age of Maturation: 1 year
Average Height: 9 meters
Average Weight: 6 tonnes
Notable biological features: Bioluminecent sacks on shoulders and along legs and abdomen. Long, whip-like, four to five-pronged tail each ending in a sharp barb and a luminous bulb, Non-retractable claws, massive maw, spiked armor carapace.
Number of limbs and Type: 4 legs, multiple tails
Research Notes:
Thought to have evolved from a common ancestor as the Flickercat, the Abeonan Terrorbeast is truly a fearsome sight to behold. They are fairly uncommon, but have been known to be disproportionately destructive, even for a creature of their size. A single Terrorbeast can possess a territory stretching over 700 square kilometers. Anything whithin this region is suceptible to predation, from magnalui to sentient settlers. It is this trait that has made the Terrorbeast cautiously monitored with respect to its power and even revered by some cultures of Aiaru. Many villages keep constant guards on their perimeter in case something decides it's hungry.
The Terrorbeast's behavior differs mostly from that of the Flickercat's in social aspects. Their imense size and need for copious amounts of food (a mother and her cub requiring 700 lbs of meat a day) makes for a mainly solitary lifestyle. Hunting tactics, however, are greatly similar to their smaller cousins; using light as a lure and a distraction using combinations of teeth, claws, and tails to bring the prey into submission. The size of the Terrorbeast bellies its impressive speed and agility which it uses much to its advantage in the use of guerilla tactics against better defended foes.
Unlike the Flickercat, the Terrorbeast has only one cub every few years. Mating season is fleeting as males, often roaming for prey rather than establishing territories, cautiously enter a female's territory. Slightly less powerful, the male is generally at his mate's mercy should she decide the intruder is unwelcome. The male is therefore, obligated to keep his lights on full illumination to broadcast his presence. Once mating is complete, the male is chased of of the mother's territory. The cub is born in 5-7 months and is raised carefully by its mother. She is extremely protective of her child and will fight fiercely, often alonside the cub, to preserve its life. The combat style employed by a mother and cub is similar to that of the Flickercat's double hunting tactics.
The light emmitted from this creature is generally limited to a slight glow on the tails, however when communicating or hunting, the entire beast flares with an emense light often difficult to look directly at. This cacophany of light makes it very difficult for prey to flee or fight back effectively.
Some small villages in the vicinity of Tapio and the Evus forest have been known to leave offerings at a perimeter alter for a resident Terrorbeast as to appease its hunger lest it decides to risk a hunt in the village itself. One of these creatures has yet to be tamed due to the immediate (and lethal for intreceding) care of the cub by the mother.
Species Type: Cartilaginous Fish
Planet of Origin: Aiaru
Average Maximum age: 80 years
Age of Maturation: 20 years
Average Length: 60-90m
Average Weight: 1000-1600 tonnes
Notable biological features: Rocky, cartilage plates cover almost the entirety of the body with natural bioluminescence being visible though the cracks in this armor and through the gaping mouth.
Number of limbs and Type: 2 pectoral fins, 1 tail, various vestigial fins
Research Notes:
This deep sea denizen of Aiaru is rarely seen and even more rarely survived. Vicious predators, devourer sharks wait motionless among the rocky crags awaiting prey to wander closely before they lunge up, illuminating their maw to further startle/confuse the food before they consume it whole. In cases where one or more devourer shark may choose to take on prey larger than it's mouth, they will ram it with a vicious, bony spike on their lower jaw. This, in combination with the many other hazardous spines and ridges along the body, will serve to rend chunks of flesh from the prey for individual consumption once the creature is dead.
Devourer sharks are extremely aggressive and will attack nearly anything that wanders too close to their ambush. Possibly one of the most frightening sights in all of Aiaru, this creature has garnered fear and respect from many coastal cities and villages. Attacks on surface-going watercraft are rare as the devourer shark generally lives in extraordinary depths such as those of the Great Altean Trench.
Species Name: Crag-top Jellyfish calx crusta
Species Type: cnidarian
Planet of Origin: Aiaru
Average Maximum age: Effectively Infinite (individual organisms 3-18 months)
Age of Maturation: N/A
Average Height: 15-700cm (1-80m tentacles)
Average Weight: 0.1-90 tonnes
Notable biological features: rocky, spined carapace, bright array of bioluminous organs suspended beneath it, and any number of long, translucent, light organ tipped tentacles
Number of limbs and Type: Any number of tentacles.
Research Notes:
A strange and mysterious creature, crag-top jellyfish, known as lifestones to some coastal cultures, are found throughout all of Aiaru's waters but are not often sighted. Well, rather they are sighted rather regularly but are rarely known to be more than a jagged stone. These creatures are actually made up of incredible numbers of microorganisms that form the luminescent colonies below the rocky carapace as well as the ethereal tentacles. This carapace is actually the proto-carbon excrement waste of these colonies exuded to form a protective layer as it hardens. The shell provides many benefits including protection, camouflage, and a basis for which whole new ecosystems may grow upon. It is not unusual to find entire coral formations growing atop of it. It is a popular legend that the entire continent of Altea in fact sits atop the shell of a great lifestone as old as the planet itself. In regards to this creatures age, they can live almost indefinitely as the organism colonies that makes them up constantly reproduces. It is possible for a crag jelly to reach more than respectable size.
Their capability to survive in nearly any salinity of water is, in part, handled by the bulbous, spherical organs visible beneath the shell. In truth, the creature can function only on pure, desalinated water, however these organs filter out all impurities and use an NaCl fueled form of cold fusion reaction creating intense spots of visible light. While settled on the ocean floor, this light is completely muted by the shell, however, when in motion, it seems as though several searchlights are emanating from the bottom of the creature. The shining circles of illumination it casts are used to guide a simple light sensing form of visual reception. These are located on the tip of each long tentacle which will begin to drift towards the spots of light the organs cast. The light emitters themselves are guided by electricity-detecting sensory organs which home in on the electric signals of living creatures for the tentacles to then move to capture.
Species Name: Tidebringer deus orcus
Species Type: Cetacean
Planet of Origin: Aiaru
Average Maximum age: 2,000 years
Age of Maturation: 400 years
Average Height: 270m
Average Length: 2,200m
Average Weight: 17,000 tonnes
Notable biological features: One of the most massive known creatures in the galaxy, has an extremely slow metabolism to the point where it almost exists in permanent state of semi-hibernation completely oblivious to its surroundings, an external baleen extends down the side of this beast filtering krill gathered and funneled in by the creature's two massive brushes directly into its stomach, no eyes or other sensory organs
Number of limbs and Type: dorsal fin, two pectoral fins, and a tail
Research Notes:
A creature of legendary status among the native people of Aiaru, the Tidebringer is rightly named for the effects of its sheer mass on coastal currents. The presence of a Tidebringer is considered a bittersweet time as many revere it as a God of purity and a harbinger of fortune. However, the sheer amount of food the creature must consume can decimate entire fishing villages for months at a time. Individuals traveling too close to the shore may additionally cause severe flooding and even small tidal waves. Any watercraft risk destruction within close proximity to these creatures as the wash created by even the laziest of tail motions can easily drag small boats underwater and severely damage larger ones.
Needless to say, these creatures are extremely rare with individuals in the wild numbering only in the tens. How the creatures reproduce is still a mystery to galactic researches, none of them living long enough to witness it. Tidebringers are also at great risk to any who may try to poach one. Being visible from low orbit, it is not unheard of for bored/naive freighter pilots to turbolaser one. The Aiaru council punishment for even harming one (seen as the ultimate act of sin in some cultures) of these creatures is up to a lifetime imprisonment.
Species Name: Star Swallow rutilus pennae
Species Type: Avian
Planet of Origin: Aiaru
Average Maximum age: 9 years
Age of Maturation: 9 years
Average Height: 9 cm
Average Weight: 9 oz.
Notable biological features: Unremarkable tan songbird until it reaches maturation and explodes into bright, golden light
Number of limbs and Type: 2 legs, 2 wings
Research Notes:
Rather common throughout multiple climates of Aiaru, Star Swallows soar the skies in large flocks as the planet's dominant avian species. Primarily insectivores, the bird shares a similar resistance to many potent venoms as the magnalui, allowing it to feed upon insects such as zyphters with impunity. Like the magnalui, it is believed this immunity stems from the same chemical composition that gives them their bioluminesence. Unlike most of the other bioluminesent life on the planet, however, the Star Swallow's remains completely dormant for almost its entire life until sexual maturity.
At this time, entire flocks of these creatures will burst into intense light as the chemical is pumped through hollow supports at the root of every feather. The light persists night and day and lasts for up to 3 months during which mating and incubation of the eggs occurs. Afterwards, the Star Swallow will perish (possibly from the chemical, possibly from coincidental old age) if it hasn't done so already being extremely easy targets for predators.
Species Name: Abeonan Terrorbeast silva coma
Species Type: Creature shows aspects of both feline and reptilian phylum.
Planet of Origin: Aiaru
Average Maximum age: 30 years
Age of Maturation: 1 year
Average Height: 9 meters
Average Weight: 6 tonnes
Notable biological features: Bioluminecent sacks on shoulders and along legs and abdomen. Long, whip-like, four to five-pronged tail each ending in a sharp barb and a luminous bulb, Non-retractable claws, massive maw, spiked armor carapace.
Number of limbs and Type: 4 legs, multiple tails
Research Notes:
Thought to have evolved from a common ancestor as the Flickercat, the Abeonan Terrorbeast is truly a fearsome sight to behold. They are fairly uncommon, but have been known to be disproportionately destructive, even for a creature of their size. A single Terrorbeast can possess a territory stretching over 700 square kilometers. Anything whithin this region is suceptible to predation, from magnalui to sentient settlers. It is this trait that has made the Terrorbeast cautiously monitored with respect to its power and even revered by some cultures of Aiaru. Many villages keep constant guards on their perimeter in case something decides it's hungry.
The Terrorbeast's behavior differs mostly from that of the Flickercat's in social aspects. Their imense size and need for copious amounts of food (a mother and her cub requiring 700 lbs of meat a day) makes for a mainly solitary lifestyle. Hunting tactics, however, are greatly similar to their smaller cousins; using light as a lure and a distraction using combinations of teeth, claws, and tails to bring the prey into submission. The size of the Terrorbeast bellies its impressive speed and agility which it uses much to its advantage in the use of guerilla tactics against better defended foes.
Unlike the Flickercat, the Terrorbeast has only one cub every few years. Mating season is fleeting as males, often roaming for prey rather than establishing territories, cautiously enter a female's territory. Slightly less powerful, the male is generally at his mate's mercy should she decide the intruder is unwelcome. The male is therefore, obligated to keep his lights on full illumination to broadcast his presence. Once mating is complete, the male is chased of of the mother's territory. The cub is born in 5-7 months and is raised carefully by its mother. She is extremely protective of her child and will fight fiercely, often alonside the cub, to preserve its life. The combat style employed by a mother and cub is similar to that of the Flickercat's double hunting tactics.
The light emmitted from this creature is generally limited to a slight glow on the tails, however when communicating or hunting, the entire beast flares with an emense light often difficult to look directly at. This cacophany of light makes it very difficult for prey to flee or fight back effectively.
Some small villages in the vicinity of Tapio and the Evus forest have been known to leave offerings at a perimeter alter for a resident Terrorbeast as to appease its hunger lest it decides to risk a hunt in the village itself. One of these creatures has yet to be tamed due to the immediate (and lethal for intreceding) care of the cub by the mother.
