mcpieandhaggis

[mcpieandhaggis]

Jelly Rays and Orbfish

These two organisms are closely related, despite having very different life strategies. In the distant past, the ancestors of these creatures split into two unique body plans; one became a passive, planktonic hunter, using cilia to swim and casting two long tentacles out into the water to catch prey. The other became an agile swimmer with two fins, an aerodynamic shape, and primitive eyespots. The former are known as Orbs while the latter are referred to as Jelly Rays. Living all across the seas and found in almost all the zones of the ocean, these make up the bulk of species within the Globulum. They range from smaller than a human hand to larger than a great white shark, but all feed on plankton that they catch with their tentacles. Both produce bioluminescence, which allows them to attract their prey. The Jelly Rays are especially fascinating, as they have more advanced sensory organs than their relatives. With simple eyes and highly sensitive cilia that allows them to both feel and detect chemical signals, they can see obstacles and actively hunt. These are by far the most “advanced” Globulum, at least by vertebrate standards, and even seem to display curiosity towards Ixia-Dal and other organisms.

[mcpieandhaggis]

Given the overwhelmingly positive reaction to this project on Youtube, I figured I'd make a Tumblr blog about the Astraea Project, so I can post lil snippets & updates of my worldbuilding process, as well as little short stories/videos/arts I make while compiling things. If y'all have questions about things, feel free to ask stuff!

[mcpieandhaggis]

The Taco Slug

One of a revolutionary new group of multicellular organisms, the Taco Slug is a creature which has proliferated throughout the Uridachian Period.

Unlike the first metazoans on Astraea, Taco Slugs exhibit bilateral symmetry - that is, their bodies are exact mirror-matches when divided lengthwise. This symmetry has developed alongside their motility - these creatures move about on a single, muscular foot, which is coated in microscopic cillia and secretes a slimey substance. This allows Takolimax to stick to and climb most surfaces in their seafloor environments.

Like most metazoans at this time, Taco Slugs consume microorganisms. T. antiqua prefers to consume the microbial mats on shallow seabeds, while the subspecies T. vagnum consumes marine snow in deeper waters. In order to sense both its food and environment, taco slugs have developed a variety of sensory mechanisms to find their way. Two pairs of simple eyespots help surface species sense light, while deep ocean species have developed magnetotactic senses, relying on the magnetic field to sense north. Simple chemical receptors in the skin allow them to "taste" the surrounding water for foreign scents, and they can even sense changes in temperature, to a limited degree.

This active lifestyle has led to some notable adaptations regarding the Taco Slug's bodily functions. The various senses it uses to navigate have led to the development of a simplified nerve ganglion clustered towards the front of the animal, to help it better process the senses it receives. The need for motility has necessitated the evolution of blood - specifically, blood using the protein hemerythrin, which gives its blood a violet coloration. Further, the need to obtain oxygen from the water to facilitate its motility has spurred it to develop gills along its back, protruding from the fleshy lobes which give it its taco-shaped form. The need to protect all these various internal organs has necessitated the development of the first skin pigments, to further shield it from harmful solar radiation.

Taco slugs have been one of the most successful and prolific organisms on Astraea, having spread to most corners of the world's ocean habitats. Ongoing research into just what prompted these various adaptations has been thus far inconclusive, but these creatures seem to be on the verge of dominating most habitats they occupy. Further observations will surely reveal more of their secrets.

[mcpieandhaggis]

Night Life on the Slope

Roughly 300km away from the shore, the shallow, sunlit seas surrounding the continents begin to taper down into deeper waters, trailing down to depths of 3,000m. This is the Continental Slope, a transitionary region where the open ocean meets the coastal shallows. Here, currents flow over the seabed, bringing plankton and sediments along with them. Here, the soft, sandy substrate is too loose and fine for more abundant reef-building sponges; however, there are other organisms which thrive in these environments.

Scattered along the bottom are the protruding heads of Scrimbolos. While they look like clams, it is only its head which protrudes above the surface; the rest of the organism lies within a burrow, which it uses both as shelter and as a means of locomotion. Hidden from sight, these wormlike Taco Slugs form huge colonies, filtering passing plankton from the current with their extendable tongues. Safe they may be from surface predators, however, opportunistic Farm-Hat Taco Slugs occasionally try to dig them out.

But it isn't only Scrimbolos that lay claim to these depths; slowly skittering among them are juvenile Goggle Grubs. These phototrophic creatures normally spend the daytime hours gathering in surface waters, where their algal symbionts can soak up the sun's rays. During the night, however, the more mobile young Grubs migrate down into deeper waters, to sift through softer sediments packed with marine snow and detritus. But where the daytime creatures go, their predators are not far behind; lurking in the darkness at the edge of our view, a Noot Sloop patrols along the slope, searching for any vulnerable creatures hiding in the gloom. These deepwater Sloops usually bear darker coloration than their shallow-water counterparts, likely as a means to blend in better with the surrounding water.

[mcpieandhaggis]

The Bornella anguilla is one of the larger nudibranchs you can find, growing up to 8cm in length. However, what this nudibranch is known for is its odd swimming motion - while most nudibranchs can swim in what looks like a very taxing manner, the Bornella anguilla swims using lateral flexions, and ends up looking similar to an eel (hence the name anguilla, which is a genus containing many eels). It can be found throughout the Indo-West Pacific, and yes, those small black dots in front of its rhinophores are its eyes!

[mcpieandhaggis]

Spectember prompt 2 - Island Environment

Island Wyverns are an attempt by Rryme to create a dragon. With some interesting suggestions by one of the fates, the ocean god took a fish and did a lot of experiments until she ended up with a creature not far off from a pelican/pterosaur. Island Wyverns are amphibious in nature and thrive on islands in Ishida where they scoop up abundant fish and small wildlife. Wind currents come down from Anemoi, making flight a breeze. They have both lungs and gills, and as long as they remain damp they are content. Their fins have been modified into stretchy wings, the rays of the fins sturdy but bendy. Their dorsal fins have been modified into a crest and anal fins into stick like legs that only move at the hip.

Island Wyverns are not the only wyverns, in geographic speciation i'll draw the Anemoi Inland Wyverns who rely on storm water.

[mcpieandhaggis]

Yurgovuchia's Inspection

A Yurgovuchia doellingi with the colouration of a Cedar waxwing inspects a snowy burrow during the cold season.

❖

[mcpieandhaggis]

THE HIGHLAND KHAIT: AN OVERVIEW

The Highland khait, known internally as the feydhi, is a landrace breed of the Highlands of contemporary Imperial Wardin, and highly distinctive from all other native khait in the region. Their horns are notably unusual, being curved and pointed and frequently asymmetrical, which is often cited as a result of their folkloric origins as hybrids of khait and the (asymmetrically one-antlered) scimitar deer. They are very stocky and small for a riding breed, typically standing no more (and usually less) than 55 inches at the shoulder. Their coats come in a wide variety of colors and patterning, though a majority of individuals are dun or gray. Their manes are notably short and stiff, and they lack the beards common in many other khait breeds.

While notably slower than other khait, feydhi are very surefooted and have notably smooth gaits, able to move at a steady trot over difficult terrain with minimal bouncing for the rider. They are extremely strong for their size, and fully capable of carrying most adult riders and heavy packs, and pulling plows.

Their hair is longer than average but provides little insulation and they do not grow winter coats, and instead rely predominantly on fat stores to cope with winter conditions. They are easy keepers that can gain and maintain mass with very poor grazing, though most require supplements of grain to their diets to gain sufficient fat stores to survive winters in the highest settled altitudes.

Feydhi can adapt well to the hotter lowlands conditions than other Highlands livestock largely due to this lack of thick hair. Because they require no supplement to their diet to maintain condition, they are very affordable khait and an asset (along with a few other specialized lowlands breeds) during dry seasons, and see wide use throughout Imperial Wardin (particularly as pack animals along trade routes). They often survive a little too well in the lowlands, being adapted to sparse mountain pastures rather than seasonally abundant grasslands, and can be prone to obesity when allowed to graze freely.

They show a small degree of selection for milk production due to the import of dairy to the regional diet of the Highlands. Their milk has the highest fat content of the native livestock, but a notably gamey taste that is generally disfavored. It's used primarily as-is for basic sustenance and medicinal purposes- growing children and pregnant women are encouraged to drink feydhi milk to build fat stores, and mounted herders will often ride lactating mares in the winter and subsist largely upon their milk. Their meat is also the fattiest of any of the regional livestock and (unlike their milk) generally regarded as the best in taste, though their value as riding animals and more expensive upkeep prevents their consumption on any regular basis.

Rendered, chilled feydhi fat mashed with berries and eaten on bread is a seasonal delicacy eaten at midwinter feasts. It is considered an obligation of a wealthy ruling clan to slaughter some of their khait and provide the fat for this meal to their dependents, and an indication of failing wealth and authority if they cannot. A phrase translating as 'rich in cattle, poor in fat' invokes the notion of having a clan having superficial wealth (in cattle, which can largely sustain themselves on poor grazing and thus can hide a loss of material power for a period) but a heavily insecure position (unable to actually afford to lose their more high maintenance assets), and is used colloquially to describe a person or people giving hollow performances to mask lacking or lost substance.

They have some unique behavioral quirks among khait, such as a propensity to use their lower teeth in allogrooming to rake and scratch each other. This favoring of their teeth also lends more aggressive animals to biting (in addition to the far more khait-typical headbutting and kicking), a behavior that seems reserved exclusively for humans and is rarely used in intraspecies conflict. As with all bovidae, they no upper incisors and their bite can only do so much harm in most circumstances, but they can cause significant damage to the fingers of the unwary. They are also known for their tendency to consume bite-sized animals such as small birds when given the opportunity- this is not atypical of khait (or many grazing herbivores at large), but is emphasized in combination with their tendency to bite to cast them as uniquely carnivorous.

Their temperaments are regarded as notably stubborn and somewhat testy, but this is made up for with their intelligence and generally calm demeanor. Feydhi are most prized for their bravery- they do not spook easily against wild predators and can perform some functions as livestock guardians, readily chasing off small threats and known to stand their ground against even large predators, particularly hyena (the most populous and routinely threatening predator in the region).

This trait is commonly noted in folktales- one western mountain pass is said to be haunted by the ghost of an old gray mare who stood guard over her master (a noted drunk, who had fallen off her back and passed out) against a pack of hyenas for an entire night. When her rider awoke the next day, he found her dead and bloodied with her horns stuck into a hyena's side, having killed the predators but succumbed to her own wounds. He was so sorrowful that he resolved to never drink again (outside of holidays, and perhaps weddings) and buried her under stone. Travelers through this pass customarily pour out liquor and leave little offerings of grain for the animal's spirit, which is said to be seen at night from a distance, standing vigilant atop its cairn, but vanishes when approached.

The settlement cycle stories of the Hill Tribes go into extensive detail about the cattle and horses brought overseas with the migrants, but elaborate little on their khait and imply that a riding culture did not exist during the settlement period. The stories tend to describe people as walking on foot or riding their cattle, and khait riding is only mentioned in descriptions of proto-Wardi mounted nomads in the lowlands. It is likely that khait riding (rather than sole use as pack animals) was an adopted practice post-settlement, and possible that khait were not brought along with the migrants to begin with.

The actual origins of the feydhi breed are ambiguous as such. Old Ephenni folklore mentions tiny 'fairy' khait living in the Highlands that predated the arrival of the Hill Tribes, suggesting that these animals were already established as feral herds. It's highly possible that these herds were are a relic of the cairn-building civilization that existed in the Highlands prior to recorded history and had already long vanished (likely in a combination of plague and dispersal) prior to the settlement. The stories of feydhi being hybrids between foreign khait and native deer is also suggestive of such an origin, with wild deer as ancestors being a mythologized twist on feral khait.

Feydhi do not have the same status of cattle or horses as fundamental to subsistence, with much of their use being in utility as pack animals and transport over difficult terrain. However, they play very significant roles in the livestock raiding aspects of warrior culture, where they are used for quick exits and to help drive cattle and horses. Their roles in other aspects of warrior culture are more varied between tribes- some use them near-exclusively for raids, while others rely on them for open combat. Khait warrior culture is most central in the western Urbinnas tribes, who each consider themselves to be the most skilled riders and uniquely specialize towards mounted archery. The Urbinnas tribes have a long history of interaction with the lowlands Ephenni Wardi (alternating cycles of conflict and trade, and a half century of allyship against Imperial Burri occupiers). Both groups have a strong history of mounted warrior culture, and each claims to have introduced mounted archery to the other.

Khait also play roles in regional combat sports, which include mock battles and raids, races, archery, and most famously khait wrestling. The latter involves two mounted riders attempting to wrestle one another off their khait, gain control of their opponent's mount, and then successfully lead both animals out of the ring without their opponent re-mounting. This sport requires very calm, collected animals that will not panic while being fought over, and the measured temperament of the feydhi is well suited.

[mcpieandhaggis]

A fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox) crosses the street in Kirindy Reserve, Madagascar

by Dominique Schreckling

[mcpieandhaggis]

Ko-fi Dooble

"Local Unnerving Entity simply known by residents as 'Odd Todd'"

[mcpieandhaggis]

Ko-fi Dooble

"dart frog + dalmatian dog creature"

[mcpieandhaggis]

An alligator basks in the midday sun in the Okefenokee Swamp along the Georgia-Florida line. They call it black-water country, but in this sandy-bottomed stretch the water looks as red as cranberry juice owing to tannins from decaying leaves. photo: Melissa Farlow (1992)

[mcpieandhaggis]

Cotylorhynchus

[mcpieandhaggis]

Wyverns Pt. 1: Saurian Wyverns

Saurian Wyverns (Clade Vernosauria) are a clade of winged sauropodomorph dinosaurs (as in they share a common ancestor with sauropods) previously mentioned a few days ago. They are divided into two groups, the bipedal Euvernosauria and the quadrupedal Parasauroptera.

A. Quicksilver wyvern (Argentivernios longipes), a species of Verniid Euvernosaur native to deserts and plains. Despite being smaller than most species in their family, they are faster on land and more adaptable than their relatives. They feed primarily on amphibians, lizards, eggs, carrion and small mammals, though they won't hesitate to hunt down a small ungulate if given the chance. They are capable of flight, albeit limited.

Element: Metal

B. The Cave taurex (Minotauregalis spelaeus) is a species of large Ferocipterygid Parasauropteran. It is named such due to its bull-like horns. It is an apex predator that will hunt mid to large-sized animals such as ungulates, marsupials, ornithischians and other wyvern species. When it does eats smaller animals, it feeds on crocodylomorphs, fowl and primates. Most specimens prefer to avoid human settlements so fatalities are rare. With the exceptions of mothers and hatchlings, taurexes are solitary and territorial.

Element: Dark

C. The desert nagatorn or ghost nagatorn (Nagatornis phantasmicus) is a species of Ophiopterygid Parasauropteran that was thought to be a type of legged serpent until 1820 where it was revealed to be a true saurian wyvern. The desert nagatorn is an adept flier that feeds almost exclusively on desert fruits, contrary to its serpentine appearance. Its droppings contain seeds which are dispersed throughout the desert, making it an important keystone species. It appears that this species mimics a type of cobra found in the same environment.

Element: Spirit

D. The snow bjird (Parvoboreoptera nix) is a small-bodied Batrachodraconid Euvernosaur native to tundras. The males sports two ribbon-like feathery structures (if they count as true feathers), which are used in display. It is a weak flier, preferring to walk on land whilst feeding on insects. When threatened, it hides in a burrow.

Element: Ice

E. The emperor wyvern (Orionopteryx imperator) is a species of large Orionopterygid Euvernosaur that inhabits forests. These large bodied carnivores are a symbol of courage and teamwork in many Chortisian cultures. While they are usually solitary, packs of 2-4 have been observed taking down particularly colossal megafauna.

Element: Fire

Bonus: The Dingrag (Megalacerta seismodeus) is a highly dangerous Megalacertid Parasauropteran that inhabits deserts. It is also the heaviest Saurian Wyvern. The dingrag is believed to be the last member of an ancient lineage of flightless Parasauropterans. It has been given monikers such as "The Desert's Stomach" and "The Ogre That Stalks the Sun".

Element: Metal/Earth/Fire

It's most noticeable feature is its muscular neck/hump, giving it the strength to toss prey around, which usually kills the unfortunate animal when it hits the floor.

The meat from the neck region is said to be the most tough kind out there. It has a strong flavor that can be off-putting to some.

Its skin has semi-mineralized serrated denticle-like scales, most noticeable on its arms, which is a good reason not to rub your skin on it (going near it would result in death anyways).

An angry dingrag will become red and hot to the touch.

The most common cause of death in humans is being pummeled to death by its forelimbs, though being crushed by its weight, tossed around, decapitated, eaten, and blood loss.

While magic lessens its need for calories, it is still a glutton that hunts megafauna and humans. Larger specimens exist, though these are typically rare, they are either very old dingrags that lived a long life or infertile hypertrophic specimens that don't live very long due to heart complications.

The dingrag is behind me, isn't it?

Wait don't leave without me! NONoNoNOnono OH SHI-

[mcpieandhaggis]

Seraphim

Holy organisms with the most profound love for their creator and deepest understanding of all divine truth. Along with Ophanim and Cherubim, serving as intermediate attendees, transmitting illuminations to all of creation. Their ardent love for the divine allows them to perceive far greater esoteric truths than the rest of earthly creation. This importance of cascading sincerity makes their role contemplative and acutely important in the cosmic flow of things. filled with a reverent and profound love for creation. This weighty task gives them a transcendental presence in the face of others, often in evoking comforting awe and profound dread, heightening the purifying feeling of unknowing and the weight of truth.

[mcpieandhaggis]

Red-winged Blackbird

[mcpieandhaggis]

Crimson Sunbird (Aethopyga siparaja), male, family Nectariniidae, order Passeriformes, Singapore

photograph by Isaac Wildlens