squakhawk 7877 Share Posted July 12, 2021 Desert Sandy and arid, deserts are among some of the most uniform of all biomes. No matter what desert one is in, they will be barren, dry, and hot in the sun. Though some may be comprised of cracked clay or fine sand, deserts are among the most inhospitable of all biomes. Very few live in the desert, save except by oasis springs, or permanent rivers which scar the sandy mass with wounds of greenery and life. Desert wildlife is hardy, if not somewhat brutal, with nothing being wasted. Flora List Javens Sativnubobo Goblin’s Ivy Drake’s Tail Desert Berry Bush Straadoth Physiology The desert Straadoth is a curious reptile, often standing at about 4 feet tall and measuring in at a length of 12 feet long. The creature, curiously enough, lacks any sort of eye sight whatsoever - relying on the vibrations of moving prey upon the sands in order to hunt them. With powerful forelegs for digging through the desert, this creature sports powerful muscles for digging and combative applications, while its hardy tail can easily be used as an improvised whip to bludgeon its prey into submission. Its teeth are like needles; numerous and sharp, meant for ripping its prey to shreds rather than chewing, though are easily broken. As well, its tongue is much akin to a dart of sorts, which it may use as a ranged projectile to impale its victims with great force. The Straadoth, uniquely, possesses a sort of camouflage to it, blending into whatever environment it finds itself in with ease, as the color of its hide changes to match its surroundings. Its hide is prized for its resistance to the elements, and the creature is often hunted by Uruk for this quality. Habitat The Straadoth is commonly found in desert environments - sand dunes, vast deserts and the like, as it can not see in any other habitat; thus leading to its eventual starvation if it leaves its home. Behavior The Straadoth is a primarily nocturnal creature, opting to hunt at night. It is decidedly carnivorous, and when hunting, will attack its prey swiftly with no regards to its own well being. It is a vicious creature, and may not be reasoned with or tamed by any stretch of the imagination. It is an ambush predator at heart. Abilities The Straadoth possesses a powerful, dart-like tongue which it may shoot out at a distance in order to impale its victims. This tongue will only strike with the force of a crossbow bolt at the most, though may be retracted in order to pull its victims closer. As well, its powerful forelimbs may be used in order to batter a man or lift objects, the creature easily strong enough to lift a horse and throw it with force. Finally, its large tail can be used to strike targets as a powerful whip, or it may be smacked against the sands to create a sand cloud of sorts, obscuring visibility in the area. Redlines May not be tamed or reasoned with, as it is an incredibly vicious and violent predator. Communion with the creature would elicit frenzied shrieks, and thoughts of hunger and dominance. This creature moves incredibly swiftly in a sandy environment, easily able to move faster than any descendant. Outside of this environment, its movements are slow and sluggish to an extreme. The sand cloud the Straadoth creates is only large enough to cover an 8x8 area, at the largest. Stortfel Physiology Stortfel resemble scarabs the size of large dogs; bearing thick shells on their backs, nearly devoid of all nerve sensations. There are also physical differences between wild Stortfel and domesticated; wild ones have far thicker scales, as they are wounded more often with the scales repairing themselves to a thicker state. Habitat The creature is most often found within deserts; wandering the surface throughout the day, and crawling into their cave dwellings after sunset. Behavior They are a peaceful sort, lacking hostility to descendants unless provoked; it is in those instances that they will either flee or attempt to cleave flesh with their pincers. The stortfel favors small rodents and eels in their diet. However, they will eat most anything if you put it in front of them, making them particularly easy to domesticate. They are incredibly hungry creatures, attributed to their size and accelerated metabolism. Stortfels typically eat things that are already dead, as they lack the speed to catch critters. Wild stortfel commonly sharpen their pincers against the stones of the caves they reside in, a habit that fades for those domesticated. This comes from their initial wariness towards descendants, fading once they are made into companions. Abilities Using their pincers, they are capable of picking up and holding objects, the strength of the grip inverse to the weight of what they carry. The lack of nerves on their shells allows their backs to be carved into with little resistance nor care if domesticated. Redlines -Wild stortfel have pincers as sharp as steel swords, with domesticated ones having the sharpness of butter knives. -Domesticated stortfel are averse to harming descendants of the same race as the one who tamed them, considering them friend not foe. However, this does not mean the stortfel cannot hold them within their pincers. Dry Octopus Physiology The tiger of the dunes, a creature at the center of Farfolkian folklore regarding the greenery of the desert, is certainly a curious beast. Roughly the size of a lion, the Dry Octopus counts with four appendages: three insectoidian legs at either flank and two fluid, mucousy tentacles. It’s circular maw acts as a barbed vacuum to swallow and, interestingly enough, bleed-out prey through, always brought to its maw by those long-reaching, sticky, constricting tentacles until they are pushed against their sharp teeth over and over again until they are bled out. It cannot seem to chew, lacking the bone or muscle structure to move its mouth, and as such is forced to take matters into its own tendrils when it comes to grounding its prey. The Dry Octopus is surprisingly lightweight, allowing it to glide over sand with ease and quickly close the gap between it and food. Ordinarily nomadic, where there are tall cacti -- one runs the risk of confronting an angry and hungry Dry Octopus… though even the safety an oasis provides could be shattered by one, should the caravaneer be disrespectful to the grounds. It’s name, however, is misleading. Despite living on land, the Dry Octopus actually necessitates moisture to breathe and is, ordinarily, quite moist. How they survive despite living in desserts is elaborated upon in the Behaviors section. Above liquids, it may hold its breath for a total of seventy-two hours, given it does not move sporadically and needlessly waste energy. Two beady, nub-like eyes are able to dart in all directions to ensure it is both safe and that whatever they hunger after does not leave their sight. In all parts but its legs, rigid with a strong exoskeleton akin to bronze armor -- the Dry Octopus is a squishy, slippery thing that reflects sun and torchlight alike off its greenish, slick skin. Habitat Dry Octopus live in deserts, particularly tall dunes that cast shade -- or, more preferably -- in whatever caves they might find over the scorching sands. The reason they prefer these hot, hostile environments has still yet to be deciphered, though leading theories suggest the Dry Octopus might have ties to arachnids as they do to octopi. The spots the inhabit sport telltale characteristics: tall cacti with carrion remnants, be they bone or flesh, littering the spaces between the desert foliage and, most importantly, a sizeable hole dug into the sand is a failsafe way to identify a Dry Octopus’ temporary hunting grounds. Pivotally, most oases found in deserts count with one Dry Octopus that lives in it. The reason for this is elaborated within the behavior section. Behavior There are two schools of behavior among Dry Octopi: Dry Octopi living in the dunes. Aggressive, albeit not quite territorial-- these nomadic Dry Octopus are by far the most common. Moving along the sands, they scope out one of two things: an unoccupied oasis, an occupied oasis with the hopes to challenge its custodian Dry Octopus or grounds with large cacti growing. Given the scarcity of oases, the latter are far more common. The source behind the Dry Octopus’ fearsome reputation lies in how they hide behind cacti and use their tendrils to whip, strike at and coil around the limbs of prey, ultimately bringing them to its maw for consumption. It’s an arduous process-- because the Dry Octopus cannot chew, it’s forced to rake its food against its teeth with its tendrils until its ground to a fleshy, bloody paste. It then digs a hole. Their quickness is scarcely rivaled in the deserts, able to push sand aside with their pinsir legs quickly and efficiently to dig a hole its size, not unlike how a dog would. Then begins the second phase of its hunt: bleeding what prey it has into the sands to begin making a pool, it will spend its days hunting for flesh and, in especially dire times, cacti juice to pour into its bath. Once half of its body can be covered in either blood, cacti juice, water or a mix of these, it submerges itself and draws a long breath that will keep it moving for the next five days. It will then open its pores, absorbing the liquids collected and using them to hydrate themselves, sate their hunger and produce the foul-smelling mucus that coats its skin. This cycle repeats every one to two days. Upon reaching maturity, Dry Octopus who did not find an unoccupied oasis in their early years of life will attempt to find one. Males will challenge the oasis custodian, another Dry Octopus, to a battle in the hopes of seizing the territory whereas females will seek out an oasis custodian to mate with. The female is allowed to live in the oasis until she spawns an egg, at which point she takes it elsewhere -- male oasis custodians think of males, born or otherwise, as competition. Females know this and distance themselves from the oasis, protecting their egg from the environment until it hatches. The time this takes usually costs the female her life. In oddball circumstances, an oasis custodian might risk his grip on the oasis to hunt down the female and her egg -- worrying that either of them might come back to challenge his oasis, given they know its location. This is rare. It’s speculated that the reason oases exist at all is thanks to the holes Dry Octopi leave behind, allowing for rainwater to pool and give way to flora! Dry Octopi living in oases. A Dry Octopus lucky enough to find an unoccupied oasis quickly after hatching grows up healthy, as it has access to water to lounge in and shrubbery to eat -- though inexperienced. These types are few and far between: entirely docile and naive to a comical degree, they welcome anything into their oasis… even the Dry Octopi that invariably come to kill it for the territory. Because of their diet and access to water at such an early, developmental point in their life: their skin does not grow green, but rather red! These creatures are so short-lived, however, that sightings of them are few and far between-- often only found by well-rationed wayfarers stumbling by a virgin oasis, unknown even to the animals nearby-- of which there are usually few, if any at all. These are referred to as Naive Dry Octopi. Naive Dry Octopi living in oases are totally inoffensive and use their abilities only when they are struck first. Naive Dry Octopi show to make up for poor fighting skills with a veritable green thumb, taking excellent care of their oasis and going as far as to sew crops when the flora is dwindling. Sometimes, an oasis custodian dies of old age and an adult Dry Octopi is lucky enough to take its place. In this instance, said Octopi retains its pigment though is less territorial than one that had to fight for its place. A Dry Octopus that conquers an oasis by way of killing or pushing out its standing custodian rescinds its nomadic lifestyle in exchange for a sedentary, albeit semi-territorial way of living. Welcoming of small animals that seek shelter and water, friendly towards descendants albeit not ignorant of their capacity and outright aggressive towards male Dry Octopi trying to enter the oasis -- the now custodian Dry Octopus lounges in waters, eats shrubberies, accepts donations from passerbys and delights in bloodbaths its spawn supply it… should it not consider the males among them a threat, as well. Intelligent as they are, these sort of Octopi refuse to grow complacent and often train to maintain their strength by lifting felled palm trees, swimming and defending the oasis from adversaries, be they rowdy descendants disrupting its home or another Dry Octopus trying to seize control of it. Some custodian Dry Octopus consider male young threats, prompting their mother to either run away or defend them. This is the most common way by which female custodian Dry Octopus come about! Female custodians allow males in for mating purposes and -- unlike oases warded by male custodians, -- take in other Dry Octopi as refugees, these being females nigh-exclusively. These are the only places where Naive Dry Octopus can thrive beyond total isolation! Abilities Dunewalking [Passive] Despite their size, Dry Octopi are very light -- lighter than a descendant. Their insectoidian legs combined with this allows them to move quickly over sand and quicksand, negating any movement penalties this would otherwise incur. Tentacle-Thrashing [Active] Dry Octopi can use the tentacles before their mouth to grapple and strike opponents. They can lift descendants, given they use both tentacles to maintain the grip. They can strike at adversaries with sufficient force to fracture and, at worst, break bone. Should a Dry Octopi only be able to grip a descendant with one tendril, they can only constrict and try to immobilize the target rather than raise it off the ground. Dry Octopi have a 5x5x5 reach with their tendrils in front and beside them, but no reach at all behind them. These are free of emote counts, but one should allow characters confronting it a chance to defend themselves. Puncture [Active] A Dry Octopus can choose to stand immobile and pick a target around it, lifting one of it’s sharp legs and thrusting it down in its direction. The force behind this attack can be lethal against anyone unarmored, dent steel and deprive one of their balance. Over the span of two emotes, a Dry Octopus can use this move. One to aim and one to thrust. Rake [Active] Should a Dry Octopus seize prey with both tentacles, it will near them to its mouth and push them against its sharp teeth -- moving them back and forth until they’re reduced to a fleshy, bloody paste. Over the span of three emotes, a descendant can be properly ground and killed by this method. Smaller prey can be ground within two emotes. Inkcloud [Active] A remnant ability from their forefathers, a Dry Octopus out of his league -- or, keen enough to use it strategically, -- can eject a dark, inky, metallic-smelling cloud through its mouth to disorient and blind adversaries. The inkcloud can be summoned in a single emote and lingers for three emotes total, covering an area of 5x5x5 before its mouth. A Dry Octopus may only use an ink cloud once per narrative encounter. Redlines Naive Dry Octopus will not use any of their Active abilities if they are not directly hurt, like stabbing them with a spear or trying to tie it down for capture. They attack only when already struck. Any Dry Octopus found outside a desert is considered a Naive Dry Octopus and behaves accordingly. Custodian Dry Octopus will not leave their oasis unless its to hunt down a female that’s already laying its eggs. Inkcloud blinds only in that one cannot see through it, though it in no way irritates the eyes. The metallic scent is palpable, though not disgusting or abrasive and as such won’t incur penalties if inhaled. On Druidic Communion: Dry Octopi in the wild, when communed with, display a feverish personality almost wholly concerned with finding its next breath. They don’t seem to have the time or energy to discuss things amiable, acting as blunt, determined and intelligent negotiators, alongside venomous intimidators. Custodian Dry Octopi in their oases, when communed with, seem to have a wide breadth of conversational and intellectual ability! Personalities are as varied as descendant’s, though there is one common thread: a familial attachment to their oasis. Naive Dry Octopus who are communed with are almost always posh, arrogant and indifferent to all matters save those that concern its luxuries and caring for an oasis. Should the topic veer into the latter, they grow quite friendly. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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