Scribbles & Things - Printable Version

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Scribbles & Things - skiesofpurple - 09-03-2018

Various species musings and such

Notes from the late Willsburg [redacted] Plasmaskipper as they catalogued various lifeforms throughout the universes they were flung through.

May their body remain hidden while their mind travels.

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RE: Scribbles & Things - skiesofpurple - 09-03-2018


Appearance
Startlingly similar in appearance to monsters my homeworld told stories about, the Orikui (or Others as they are often referred to by the planet's intelligent species) are large, heavy-bodied snake-liked species. There is a wild diversity of cranial diversity among the species, but most common is a wide, diamond shaped head, prominent eye ridges, and slightly forward-facing eyes which allow for a wide range of vision and a moderate binocular view. One of the more disturbing aspects of the species is that, at first glance, their face looks humanoid. They have the appearance of lips, eyes, and a nasal ridge. When feeding, it can be observed that their mouth expands down their "neck" region to around where you'd expect to find collarbones. What you assumed to be neck frills was actually the back of their skull and they are fully capable of swallowing prey that is much wider than their own bodies just like the snakes of Earth.

They possess two arms with four grasping fingers which each end in retractable hypodermic claws and no hind limbs. Current field tests suggest that each arm possess a separate toxin, but it would not surprise me in the slightest if each individual finger was capable of injecting slight modifications on one type of toxin. On what humanoids would call their chests, all documented individuals possess two large, swollen glands with no visible openings. When in use, a thin, fleshy hypodermic quill untucks from the bottom of the glands and can be used to either spray or stab their opponent with toxins, depending on range. Due to their large reserve of toxins and long-range utility, the chest glands seem to be the species' main form of defense.

The rest of the body consists of a long, muscular body with a short tail. They possess a cloacal opening between the end of the body and above the tail. The tail ends in yet another hypodermic quill, this one semi-retractable and possesses yet another toxin. Individuals range from anywhere between 5 ft to a rumored 20 ft in length. There has been no observable case of sexual dimorphism in the species or even indications that the species contains multiple sexes to begin with. Interviews with individuals suggest that they are a species of hermaphrodites which each possess hemipenis and the ability to produce young.

Habitat
The entirety of the planet is covered in dense jungle. The climate alternates through seasons of heavy rain and humid weather.

Behavior
Orikui utilize the most of the landscape by employing semi-arboreal ambush predation. Young tend to stick to high, leafy treetops where they can prey on small reptile, bird, and mammal-like species. This also allows young quick range of motion when avoiding predators. Large individuals prefer lower elevations where they can stalk common jungle prey trails. There is some variation when it comes to individuals, however, as their high intelligence allows for creativity when it comes to predation habits. They have often been noted to utilize multiple strategies when some fail and changing habits with the seasons.

While highly intelligent, the species as a whole has been observed to be very solitary, except during mating seasons. Individuals each seek out a loose territory which usually overlaps with a half dozen or so other adults and a score of young. Territories are marked with tree carving and collected baubles to help prevent too much overlap between individuals. This seems to also be the main method of communication between members of the species. When confronted with one of their neighbors, both parties will acknowledge each other peacefully and go on their separate ways.

The only variant on their self-imposed isolation is during their breeding seasons. Dozens, if not hundreds, of individuals will converge on ideal locations to create massive snake balls during which mating will occur. The occasion is also marked by what is assumed to be dancing, singing, and general merriment for several weeks before the orgy dissolves and they all return to their separate terrorizes.

Diet
They'll eat anything they can catch. They require a high protein diet of insects, mammals, reptiles, and all things in between.

Predation
In any other planet, this species would undoubtedly be an apex predator with an iron grasp on the ecosystem's food chain. On this verdant hell scape, however, it is a secondary predator engaged in a frantic arms race to protect itself against numerous larger, more aggressive, more intelligent, and more social species. Its two main predators are the Grakjie, a giant stork-like creature that is reminiscent of the extinct Quetzalcoatlus, and a six-legged muscalid-like race called the Tybajyva. Its main methods of defense seem to be a remarkable array of toxins that it can emit from various parts of its body, each of which seems to contain a different toxic. There have been 5 main toxins identified in one individual creature. Said toxins effects range from neurotoxins, necrotoxins, myotoxins, to combinations of different types. Anticoagulation and hypercoagulation have been observed as occasional side effects, seemingly at the will of the individual in question.

The current largest threat to the global population of Orikui is the rapid advancement of the previously mentioned Tybajyva. An aggressively social species, the Tybajyva have advance to creating vast city states throughout the jungle and have taken to capturing and attempting to domesticate and/or enslave the Orikui, which historically has been their mutual predator. Due to advancements in technology that allow individual Tybajyva to bolster their natural immunity to the vast array of Orikui toxins, the balance between the species has been tipped almost entirely into the Tybajyva's favor. Captured Orikui are used as exotic pets, harvested for their toxins, and utilized as slave labor to expand on the infrastructure of Tybajyva civilization.

It seems as if the natural reclusive nature of the Orikui has prevent them from, as a species, posing a real threat to Tybajyva domination. However, due to increasing pressures on the species to adapt to this new threat, individual Orikui territories seem to be overlapping more often and, in some cases, merging entirely. Some pairs and small groups have even been observed to be hunting together and sharing resources. Due to their inability (or unwillingness) to breed in captivity, global Orikui populations have been declining at a rapid rate when compared to Tybajyva technological advancements. They are a species poised on the brink of global change and only time will tell if they will be able to compete in this new evolutionary arms race that is threatening to overtake them.

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