Round 8 - "Imminent Mortality"A monstrous shape barrelled towards the
Viitria ventri (G), mouth open wide to swallow the smaller animal. Ironically, the animal about to deal its fate is another, adult,
Viitria ventri. As its mouth reaches the juvenile, it senses danger and its instincts employ its last and only line of defence. A pair of glands in the juveniles mouth spit mucous at its attacker and, miraculously, it works. The mucous got in the eyes of the adult, temporarily disorienting it and making it feel under threat. This gives the juvenile time to escape, and it crawls as far away as it can.
Further along and closer to the cliff edge, the juvenile
Quatora similis (Ag) heads for safety, as it is well-fed. It finds a protected crag in the cliff, which will protect it from larger predators. However, there is little food in here; walls are almost bare. It even picks up a small scratch from the rock. Outside, a
Superstes provectus (R) does what it does best and crawls through the sand, filter-feeding for microbes. This time, it's feeding is undisturbed and it is able to eat its full.
The juvenile
Orthus Talonus (S) trawls the water just above the sand bed for microbes, gradually moving away from the cliff in its search for food. The
Orthus Talonus scares off a feeding
Quatora occultatum (Av). In the distance, it's close relative, the
Tyranna caultrifaucius is feeding well along the sea-bed, but quickly turns tail and heads off. The water here is eerily quiet until the juvenile senses something above it. But it is too late. Tentacles crash over the
Orthus Talonus, and a poof of sand and blue-green hemacoel fill the water. The youngster was dead before it knew what was happening. The
Regemsitula inhales the body it sliced up with barbed tentacles, and moves on in its quest to feed itself.
Far away, the
Squickia caecus (At) heads for the reef and finds a home amongst the table formations. The colourful sponges enrich the tops of the formations, but in the narrow channels between them, the juvenile feeds. There are also ample hiding spaces from predators here, should the need arise. Here, the
Squickia caecus stays as it grows into a subadult, as do the other surviving hatchlings across the ocean. Quite soon in their lives, they will be able to reproduce. But definitely not all hatchlings have such a peaceful ride as this one does.
Already one of our hatchlings has been killed by a predator and another is in grave peril. After leaving its first feed, the juvenile
Rostros acris (T) traveled down to the sea-floor to rest. It was followed by an adult that had come to investigate the dying
Tyranna musculi. Tired, the younger
Rostros does not move as the adult closes in. It lunges for the youngster with its sharp beak, and the juvenile finally gathers enough energy to skip out of the way. Depending on which way you look at it, this move was just too late as the adult's beak tore off half of a flipper. The juvenile limps away, handicapped but not dying, as the adult stops the pursuit. The young
Rostros survives into subadulthood, but life did not need to be made harder.
(Just so you know, if you die you'll have to wait for next turn to be posted when you shall be reborn. You cannot make an action until then. Sorry and better luck next time. Also, 90% maturity is considered to be mature enough to reproduce.)
RollsEvent = 4 - No event
Grave = 4
Agent = 3
Sound = 1
Immortal = 4
Trash = 2
Robo = 5
Atrox = 6
Avis = 3
PlayersAtrox ConditionNutrition: 85%
Health: Healthy
Energy: 70%
Maturity: 70%
Species:
Squickia caecus (Squick)
Improve Eyes = 1
Open Circulatory System = 3
---
This is not a very successful species despite having a circulatory system. This system requires a lot more energy and it cannot find the food as well as Squickia dente.
Features: The pit eyes are depressed into cups in order to ascertain direction, but in this species the photoreceptors have become so depressed that the photoreceptors can only detect light from one, very limited direction. An open circulatory system has developed with muscular vessels pumping hemacoel to body cavities surrounding tissue. Vessels run close to the gills in order to make the most of them.
Distribution: Shallow Sea
Status: EN
Time: R.5
Size: 1.5mm (length)
Lifestyle: Filter-feeder
Predecessor: Squickia dente
Past Mutations:
Muscles, Membrane, Pit Eyes, Chemoreceptors, Intuitive Memory, Gills (6), Yellow, (Needle-like) Teeth
TheGraveKnight ConditionNutrition: 55%
Health: Healthy
Energy: 25%
Maturity: 60%
Species:
Viitria ventri (Viitria)TheGraveKnight Mucus Lining In Stomach = 6
Stomach Acid = 4
---
Now large enough to eat the smallest of its relatives, the
Squickia, this species simply swallows them whole. In many cases, the
Squickia do not realise what is happening before it is too late. They are digested alive. At night, Superstes ventri are not able to feed as most of their prey disappears. On the other hand, the predatory worm finds itself as prey to a couple of other species, but has developed a small defensive mechanism; mucous spitting.
Features: This species has developed quite an advanced stomach, whereas most species still just have intestinal bacteria or agent-filled chamber, Superstes ventri has a true stomach. It is able to break down food chemically with its gastric juices, which are also able prevent certain malicious bacteria from infecting the animal. A mucous lining around the stomach provides further protection. Mucous glands in the throat are able to spit mucous out of the mouth.
Distribution: Ocean Floor
Status: VU
Time: R.5
Size: 3mm (length)
Lifestyle: Small Predator
Predecessor: Superstes ustis
Past Mutations:Muscles (I), Pit Eyes, Axochord, Open Circulatory System, Bigger (30%), Axochord
RoboTrannic ConditionNutrition: 85%
Health: Healthy
Energy: 70%
Maturity: 70%
Species:
Superstes provectus (Grohkius Speedius)
Improved Muscles = 3
Improve Eyes = 6
---
With relatively advanced eyes on the top of its head, this species does a good job of avoiding predators. It is therefore quite a common species, happily minding its own business on the sea-floor. Its competitors have mainly been weeded-out, so it enjoys its occupation of this niche.
Features: In most species of the area, the muscles are arranged quite haphazardly, although roughly longitudinally. However, in this species they have been reorganised for the most efficiency. What’s more, the eyes of this species have come even more like a pinhole camera, as the opening is narrowed. Instead of just blurs, it is able to make out shapes, though still with poor resolution and dim imaging, and is able to distinguish species combined with its memory.
Distribution: Ocean Floor
Status: LC
Time: R.5
Size: 2.3mm (length)
Lifestyle: Filter-feeder
Predecessor: Superstes labes
Past Mutations:
Muscles, Open Circulatory System, Axochord, Pseudo-hearts, Eyespots, Memory
aviscerator ConditionNutrition: 45%
Health: Healthy
Energy: 60%
Maturity: 20%
Species:
Quatora occultatum (Oduntus)
Improved Eyes = 5
Camouflage Skin = 3
---
This species relies simply on its mossy-green colour to shield it from the predators that now patrol the waters. However, the predators do not really use vision to locate their prey so this is not a huge help. It's eyes do help to detect if another species comes to close, and also makes finding moss easier.
Features: This is another species that has developed a pinhole eye, and so it is poorly able to make out shapes. It also has chromatophore cells on the surface containing a green pigment.
Distribution: Ocean Floor
Status: VU
Time: R.5
Size: 2.1mm (length)
Lifestyle: Herbivore
Predecessor: Quatora rursus
Past Mutations:
Muscles (I), Digestive System (Gizzard & Bacteria), Pit Eyes, Chisel Teeth, Open Circulatory System, Fins, Axochord
agenttine ConditionNutrition: 60%
Health: Small scratch
Energy: 80%
Maturity: 70%
Species:
Quatora similis (Oduntus)
Improved Eyes = 6
Improved Nervous System = 5
---
Quatora occultatum and Quatora similis share very similar lives, except Quatora similis has a slightly easier time recognising predators and so gets away quicker.
Features: This is yet another species that has evolved pinhole eyes via the narrowing of the eye opening. This allows the species to see shapes. It has also developed a simple memory, so can recognise species to avoid.
Distribution: Ocean Floor
Status: NT
Time: R.5
Size: 2.1mm (length)
Lifestyle: Herbivore
Predecessor: Quatora rursus
Past Mutations
Muscles (I), Digestive System (Gizzard & Bacteria), Pit Eyes, Chisel Teeth, Open Circulatory System, Fins, Axochord
Immortal_Dragon ConditionNutrition: 75%
Health: Healthy
Energy: 65%
Maturity: 65%
Species:
Tyranna caultrifaucius
Teeth = 2
Gills = 4
---
This species has plenty of room and food in its habitat and so it does well by that account. The only problem is that they often find themselves as a snack for the Regemsitula. On the other hand, these predations do not threaten the stability of this population.
Features: This species has evolved calcified masses of dentine teeth, although they are located inside the throat of the species. They cannot be used for any external purpose but they would have slice up tougher food. It also has four gills on each side of its body that increase its surface area and get more oxygen pumping through the open circulatory system.
Distribution: Ocean Floor, Open Ocean
Status: NT
Time: R.5
Size: 2.3mm (length)
Lifestyle: Filter-feeder
Predecessor: Tyranna comedenti
Past Mutations:
Muscles, Electroreceptors, Open Circulatory System, Tail, Axochord, Digestive System (Intestinal Bacteria & gizzard)
Trash ConditionNutrition: 65%
Health: Badly torn flipper, exhausted
Energy: 5%
Maturity: 60%
Species:
Rostros acris (Niv)
Beak = 6
Digestive System = 4
---
Another brutal killer of worms, unlike the specialised Viitria, Rostros acris will prey on anything with flesh. When it detects prey, it quickly propels itself with its flippers with enough force for its sharp beak to penetrate weak skin. It pulls a chunk out of the animal, and eats it. It is quite small, so one chunk is often enough, although the victim is often left to bleed to death. It's only predator is Regemsitula.
Features: A calcified protrusion on the tip of the proboscis became a hardened beak, which continued to grow until it became very sharp. Both the top and bottom section are long, and sharp enough to pierce a worm’s skin. It has also picked up bacteria in the intestine which can absorb the nutrients from simple multicellular food, although it can’t deal with large chunks.
Distribution: Ocean Floor
Status: LC
Time: R.5
Size: 1.9mm (length)
Lifestyle: Small Predator
Predecessor: Nivia natare
Past Mutations:
Bitter Chemical, Chemoreceptors, Proboscis, Hydrostatic Flippers
soundwave ConditionNutrition: N/A
Health: Not very healthy indeed
Energy: N/A
Maturity: N/A
Species:
Orthus Talonus (Orthus Talonus)
Fins = 2
Notochord = 4
---
This is the first known chordate. Due to the position of its fins, the head of Orthus Talonus is pushed downward, so it generally filters along the sea-floor, rather than the open ocean. As it has an efficient muscular frame, it is a quick swimmer and manages to live well, unless it's being preyed on.
Features: Two fleshy fins on either side of the rear keep the head of Orthus Talonus pushed down. The axochord muscles stiffened until they became a cartilaginous rod, known as a notochord, running down the length of the animal. The notochord provides a place for muscle attachment, causing easier movement. Although the notochord is stiffer and tougher than what the rest of the contemporary species have, it is still fairly flexible.
Distribution: Ocean Floor
Status: VU
Time: R.5
Size: 2.6mm (length)
Lifestyle: Filter-feeder
Predecessor: Tyranna musculi
Past Mutations:
Muscles, Electroreceptors, Open Circulatory System, Tail, Axochord, Gills (3), Muscle Placement