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Showing content with the highest reputation on 07/28/2024 in Posts

  1. We continue across the arid regions in which we found the previous entry. Here is a truly bizzarre specimen- 'Camelus volare'. Derived from: Camels Notable changes: This species is just under half the size of it's ancestors, but much lighter than half the weight. The 'hump' on their backs that would previously store fat has become a thin membrane that inflates with hot air, allowing them to drift across the sky. Their necks and legs have shortened, and since they no longer need to be able to walk long distances, their wide hooves have become tiny hooks, and their legs are so weak that they'd bareley be able to support their own body. While their general climate of residence is still arid, they now prefer savannahs rather than deserts. This is a species that on the surface may seem to do very little, but I am still fascinated by their life cycle and diet. The Camelus volare feeds on something very unusual- a rare instance of my ancestor deciding to make a change to plants instead of animals. Large, lightweight clumps of algae float at high altitudes using membranes similiar to this creature. They eat large amounts of it, getting most of their moisture from the food. The only time during their lives when they come down is during the dedicated mating season. They will partially deflate their membranes and descend in large groups onto elavated mesa areas. This partial deflation means they will move incredibly slowly, floating just above the ground and using their legs to pathetically drag themselves along. Females give birth to very underdeveloped, practically unrecognisable offspring. They give birth to huge litters that can get as large as 30 young at a time. However, despite their embryo-like appearence, they can inflate their membranes minutes after birth, and immidietley float in huge swarms to attatch themselves to the largest algae floater they can find, feeding off small pieces of it to sustain themselves until they reach a more developed stage. It is common to see a large clump completley covered in their young soon after the breeding season. However this comes at a cost to the adults. It is hard for an adult to re-inflate their membranes after deflating them to descend, and therefore, many of them either get eaten by predators, or damage their membranes too much to re-inflate. This life cycle is extremley inneficient. But, it works, and the species population is generally stable. In a way, it is beautiful that even the weirdest survival strategies can work.
    1 point
  2. It might make more sense to be able to mark things like tree stumps, nests, boulders, trees, berry bushes etc rather than empty tiles. It could be something where the mark is as strong as the strength of the nicheling. That way a tribe with 10+ strength would send a very clear message to all intruders but a mark from a tribe with up to 2 or 3 strength would be ignored. The marks themselves would have a certain radius around the object marked - perhaps to due with how much they have been marked - up to around 3 or so. Bunnies might avoid a bush marked with a strength of 3 A nicheling whose strength is equal to or more than the strength of the mark would trespass - with a slight bonus if they have toxic body or venomous fangs. A bearena might take the hint with a strength of 6 or more A killer bearena would be higher; 9 or so An ape or balance bear might need around a strength of 12 before they got the message
    1 point
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