Hello again, everyone! This time, I’m back with some different content for you. I’ve finally produced a piece of "spec evo" (speculative evolution) content that’s unrelated to Gellios—but you see here is more reminiscent of an "infection AU" like concept for 2015-premiered france superhero animated show, Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat noir without further ado, let’s begin.

"The Scarlet Mindchanger Wasp (Mentimanipulator efficax // "an effective manipulator of the human mindset") is a controversial species of ichneumon wasp—likely a member of the subfamily Ichneumoninae—whose origins remain unknown. The earliest records of this species date back to the early 20th century in the Caribbean. Although the insect is now extinct in its natural habitat, but the recent discovery of a population in the metropolitan areas of France (especially Paris)—thousands of kilometers away from its natural range—has left entomologists and parasitologists deeply astonished. This has sparked various speculations as to why a population of these parazitoid wasps appeared in French cities; however, we have since learned how it arrived—and the method is far from pleasant.

A few months before this epidemic, a young girl named Marinette Dupain-Cheng (Also known as the Ladybug*)—who attended Collège Françoise Dupont—was stung in the brain by a female bee while she slept. The sting caused a cerebral hemorrhage. In this particular species, the females deposit their larvae—along with a newly discovered, as-yet-unnamed species of Trypanosomatid—directly into the host's brain. Over time, the larvae began secreting chemicals into Marinette’s brain, pushing her into the "First Peak Symptoms" stage; through close physical contact, she subsequently transmitted the infection to others. Marinette was unaware of this, but it was later discovered that Kagami Tsurugi, Luka Couffaine, and Adrien Agreste were exhibiting symptoms similar to hers—a development that occurred after Gabriel, while checking on his son one night, was exposed to the infection when his son—in his guise as Cat Noir—came into contact with him...*

Brutally Killed!

Good God, where did this horror come from? I have never seen anything quite so terrifying. It seems even the \akuma* steer clear of these wasps; clearly, this particular population has developed behaviors quite different from those of their now-extinct counterparts in the Caribbean—their natural habitat in the 20th century—and they simply refuse to be controlled. I am going to drop this repulsive subject, because just hearing about these wasps makes my skin crawl!""*

- Nathalie Sancoeur

23/11/16

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If life evolved according to the inheritance of acquired traits rather than just natural selection, what might the world look like? And how might things go moving forward if this rule just started applying now, to our current biota?

I’ve been thinking about a future where we move beyond the concept of an animal kingdom and establish something I would call Animal Freedom.
Why should prey versus predator remain the foundation of how animals interact if we develop the capabilities to produce food, manufacture resources, control populations sustainably, prevent and heal diseases, and adapt our technology to different biological needs?
I’m proposing that we use AI, robotics, biotechnology, automated production, and other emerging technologies to fundamentally change the relationships between animals.
Imagine a world where animals no longer need to kill other animals for sustenance because we can produce the nutrients they need. Where population management doesn’t depend on starvation or predation. Where diseases can be detected and treated, habitats can adapt to changing needs, and different species can cooperate rather than compete for survival.
I’m not talking about simply protecting endangered species or making the existing animal kingdom more comfortable. I’m talking about changing the system itself.
We already have technologies that allow us to produce food, develop artificial materials, automate manufacturing, treat diseases, and coordinate complex systems through AI. As these capabilities advance, why shouldn’t we explore using them to create an entirely different relationship between living organisms?
I understand that ecosystems are complex and that this would require enormous amounts of research, resources, and experimentation. We would need to understand the nutritional needs of different species, maintain healthy populations, prevent unintended consequences, and develop systems that can adapt over time.
But I’m not suggesting magic. I’m suggesting that we use our existing and future capabilities to explore possibilities that nature, as it currently operates, doesn’t necessarily provide on its own.
Animal Freedom would be a transition away from the predator-prey duality toward a cooperative relationship between living organisms, supported by artificial intelligence, robotics, and adaptable resource production.
Rather than accepting the animal kingdom’s existing structure as permanent, we could investigate whether technology allows us to create a different one.
What scientific, technological, and biological breakthroughs would we need to make this possible? And what would be the biggest obstacles to creating a world where animals could coexist without depending on predation?

The microbial plains are the most dominant, abundant and widespread terrestrial biome of this planet. Characterised by high soil moisture (but not necessarily humid) and as the name implies, endless flats of microbial mats. Sheets of microorganisms - with colors such as green, brown, beige, ochre and olive - span the landscape as far as the eye can see and they also form the basis of almost every other biome as well (though in different circumstances of course). Thanks to (almost) zero burrowing organisms present here, the mat was apparently able to spread uninterrupted and thrive. It is them who hold the entire weird but wonderful ecosystem of the planet on their backs as the primary producents, allowing macroscopic life to evolve into all sorts of bizarre forms.

Yet, its inhabitants look somewhat…familiar…

(2nd image) Pseudovendozoon tripodum ("Three-legged false Vendian animal") is one of the most peculiar organisms discovered on the planet. About twenty centimeters large, it also bears a superficial resemblance to a long-extinct group of Earth organisms, known as the Proarticulata, but unlike them, it has not any visible segments. On the other hand, the triradial symmetry of the appendages could evoke the Trilobozoa, also a long gone group.

But by far, the weirdest thing about it is its mode of locomotion, which is achieved by its three stilt-like appendages, which themselves are each located about 120° from the others. It is this rotating movement along its own axis, by which it moves across the surface, which gave it its common name. Rather suprisingly, this odd behavior seems to benefit Pseudovendozoon, as it helps with quick transportation from one food source to another.

As with all the other lifeforms, there are still many questions regarding Pseudovendozoon: for example, it has been speculated that the lighter parts at the "corners" of its body may be extremely basal sensory organs (probably at most light/dark detection). It seems to feed on the ever-present microbial mat of the microbial plains by simply lying on the ground and likely absorbing the nutrients through its bottom side. Because of this, it acts as a "grazer" of sorts. In this position, its appendages are radially spread out.

Appendix: Details of Pseudovendozoon's locomotion

As for the details of Pseudovendozoon's motion and biomechanics: the process usually begins when it is disturbed from its "resting" position, either by a threat, or the microbial mat in the area has simply been exhausted. When this happens, it begins to rapidly fold its legs under the main body, so it forms its famous tripod statue. Then, it manages to make a very small jump from the surface (usually only a few centimeters). While not in contact with the surface, it begins to spin and rotate along its own axis (this is due to the overall friction in the air being a bit smaller than if it just started on the ground). As it falls back onto the surface, since it doesn't just fall over due to tripods usually being very stable, it can use the acquired momentum from the rotation to translate it into movement with a mechanism that is not entirely known, though it is possible that some sort of asymmetry on the bottom of the appendages or maybe even some excretion of a lubricant of sorts (which all have been proposed as possible explanations), allow it to move on the surface at a fairly high speed. It stops only when its momentum and the velocity have been completely lost (though it can brake itself to a very small degree). Thanks to the very flat terrain of the microbial plains, it can travel up to several meters in one go - more than enough for all its needs.

Even though this may all seem far-fetched, it can still be a genuinely viable, albeit extremely unusual, method of transportation. Since it moves only occasionally, its movement doesn't need to be all that efficient.

(3rd image) Aerovela charniomorpha ("Charnia-like air sail") resembles its counterpart only in appearance, as unlike the Charnia of Earth, this lifeform is acutally a predator. At over half a meter in length, it is a formidable organism roaming this planet. The main, almost flat frond, still resembles its namesake quite a bit. However, it has two lobes, which increase the surface area and therefore help with gliding. It glides across the sky, using (for example) thermals, searching for any possible prey (likely by primitive sensors of some kind). But how did it even got there in the first place?
It seems that this is a byproduct of an evolutionary arms race, caused by Pseudovendozoon's centrifugal force created from its rotation. Because the place where the centrifugal force from an object's rotating on its own vertical axis is weakest is the very top (or bottom), Aerovela seems to capitalize on this, attacking exclusively on the top side by falling on prey at great speeds. If it succesfully falls, the body side touching the prey will secrete digestive enzymes to liquefy it, dissolving the body. This usually gives enough energy to Aerovela for it to attach itself to the ground by its holdfast (almost like how its namesake was living). Then, it waits for the first strong gust of wind to come and detach it. It then uses the same wind to give it the inital large boost of lift. After that, it is back in the air and the cycle continues. An important note is that Aerovela doesn't only prey upon Pseudovendozoon, it can also prey on other land organisms.

An enigmatic morphological feature of Aerovela is its bioluminescent holdfast. The specific purpose is unknown, though there are many theories, ranging from a sort of a "lure" for aeroplankton, a reproductive organ, its "head" or even a sensory organ.

(4th image) Ambulovum parvum ("Little walking egg") seems suprisingly normal at first, compared to the others, and that is because it is. As a small organism (at approximately five centimeters), its cryptic coloration and generalist strategy (consuming almost any form of biomass available) allow it to thrive in a wide variety of enviroments, including the microbial plains. It has a characteristic ovoid shape dotted with spots, with a confirmed orifice (a "mouth") somewhere on its bottom side. Ambulovum also possesses cillia-like appendages, used for locomotion.

Ambulovum's overall appearance, its role in the ecosystem and a bilaterally symmterical body makes it vaguely resemble Earth's oldest known likely bilaterians (for example Kimberella and Ikaria)), though their further relationship is unclear.

Due to its "familiar" morphology, Ambulovum is pretty well understood, at the very least much more than the other inhabitants of this planet.

(5th image) Protovora erniettoforma ("Ernietta-shaped primordial eater"), as the name implies, is a very basal predator, being a sessile ambush predator, waiting for unsuspecting prey to fall in, almost like a carnivorous plant. Usually, it is almost completely buried in the ground, with only the top part sticking out. The specimen on the left is how it looks if it is not in any substrate. Since this does not happen naturally, it had to be carefully dug up.

Protovora is actually quite large (up to half a metre from top to bottom), though, as said, most of it is underground. The similarity with the extinct genus Ernietta is inferred to be only coincidental. The hole on the top of the organism can be up to ten centimeters in diameter, though it is usually smaller.

It lives on the beaches, waiting for any small prey unfortunate enough to wander onto it. If that happens, Protovora will start to secrete a sticky substance to immobilize the captured organism just enough so it can't escape. Because of the funnel-like shape of the top part, eventually, gravity and the slippery, slightly sloped surface of the top part will eventually do its job, with the prey falling into the hole and being subsequently digested there.

It is speculated that Protovora needs water to some degree, as it has not been found above the tideline. It is also exclusively found alone, as it would otherwise probably compete with eachother.

Another thing to note are Protovora's brown-and-purple pigments, serving an unclear purpose. It is possible that they are a sort of anti-UV pigment, which would have been useful if its ancestor was exposed to direct sunlight. If true, it would be an example of a rudimentary trait, since it currently lives buried in the sand, where such adaptations would not be needed.

(6th image) Ultimospriggina gigantea ("Last giant Spriggina") is the true giant of the planet and the only one to reach "megafaunal" status here. Around a metre long and around thirty centimeters wide, it is, uncannily, nearly identical to the Spriggina of our world, but bigger. On the other hand, it possesses leg-like appendages, which make the rear end look almost like a rake. Even with that taken into account, the similarities are too striking, even for this planet's standards. It is likely that it can be (accidentally) used to turn over the very top layer of the mat, revealing the soil underneath and changing the local environment, which in turn makes Ultimospriggina an ecosystem engineer of sorts. This behavior is apparently useful for others around it, as smaller organisms with a very similar morphology have been observed around Ultimospriggina specimens. It is currently not known if they are a closely related species in a commensalistic relationship or juvenile forms of Ultimospriggina. Because of its immense size compared to the others, it has no natural predators and spends most of its days slowly moving across the mat in the warm shallows, overflowing in nutrients.

It has "last" in its name since no other species (excluding the aforementioned one with an uncertain relationship to U.gigantea) have been found to this day. Therefore, it has been reluctantly accepted that it may be the last of its kind. That would also explain the gigantism, as it could be interpreted as a development of an another ecological strategy, in that it would open a previously unoccupied niche where it wouldn't have to compete with other species, allowing it to survive longer. Even with that taken in account, the future is looking bleak for Ultimospriggina. Thanks to extensive surveying of the littoral shallows, it is now unfortunately clear that it is not common at all. Sadly, it is also possible, that its days are simply numbered.

But for now, Ultimospriggina still lives. It still consumes the mat, it still turns it over and it still exists, living a lifestyle oddly similar to that of its namesake, even though the two are separated by over half a billion years.

(7th image) The Paramycetozoa ("False slime molds") are an extremely successful group of species, with at least a dozen different species being known and tens, if not hundreds more undiscovered ones. Even with all its diversity, the group can be still be distinguished by a few notable characteristics, such as:

-A lifestyle very similar to slime molds (see below)

-The "adult" phase being only a few centimeters large (usually 2-6 centimeters)

-Muted colors (blue-grey, grey or dark teal)

-Saprophages/detritivores, but also generalists

-Cosmopolitan distribution

-Approximate shape of an amorphous blob

The most perplexing aspect of the Paramycetozoa is their life cycle, so similar to Earth slime molds that they were mistakenly thought to be them upon first discovery. On the right part of the image, the life cycle of the archetypal member Pangaster grisea ("Grey all-stomach") is shown:

a) The "adult" phase - a mobile one, it leaves a sort of slimy trail behind itself and feeds on everything in its path which it can consume.

b) The "fruiting" phase - once it decides to attach itself to the ground and become sessile, it forms a discoid growth on its top, resembling a fried egg, where the spores are stored.

c) The discoid bursts open, releasing milions of spores into the air. The organism is now effectively dead and begins to almost immediately be decomposed by the everpresent microbial mat.

d) If a large enough amount of spores (which themselves are partially mobile and singlecelled) find each other, they congregate and fuse into a larger organism.

e) The result of the congregation; after some time, it "matures" and the cycle begins anew.

However, these otherwise unassuming organisms have an enormous ace up their sleeves to fool anybody researching them. The reproductive structure seems to eerily resemble that of how the Paleoproterozoic Francevillian biota looked (one of the main discovered forms does quite resemble the above described structure). It is a very weak claim, yes, but still one nonetheless. This hypotesis is so out of place because every other organism here more or less resembles Ediacaran ones, but not older.

(8th image) Stolonofusus colonius ("Colonial stolon-spindle") shows that evolution can never be trusted. At a first glance, it could be brushed off as just another suspiciously Ediacaran-shaped organism (in this case it is Fractofusus). Upon a closer inspection, though, it is clear that this lifeform has a lifestyle that has not strayed far from its namesake. The problem is how it does it.

Stolonofusus is "eusocial", though it perfectly blurs the line between colony and superorganism. It can live both below and above water, though there has to be a microbial mat. It is sessile, so to reach new nutrient-rich places, it spreads its stolons, from which smaller individuals bud (see below). This helps them cover as much of an area as possible and therefore get as many nutrients from the microbial mat below. There are three distinct morphotypes in each Stolonofusus unit:

1."generation"-The central individual in the middle of the unit, it is the largest of them at about half a meter in length.

2."generation"-About half the size of the first "generation", but they are still pretty large. Three to five of them grow from a first "generation" individual.

3."generation"-The smallest of them all. Five to seven of them grow from each second "generation" individual. It is them who are spread as much as possible to cover as much of surface area as possible.

There is a distinct energy flow between the different morphotypes, transported in the stolons. At the edge, third generation individuals absorb nutrients from below, though they send most of it to second generation individuals, which themselves also send some of their total collected nutrients to the central first generation. This explains well the drastic size difference between the morphotypes.

Interestingly, the hiearchy is flexible; if a first generation individual dies, one of the second generation individuals replaces it as the new first generation. The former remaining second and third generation individuals are "inherited" as respectively. The same result happens if the stolon between the first generation and an individual of the second generation is cut or destroyed.

Even more shockingly, if a third generation individual is somehow transported from the rest of the unit (either by a strong gust, underwater current or just any other mechanical damage that destroys the tethering stolon), due to the sudden abundance of nutrients in the area, the individual experiences a rapid growth spurt. After that, it becomes a first generation individual and grows its own second and third generation ones.

One possible way how Stolonofusus evolved to be eusocial could be that a long time ago, its ancestor started (at first almost parasitically) to connect its stolons to other individuals to get their nutrients and over milions of years, it evolved into this. As with any other evolutionary reconstruction, unfortunately, this is just speculation, as the truth will be forever lost.

(9th image) Suctoscutum cyclodiscus ("Circular discoid suction shield") lives its entire life as a parasite. Around a centimeter in diameter, this translucent discoid organism uses its anatomy like a suction cup to attach onto its host (on the picture is Suctoscutum shown parasitising a Pseudovendozoon) and not just fall off. It achieves this by being a living sucker. While on the host, it ekes out a living by consuming a small piece of tissue from time to time. That is all it needs.

It reproduces asexually, and as a r-strategist, it releases an unmeasurable amount of its larvae into the air. At only a milimeter in length at best (not to scale on the image) and weighing almost nothing, they can effortlessly stay in the air for a long enough time to find a suitable host. The problem arises if an unfortunate enough larva falls to the ground. Since it has exactly zero ways to get back up in the air, it just straight up dies. That means that they have only one attempt, which might seem risky, but as a r-strategist, it doesn't really matter. However, if the larvae do manage to attach onto a host, they begin to grow into an adult individual and the cycle repeats.

An interesting behavior observed is what happens when Suctoscutum larvae mistake Aerovela for a suitable host. The moment they begin attaching themselves, Aerovela's tissues, disturbed by the sudden penetration, begin secreting the same digestive enzyme that is normally used to consume prey, killing them in the process. Even though it technically is an evolutionary trap, it happens so rarely that Suctoscutum does not need to adapt to it.

Aspidella, an enigmatic Neoproterozoic organism (or just a attaching disc of some frond, who knows), does bear a significant resemblance to adult Suctoscutum individuals. Any possible phylogenetic relationship is not known for now.

(10th image) Motiphyllon longissimus ("Longest moving leaf") and Pentapetaloidum purpureum ("Purple five-petaled") have been found with each other so many times that at this point that it has been reluctantly accepted that they actually live in a mutualistic relationship. The larger of the two, Pentapetaloidum, still does not exceed half a meter in height, however. It posseses five main lobes (petaloids), as the name suggests. Interestingly, Protovora and Pentapetaloidum seem to share the same colors due to similar pigments, though in Pentapetaloidum, they would actually make sense, seeing as it lives on exposed places. Nevertheless, that does not mean that they are related (unlike what one controversial theory proposes) and creation of a similar pigment may just be convergent evolution. Motiphyllon, even though it is almost the same length as Pentapetaloidum, is significantly thinner. The duo resides in the drier regions of the microbial plains (provisional designation "microbial steppe") .

As mentioned, these two lifeforms have been found to exhibit mutualistic symbiosis. Motiphyllon, as the motile one out of the pair, deters any possible ground threat that would want to possibly consume Pentapetaloidum by….moving. Yes, by moving. Apparently, that is enough to disturb at least some of them (On the image is a disturbed Ambulovum moving away after being deterred by Motiphyllon). Interestingly, Motiphyllon always "lashes" out with its rounded end, while keeping the pointed end in the shadow. In return, Pentapetaloidum seems to make a small microclimate by its own shadow, which seems to be at least a little cooler or moister than the surrounding area, in which Motiphyllon seems to thrive. An almost hilarious theory is that Pentapetaloidum is able to lift its petaloids up to form almost a parasol of some kind. This behavior has not been observed so far.

Through a pure stroke of luck, an extremely rare event has been observed: Aerovela successfully preying upon and consuming Motiphyllon. This helped to clarify just how much the two organisms are dependent on each other. After losing it, the remaining Pentapetaloidum subsequently withered due to small critters, pests and other predators and eventually died. It is also likely that a lone Motiphyllon would also eventually die due to drying or dehydration in the scorching heat or just being preyed upon.

Both Motiphyllon and Pentapetaloidum show significant similiarities to two Ediacaran species, those being Phyllozoon and Swartpuntia respectively.

Still, all the abovementioned does is bring more questions than answers. For example, there are many hypotheses on how the two feed. While it is simply assumed that Motiphyllon feeds on the microbial mat, with Pentapetaloidum, it starts to get a lot more interesting. It could be also just consuming from the substrate with its "stalk", symbiosis with photosyntetic microorganisms or even catching aeroplankton. However, for now, none of this is confirmed.

(11th image) Calicocaulis tentaculatus ("Tentacled stem-cup") grows just below quarter of a meter tall, most of which is thanks to its long stem. A small "cup" grows on top, with six openings on the side and one on top, with spiky protrusions growing from the stem. On top of the "cup" are tentacle-like appendages, which are partly covered with an adhesive substance. As a sessile organism, it lives off catching and trapping aeroplankton with its "tentacles" and subsequently consuming them by putting the ones with catched prey into its top opening (see right image). It is never found in larger groups, since it would have to compete with others for this already weak source of nutrients. By that criteria, Calicocaulis could be classified as an unsuccessful species, but that is far from the truth. It thus seems it has an alternative method of feeding, but one that has not been discovered. It can be found living in the microbial plains, as basically all aforementioned organisms. The side openings could be interpreted as so the wind can blow into them, possibly somehow cleaning Calicocaulis's accumulated waste from consumption inside it (??).

While looking almost like Namacalathus, the two should not be taken as relatives. There is actually a slim chance that is a distant relative of Protovora, both descended from a common sessile ancestor. The reason why this makes at least a little bit of sense is because both are immobile predators who catch prey in one way or another, both using a sticky adhesive and more or less dependent on the surrounding moisture. Of course, convergent evolution must not be forgotten, as it is an equally plausible hypotesis.

This is part of a project I’m calling Draco Mundi, which is described as speculative evolution/alternate history. I’m not explaining too much on what this project is about, but basically dragons, or “pyrosaurs” as they are called in this world, are co-dominant with mammals in this alternate version of Earth.

Anyway, here’s one of the pyrosaurs that inhabit the world of Draco Mundi, a lesser wyvern called, well, the New Guinean lesser wyvern (Ornithopterus novaeguineae), also known commonly by its more famous name: the ropen, because its appearance share similarities to a cryptid that’s said to loom over the rainforests of New Guinea. As bogus as it sounds, seeing as it was fabricated by creationists to prove that humans and dinosaurs coexisted in antediluvian times, its namesake is as real as it is elusive. Factors that attribute to its rarity include its habitat near the New Guinean Highlands, but sightings purported its range as far east as the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, tho these are unconfirmed as of late.

I think the next installment to my spec evo worldbuilding project will be the mammaliaform dragons of Nasheema Island. They are part of an ancient lineage of mammaliaform descending from an early Jurassic sinocondodontid. True dragons or draconids are part of the avipods, a clade named so for their bird like toes found in many species. The outer toe is reduced into a dewclaw and the inner toe is enlarged and faces backwards, ending in a large hooked talon allowing for a powerful grip together with the three weight bearing toes. The wings are supported by three fingers and two carpal struts each. Dragons are most famous for their ability to spit hydrochloric acid in defense or to incapacitate prey. Originally, this evolved as a defensive mechanism linked to the production of gastric acid. Modern dragons now possess a seperate chamber to produce hydrochloric acid. Thick mucosa and a wide jaw openings angle reduce the damage this highly corrosive spray might inflict to their tissue. These three are the largest species:

The Elakon or “shadow wing”, Nyxdraco ancalagon, is the largest species of Nasheeman dragon. It is quite heavy and not built for covering long distances when flying. Elakon are opportunistic apex predators, taking down both terrestrial prey and other dragons. They frequently hunt other dragons, swooping down from above and using their weight and bulk to strike their victim mid air and send it crashing into the ground. There, they spray their acid into its face before it can retaliate in the case it’s not already injured severely enough. The Elakon doesn’t give its victim enough time to react and after it has been incapacitated, the dragon delivers the final blow by piercing its talons through the skull. Elakon possess thick keratinized plates, browhorns curling downwards shielding its eyes and a thick shaggy mane to provide some protection in case they fail at evading another dragon’s acid spray.

Elakon are mainly found north of the Nasheeman mountains. South of this mountain range separating the island, Nyxdraco’s role is taken by the very similar “winged terror” Kolakon, Acidodraco gigas. Like the Elakon, they hunt large prey, sometimes even larger than themselves. They also spit acid at their prey’s face to disorient and blind it before delivering the killing blow. Elakon and Kolakon are feared my the Nasheem tribes as they not only attack livestock but humans themselves.

The “sunrise wing” Orakon or Heliopteros ornatus though coexists quite peacefully with humans. Orakon are mainly piscivorous, fishing near the coasts of the island. They use their talons to grab fish from the water. Orakon perform the most complex mating displays out of all dragons. They only use their acid spray in defense. Orakon are frequently attacked by Elakon once they return to the shore after a hunt.

The aeropede is a segmented insect with membranous wings running down the length of its body, each pair smaller than the last, giving it an undulating flight pattern. Though unsettling to behold, the aeropede is the only known natural counter to one of Lyrus Prime's most insidious killers, lungrot.
Lungrot is a fungal infection spread through airborne spores. Inhaled unknowingly, it anchors itself inside the lungs of vertebrates, where it grows and spreads. The host experiences a slow decline as the mold coats the interior of the lung cavity, inhibiting respiration and eventually suffocating the creature in a drawn-out, agonizing death. In its final stages, the fungus bursts from the cadaver in a violent bloom of spores. However, long before then, the infected may serve as unwilling vectors, coughing out clouds of spores.
The aeropede has evolved to feed on this mold. Drawn by pheromone signals exhaled by infected hosts, it enters through the mouth, forcing its narrow body down the airway and into the lungs. Once inside, it scrapes the mold away with specialized mouthparts, devouring the fungus while writhing deep within the chest cavity. The experience is excruciating. And yet, many native species recognize the signs of infection and will instinctively open their mouths and hold still, allowing the aeropede to enter, a desperate act of symbiosis forged by generations of exposure to lungrot.
Though painful and horrifying to witness, the arrival of an aeropede is often the difference between life and death for many animals
Recent dissections and long-term observations indicate that the Aeropede operates on a principle of biological planned obsolescence. By intentionally leaving a residual 5–15% of the Lungrot fungus deep within the bronchioles, the insect ensures the infection will inevitably rebound. This is a calculated optimization of its food supply, effectively converting the host from a one-time patient into a recurring resource, maintaining the cycle where the "cure" is merely a temporary reprieve designed to keep the host breathing just long enough to grow its next meal.

I've been on an ongoing quest to revise ufology and starseed lore. I've done the Mantids before, but I wasn't fully satisfied with how it turned out despite the positive feedback I got. Hopefully this one is an improvement.
Again, I don't necessarily believe in all the conspiracy theories or New Age religions, but the lore is interesting and I thought revising it in a scientific and psychological context. I took inspiration from various encounters combined with what I know about biology.
As I said before, I'm not a scientist. So any critiques about how accurate or inaccurate this is are appreciated! I try to make these concepts as believable as I possibly can and I might make a book or something about it.
I'm currently working on how Reptoid aliens might work. I have a good idea how they might work but making it is very time-consuming.

Ghavialomonstro carnifex or Threshers are enourmous piscivorous crocodilians native to large water systems and the sea. Despite resembling gharials, Ghavialomonstro are nile crocodile descendants.

Physical traits: Growing at 13-16m in length and weight ranging from 13-24 tons and with a surprising biteforce for their skull shape at 45-60k newtons. This is because their skull is more robust, resembling a Sarcosuchus's skull. Their teeth are large, at around 14-20cm in length and the back ones are meant to crush. Due to competition they have evolved massive osteoderms. Despite ectothermy they handle cold well, although they do not live in cold climates, preferring tropical and subtropical ones. They live usually 90-170 years and can hold their breath for up of 45 hours.(average 24-30)

Reproduction: They have a clutch of 3-5 eggs every 9-17 years. 35% survive but the survivors are fiercely protected. Young are born at 0,4-0,7m but quickly grow to moderate size and leave the nest. Both parents can care for a nest.

Prey and predation: On land for exception of the biggest of animals it is usually practically invincible. In the sea it is outmatched by many animals but it is not troubled by that due to it going for different prey. Young are however vulnerable and as such failure of their protection will lead to a quick meal for predators.

Senses and intelligence: They have great senses and even have an electromagnetic organ in their snout that can detect heartbeats from a 1 ton animal from up of 350m. But their intelligence is not remarkable to be honest

Prologue; that everything starts begins now.

Humanity was far more advanced than it is today; they possessed such immense technological capabilities that they could venture beyond Earth and terraform other planets, rendering them suitable for human habitation. While some of these endeavors proved vital to humanity, others were shelved before terraforming could be completed—most notably in the case of GL-02026, also known as Gellios for someones a planet orbiting an A5V-type star known as Glaucus, where they failed to successfully establish a human colony.

Gellios was a planet ill-suited for human habitation; its axial tilt—twice that of Earth—resulted in extreme seasonal cycles. Furthermore, with a planetary year equivalent to four Earth years and a host star that emitted intense UV radiation, humanity was never able to fully terraform the world. Yet, for the life forms introduced to the planet, these very conditions would lead to an entirely different evolutionary trajectory.

Furthermore, three satellites orbited Gellios, and they were referred to as the triple moons. It appeared that they served to provide some balance to the planet; without them, its condition would have been even worse.

However, looking at the current state of the world, it was evident that it had undergone a degree of terraforming. Given that Gellios was situated within the habitable zone of the Glaucus system, it promised to be an intriguing destination for life originating from Earth.

However, no vertebrate species—not even the smallest fish—have been introduced here; the same applies to all other types of animals. While the absence of vertebrates might come as a shock at first, this was a deliberate choice on my part; had the primary focus been on a species of vertebrate (like a fish, a reptile or a mammal), the project willingly might have ended up too similar to Serina or Hamster’s Paradise. Instead, I have opted to feature the following animals.

The four fundamental animal lineages introduced to Gellios were to be Cnidarians, Annelids, Arthropods, and Mollusks; however, even within these, only specific species would be featured—for instance, among the Arthropods, only Artemia franciscana would be included, while the Mollusks and Annelids were limited to certain species of nudibranchs and polychaetes.

As for the cnidarians, they encompassed a diverse range, from sea anemones to jellyfish. The sea anemones were represented by genera and species from the families Actiniidae, Edwardsiidae, Actinermidae, and Halcuriidae, while among the jellyfish, Aurelia aurita (class Scyphozoa) was the only scyphozoan species introduced; a few species of cubozoans and hydrozoans were also included. Furthermore, alongside Turritopsis dohrnii, the colonial, Portuguese man o' war (Physalia physalis) was introduced to Gellios—a fact that would lead to the Portuguese man o' war becoming the ancestor of all siphonophore species on Gellios.

It was not just animals; among the plants introduced to the planet, the eelgrass (Zostera marina) was present. Alongside the animals, other introduced life such as trial dozen species of algae (both microscopic, both macroscopic), zooxanthellae, and hundreds of microscopic plankton species were also to be introduced to Gellios—all of which would have to adapt to the planet's extreme environments.

Thus, the foundations for Gellios were laid; the next phase will focus on the Medusocene, the era of beginning and colonization—the planet's first geological period following its terraforming, covering its initial 15 million years.

Let’s close the subject for now; this amount of content should be enough for you.

Source

Like many animals on Earth, medopods (charachtherized of their wide and musclar limbs in the middle) undergo metamorphosis. They start their lives by hatching from a larger egg cluster. For several weeks, they live in mostly trees and trunks where they feed on fruits, bark, leaves, smaller creatures and so on. In some species the “mother” brings pre-digested food to the younglings which is stored in a seperate stomach acting as a reserve food chamber. The tube that goes to this stomach chamber is opened when hormones signal birth. Most medopods except for a very few species are hermaphrodites, this means any individual of them can carry offspring. This is usually because they're solitary and due to the large arid savannahs where medopods live sparsley. Due to the long nights on Ghavija, they (like a lot of other fauna) also literally light up in darkness, especially so the larvae can keep track of each other and where they are. The larvae have chitinous stinging hairs that can cause extreme rashes upon enemies.

This adult snapper is also equipped with a dactyl-club able to fire at both extreme speed and power a lot like Mantis shrimp on Earth.

sorry for typos, i wrote on my phone

check out my deviantart page natureofthoosa or search ghavija for more info

This is the first creature on a custom planet so more gigantism can take place. This creature is inspired by rayquaza from Pokemon emerald and is one of 3 species,this one a diurnal hunter with great vision. It is my first attempt at a custom creture

What evolutionary pressures and environment would cause homo species to evolve into tolkien style dwarf and how would they survive im guessing ambush hunting maybe they got small stocky size to one retain heat 2 hide behind cover like rocks in tundra environment but what do yall think ?

Requirements:

- Has to be an herbivore

- Has to go at an average consistent speed of at least 20mph

- Has to have the stamina to ride long distances

- Has to be strong enough to carry a rider and supplies

- Has to be agile in dense jungle

- Has to be easy to train

- Has to tolerate hot, humid weather (think Am/Af koppen climates)

These days, I have been making the drawings a little difficult for me, wondering if anyone is interested in joining the project, already providing ideas or illustrations, since I plan for it to be a big project, if anyone is interested, they can tell me.

15 Million Years P.H. - The Early Neocene - Womrats, Groundhounds, Possimians, Ground Possums and Moonmole:

While Australia belong to the Reptiles now, that doesnt mean It Is devoid of Mammals. Some of which I am going to showcase here.

Rodents would end up being one of the last native Autralian Mammal clades In the Early Neocene, with Mice eventually giving rise to the herbivorous, stocky build Womrats which feed on tough, low laying vegetation.

While native Bats would have largely died out, their ability to fly would allow them to recolonize Australia. As Carnivorous Pterotherian Bats would have arrived at Australia however, they would face competition from carnivorous Rewings known as Wedgebails, who already claimed the role of top aerial predators. This would cause the evolution of the Groundhounds, poorly flighted Hawkhounds that chase prey on the ground.

This essentially Is a switcheroo with the typical Bat and Bird roles, with carnivorous Pterotherian Bats usually being aerial predators and carnivorous Flagbirds living as ground-hunters.

Modern day Australia is very well known for Its diversity In Marsupials, while those alongside other Mammals would have heavily declined, there are a few survivors that managed to diversify.

Possimians are one of them, they are excellent climbers and feed on a wide variety of foods found In the canopy.

Other Possums would leave the canopy behind however, becoming the Ground Possums, which are small generalists found all over the continent.

Possums arent the last of Australian Marsupials however, as Marsupial Moles would have also survived. Similiar to the Naked Mole-Rats over In Afro-Eurasia, Marsupial Moles would have given rise to a clade that has come back to living above the ground, called Moonmoles. Other then the Mole-Rats Leatherats however, the Moonmoles would still be blind, relying on their sense of smell and touch to navigate trough their environment.

They are strictly nocturnal, hunting for small prey under the cover of darkness.

I guess the title itself makes it pretty obvious that this is for worldbuilding purposes, haha. I’m currently working on a humanoid species that lives in this huge mountain range between continents. They spend their time mostly underground, in large caves and catacombs inside the mountains.

Long story short, they have rock powers, and I thought it would be cool if they had thick scales that are similar to the ones that pangolins have, except that they are made of rocks.

I’m mostly curious as to what would cause them to develop the scales. The “made of rocks” part, I’m willing to just chalk up to fantasy laws, but if that’s something that could be hypothetically possible, then awesome!

Would appreciate any comments, and happy to provide some clarifications if needed! Additional possible biological traits are also very welcome :D

I am having a hard time imagining anything other than human-like musical instruments and human-like (hit a ball around) sports that aliens could invent. There's nothing less complicated than kicking a ball or hitting a drum. The barrier of entry to create such objects is so easy, I think if aliens are into sports or music, these would be the first things they'd invent. I think for music, the difference would be what materials the instruments are made out of that determines what sound they make compared to human instruments. But with most human sports it's like....ball go back and forth. (pretty much)

But, to all you whom are more intelligent and creative than me, have you ever thought about what else aliens could invent that is different from human stuff? (presuming they are into music or sports). And also, it's so hard to imagine what genres of music they'd invent that isn't just human-techno-electric-woowoo stuff that we see in movies.

Little bioluminescent creatures, their skin so thin one can see the rosiness of blood under, and behind them a huge, monstrous creature, her skin pitch black as if she was part of the abyss itself... it's their mama!

Baby deepsea merfolks (Abyssugens hispida) are tiny and light up like fireflies of the deep, attracting predators... which tend to be smaller than their mothers, who are fully black, have a perfect control over their own photophores, and won't mind taking a bite out of the wannabe hunters. Mama's little lures!

This is a colored pencils illustration (on black paper) to illustrate that concept. Bonus illustration of an abyssugens fry, because they're cute (before becoming monstrous giant predators).

What if instead of these archosaurs, cynodonts, dicynodonts and crocodilemorphs ruled the earth in a timeline where the great dying was slightly more devastating and the dinos and pteros had badluck. Would this make for a interesting story?

~Hi All! i realized i've shown only small snippets of the world map of Demeter and figured i'd give a full tour from the perspective of prospective researchers interested in seeking a posting there. For now this is just an early draft, but i would enjoy expanding on this for each location if it turns out there’s some interest regarding it. Let me know and enjoy the view!

((also, please ignore the name-drops of specific researchers, i'm a big fan of the Expanse by James S A Corey and i wrote these briefs from the perspective of it being framed as a world in the gate-network under early exploration. Regardless this is all origonal work and not fanfiction, it was just something to help me picture my world through the lense of human researchers.))

We will move Northeast to Southwest by locational posting. Read closely for the available opportunities at each posting to find which best matches your respective discipline, specialization, and psychological profile. Not all postings are well suited to those fitting certain predispositions, and whatever posting you are assigned is likely to last for several months to years, so be certain to read your employment contract carefully and link your psych evaluation along with your resume.

With all that out of the way, welcome prospective and applying researchers! read on to see the career opportunities that are available to explore during your time on:

Planet Demeter

Cichol’s Throne (A shallow sea of reefs and “false-kelp” forests in the polar northwest of demeter) (rich in silicates and phosphates, lead and nickel is abundant)

This nutrient rich shallow sea hosts a number of reefs dominated by manganese, zinc, and arsenic phosphates. They are brought here by upwellings from balor’s castle carried further by oceanic currents. This (excluding the arsenic) houses one of the safest locales for marine biologists looking to study the marine ecology of demeter without the near year-round storms of the Dionesyan Goblet. The high latitude of this location makes it exceptionally protected from UV for half the year compared to the more equatorial postings. It also offers close access to the head-offices of HR in the north pole depots, and regular visitation and collaboration with both the teams of the Balorian Hydrothermal Fields and Connand’s Inverted Tower. This gives researchers a look at a range of different aquatic habitats for those stationed here.

Balor’s Castle (Hydrothermal Fields; White, Rainbow, and Black) (Rich in copper, barium, iron, strontium, and arsenic) (Stretches from the northern temperate to south of the equator, west of the westernmost landmass)

These undersea hellscapes are composed of three hydrothermal fields:

Cethlenn’s Ill Portents

This field is the oldest of the three, initially formed 250 million years ago and rapidly dying out. It is a black smoker field formed from tectonic rifting as the landmass that eventually collide with another to create “emerald Olympus” and the Atlas Isles, move eastward, exposing fresh mantle beneath it. However, like any black smoker field, it is short-lived, and gradually dies out as the plate migrates further and further. Hence the name, a warning that hints and the fragility and short lifespan of the energetic activity that makes this habitat so favorable to extremophilic life on demeter.

Rich in: iron, lead, arsenic, manganese oxides, zinc sulfides, silver,

pyrite, chalcopyrite, galena, todorokite, Birnessite, Manganite, sphalerite, and others.

Lasts: 1,000-10,000 years per field

Balor’s castle

This is what is called a “Rainbow Hydrothermal field,” the rarest type on earth, but rather common on demeter due to its strange chemical make-up and resulting geology. On earth, rainbow fields are produced by a process called “serpentinization,” where newly exposed magmatic rock on the ocean floor undergoes immediate chemical change to magnesium-rich minerals, generating significant heat and the release of hydrogen from the chemical reaction. Naturally the lack of magnesium on demeter makes the inclusion of this type of field on demeter questionable, but the abundance of reactive copper and manganese will replace it. In addition, these types of fields, when found on earth, are the most abundant in the rare elements that we have highlighted as relatively common on demeter, so they are significantly more commonplace here.

Rich in: copper, manganese, sulfates, uranium, phosphates, silicates, thorium, titanium, nickel, vandium

bornite, Manganosite,

Lasts: 10,000-100,000 years per field

Ethnui’s Inheritance

This is a long-lasting white smoker hydrothermal field, due to the slower tectonic activity that formed it, supplying ample opportunity for native habitats to form. These types of fields can last millions of years, sustaining stable environments for slower forms of life, and a greater understanding of the most stable of demeter’s native habitats.

Rich in: Copper, silicates, barium, strontium, carbonates, gallium, chlorine

Lasts: 100,000-1,000,000 years

This posting is divided between time spent at the terrestrial facilities at the Silver Spine, and the aquatic bases situated near Cichol’s Throne. These workers have trouble adjusting to their posting, as it requires constant back-and-forth between the two, and foster hostility as outsiders who never truly incorporate into either stationing. It is also one of the most fascinating locations to investigate, so there is an underlying resentment that fosters that animosity that Balorian researchers experience. They are also only third to the Womb of Mefetis and Ogma’s Canal in terms of funding and resource allocation, deepening that resentment that those whose facilities they take up the space of often demonstrate.

Silver Spine (Equatorial-North Temperate Desert Basins and Mountain Ranges) (narrow continent rich in silver and lead)

This narrow Landbridge is rich primarily in five elements: silver, arsenic, barium, lead, and copper; bound together in a resinous matrix rich in the hallucinogen psilocybin. These are among the most abundant elements on all of demeter, but this sub-continent in particular sports a surplus beyond normal convention elsewhere on this world; makes this location uniquely stable in comparison to more turbulent locales. This abundance of silver is due to the resin produced by a local species that creates a liquid epoxy (Bisphenol A Diglycidyl Ether or as it’s more commonly called BADGE) that naturally chelates silver ions along with production of psylocybin. While such a potent hallucinogen is tempting, it requires heavy filtration to make potable to researchers (both because of the local proteins AND the arsenic). A laborious task that took all of seven months for a team of bored industrial chemists from Auberon, Bara Gaon, and a couple dozen belters; to find a workaround to make it ingestible.

 While the land touching the ocean to the north and west of this region is primarily silver-antimonies most rich in arsenic, the south and eastern undercarriage are formed from the more brittle metal carbonates supported by the Carbonated “Soda Sea” directly beneath it. The abundant carbonation is due to decarboxylation of ketones produced by the many species reliant on ketogenesis in this sea. The southern portion of this landmass is almost tolerable to human lungs after heavy filtration. The high wind and crashing of waves makes this a rich location for aeroplankton looking to take flight, so breathing open air is a quick way to be infected by alien bacteria. Demeter’s significantly higher atmospheric density compared to earth makes this planet rich in potential for organisms that can survive in open air, possibly living most, if not all of their life cycle in clouds and the wind of storms. This, along with the Janus Pass, are among the best places to study the very species that take advantage of this ecological strategy of taking flight.

Fomorii Wastes (North-Polar Ocean) (Rich shallow seas and high nutrients, with the deepest reaching hydrothermal fields of this young strange world)

Named by the first exploration team’s lead geologist Fayez Sarkis and bio-chemist Ahmed O’Connell, after the Monstrous creatures of old Celtic pre-Christian myths, the microbiomes of this Ocean occupies the northern temperate and polar regions, along the top of the world continent. This ocean stretches into the temperate and equatorial regions at the Balorian Hydrothermal fields to the west of the supercontinent. Otherwise, this ocean remains primarily in the region of this world covered by its northern glacier caps. Shallow seas offer ample opportunities for phototrophic life, making for colorful “False-kelp Forests” of microbial life in shades of pink, orange, and purple.

This also houses the polar home-base that can act as the communications hub that human resources uses to coordinate the various deployments and financing. It is the most stable meteorologically, but the most turbulent politically, as most leadership is concentrated here, where most meetings and higherups of collected.

The Titan’s Teats (Equatorial-North Temperate Mountains) (phosphate volcano north, and sturdy solid landmass south rich in lead and zinc phosphates)

This dual set of mountains houses the highest altitude mountains of Demeter, specifically “Emerald Olympus” (Which is actually primarily composed of pyromorphite and not true emerald) and the lake at its tip called “Apollo’s Pride” in the hollow of the mostly dormant phosphate volcano. The seeping phosphate in the rivers that run from this lake react with the high lead minerology of Emerald Olympus to form the pyromorphite that contributed to its confusing name.

The southern lesser mountain of “Atlas Isle” to Olympus’ south is a hunk of lead and titanium that has gradually been chemically altered by the phosphate leakage from its northern neighbor to instead compose its exterior from mostly zinc and tin minerals. Sitting between the carbonated “Soda Seas” to the west and the Naiad Sea of the Dionysian Goblet to it’s south and west, the lead and titanium ions are pulled from much of the exposed rock and replaced by elements more vulnerable to acidic decay.

Helm of Athena (Western Equatorial Narrow Continent) (high Tin and Zinc rich with silicates and carbonates)

This small outlet sub-continent at the southwestern tip of the narrow silver spine composes the western-most tip of the supercontinent, putting itself at the midway point between the acidic and alkaline oceans of demeter’s equatorial waters. This is considered more moderate and safe in terms of both climate and conditions. Even the arsenic rich hydrothermal fields of “Cethlenn’s Ill Portents” are miniscule in comparison to the fields located north and are quickly sequestered in the acrylic resin many intertidal hive-building species produce obsessively. Other resin producing species to the south are blue with psilocybin, creating another economic niche for bored scientists looking for chemical distractions during their off-hours.

Dionysian Goblet (Prime Meridian Tipsy Ocean) (series of ethanol-rich seas due to high count of fermentation bacteria, with regular storms and ozone clouds)

The series of seas that makes up this ocean is enclosed in on all sides but the southwest corner at the prime meridian of demeter. Its name is owed to the unusually high concentration of ethanol in these seas, hypothesized by lead exobiologist Elvie Okoye to be the product of the many microbes in these seas favoring alcohol fermentation as their primary metabolic strategy. This chemical makeup is believed to be the source of the constant storms and hurricanes that plague these strange seas.

After this discovery, it took all of seventeen days for some Illusian biochemist to concoct a filter to make it safe for consumption. Since then, it has become common practice for the majority of the research teams to partake after a long work-day. Many different “flavors” are available based on location and season, and a bustling economy that many higher-ups in management have been very careful to pretend not to notice. On rainy days, what else is there to do but stay in, watch the storm, and drink with colleagues.

In contrast, to such unfortunate weather, these seas still however provide the most protection from UV light on this world that still lacks a fully formed ozone layer, thanks entirely to the ozone clouds produced by these “Tipsy Seas” as some have taken to calling them.

Predictably, this makes it one of the safest and most desired postings on Demeter for researchers to request as assignment. Should you be long-lived enough to survive the astronomical waiting list, or well-connected enough to skip the line, this habitat makes for one of the few locals where researchers are welcome to traverse the outside terrane when typhoon season subsides (though still a vac-suit for proper air and isolation from native life is heavily advised).

The Phantom’s Limb (Equatorial-North Temperate plateau and mountain range) (Copper/Iron Desert Flats)

This massive plateau and mountain range are composed of soft metal silicates and phosphate minerals, with especially rich lithium and copper veins intersecting the many rivers that flow through this stretch of the supercontinent. The plateau stretching into the goblet itself is especially recent, as evidence indicates that it only recently breached the ocean surface after a rise in oxygen levels led to global cooling and dropping sea levels as glaciers form at the poles. This has made it the primary base of operations, and the region from which all incoming researchers and workers land when they make landfall, as there was minimal life occupying this region as a newly surfaced landmass.

Womb of Mefetis (North Temperate-Polar Eastern-Most Continent) (desert plateaus, salt basin desert, acid lakes)

This portion of the supercontinent and its subsequent microbiomes are simultaneously the most dangerous and most fascinating place on all of demeter, and the primary reason for the urgency of researching this strange world. To both biologists and geologists, this region holds the record for the most ongoing research projects, and to a casual viewer the most visually dazzling place on this planet that leaves no doubt how alien it is in comparison to earth. The only place on earth that remotely resembles this local is the Danakil depression of Ethiopia or old faithful of Yellowstone. It is primarily composed of a low altitude desert composed almost entirely of salts rather than sand, dotted with cavernous cenote of technicolor sulfuric acid lakes. These lakes (as best can be told from our most recent efforts to map the cave system beneath) stretch for miles down in mineral formations invoking visions of chetaluga cave or the paintings of Heironimus Bossche. On earth such locations are almost always the product of purely abiotic factors, but here on demeter, this seems to be the product of a number of related species of bacterial analogues that act photorophic-decomposers. This Phyla of Demetarian life have been dubbed “Ydra,” after the Greek root word for the mythical Hydra, a multiheaded beast slayed by Hercules, said to spit acid. This name is due to not just the concentrated sulfuric acid they produce, but their ability to reproduce by way of “Ternary Fission,” a method of producing three identical offspring at once in contrast to the two identical daughter cells produced by the method of binary fission found across all kingdoms of life descended from earth. This, along with the astronomical radiation levels thanks to Mount Forge to this region’s southwest, makes Ydra a metaphorical holy grail for the future of cancer research, prolonging lifespan, and preventative treatment for telomere degradation.

Ogma’s Canal – (East-Equatorial Brine River, stretching from the Boiling Passage to the De Danann Ocean, and ending at the Dungeons of Brigid)

This brine river carves into the sea floor and stretches thousands of miles to drain into the Dungeons of Brigid and fill connand’s inverted tower. This leak is the early warning sign of the gradual leak of sulfate salts and acids from the womb of mefetis, facilitating the urgency for the research teams to catalogue this strange world’s life before the cataclysm that will be unleashed when the world oceans flood lake lernea. The lakebed itself forms deep-stretching cave systems connecting the various acid-cenote pools, thickly saturated with salts, solidifying into massive salt deposits. This brine river formed when one of those salt veins broke to the surface in boiling passage to its south.

1. The Caesium Halocline Interface

• Chemistry: Caesium Chloride and Sulfate.
• Conditions & Aesthetics: A completely colorless, highly refracting zone. Because caesium has an immense atomic mass but its salts form exceptionally low-viscosity solutions in water, this layer acts as a shimmering, watery optical illusion. To an uncalibrated probe, it looks like normal seawater but possesses a much higher density 1.25g/cm. It shields the open ocean from the toxic hellion below.

2. The Zinc-Iron Sulfate Band

• Chemistry: Concentrated Zinc Sulfate and Iron(II) Sulfate.
• Conditions & Aesthetics: A glassy, pale green fluid layer. Here, density creeps up toward 1.4 g/cm. The temperature rises sharply from ambient ocean temperatures to roughly 70 degrees Celsius due to the geothermal heat trapped by the density gradient above.

3. The Manganese-Copper Halide Layer

• Chemistry: Saturated Copper(II) Chloride and Manganese(II) Chloride.
• Conditions & Aesthetics: A thick, oily, green to teal fluid. The complete lack of calcium allows these transition metals to reach concentrations unheard of in Earth geology. Hydrolysis of the copper halides begins to strip hydroxyl ions from the water, causing the pH to plunge directly to 2.0 (hyper-acidic).

This assignment is a dream come true for both disturbance and restoration ecologists, as it puts the early signs of the coming cataclysm under a microscope and lets them monitor the early signs of what is to come for this strange world. This is for those dedicated and serious about this mission, and it positions them as those monitoring the life-signs for this terminal ecosystem. When, not if but when, this world enters its death throes, it will be those positioned here that determine when this world must be evacuated for the safety of the crew.

Connand’s Inverted Tower – (Northeastern Polar Brine Pool) (Acidic, and highly stratified with a variety of salt layers making a multilayered brine pool where each layer is separated by the conditions of the water directly above)

This is a massive pit that, true to its name, plunges downward like an inverted sky scraper. Like a solution spun through a centrifuge, each layer of this stratified brine pool increases in density dramatically with depth, and houses unique chemical properties for each layer. The absence of alkaline earth metals like magnesium and calcium allows heavy transition metals and rare alkali elements to form an incredibly crisp, hyper-dense fluid column.

The top layers are the ones we discussed in Ogma’s Canal, but the depth of this pit creates new layers beneath:

4. The Barite-Anglesite Pandemonium

• Chemistry: Saturated Barium Chloride and Lead(II) Chloride solution, suspended over a dense porridge of precipitating barite and anglesite.
• Conditions & Aesthetics: A turbid, milky, opaque layer. As trace sulfate ions circulate downward from the upper ocean, they instantly react with the ascending barium and lead currents from the mantle. This triggers a nonstop chemical precipitation, making this layer look like a blinding, heavy snowstorm locked inside a liquid medium.

5. The Radiolytic Uranyl Sump

• Chemistry: Super-saturated Uranyl Chloride Radium Halides, and heavy radioactive decay complexes.
• Conditions & Aesthetics: A sluggish, ultra-dense fluid slurry boiling at temperatures exceeding 180 degrees Celsius. It glows with a self-sustaining, brilliant neon-lime luminescence. The sheer volume of Uranium-238 in the basement rock bathes this sump in intense ionizing fields, continuously splitting the surrounding brine via radiolysis into hydrogen and oxygen gasses that bubble up through the "snow" layer like an effervescent cauldron.

For prospective exobiologists studying the fringes of Connand's Tower, understanding cellular transport on Demeter requires discarding Earth textbooks entirely. On Earth, arsenic compounds are highly cytotoxic because they act as chemical mimics. Arsenate uncouples ATP synthesis by impersonating phosphate, while inorganic arsenite disrupts voltage-gated potassium channels, leading to instant systemic failure

However, on Demeter, where arsenic is vastly more abundant than potassium, native life has flipped this evolutionary paradigm:

1. Arsenic as the Primary Electrolyte: Demeter’s extremophiles utilize trivalent and pentavalent arsenic complexes as their principal intracellular cations and osmotic regulators. Their cellular machinery is natively tailored to the ionic radius and kinetic properties of arsenic.
2. Potassium as the Lethal Neurotoxin: Because their voltage-gated ion channels are structurally mapped around arsenic pathways, potassium acts as the blocking agent. If an alien microbe or complex organism from Demeter is exposed to trace potassium, the foreign ion jams their membrane channels, instantly arresting their bio-electric nervous or metabolic cycles.
3. Field Protocol: When gathering biological samples from the caesium halocline, exobiologists must ensure all sampling equipment is entirely stripped of terrestrial potassium residues. Introducing even a fingerprint's worth of Earth-standard sweat can cause immediate cellular lysis and death in native specimens.

The Janus Pass (Equatorial Mid-East Land-Bridge) (Epitomized by dividing basic and acidic, low and high salinity, and cold and hot oceans of this world)

This narrow land-bridge sits between the alkaline and stable ocean of the Goblet and the Turbulent and violently acidic seas to the eastern ocean, with its sulfate brine rivers, such as Ogma’s Canal and Orna’s Edge. The sudden drastic temperature fluctuations creates tornados and typhoons, making this habitat even more opportune for aeroplankton taking flight than the silver spine. The vulcanism of mount forge, responsible for the formation of this land bridge and dividing the world oceans, pumps out a surplus of ionizing radiation since 2% of demeter is uranium-238. This fragile divide however wears thinner every year, and a collapse of it is sure to occur within our lifetime, triggering a mass extinction. This is one reason for the rush to catalogue and classify the life of demeter before it’s tree of life has who knows how many branches sheared off permanently.

De Danann Ocean (Southeastern Temperate Ocean) (Acidic and salty, rich with brine rivers and hydrothermal fields)

This ocean exists directly east and south of the Womb and is directly influenced by the acidic inland. It plays host to Ogma’s Canal and a series of rainbow hydrothermal fields that give an average pH several orders of magnitude lower than the alkaline seas of the Dionysian Goblet. The life found in these waters is largely underpopulated compared to other oceans, but house unique extremophiles that become so well-adjusted to these hostile conditions that they are often unable to survive elsewhere. Many haloarchaea of earth’s tree of life are unable to survive freshwater or even oceanic conditions because of the low salinity compared to what they have become accustomed to. This is much the same on demeter, where the runoff of Ogma’s Canal makes seas and habitats within this ocean drastically different from those found in the fomorii wastes, Dionysian goblet, or the last we will explore, the howling abyss.

Clubfoot of Hephaestus (South-Temperate Mid-Eastern Sub-Continent) (Carbonate Volcano and Carbonated Lakes)

This unfortunately shaped sub-continent has also been nicknamed “Demi’s Dong” by many researchers and visitors alike. Its most fascinating feature is it’s carbonated lakes formed by underground vents and runoff from the semi-dormant carbonate volcano, positioned at the ankle (or upper scrotum for the vulgar). The lakes and close proximity to the Dionysian Goblet makes this a popular runner-up for the many unfortunate enough to miss out on that assignment.

Where it exceeds the Goblet, however, is in the rich opportunity for both geological and biological research. The carbonated and alkaline chemistry inland contrasted with the ethanol silicates to the northwest and acid-rich seas to its northeast make it the meeting point for opposite environmental forces, and the life found to maintain the balance here have already played host to hundreds of post-doctoral theses and dozens of patents in environmental engineering.

Elatha’s Golden Locks

Abyssal Plains like these are the oceanic equivalent of deserts: vast swaths of surface bereft of nutrient or energy sources. The key difference between these sea deserts and land ones is the concept of “marine snow.” This creates the sole source of energy that is fed to these habitats and make up the fields of ooze that serve as the transitional zones between the opulent reefs and shallow seas, and the deep brine or hydrothermal habitats found at the deepest depths of this strange world.

Naturally this is one of the least sought-after assignments on demeter, as well as a place that those who have pissed off the wrong person get sent. It creates a dichotomy of troublemakers and undesirables who are some of the biggest customers for the grey economy of demeter. Since the Janus Pass is much more heavily monitored by the security services, smugglers who operate in sending Dionysian distillations to other sites on the planet operate through here, operating under the logic of “the last place anyone would look.” Many of the deep-ocean probes meant to be taking sediment samples are re-tasked to carry orders intended for the helm, spine, or womb to hand-off points. Since local security is also likely here as a disciplinary punishment, they are often happy to ignore such inconsistencies in the equipment logs, so long as they receive their cut.

Howling Abyss (South-Polar and Mid-Western Equatorial Ocean) (abundant abyssal plains and lifeless depths)

This is in many ways the final frontier of Demeter and overlooked by many for its seemingly barren micro-biomes. While it is true that much of this region is unoccupied abyssal plains, there are likely many lifeforms yet to be discovered beneath the glacial ice. This region is also often seen as a first stage for many new recruits and researchers before they can get their bearings and achieve placement elsewhere.

However, there are some who never leave, and insist that there is much yet to be uncovered in this underestimated posting.

Chilly winds make the dry grass creak. Down in the southern edges of Argentina, snow is far less common even in the worst winters. Instead, the white patches that cover the ground are millions of kilometres of silk roads.

Navigating these grasslands is hard enough. The amount of ground litter hides predators that’ll poison your blood or wring your neck. It’s best to just fly above it all.

Just keep your wits. The glimmering beads aren’t treasure, and if you try to pick one up, you might just find yourself in their grasp instead.

Tarantula ants are considerably larger than most ants. As the name Giganotosutrix implies, at an average of 21 mm across the seven species, these girls are a big deal.

Tarantula ants develop absolutely enormous hives. Some getting close to kilometres across. Using special Nymph caste members, they will sew roadways across blades of grass, up trees, even building parachutes to catch the wind and hold up towering bridges.

These hives are also incredibly well designed. Starting at the core, queens will lay in suspended structures often protected by inches of silk walls, so safe in her bunker that her legs will atrophy and fall off. Eggs are then moved to dispensaries where they will either fast track their maturity to adulthood or first develop into nymphs. This process is dictated by the sunlight that larvae receive. Dispensaries near the edges of a hive will produce nymphs almost exclusively, while deeper in the hive they will only produce adults.

Nymphs will then be taken to outposts, carried in the jaws of their sisters in such a way that the two become one. The shape of these nymphs perfectly conforms to adult’s, in that nymphs become a form of armour that defends her weirder. This is because adult Tarantula ants of all species are covered in a vibrant carapace designed to attract predators. A nymph is an expensive tool, and if her weirder stands out, she risks becoming a target.

Nymphs can produce around 6 metres of silk in an hour, but need a lot of food to do so. In order to quickly recharge and charge their nymphs, adults construct elaborate outposts that hide food in their centre and house docking spaces for their nymphs. Each nymph can be placed in special windows within these outposts, where workers deeper inside can feed them while workers outside can easily retrieve them. A full nymph swells to a huge size and splays her legs, while a hungry nymph curls her body and clicks for food. In fact, this clicking can get so loud that the biggest outposts actually have noise-reducing structures built over them.

To collect this food, Tarantula ants make use of their highways.

As shiny specks, alone, one is a little easy to stand out. Five thousand is like a glowing gummy bear. Everything from curious beetles to medium sized mammals will wander into these hives, only to be slowly trapped by the accumulated webbing.

By the time they make it to these gleaming highways, the ants will have all the mobility, and boy is that an issue for you.

Tarantula ants make use of corrosive stings that don’t spread very far through the body, but do terrific local damage. Once trapped, they can dismember prey in minutes. Insectivorous mammals run the risk of their faces falling apart should they gorge on too many of these ants, while birds and other insects don’t even get to indulge themselves on the feasts before they become victims to it.

As omnivores, their reign is minimally impeded by a lack of predation, too. Nuts, seeds and foliage are all foods that feed the machine, as well as cultivated fungi and even farmed invertebrates. Moth caterpillars produce many fine silks and juices that some ant populations take full advantage of too, building insulating layers out of silkworm cocoons and vats to hold the liquids extracted during metamorphosis.

Like most urban developments, their biggest concern is disease. Parasitic flies leave their eggs along highways during the cold hours of the morning, and wormlike larvae make ample use of these ants’ large size. Worse is that these larvae can spread from ant to ant through the feeding of their sisters, making nymphs particularly vulnerable.

In such outbreaks, the best way to cut off a hive is by fire. In the dry grasslands, ants will extend strings of silk over to wildfires to cleanse a section of hive, often with both great accuracy and great sacrifice. Quarantining pheromones will stop transits in their place, tricking workers into setting their own infected population centres on fire.

Among the animals introduced to Gellios—alongside jellyfish, brine shrimp, and polychaetes—was the nudibranch, Glaucus atlanticus. These neustonic gastropods, which prey upon venomous cnidarians like Physalia physalis and sequester the prey's nematocysts within their own bodies, would—millions of years after their introduction to Gellios—give rise to the Slugbirds (Clade: Dracaspida) also known as Dracaspids. Emerging between the late Medusocene and early Mutatiocene, the Slugbirds would become one of the most successful lineages in the planet's history. Their profound significance in the history of Gellios stems from the fact that they were the first flying animals to appear following the planet's terraforming.

The primary reasons for this include the absence of any other flying animals on the planet, as well as the co-evolution of their ancestors in response to harmful radiation emanating from the star around which the planet orbits. By the time we reach the Early Calefacene, the Slugbirds continue to thrive as one of the most successful lineages. (Although most Slugbirds that lived during the Late Mutatiocene inhabited non-glacial regions, they nonetheless suffered just as much damage as other important lineages.)

Initially, the majority of basal Slugbirds went extinct; however, some lineages—such as the Aericudas—survived and diverged along a different evolutionary path. Today, the vast majority of Slugbirds come from the Rhynchoradulates.

Descending from an early type of Slugbird, these creatures saw their radulae gradually harden and evolve into beak-like structures. This resulted in a a bit converged to birds (and pterosaurs), though it was merely a product of convergent evolution.

Basal Rhynchoradulates, such as the seabird-like Snaltrels, occupy niches largely similar to those of their ancestors; they are also comparable in size to many of the seabirds that exist in our own time. Another basal lineage consists of the Slugbats—creatures that bear a near-striking resemblance to bats—which evolved their primary basal cerata to be positioned somewhat apart from the other two.

By this time, some Rhynchoradulates had lost the ability to fly (much like what occurred among ratites and many island-dwelling birds). Two examples of this are the slow-moving Ceratoalas, which possess a specialized diet, and the Seanaills, which resemble pinnipeds. Both groups descended from different flying ancestors and reached their current state after undergoing a process that led to the loss of flight.

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