A World of Monsters. (An Encyclopedia on the creatures of the world of Null.)

[TripleMRed]

Mother Root.

[Sketches depict an array of plant like life forms in too many variant forms to list, the only commonalities uniting them being bark like armor broken up to reveal amber colored 'muscle' like root strands beneath, and a set of seven glowing eyes, 5 arrayed in a 'leaf' like spread over a head (for those that have one) plus two on the torso region as back ups.]

[A note is attached. It reads 'Creepy AF is what they are.']

Scientific Name Translation: Dream Lotus.

Average Size: Varies based on form.

Average Weight: Varies based on form.

Notable Sexual Dimorphism: N/A by default, female for most unique command forms.

Habitat Range: Across the Arisa continent, usually hidden deep within jungles and forest biomes.

Summary:​

Of the countless life forms to make a home on Null, a notable percentage of them hail as being Displaced in Origin, brought to our world by the machinations of the Uplifters. The Ogra, the Lasarna, the Spider-Ants are just some of the most famous, or infamous in the final case, examples of just this phenomenon that has seen our world littered and filled with life forms of all shapes and sizes. However, as diverse as the range of these previously mentioned life forms is, they all have two unifying traits: The first is that they are of Mortal origin. Divine-blooded, in the case of the Lasarna, but Mortal all the same. The second is that, albeit under varying circumstances and points in their development, all were brought here intentionally by the Uplifters. Neither of these same qualities can be said for one of the most ancient, and dangerous, life forms to have arrived on our world: The eldritch Dream Lotus.

The Dream Lotus, also known by their common name of 'The Mother Root', are an extra dimensional eldritch entity of mixed origin. While the details of their origin is shrouded in myth and legend even among the Magi, the most commonly accepted story of this mysterious species of plant like beings is that they hail from the third born of the Aetheric Sisters, for whom the Mediator is first born and Weaver Null is the fourth. Created as an experimental weapon, the original Dream Lotus was set loose upon the Elder Realms, wherein she would find and absorb an Elder God into her form, becoming what is considered the foundational Elder Goddess of the rest of her spawn. This theory is the one with the most evidence to support it, however as this evidence is minimal at best, this isn't saying much. [A note is attached. It reads 'I'm partial to the theory that they're an Elder parasite that lucked out and podded a sleeping Elder God as their brain, and that's how they got so dangerous.']

Regardless of the exact origins of the Dream Lotus, whether natural born Elder or a super-weapon of a Primodial like an Aether Being, the impact they have had on the multiverse has been slowly but steadily becoming more and more apparent. High Distance Dimensional Longscry reveals other worlds in other universes have been 'seeded' similar to our own, from which the infestation of the Dream Lotus begins to spread across the world and, eventually, across the stars of that given realm. What makes Null special in this regard is that, whether by fluke of chance, bad luck on their part, or simply overestimating their abilities, Null's extremely hostile environment proved an incredible challenge to surmount. Even an Elder Creature, not normally bound by the same limitations of physical environments and hazards as Mortal life, is in for a difficult time on Null's caustic, magically charged atmosphere. [A note is attached. It reads 'I hate that we are considered lucky because of how bad our planet is. Like, dude, come on, seriously?!']

Indeed, the vast majority of the Dream Lotus's history on our world has not, in fact, been in expansion, but simply adaptation, taking a long, painfully difficult time to adjust, adapt, and evolve to become accustomed to the atmosphere alone, never mind the dangerous and powerful life forms that have both the ability and willingness to consume fledgling Dream Lotus nests long before they are ready and mature enough to begin the next stage of their life cycle. It would not be until modern times, within the last few centuries, when the Dream Lotus had adapted and evolved enough to find purchase in the darkest, most hidden parts of Null's vast ecosystem, that the next and much more dangerous stage of their life cycle could begin.

The key that makes the Dream Lotus so successful and widespread, beyond its inherently eldritch nature, is its fascinating life cycle and modus operendi. In its base form, the Dream Lotus is a plant like creature little different from most small scale animals. It is unremarkable in most aspects beyond its plant like composition, which ironically makes it beyond notice for most until it's far, far too late. These Fledlings, once acclimated to the environment, begin to target small scale animal and plant life, not for consumption, but for capture and podding. Once podded, these life forms are held in a dream, their conscious mind trapped in fantasies designed to sate all of their needs and desires and molded to enough realistic detail that most will never realize they are not awake. While the conscious mind is trapped, the rest of the creatures brain and nervous system is hijacked by the Dream Lotus to act as their brain, increasing their mental abilities both by the number and quality of creatures podded: The number increases their ability to calculate and strategize, while the quality increases their actual intelligence and creativity. [A note is attached. It depicts a cartoon five eyed plant looking at a podded up cartoon dog, a speech bubble reading 'Mhm, yes, fetch is an important skill.']

From here as the start of the second stage of their life cycle, the Dream Lotus switches from simple survival to active capture and collection of new 'Brains' for use in expanding Dream Lotus intellect and coordination abilities. Starting with the smallest and easiest creatures to capture, over a slow and cautious but steady build up over the course of years or decades, a Dream Lotus nest increases in both size, complexity, and intelligence as it expands its roster and quality of creatures acting as its living wetware. It is during this stage that the first and earliest breeds of Dream Lotus life forms are created and sent out. Mind Flowers crawl unto potential prey to immobilize, or in the case of the smaller creatures, hijack their motor functions and lead them directly to the Nest, for swift and strong animalistic capture units to load them up and carry them back for podding. Insect like surveillance, monitoring, tracking, and alarm units spread across the territory to keep an eye out for isolated prey to be carefully stalked and captured, and monitor potential threats that might prove too much of a hassle at the current stage and proceed to annoy them into leaving. [A note is attached. It reads 'I knew gnats were evil! Evil evil little creatures! >']

This strategy serves them well as they build up their power, until they find and capture the philosophers stone that pushes them into their next stage: A sapient life form. While most Nullian life forms are sentient to one degree or another, and semi-sapience is common, full sapience is the treasure the Dream Lotus bides its time gathering strength to acquire, for it is with the creative and intelligent capabilities of a fully sapient creature where they can push their abilities to the next level. Newer, more dangerous Root Creatures begin to be created, from Vine Hounds to Spore Steeds, the capabilities of the Mother Root is expanded to new heights and lethality, allowing their Nest to grow further, deeper, and with newer and more refined and calculating strategies.

However, despite all of this, a Third Stage Dream Lotus infestation is still not something that is much of a threat to the Median or its people, our technology and civilized skill proving excellent defenses against what would otherwise be an increasingly overwhelming threat. So needless to say, it is when the Dream Lotus acquires and pods a member of the Civilized Races where things truly become a threat for our peoples.

The Fourth Stage, wherein a member of the Civilized Races is captured, is when the Dream Lotus forms a centralized 'Mother Root', both a repository for their collected intelligence, the central processing hub for their calculations and strategic abilities, and indeed an individual all of her own. Each Nest produces their own distinct, uniquely personalized Mother Root, though almost all follow the same basic instincts, drives, and are unified by a collective desire to expand their podding operations further. With the culmination of a Stage 4 Infestation, some of the deadliest Root Creatures are created, based on the abilities and technological knowledge of modern day Civilized life. From the agile, fleet footed and bladed weapon morphs of the swordsman inspired Daisy Cutters, to the rapid and unrelenting ranged firepower of Root Gunners, Seed Missiles, and bioplasma using Sappers, to countless other forms, variants, and subtypes, the Fourth Stage is when the Dream Lotus becomes a true threat. [A note is attached, depicting a flat, tentacled disk like Root Creature. Words follow, reading 'Hack Weed. These little bastards are some of the scariest we've encountered and still keep seeing even after the Root War: They track down, infiltrate, and hijack anything mechanical or artificial in nature while it's offline, and turns it against us. ANYTHING. Power Armor, Tanks, Gunships, if it's offline and nobody is keeping a good eye out, these suckers sneak in, slide their roots to tap into everything, and control our own stuff against us. I've even heard stories of them growing over or working together to take over statues.']

Historically, the first, and so far largest, Dream Lotus war occurred in late 3042. The then ongoing Third Draconic War was in full swing and taking the majority of the Median's attention and resources, which left us unprepared for when a War Matriarch of the Order of the War Panoply, injured from a previous battle with an invading beast from the Land of the Giants, was isolated from the rest of her war host and captured by the Dream Lotus. In the span of a few short months, the Dream Lotus expanded enough to launch a massive invasion, using the collected knowledge of the seasoned and powerful War Matriarch combined with its massive processing power to create a vast horde of Root Creatures. The initial flood was stemmed by the Order of the War Panoply, but it was quickly found that even with its full might, they could only keep the creatures contained. Despite the hordes of Root Creatures they slew, it was rapidly apparent that this was not a battle that could be won with superior skill and ability alone, but by matching it with numbers. As the true scale of the threat was relayed to the Median leadership, who were shocked that the venerable Order could only contain the Root Creatures and press no further, the invasion into the lands of the War Dragons was recalled and rerouted to fight back against the Root invasion. [A note is attached. It reads 'The Order of the War Panoply are the baddest binches on Null. They are trained, honed, and refined in non-stop, never ending training and battle over the course of decades and centuries until they are, no joke, one women-armies. If they in their full mobilization couldn't stop this threat on their own, you know it's janked.']

After months of intense, nonstop fighting, relief finally arrived in record time as the Order of the War Panoply, worn down through sheer attrition by the numbers they were facing, were bolstered by the rest of the Median's military forces, who proceeded to turn the tides of battle and push the invaders back to their homelands.

The final battle would occur in late 3045, when after a year of fighting, the central Mother Root holding the War Matriarch was slain by a member of her Order, said to have been the War Matriarchs own younger sister, and the War Matriarch freed. With the loss of their central commander and strategic mental resource, the remaining Root Nests were routed and destroyed, though a handful managed to escape and went deep into hiding.

While not confirmed, it is said that during the Root War, a Fifth Stage of the Dream Lotus Infestation was discovered: Instead of capturing new minds to use as brains for themselves, the Dream Lotus were in fact creating new minds of their own, incredibly powerful self aware Root Commanders capable of independent thought and able to be revived through placing their minds into new bodies when the old ones were destroyed. If these rumors are true, a small but notable number of these Root Commanders, too new and young to be much of a threat beyond the tactical level, actually surrendered and stood down, requesting to negotiate with the Median in order to survive what they had calculated to be a losing cause.

Regardless as to the truth behind these rumors, the surviving pockets of the original Root War Nests that went into hiding have become a recurring, but non-threatening periodic problem for the Median. Without the ancient strategic acumen and wisdom of a War Matriarch to guide them, and with only a fraction of their total processing power, the surviving Nests now only stage periodic probing attacks. Attempts to find these Nests are successful when these attacks occur, but the core of the Nests always manage to survive and escape to rebuild once again. Despite their potential, following the First Root War, the Median has since shifted the now diminished Dream Lotus forces to a lesser threat level, content with sending out response units to their probing attempts instead of an active mobilization that could potentially bring them into conflict with the Ogra as the Mother Roots are drive further and further west with each successful counterattack. [A note is attached. It reads 'With the Moon War and everything involving that nowadays, the Mother Roots are basically ignored in favor of the 'real' threats. At least, that's how it seems. They're still sending response teams against them and the Spider-Ants even these days.']

 

[TripleMRed]

Gorger Hopper.

[Sketches depict a large, frog like snapping tortoise creature, with a segmented shell on its back, an armored plate on its head, and a sharp beak lining its mouth. It is shown in the sketches to dig and lay in wait under the mud, with only the shell poking out of the ground. Its powerful, coiled legs show it leaping great distances for its size, launching itself at prey, while it is also shown to crawl on all fours in a rapid movement when not jumping. The long, powerful tongue is shown to be three times its body length fully extended, giving it a powerful tool in its arsenal in addition to globs of some sort of liquid it projects from its mouth.]

Scientific Name Translation: Terror Frog.

[A note is attached. It reads, 'I'd be terrified of them too if I could get eaten by one. Scary thought, that.']

Average Size: 3 Meters/9.84 Feet in height.

Average Weight: 4 Tons.

Notable Sexual Dimorphism: Females are bigger than the males.

Habitat Range: Mostly inhabits swamps and bogs within and around Bughunter territory, though can also be found in bogs in other regions as well, with a massive population in the Land of Giants.

Summary:​

Null's mystical and unpredictable nature has resulted in anomalies that lead to the fusing of two differing species and the creation of brand new ones. Gryphons are the most prominant example of this, of course, but there is also the Snail-Shelled Frog and the Gliding Squirrel Tailed Salamander as well. The creature in this entry is, surprisingly, not one such example, despite all appearences to the contrary. The Gorger Hopper is a massive amphibious lifeform that resembles a cross between a frog and a tortoise. This is not a result of mystic fusion, but rather the result of the Gorger Hopper being part of a family branch of life forms known as the Terrorpins, a branch of terrapin that would go on to develop traits and characteristics of other creatures through convergent evolution rather than mystic misshap. [A note is attached. It reads 'I wonder if there's a thing where creatures turn into frogs like how crustaceans always deveop into Krabs.']

Massive in size, the beaked maw of this hulking behemoth is matched by its armored head and the segmented shell adorning its back. Armored from behind to a degree that makes attack from anything short of either an anti-tank weapon or a vehicular cannon impossible, this leaves the frontside ironically its only real weakpoint. However, this is far from safe, as the collossal creature is a leaping, crawling pillar of muscle and tricks up its sleaves that render a direct assault a difficult prospect indeed, be the attack of the Civilized Races or other animals.

Armed with powerful forerlimbs and claws for digging, it is common for the Gorgers to dig a spot for themselves within mud or soft soil near large bodies of water to sleep or wait for prey. In the latter case, upon the approach of a suitable prey animal, the Gorger will make use of its incredibly powerful legs to suddenly and violently leap forwards out of its hiding spot, exploding from the ground in a shower of mud and plant roots to gobble down on any unlucky prey. If the prey animal is large enough, the Gorger aims for either the neck or the leg in order to use its powerful, crushing beaked jaws to deliver a debilitating wound. A long muscular tongue is also held within the Gorger's mouth, able to be launched out to ensnare and bring in smaller prey into its mouth, or in the case of a battle with something it cannot or does not like to eat, thrash the offending creature about in a brutal flurry of tosses and slams. [A note is attached. It depicts a Gorger in wrestling attire about to do a flying elbow drop on what looks like a cartoon Oros in a wrestling mask.]

In addition to its powerful physical traits, the Gorgers is also host to a potent biochemical substance it develops in sacs within its body and which it can secrete from its mouth. This corrosive, toxic substance can be used in a wide variety of ways by the Gorgers, including but not limited to: lining the insides of the mouth and beak in order to deliver a toxic bite, spat at ranges up to a hundred meters away in globules or in a wide spray within 15 meters, coating the tongue with it, and in at least one known instance, spray out in a aerosolized mist form to cover the area, though this last version of the attack is rare and seems to be exclusively employed by the females when protecting their broods.

An omnivorous predator, the preffered meals of the Gorger is the Wetland Lungfish, a sizable animal that often crosses the paths of the waiting Gorgers as they perform their seasonal land crossings to arrive in new spawning grounds. However, the Gorger is not picky, and if a Wetland Lungfish is not readily availble, they will not hesitate to gorge themselves on any edible foods they come across. The exception to this, however, is the technically edible Slough, a creature so disgusting that nothing alive willingly eats them if given the chance that isn't a plant, with only their sheer stupidity keeping their numbers in check. [A note is attached. It reads 'I'm trying to imagine what kind of creature would willingly eat a Slough, but nothing I can think of is that desperate or disgusting.']

In encounters with Civilized Races, the average Gorger is not inherently hostile, though getting too close will result in warning calls that are more felt than heard in order to dissuade getting near. Indeed, the only known times where Gorgers actively attack Civilized Races without an outside influence or the sapient starting the fight themselves is during the breeding season, when they become much more aggressive in the defense of their nests, or when they are in the middle of a meal, where they attack anything they percieve as trying to steal or otherwise take away their food.

Mating season for the Gorger is during the Wet Season, where in male Gorgers pick fights with one another in aggressive but rarely lethal duels for the right to mate with onlooking females. The most successful males will sire the most offspring with the most females, though they will take little actual part in the raising of their offspring when the mating season ends. Females, meanwhile, will create artificial pools of water to lay their eggs in, at which point they will find a near by spot to dig themselves into and silently watch over their brood until they hatch.

It takes between 2-4 weeks for a Gorger egg patch to hatch, depending on environmental conditions and quality of the water in which they lay, at which point they enter the world as armored limbed pollywogs. Ironically, the mother has little hunting to actually do, as they simply have to wait for other predators to come and try and snatch away their young to attack and kill, providing their children their would be predators as their first meals. [A note is attached. It reads 'Try to eat the baby? Become the baby food.']

The most dangerous part of a Gorger's development is not at their pollywog stage, but during their initial stage as fully formed, but not fully grown, Gorger Hoppers. At this stage, the still growing young begin to wander about and leave their mother's care, into the dangerous wilds around them, where waiting predators will proceed to thin their numbers over the next few years until they have grown enough to reach a size where they can properly defend themselves from attack. Once fully grown, the Gorger life cycle begins anew and the species is perpetuated.

Interestingly, the Gorger has some of the highest number of mutations and variants as a result from exposure to radioactive elements out of all of the Terrorpin line. Affecting them in different ways at every stage of development, variants include the Dwarf Gorger, a creature that reaches maturity at just barely above its initial childhood stage, while others suffer mutations that turn them into living bombs, differentiated by their red warning colorations. Others still become Irradiated Gorgers, creatures that are much more powerful at the cost of becoming sterile.

A powerful species that has earned the respect of the Bughunters for generations, many Dwarf Gorgers find themselves as pets by the Bughunters, while some specially trained ones are used in the hunting and gathering of medium scale insectoids in a manner akin to hunting dogs hunting prey down elsewhere. The end result is a creature with signifigant cultural value in the Bughunter community, and which is a common figure in folk tales and legends in their territory. [A note is attached. It reads 'I wish I had a Dwarf Gorger as a pet. I've heard their war cries, its like a threatening squeak instead of an earth shaking rumble. It's great!']

 

[TripleMRed]

Sword Walker

[Sketches depict a tall, striped quadropedal animal with long legs ending in sharp pointed hooves, with a long but very thick armored neck ending in a head with horns forming a crown like crest, its ears long and floppy, with a trio of what seem like manipulator tendrils at the end. The creature is noble and regal in its stance, and sketches show it wandering through the mires of its boggy homes with little trouble. The interesting thing, however, is that it seems to have an innate and potent control over magic, its horns shimmering as it summons blades of energy to smite its foes or coat its limbs in a blade like edge to slash anything foolish enough to get in its way. A long tail ending in barbed spikes swings behind it.]

[A note is attached. It depicts a cartoon Sword Waker that extends it neck to a truely ludicrous degree, one word beneath the comic strip: 'Lemgth'.]

Scientific Name Translation: Blade Dancer.

Average Size: 7 meters/22.96 feet tall, 35 meters for the Titanic subspecies in the Land of Giants.

Average Weight: 6 tons.

Notable Sexual Dimorphism: Females have a mane lining the back of their necks as well as their tails.

Habitat Range: Predominantly swamps and bogs, though one subspecies is found in the savanahas seperating the Great Deserts from the rest of eastern Arisa and the Titanic Sword Walker is found in the Land of Giants.

Summary:​

Few creatures are quite as striking for the Nullian people, nor as fascinating, as the tall, long necked Sword Walker. Known by many names including Sword Walker, Spear Walker, and Long Necks, these creatures capture the imagination with their unusually tall forms, with a neck that would be extremely vulnerable were it not for its armored bands protecting it. As the neck is the most vulnerable part of any Nullian, even with the presense of armor, the evolutionary pressures and curiosities of why such a being would develop an extended neck like this astounds scientists, leading to an entire group in the scientific community dedicated to the study and research of Sword Walkers and their evolutionary history. [A note is attached. It reads 'One of my Displaced friends is species they call a 'Giraffe'. She's a lot of fun, but she's so tall, and her neck is so long! It actually makes me distressed seeing it, because I'm always worried something might hurt her by going for it...']

Despite the curioristies of what led the Sword Walker to develop its biological quirks, we can see them at work in the modern day: Their long legs ending in sharp hooves, when combined wiht a fully functioning contragravitic organ, allows them to wander through the muck and mire of their swampy homes without difficulty. Their long necks and long, prehensile ears tipped with manipulator digits allow them to reach out and pluck fruits and branches from the trees they find their food from, while their armored necks keep their most vulnerable location protected from anything short of a giant class predator. One subspecies located in the savannahs spends all of its time on land, where in it feeds on local tall trees and finds little in the way of predation from giant scale creatures. The Titanic Sword Walker in the Land of Giants is part of a wider ecological foodchain, though not necessarily an easy prey, with the other Titan scale creatures in the region.

In terms of temperment, the Sword Walker is of cool head and of high patience, prefering to avoid combat where it can and try to shoo away anything foolish or bold enough to try and attack them. In the event that battle cannot be avoided, the Sword Walker displays a comprehensive and in-depth abilitiy to use magica lattacks, summoning force fields, explosive bolts, and most famously, blades of hardened light that cut and burn that which it carves up. When in shallow waters, or when venturing onto dry land, the Sword Walker is not above delivering swift, but powerful kicks that can send full grown Wolf Tigers crashing through trees, or removing the head outright of lesser creatures. If raw strength is not enough, then the power is enhanced by coating the leg in a blade like jet of plasma that gives the Sword Walkers their signature name, allowing them to cut Gorger Hoppers in half, or engage in combat with Power Fists in potent duels to the death. Though uncommon in their regions, most Sword Walkers find themselves having difficulty defending against Smashheads, the theropodic hydras having the armor and physical power to survive the barrage of forest shattering attacks the Sword Walker is capable of unleashing. For annoyances that can't be ignored, but which aren't worth the effort of a full retaliation, the Sword Walkers are very precise with using their venomous barbed tail spikes, launching them with enough force to pin targets to the ground.

There has been no recorded instances of Sword Walkers deliberatly beginning a fight with the Civilized Races unprovoked, though they are not afraid to swat us aside if we get in their way. Some clans of Bughunters, as well as some Stonecutters and the Bloody Ones of the Crimson City, have been able to tame Sword Walkers in the swampy regions of their homelands in order to use them as domestic mounts to cross the deep waters of the bogs they call home. Treated with care and respect, a mutual bond is formed between rider and animal that leaves the locals with few worries about their Sword Walker mounts, though outsiders attempting the same can expect to meet failure head on. [A note is attached. It reads 'Swamp folk, man. Ingenuity at their finest!']

Sword Walker lack a mating season, but intentionally prefer to time their reprduction in order to give birth during the winter months. This is because during this time, many of the predators of their swampy home that could prey upon a young Sword Walker are in hibernation or in stupor, allowing the infants time to acclimate safely to standing up and following their parents, and giving the mothers time to recooperate from the draining process. Parents care for their young and teach them everything they know, from the best places to find food, to the uses of their powers and abilities in order to become skilled users of magic to stay safe. Upon reaching adulthood, young adults leave the safety of their parents to form makeshift herds with others of their age group, banding together until they feel confident enough to leave and live on their own, using safety in numbers and cooperation to take care of what experienced elders can handle on their own.

A fascinating creature in both looks and temperment, the Sword Walkers are a popular symbol of office for those in leadership positions in bog and swamp communities across Arisa, with even the Ogra having totems dedicated to the titanic variants that roam their lands. The rule for coexisitng with Sword Walkers is simple: Don't get in their way, don't start a fight with them, and give them respect, and they will treat you the same. [A note is attached. It reads 'Now if only the rest of the biosphere did that.']

 

[TripleMRed]

Controller.

[Sketches depict a creature with smooth, salamanderan skin of a wide array of camophlaged tiger stripe patterns, hunched over while floating. The head is hooded in a cobra like manner, a tail like extension running off the back. The head-tail is long and ends in a blade like tip, while the forelimbs on the arms and legs are disproporitonatly large and muscled, indicating massive grip strength. The main body varies from individual to individual, some thinner and others pudgier than one another. Their faces are consistent: Large, piercing eyes with short muzzles whose lips curl to reveal sneers full of sharp teeth. Some sketches show them directing animal life by pointing at targets off panel.]

[A note is attached. It reads 'I wonder what their skin feels like? That's not a weird question, is it? I'm not the only one who wants to know!']

Scientific Name Translation: Mental General.

Average Size: Varies based on individual.

Average Weight: Varies based on individual.

Notable Sexual Dimorphism: N/A.

Habitat Range: World wide.

Summary:​

It is no secret that our world is one that was purpose build by the Weaver Null. Youngest of the Aether Beings, she crafted our world for a purpose only she would know, making it as dangerous and deadly as possible in order to ensure those that live upon it either grow stronger or die trying. One consistent aspect of her design, however, is the systems that underpin our world. The Uplifters seek new life on other worlds to integrate into Null's biosphere to make the environment more dangerous, while such creatures as the Lord of Dragons, the King on the Mountain, acts as a living ground-to-orbit defense system against things not of our solar system. As such, it is little wonder that one of these systems comes in the form of a means to coordinate the wild-life of Null in the event something somehow does get through the defenses, and survives the corrosive atmospheric contaminants. This defense system is handled by the creatures known as 'Controllers.'

The average Controller is a contradiction, as physically each one is distinct from one another in every way save basic shape. Coloration, skin patterns, size and weight, body type, all is subject to change based on individual Controller to individual Controller. The one unifying thing about them is their purpose, to lie in wait for the day they are needed. It is rare indeed for such a day to come, as ancient recordings only detail two such instances in the ancient past. The first was the Elder Invasion during the days of the True Dragons dominion over our world, where they arose to lead the wild-life at the time against the invaders alongside the True Dragons and their Stone Eye allies.

The second time is only known by fragmented records passed down by Spirit researchers, detailing a time when an Uplifter brought in an unauthorized hive-minded, adaptative swarm organism to Null, which was stopped from spreading and culled thanks to the Controllers coordinating Null's animal and plant life in its defense. Since then, no other instance of Controller based assistance has occured, with the Median and its peer civilizations able to handle most threats before they spiral out of control. [A note is attached. It reads 'Moon Elders were in for a nasty surprise when some Controllers woke up during their incursions in the Moon War. I still watch those recordings in awe of the throwdowns that followed.']

Imposing creatures due to their sheer presence, Controllers are not psionic in nature as many often assume. They are, rather, creatures that manipulate the Aether, not unlike the Uplifters. Where the Uplifters specialize in dimensional long-scry, teleportation, and genetic reconsitution, the Controllers focus on offense powers, both conventional and mental in nature. They are especially adept at exerting mental control over the animals they work with, coercing the more reasonable creatures to work for them, and outright dominating the wills of those who refuse their work. These powers are not limited to wild animal life, as they can exert control over the Civilized Races of Null as well, though it should be noted that, whether by design or by flaw, they cannot exert full control over us. Whether this same limitation applies to all Civilized creatures or only those of us here on Null has yet to be determined, though it is known they can, and and are more than happy to, disrupt hostiles with psionic coordination of their own, interfering or cutting off enemies from their own hivemind through the esoteric and overwhelmingly elderitch abilities of the Aether.

According to all records, once a Controller has gained sway over a large enough number of animals as it would deem necessary for a given task, they lead their army of creatures on the warpath against hostile invaders using a disturbingly adept skill with coordinated warfare, using every creature's strengths to their full advantage and using them to bolster the weaknesses of other creatures they work with. Contrary to pop culture depictions of this, and the crude 'animal driving' techniques of the Spider-Ants, Controller controlled creatures do not 'swarm' their enemies and drown them in a wave of bodies. They are precise and coordinated, using overwhelming force only to break weakpoints in hostile formations or defenses, preferring to destroy the enemy with minimal loss of life of their own wards. [A note is attached. It depicts a cartoon Controller giving a headpat to a Jaco Killer, words reading 'I'm going to name you Precious' underneath the drawing.]

While their primary abilities and adeptness are towards mental influence and control, these are not the only tools in their arsenal. Aetherwork attacks ranging from solar based beams, explosive orbs, or cutting energy blades are matched by calling down a rain of rock melting lighting or a blizzard of tree shredding razor-hail. When confronted in direct combat, the Contoller will attempt mental domination, and if that fails, mental attacks on the hostile before unleashing a barrage of Aetherworks attacks of every elemental school imaginable. If one is not driven mad by them, they are hallucinating before being cut down or reduced to free-floating atoms by a miniturized sun landing on them. Either way, a Controller is a formidable foe to fight even alone, and given the context of their purpose and usage, they are rarely ever alone.

In terms of reproduction, it is unknown what, if any, biological sexes Controllers possess. Indeed, it is commonly accepted that Controllers do not have a biological sex at all, being genderless beings like their Uplifter counterparts who exist solely to protect their world. Though rare, records indicate it's possible for Controllers to be slain in combat, similr to how the Uplifters can, in the right circumstances, die. However, they are immediatly replaced like a broken cog in a machine, with the new Controller filling in for them seemingly coming out of nowhere. Whether Controllers are 'born' in some way, or built, and by who or what, remains a complete unknown, as they are illusive and refuse contact or conversation. The only thing that is known for sure is that they seem to be more single-minded and less prone to mistakes or mishaps than their Uplifter counterparts, though whether by design or if this is emergent behavior is another vexing mystery.

For as much as we know about the Controllers, there is so much we don't know. We do not know where they lie in wait when not in use, whether it is some hidden place on Null physically, another realm, or even the Aether itself, as all attempts to find them have failed, even with Aetherwork using Magi. What is known for sure, however, is that they are on ourside, and are completely devoted to their duty, an admirable trait though also a worrying one: Are they here to protect us, or are they here to protect the planet itself? And if it is the latter, will they turn on us if we become a threat to our world's stability? A worrying though, but luckily one we have not had to find out to this day. [A note is attached. It reads 'As of their recent help during the Moon War, we got a chance to do some studying of our own. They seem to inhabit a section of the Aether that 'surrounds' Null, meaning unless you have Aetherworks, nobody and nothing is ever getting to them first; They seem to be protecting us as much as the planet, and so won't turn against us if we change our world; and finally, they seem to be each an individual, but linked together in a psuedo-hivemind that helps coordinate their thoughts and actions with one another. The creepy thing is, this psuedo-hivemind is eerily similar to what the Reaper Corp used for their troops when they fought against us. I'm not one for conspiracy theories, but the implications are uncomfortable....']

 

[TripleMRed]

Bore Worm.

[Sketches follow, depicting a large, armored worm creature, its jaws segmented to open up to reveal a flower like maw full of teeth, a light within indicating it projects some sort of heat based breath weapon, which is confirmed in the other sketches showing it using its jet of plasma to melt rock in front of it as it borrows through the ground.]

[A note is attached. It reads 'Bore Worms are soooo tasty man, you don't even know!']

Scientific Name Translation: Firemouth Worm.

Average Size: Varies on subspecies.

Average Weight: Varies on subspecies.

Notable Sexual Dimorphism: N/A, hermaphoriditc species capable of asexual reproduction.

Habitat Range: Primarily deserts, but also found in mountain ranges and occasionally digs into other biomes.

Summary:​

Out of the many lines of arthropodic life forms on our homeworld, few have quite the same widespread cultural impact as the Bore Worm. Coming in a wide range of sizes, subspecies, and variants, the Bore Worm is one of the most successful species of arthropods on Null, differentiated from True Worms by their hard, segmented shells. Genetic and evolutionary evidence indicates they originate from an ancestor of what is the modern day Murderpede, one that took on lifestyle habits of digging that would culminate in their modern, legless forms. Regardless as to the specifics of their origins, the Bore Worms were here to stay and they have made themselves known since then. [A note is attached. It depicts a sketch drawing of a massive sandworm bursting from a dune, roaring at the sky.]

Found all over Arisa, the Bore Worm makes its home in large stretches of desert land, both hot and cold variants, digging through the soil to consume minerals and other underground wild-life as they do so. They dig with a mixture of mechanical boring action as well as a heat based bioplasma lance produced by numerous glands within their body before ejecting the resulting plasma out of the mouth to melt rock and soil in front of it into an easily digestible molten slurry. On average, this allows the average Greater Bore Worm (5-10 meters long) to travel through three hundred meters of Nullian solid rock found in mountains in less than 10 minutes.

The Bore Worm is covered in a segmented armored carapace, tougher than the rock they feed on and able to resist military weapon's fire from Sluggers and grenades, though rail weapons can still pierce through them, and their mouth when open is a weak spot. Furthermore, the larger Bore Worms must vent excess heat by stretching out and venting superheated plasma build up, during which time they are vulnerable during this cool down period. However, as they only need to cool down once every 10 minutes of continuous digging, it is not common to occur in normal encounters, thus making heavy weapons fire vital for taking these creatures down. [A note is attached. It reads 'It's impossible to miss these things when they vent with modern thermal imaging. Just turn on some industrial grade thermal sights and boom, you'll see mountain ranges lighting up with these suckers in them.']

Ejecting plasma plumes that reach temperatures in excess of 10k C., Bore worms are a threat to modern vehicles such as tanks or mining equipment, which they view as concentrated sources of minerals they often seek for consumption. As such, Bore Worms are frequent aggressors towards the outermost defenses of the Great Walled Cities and most mining operations. The Stonecutters, however, discovered that the Bore Worm is vulnerable to concentrated electrical discharges from Fulgerite munitions, allowing them to be taken down even with infantry grade small arms if enough Fulgerite firepower is leveraged against them. [A note is attached. It reads 'Man, I've had to work on some of the tanks after a Bore Worm attack, and let me tell you, having to weld off entire sections to replace with new parts is a pain in the butt. The real bad cases are such lost causes, we just scrap the whole thing and recycle it to make a new tank.']

When it comes to reproduction, Bore Worms are equally able to breed with one another as they are to perform asexual reproduction. When two worms do mate, it is as clinically direct as it is simple: Two worms passing each other by during their tunnelling will spray one another with genetic material and pass on by without even stopping. The end result of either method is an eggsack being laid in a pocket of regurgitated minerals to act as the hatchling's first meal before they are let loose into the world all on their own. [A note is attached. It depicts a Rock Worm with a sunhat leaving behind a bundle of eggs next to a pile of molten slag. Words follow, reading 'Bye kids, see you never!']

Culturally, Bore Worms and their variants, including the docile Rock Worm, the belligerent Ice and Sand Worms, and the volcano dwelling Ash Worms, are well known animals among the various Nations of the Median, and are a common food source among the Stonecutters, Icebreakers, Firebrands, and Skyrunners in particular. The specifics of opinion differs from culture to culture, however the common sentiment of Bore Worm meat being extremely delicious and tender has made them culinary staples where possible, and delicacies sought after in those where farming is not possible. The Stonecutters have a massive stake in the exportation of Bore Worm meat, as the more docile Rock Worms that live in their territory are easily farmable and are known for their particularly tender flesh when properly cooked. Smoked Rock Worm is not an uncommon site in menus the world over. [A note is attached. It reads 'You've never lived until you've had Rock Worm stew. And Rock Worm Wurst. And Rock Worm steak. An-'(This goes on for several more lines.)]

Bore Worms are also a staple food source in Ogra lands, where giant scale variants dwell in the aptly named Land of Giants. It is a common coming of age ceremony for Ogra young to participate in the hunting of adolescent Bore Worms in their lands, where the beasts are slain by being tricked into eating Solarite bombs. It is equally common for the meat to be eaten in great feasts on the spot following the successful hunt as a result. Ogra affiliate races are split on Bore Worm meat, with the Gobbs finding it an excellent source of minerals and nutrients, while the Tyto people outwardly find the beasts to be extremely unsophisticated dining, though rumors abound of it being popular in banquets behind closed doors is not unheard of.

Regardless of cultural importance or lack thereof, Bore Worm numbers have been in decline the past fews centuries due to over hunting, a fact that has no clearcut answer to as the worms are attracted to and hunt our technology and equipment as easy sources of food, which we naturally will defend against. Despite their dangerous potential, Bore Worms are not listed as a species requiring extinction for our continued survival, and as a result research is being done on conservation methods. The most promising one so far is the use of sonic weaponry to drive off the worms, though only time will tell how effective it will be in the end. [A note is attached. It reads 'Save the Bore worms! They're too tasty to let die off!']

 

[TripleMRed]

Gobb

[Sketches depict a species of short, pointy eared furless creatures with feline like facial features, particularly the nose and eyes. Some are taller than others, but all have a notable amount of muscle and fat in their often times squat frames. They are differentiated between various subspecies and subtypes, some larger and stronger looking than the rest while still retaining the same basic identifying features. Their skin color ranges from greens, to yellows, to oranges, to rusty colors, while their eyes range from yellow, orange, red, amber, and gold. Males have a topknot of hair on their heads, while females have full heads of hair as well as curvier frames. They are often shown wearing fully body clothes and masks.]

[A note is attached. It reads 'They're so cute!....Do they think we're cute?']

Scientific Name Translation: Little Makers.

Average Size: 4-5 feet/1.2-1.5 meters tall.

Average Weight: 200-280 pounds/90.7-127kgs.

Notable Sexual Dimorphism: Females have full heads of hair, mammary glands, and curvier bodies than males.

Habitat Range: Ogra territories, with small enclaves in other Civilized territories.

Summary:​

Of the many Displaced species on Null, none are as successful or as numerous as the Ogra. Indeed, our western neighbors thrive in the Land of Giants to the West, despite the dangers and brutal conditions there. However, they are not the only species to live in the West. Indeed, the Ogra territories has found itself the largest population of Displaced on Null in terms of independent survival. One such species is the deceptively small, but no less important Gobbs.

A species Displaced to Ogra territory around the time of the founding of the Median in 1501AA, the Gobb are at first glance small, diminutive even, with squat and full features that lead many to underestimate them. Assumed to have been brought here by a Rogue, and now almost certainly dead, Uplifter, the Gobb are stronger and tougher than they look, with dense muscle and bone that gives them a durability and strength not expected for their size. Furthermore, Gobbs are also notable for their extreme adaptability, able to adapt into new pseudo-subspecies within a generation to better survive in any environment they live in. This has led to one of the most well known the Ogra proverbs: 'If a Gobb can't live there, nothing can.' [A note is attached. It depicts a cartoon Gobb floating in space without a helmet going 'This is a fine place to grow a farm.']

This, however, is not the secret to their success, and integration into Ogra society. For the Gobb's greatest strengths is not their physical attributes, but their mental ones. Gobbs are an extremely technologically attuned species, with even young and uneducated Gobbs having an innate sense for crafting tools and items to assist them in their day to day lives. With further education, knowledge passed down and refined through the generations, the Gobbs are able to produce technological wonders with relatively little support or outside help, though this sometimes comes at the cost of the machines stability due to a lack of logistical support base in more far flung areas.

Upon their arrival, the Gobbs were quick to set up and expand into vast underground networks and cave systems within the West, mining ore and refining it to produce what were, at the time, the most complex and advanced vehicles and war machines on the planet. Indeed, this theoretically made them, for a short time anyway, the most powerful military force in terms of technological advancement in the era. However, the more advanced Gobbs were quick to underestimate the intelligence and creativity of the Ogra, who still vastly outnumbered them, and in the ten year long war that followed, many Gobb vehicle convoys and tank divisions were quick to learn to fear Ogra guerilla fighters, saboteurs, and tank hunter teams who were fast to develop strategy and countermeasures against the Gobbs. [A note is attached. It reads 'Ogra tank designs, and to a lesser extent Median ones too, were directly influenced during their evolution by Gobb tanks during this time period. I learned that indepth during my engineering courses when they were teaching us how to maintain and fix up vehicles!']

As casualties in both their arsenal and people quickly rose up, the Gobbs were wise enough to see the writing on the wall and step forward with the flag of truce to the Ogra, a newfound respect for what they had been quick to dismiss as unintelligent brutes quickly proved them wrong time and again. The Ogra, for their part, were quite impressed by the Gobbs military inventions and their use of commando assassin teams to try and counteract Ogra infantry, things that earned the Gobbs the respect of the Ogra. In what is now known as the Western Compact, the Gobbs and the Ogra signed a peace treaty that would, in turn, bring the two species into an alliance, with various Gobb clans joining Ogra civilizations as engineers, vehicle crews, and mech pilots for a next generation vehicle designs. This has continued into the modern day, with the Gobbs joining the Ogra in combat as saboteurs, combat engineers, commando sappers, and 'Rock-Hopper' mech pilots. [A note is attached. It depicts a detailed sketch of a chicken legged mech with a pair of cannon arms leaping through the air on jump jets while firing down at an unseen enemy.]

Forming close knit family bonds, Gobb families form long chains of alliances built on mutual economic, ideological, and materialistic interests, with their wide variety of world views leading to them forming enclaves in other Civilized Nations, following what each clan believes to be the best choice for the long term success and economic prosperity of their kin. These family bonds also means that Gobbs are quick to form feuds with those that slay their kin, though how severe the ramifications of these feuds are range heavily from clan to clan: Some clans demand repayment in blood, while others settle for an economic or service base trade agreement to make up for their lost family member.

Culturally, Gobbs are quite diverse, with the various subspecies and subvariants, like the more imposing and physically active Oggs or the more stealth and clandestine focused Hobbs, each forming their own distinct subculture. Gobbs who adapt to water rich environments such as lakes, rivers, and more tend to develop a strong inclination towards swimming and performing festivals near, around, or in water, while more desert dwelling Gobbs tend to create structures as waypoints and shrines within the deserts of the West. Religion exists and is widespread among the Gobbs, but is not at the most forefront of their culture. Veneration of whom they call 'The Ancestor Gods' is common, particularly those related to commerce, mining, and invention and creation, though it is not uncommon for Gobbs to be assimilated and practice the religions of native Nullians wherever they call home.

One commonality across most, though not all, Gobb cultures is their attire. Full body covering clothing is common, to protect their skin from both the elements as well as their work in industry. Masks, therefore, are widespread to protect their faces from debris and sparks. Personalization of these masks is quite common, a cultural hallmark that has led to much cross-cultural exchange between them and the similarly mask heavy Oros cultures. [A note is attached. It reads 'After the Bloodsuckers were mostly wiped out, and following the Great Walled Cities were finished and opened for habitation, there was a massive cultural push to drop the masks since we 'no longer needed them' due to the Bloodsuckers being extinct in the wild and we now live in the safety of the GWC's. A lot of my friends and a lot of the younger generation have stopped wearing masks, but most of the older folks still do. I don't wear it often, but I always keep my old mask on me at all times when I leave home.']

In terms of reproductive matters, Gobbs are mammalian and give birth to live young. Parents have powerful bonds between themselves and their children, making family units extremely close knit and protective of one another. While the mother only gives birth to a set of twins every gestation cycle, Gobb's have the shortest gestation of any of the Civilized Races on Null at only a maximum of 2 months, with mothers able to get pregnant again within days after delivery, and with children weening off milk to more solid foods within a similar two month period. As such, while Gobbs are easier to kill and lack the Ogra's sheer number of offspring, their population is quite capable of exploding in record time if not for cultural and government oversight keeping their numbers down. Gobbs are quite aware of their reproductive capacity, and take steps to avert having more mouths than they can feed, having the foresight to recognize that too many Gobbs at a time can strain, and even break, their civilization's resources to maintain their numbers.

Powerful allies to have, the Gobbs and the Ogra have had a close bond following their two people's unification many years ago, with Ogra-Gobb cross species pairs not being uncommon or unheard of, with the resulting offspring of the pairings being of the mother's species as per usual and considered members of their respective species society. They have also proven as stead-fast allies to the other Nations they are a part of, with much headway being made in Median vehicle design thanks to suggestions and lessons learned by Gobb citizens. It should be noted, however, that Gobbs culturally do not get along very well with the other Displaced populace allied with the Ogra, the Striga people, with the Striga's high society cultural leanings clashing heavily with the Gobb's own worker centric social systems. This has never blown up into full on conflict beyond the initial war between the Ogra and the Striga, but the rivalry between the two often raises its ugly head in civil matters of state, where their representatives are quick to argue and slow to agree even on mutually beneficial government agendas. [A note is attached. It reads 'Who would win in a mud-wrestling match, an Ogg or a Striga soldier? Vote now on your Bloks!']

 

[TripleMRed]

Striga-Hyto.

[Sketches depict an array of bipedal beings of various builds and body-types, the only unifying aspect about them being that they are all avian based. One build is shorter and stockier than the others, with a hefty weight and evident muscle mass of a hard manual laborer, while another is tall and lithe, with long limbs and a straight backed orientation. A third build, meanwhile, appears to be between the heights of the other two builds, and are notably more curved with fuller hips proportionate to their body height. A fourth body type is distanced from the others, and is tall and powerfully built with a great amount of potent muscle-mass. Interestingly, despite their avian nature, females appear to have fully developed mammary glands, which the sketcher wrote as 'unexpected' in the margins. Finally, across all, there appears to be various racial markers analogous to various bird species, including crows, owls, hens, and hawks, and the styles of dress are extremely stylish and needlessly ornate, which again seems to have confused the sketcher with them writing 'What tactical use does an unarmored dress that puffy offer?', while others wear clothing ranging from servant attire to more exotically provocative clothing.]

[A note is attached. It reads 'Birb bewba. Biology and nature can suck egg! >']

Scientific Name Translation: Witchweed Bird.

Average Size: Between 5-8 feet/1.5-2.44 meters tall, depending on build.

Average Weight: Between 200-800 pounds/90.72-362.87kgs, depending on build.

Notable Sexual Dimorphism: Females have full heads of hair, mammary glands, and curvier bodies than males, though exact amounts of curves vary between body-types.

Habitat Range: Floating Isles and cities across Ogra and Skyrunner territories.

Summary:​

It is no secret, and indeed a commonly accepted fact about our homeworld of Null that it is a difficult place to survive in prior to the modern day, with even fortified cities prior to the Great Walled Cities being susceptible to large enough incursions by Spider-Ants or other unexpected terrors. Indeed, this made evolving and developing on our homeworld an extremely grueling, difficult process that weeded out Displaced species brought here across the eons until a select few powerful, or fit, enough were able to develop into a niche all of their own.

However, this has led to a question in come circles. Namely, every species that came to Null did so unexpectedly, without warning, and without aid or support, with only their own strength and ability at a more primitive and unprepared level to survive in our world's ruthless environment. The question, therefore, is 'What if a species came to Null, but not only expected it, but was completely prepared?' The answer to that question exists in the form of relative new-comers in the Striga-Hyto.

The Striga-Hyto, commonly just shortened to just the Striga or, if familiarity is earned, the Hyto, stand out among the various races of Null, Displaced or otherwise, in that they are the first of only two known extradimensional species to actively, willingly come to Null of their own volition, fully equipped and prepared for their own self-sustained survival. Unlike the invaders of 'Mytus Corp', however, the Striga came not as resource exploiters or conquerors, but as refugees escaping a doomed world. Though most are hesitant to bring up the painful memories of their exodus from their homeworld, dimensional long-scry was used to confirm what those that did tell of the tale said: Their world, Hylia, was dying from the sudden onset of a cataclysmic mystical event that would consume their world. [A note is attached. It reads 'Well, that's depressing. A world doesn't have to be a horrible place for something to go horribly, horribly wrong.']

As the only species that lived on this world, the Striga used advanced magitech means to find worlds best suited for a new home, which sadly for them they found only Null as a viable alternative, as our world was the closest to theirs on the dimensional plane and the only one that could easily be accessed. The remnants of their dying civilizations, less than 5 million in total, were able to get onboard and depart on the Great Merchant Cities, floating magitech constructs meant to ferry enormous amounts of trade between far flung lands on their now departed planet, and used them to enter the dimensional planes between our worlds, where they underwent extensive alchemical therapies and extensive mystical reconstruction of all their belongings in order to survive in Null's corrosive filled atmosphere.

Arriving three decades before the Unification War in 1501, the Striga Merchant Families, now the rulers of what remained of their race, set about using their advanced magitech to survey and set up new residences and cities on the Floatstone rich isles and micro-continents hovering over Ogra and Skyrunner territories, beginning the long and painstaking process of rebuilding what remained of their cultures in a new, hostile world. Their advanced technology and weaponry, including a breed of magi-tech based energy weapon base never seen before, allowed them to defend themselves from the creatures that claim the skies and floating isles of our world as their home. The Spider-Ant is the hated enemy of all who live on or under the ground of Null, but for the Striga who reside in the skies, it is the Hellhawk Hornets who they have found as their greatest enemy. [A note is attached. It reads 'It's no secret that Null has gotten deadlier over time as things become more powerful to adapt to rising tech levels. Back during those days, a Striga Beam Rifle shot was enough to kill one of those buggos. These days, you need a freaking fighter to take them out.']

Due to their new society being managed and ruled by aristocratic merchants, any chances of them attempting military actions against the less advanced peoples on the ground during that era vanished when the decision was made by the Striga High Council to begin looking into ways to enter mutually beneficial trade relations with those who had overnight become their new neighbors. With the Ogra, they traded them (nonreplicable at the time) shielding and power sources in exchange for mined ores and minerals they could not get in the skies, while with the Skyrunners they traded (also non-replicable) weaponry and vehicles in exchange for military defense pacts and Skyrunner mercenaries assisting in their people's defense. Though all native parties were surprised by the sudden and non-aggressive arrival of their new neighbors, millennia of putting up with Null's eccentricies and brutality led to them quickly accepting the new status quo and a new powerful trade partner to mutually benefit from. [A note is attached. It depicts a cartoon Oros staring at a cartoon Striga and saying 'Okay, birds exist now.']

Culturally, the modern day Striga are formed from about 7 primary surviving cultures to hail from their original world before its destruction, specifically the mercantile classes of these cultures who were closely tied together by their bonds of trade and familial alliances. In Nullian terms, the Bretons are analogous to parts of Royalback nation, while the Qin are of the other parts of the Royalbacks; The Hoya resemble the Icebreaker's primary cultural aspects, and the Bharat are similar to the aspects of the Bughunter's building aesthetics; The Persis reflect a mirror for some of the tribes of the Skyrunners, and the Copt of the primary cultural construction aesthetics of them as well. Finally, the Venia resembles the trading city-state Isla Oro on the coast bordering the Bughunters and the Firebrands.

While it is said their respective nations were long historically rivals with one another, the merchant clans from each have a long history of inter-marriage alliances that has long since led to their forming of a distinct aristocratic culture that blends and melds aspects from all of their cultures, to the point where the remaining distinct aesthetics and cultural markers are more of a remnant held alive by tradition of their respective origins rather than a dearly held cultural distinctiveness common on Null. As a result of this intermixing, the Striga, or at least the mercantile families and their servants brought to the new world, have little in the way of cultural tensions between one another. However, that being said, they are universally quite proud and attached to their shared blended culture and as a result, older generations tend to frown upon younger generations trying to integrate ideas from 'outside' without an extensive, and often very long, process of review by the Striga High Council, which has on more than one occasion caused tension and butting of heads between the two age brackets. [A note is attached. It reads 'It took time for the Median's member Nations to put aside all of their old grudges and beefs to become what we are today. I wonder just how long it took for the Striga to get along like that?']

This is not without reason, however: Following the institution of the Median, the wealthy families and organizations of the newly founded super-nation, known colloquially as 'Upper Echelon', were quick to jump at the opportunity to try and change Striga economic and social statuses to better reflect their idealized view of what is known on Null as 'Cooperative Economic Theory', which posits that in times of stress or poor conditions, it is the duty of the wealthy to expend funds in order to aid economic recovery and assist the market to become healthy in the event of conditions that would harm market health such as monopolies. While in theory an noble goal, Upper Echelon successfully managed to slip away the knowledge of the creation and maintenance of Striga's highly vaunted weapons technology caused relations between the two parties to cool and a tightening of the leash between relations of Striga High Society and Median Upper Echelon's intermingling. [A note is attached. It reads 'Technically, Gramma Alyxia would count as UE, but only because she was born as royalty. Thank goodness she officially doesn't count, though. I don't want to go through the Agoge just to earn the right to access the family fortune. D:']

Ironically, the success of Upper Echelon managing to acquire Striga weapons technology caused them to realize that the blueprints they had acquired were, in fact, completely and utterly useless to any non-Striga: While they do, in fact, utilize mana-magics like most other species, the quirks of how they interact with them means that, while they were able to develop and create advanced magitech technologies, the exact same technologies are completely unreplaceable without Striga involvement in the creation process. Admitting defeat and realizing their error, the Upper Echelon and the Striga would go on to make peace in the ensuing decades after that incident and would work together to pen the Nullian Intellectual Rights Laws, which governs all laws related to or involving copyright on Null to this day. [A note is attached. It reads 'I got to look at a Striga Phased Beam Rifle, which looked like a fancied up musket rifle thing from the way, way olden days. It's actually a very fascinating piece of engineering, using cartridges of condensed, Striga 'woven' mana power cells to fuel and power the weapons. Don't let their aesthetics fool you: Striga like wood-furnishings and making stuff look like they come out of the olden days. But they are not.']

Society wise, time and a lack of raw numbers has resulted in the once highly stratified social order of the striga becoming something mildly, though not entirely, egalitarian: Social status is not fixed, and ones social class is flexible and malleable based on their successes and failures in whatever fields of career they apply themselves in. The introduction of Median Golem technology also meant that the quality of life between the Servant classes and the Elites are, if not the same, then comparable enough as to not matter in terms of fulfillment, safety, and comfort for the common folk of their species. Nullian mercenaries working as security and body-guards for the Striga have gone on record to find the lavishness of their accommodations despite their roles to be oddly unnerving to them, even if they admit to enjoying the luxuries considered common defaults among the Striga.

Compared to the more egalitarian natives of our world, the Striga have more clearly defined gender roles that, while having loosened over time to adapt to their new world, still influences aspects of their society to this day. It is typical for male Striga to take on roles of builders, engineers, architects, soldiers, and leading businesses and enterprises, while females dominate most other fields. Interestingly, while Nullian 'heads of the house' tend to be which ever partner is the strongest, a hold-over from the days where the strongest partner was the bread winner in a hostile world, females are the heads of their house-holds by default, and oversee family affairs, banking and accounting, as well as officiating business transactions. The Striga have a proverb: 'Men control the market, but women control the house.' [A note is attached. It reads 'Good thing for them they're becoming more open-minded. I can't imagine having to run numbers for the family treasury, my head's in engineering not accounting!']

Interestingly, the Striga religious practices stand out for their worship not of a specific deity or pantheon, but rather the belief of what they call 'The Great Cycle'. They see this cycle in everything, from the changing of the seasons, to the passage of time, to the phases of the moons, to a belief in reincarnation among their people. Due to the nature of the soul being variable from universe to universe, while we know reincarnation to not affect any Nullian race, there is some evidence to support this affects the Striga, though its exact mechanics are debated even among themselves. Another interesting facet is that their belief in the Great Cycle is not, in fact, mutually exclusive to other belief systems: A Striga can just as likely pray to a deity for fortune as they can appeal to the spirits of their ancestors, and it is considered just as viable among them without any affect on their beliefs of the Cycle. Of those Striga to have adopted Nullian religions, the Great Spirit Pantheon is the most common secondary religion among them, particularly the Great Spirit of Loot and Riches, Arara. The next most common is, surprisingly, Nullian inspired Ancestor Worship, with the seeming incompatibility with the nature of the Great Cycle's reincarnation being reconciled as the Great Cycle simply existing in this next life, with their ancestors and them simply being reborn anew in a new plane of existence.

In the modern day, the Striga are officially a neutral party nation in most trade disputes between the Ogra and the Median, being on good terms with both parties. They have cool, but existing trading relationships with the Lasarna Republics, the two cultures finding the other's luxury items to be very appealing. Though relatively low in numbers, the Striga stand out for being the largest source of third-party military supply packages during the Draconic Wars, the Dream Lotus Incursion, and with the most recent Spider-Ant wars to break out. [A note is attached. It reads 'They also have been pumping out gear like mad to fill demands during the Moon War currently going on. You see more Plasma-Locks and Las-Jazzails than any other non-Median weapon system from footage on the Moon. They're not even selling it to us, they're just tossing the weapons and ammo as fast as they're producing them. Makes sense: They already lost one world, they sure as hell don't want to lose another.]

In terms of biological facets, the Striga are possibly one of the most alien to our Nullian sensibilities. On the surface, they appear as bipedal avians with various body-types not unlike the Oros, whose females lay eggs on a fairly frequent basis and who are, in general, greatly attuned to the use of Mana based magics. However, the more one looks into their inner workings, the more unusual they become to our understanding of biology. Males have external reproductive organs, while females have fully functional mammary gland analogs used to feed their newborns, who are not hatched from eggs but rather born viviparously: The eggs laid by the females are unfertilized ova which develop into full, but nonviable, eggs, which is traditionally eaten by the mother to regain lost nutrients. [A note is attached. It depicts a cartoon Oros staring at a diagram of a Striga Baby and an egg and how they don't intersect. The Oros is saying 'Oh boy, more things beyond the comprehension of Mortal man.']

Furthermore, their body-types are not the result of a built in biological system, but the result of various different Striga subspecies interbreeding over the years and resulting in an extremely varied people in terms of build and 'species' aesthetics, with the body-type of a given offspring depending on those of the mother and father, with males getting their father's body-type and females gaining their mothers. These body types include the tall and lanky Alpha, the curved and limber Delta, the short and stout Lambda, and the artificially induced super-soldier Omega forms.

Their hands and feet are covered in typical avian calloused digits, with the odd inclusion of mammal like pads where applicable on them. These digits are tipped with claws that, if not kept dull by rather frequent care, will become sharp enough to claw into untreated stone and leave deep grooves. Their beaks are highly malleable, allowing them to speak and form sounds as easily as any species with lips, though a vocal chamber like structure allows them to indulge in a wide array of sounds not unlike our own such structures in the throat. In addition, they have an oversized Mana Converter relative to their size, which despite a lack of divine power boosting them unlike the Lasarna, allows them feats of magic matched only by Mortalized Spirits and beyond. What's more, despite all of their species being based on primarily predatory avians, they are omnivorous albeit with a slant towards a meat heavy diet, and have an extreme fondness for drinks such as wine and liquors. [A note is attached. It reads 'I'm not even sure if the Striga can get drunk. I've seen Oros get sauced and we have two super-livers and a regen ability, but I once saw a Striga diplomat down enough bottles to get one of us tipsy, and she was just strutting around like she was drinking water!']

In terms of offensive and defensive abilities, physically they are tougher than they look, with even a hit from an Ogra or Oros throwing them back without breaking their bones. This is the result of dense, yet paradoxically light weight bones, as well as their alchemical enhancements to survive better on Null improving their durability across the board. Their inherent magical skill and extensive education on its usage also gives them a wide array of close and long range powers and spells to use or enhance their natural abilities, and their peak vision allows them to be dead-eye shots outstripped only by experienced Oros Normal soldier. They also use their abilities to make up for a stunted, underdeveloped back wings via creating pinions of energy to fly with, as needed, something even their youngest seem to know how to tap into reflexively. There is a fourth form used in the military to create the 'Omega' body type super soldiers from any of the other body-types, however this is not used as often as you would expect, as these new forms, while very powerful, require a lot of resources and maintenance to keep healthy and well fed.

In reproductive terms, a coupling between a male and female Striga will result, after about 8 months of gestation time, one or two infants, their body type based on that of their parents. Born in a live, placental manner like all Civilized species of Null, the infants are fed their mother's equivalent to breast milk and are weened off at around two years old, which is where their development begins in earnest. This long period of vulnerability, as well as their young being virtually defenseless as children, means the Striga are just as protective of their children as any Nullian, especially with the dangers of their new homeworld as Hellhawk attacks are not uncommon.

What is interesting about Striga reproductive strategy, however, is that their birth rates are actually slanted to females, on average of two-to-one. With males traditionally entering the military and Null's dangers ensuring a notable attrition rate, this means during peace time, females out-number males three-to-one. As a result, Striga society has long adapted by marrying their males with a 'headwife', who would go on to pick and choose other females of her choice into their relationship as secondary wives. This is very foreign and alien to most Nullians' sensibilities, but it helps to understand that this system arose out of necessity due to an inherent gender imbalance in their population. However, in times of great conflict, the ensuing casualties that arise can result in overwhelming imbalances. When this occurs, the Striga High Council has been known to reach out to their Upper Echelon counterparts in order to make marriage deals between the two parties, based on the severity of a war's losses to their male population. These political marriages are not done lightly, nor casually, as every instance of an Upper Echelon scion being married off to abate the Striga population stresses is another avenue of influence the UE has with their society. [A note is attached. It reads 'Us Nullians aren't really 'built' mentally wise for polyamory. Like, it happens on occasion, sure, but most of us can't wrap our heads around the idea of having more than one mate you're completely devoted to. Still, if all parties are into it, more power to them.']

Possibly unique among the Displaced on Null to have willingly come here to escape certain death, the Striga have since formed themselves into a vital part of Null's global economic web, becoming invaluable trade partners for most parties on the Arisa continent, a fact not lost on them. While some find their high society trappings and at times haughty attitudes annoying, especially compared to Upper Echelon's more utilitarian and public service based culture, no one can deny their influence has been felt in the economic circles of the world even as far flung as the Lasrana Republics. Despite a rocky start from our own mistakes, the Striga remain a valued trade ally to the Median, and one who won't be going anywhere any time soon.

 

[TripleMRed]

Flittermice.

[Sketches depict several species of mice, rats, and squirrels working in mutual cooperation with one another in a collective fashion, building nests in trees and treelines. They come in a wide variety of colorations and shapes, all unified by the leathery wings sprouting from their backs.]

[A note is attached. It reads 'They're so cute! But like, rodents are cute by default. Unless they're uninvited to your homes. Then I'm sorry little rat, but then you have to go. Thems the rules.']

Scientific Name Translation: Varies on species.

Average Size: Varies on species, between 5 inches to 1'6 feet.

Average Weight: Varies on species, between half a pound to 20 pounds.

Notable Sexual Dimorphism: Varies on species, most common being that females have longer tails than males.

Habitat Range: Continent wide.

Summary:​

There are numerous species on our world that, whether through evolutionary pressure, convergent evolution, or a species splitting into several distinct subspecies, that have different members exhibiting extremely different morphological traits from one another. Of mammalian order of Rodentia on Null, one of the most extreme examples of this occurring is the wildly varied divergences between various distinct species collectively known as Flittermice. Contrary to popular modern day belief, Flittermice do not have to be actual mice. Indeed, the family line of Flittermice includes, but are not limited to, mice, rats, squirrels, and mythological dire chinchilla. The unifying feature that distinct this family line from other rodents is their small, but functional bat-like wings on their backs. Indeed, Flittermice receive their name directly from a now long extinct species of bat. [A note is attached. It depicts a cartoon bat placing a crown on a cartoon Flittermice, the species name written on the crown.]

The unifying factors for these species is not only physical: While much debate continues to rage on as to whether their evolution was natural and convergent with other non-Flittermice rodent species, or the end result of a mystical event as is too common with the formation of such 'mixed' species on Null, there is conclusive evidence that Flittermice of all subspecies cooperate with one another in mutually beneficial cross-species communities to better survive. Each species contributes in ways best suited to their kinds strengths, and each cover the others weaknesses, leading to a eusocial way of living usually only seen in insects.

Ranging from 5 inch long mice to one and a half foot tall squirrels, Flittermice lack a central leader figure, lacking any form of 'queen' often seen in Nullian insect hives such as the Spider-Ants or the Bullet Bees. However, research by Flittermice biologist Sosyia Kapoora indicates that a form of communal forum of sorts exist where adult Flittermice trade information of food sources, dangers and threats, as well as locations of other Flittermouse communities amidst the trees, making them eusocial in the same way other hive-breeds such as most regular ants and several bee species on our world. These nests are built into and out of trees, with each tree in a given area housing segments of the wider Flittermouse community. Initially, this was seen as odd due to the fact that Nullian trees is notoriously ruthless in their defense against incursions by small animals. However, it was quickly discovered that this is in fact a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship: The Flittermice receive shelter and protection against predators, while they in turn protect the trees of Null from parasites and herbivorous insects that are a threat to their continued existence. [A note is attached. It reads 'Lucky little punks! >']

This is not to say that Flittermice are totally defenseless, however. Mouse and rat type Flittermice, like other rodents of their kind in other family lines, are able to coat their tails in a matter disruption field, giving them incredible cutting power in their defense against smaller predators or the grubbing mitts of curious creatures, while the larger squirrels are capable of coating their claws in typical plasma coating to enhance their strikes in a flurry of vicious mauling to anything foolish enough to give them an opportunity to defend themselves. Their communal nature means they are quick to come to one another's aid, regardless of specific subspecies, and they always rally to the defense of their home-trees if needed and able. If all else fails, their small but functional wings allow them to glide and even fly for a short amount of time to escape danger.

Despite their communal nature and advanced eusocial behaviors, as well as the Aleph Xara's animal counterparts in the case of the mouse-types, it was discovered that Flittermice are not, in fact, Sapient, and thus not a Civilized race unto themselves. Sentient, but lacking culture or history of their own, the innate intelligence and communal bonds of their species did earmark them as objects of interest in some circles of Null's scientific community. Namely, they are the species with the distinct honor to be part of research efforts by Median scientists to create the fist Uplifted species in modern Nullian history, a project which is housed in Yang Quartz. Whether the project has borne fruit yet or not, however, remains a closely guarded secret. [A note is attached. It reads 'I really, really hope if it succeeded, they were able to survive the attack that took out the city....']

In terms of relationship with Civilized Nullians, contrary to popular belief, Flittermice do not make for good pets. Their instincts to build networked communities in trees makes housing them in a normal home virtually impossible, and their desire to be in large communities of their kinds also means that no manageable amount of them can feasibly held within any one household for long anyway. Despite this, Flittermice are considered good luck charms for communities living near or around Flittermice tree-networks, though a popular misconception that originates from the Aleph Xara's 'book mouse' nickname means it is not uncommon for Flittermice to be used as iconography for libraries across the Median. [A note is attached. It reads 'Aleph Xara aren't just icons of scholarly pursuits. They are also very common scribes attached to Median soldiers of renown, to archive their adventures and the things they learn and fight along the way!']

When it comes to reproduction, Flittermice are genetically compatible between their various species, however they exclusively pair up and produce offspring in same-species couplings. To avoid genetic oversaturation of the same genes in any one community, is common for young adult Flittermice to break off from their parent networks in search of new homes to find mates with. Young Flittermice of all species are defenseless for the first few months of their lives, thus necessitating careful care and sanctuary within the most well fortified depths of their tree homes. Needless to say, during pupping season, Flittermice are extremely protective of their homes.

Though the sight of Flittermice has grown uncommon in recent centuries for city-dwellers, especially within the Great Walled Cities, they remain a staple part of scholarly culture due to their Aleph Xara connection making them iconographic staples in places of learning. Only time will tell if the Uplift project in Yang Quartz will work and allow us to interact with these amazing little creatures as equals, or if we will just have to continue on as a society and scientific community without them. In this writer's humble opinion, I can only hope for the latter. [A note is attached. It reads 'I hope so too.']

 

[TripleMRed]

Cheshire.

[Sketches depict a furless feline species coming in various sizes, covered in smooth skin with marking covered skin. Various subspecies, differentiated by different skin and color patterns as well as phenotypical changes to morphology separate them from creatures as small as a house-cat, to twice as large as a tiger. The biggest unifying factor across all species is the fact the tail splits apart into three segments ending in sharp barbs at the tips, which sketches show it using like a poison laced scourge for defense by swiping it at the faces of hostile animals.]

[A note is attached. It depicts a well drawn Cheshire cat with a collar sitting on a bed, with a name underneath reading 'Mr. Stretch.']

Scientific Name Translation: Displacement Cat.

Average Size: Varies based on subspecies.

Average Weight: Varies based on subspecies..

Notable Sexual Dimorphism: Females have longer ears and tails than males.

Habitat Range: Across most biomes of the Arisa Continent, but particularly found in the forests, jungles, and rainforests.

Summary:​

Null is home to a wide variety of creatures, of various Genuses and family lines. The Felines of our world are generally split into two distinct groups: The first is the Armored line, which includes the Rock Cats of the mesas and deserts, the Armored Fang, and the Fireiron Tiger associated with the Erui Tiger Spirits. The other, larger family line of felines are the Cheshires, furless cats covered in marking laced skin with forked tails and signature toothy grins they use for psychological effects on their prey. While the Armored line is the stronger and more durable of the two kinds of felines, the Cheshires stand out for being the more mystically imbued.

Evolved on Null through millions of years of natural selection and exposure to the magics of our world, the Cheshires are a home-grown, naturally occurring native of Null. Their power, biology, and psychological characteristics are therefore all perfectly geared towards not only surviving on our world, but thriving in it. As a result, they have a long and storied history with the various Nullian natives, but of are particular import, ironically enough, to the Cerberi, who were the first to domesticate the Cheshires thousands of years ago. [A note is attached. It depicts a cartoon Cerberus throwing a stick at a cartoon Cheshire cat, the stick bouncing off their head. Words follow underneath, reading 'Lesson 1: Cheshires don't play fetch.']

Found across most biomes, but particularly thriving in forests, jungles, and other such environments, Cheshires come in a wide range of subspecies, from the small Pygmy Cheshire Cat whose domesticated offshoots have become popular pets and pest-control measures in Nullian society, to the massive, hulking King Cheshires that are known for their hulking sizes and physical power on top of their mystical abilities. Their wide variety of subspecies means they have a form that fills every niche in the Nullian ecosystem as predators on every level, though as with most things on Null, their status as predators is precipitated on the fact that they are not caught by surprise by other creatures of more vicious temperaments.

One cannot talk about Cheshire biology without getting into their suite of powers and abilities. One of the biggest abilities that give the Cheshire an infamous reputation is their ability to turn invisible by altering the flow of light around them in order to appear as though they aren't there. Even to the sharp eyes of a Normal type Oros, nothing appears to be there if the Cheshire remains unmoving, with only movement causing a subtle distortion on movement, a distortion which is easily hidden by canopies rich in flora and darkened by shade. This, combined with their species wide ability to climb up and down trees, make them excellent ambush predators, allowing them to strike at unaware prey with ease. However, while they can indefinitely hold their invisibility when staying still, movement proves draining for them to maintain their optical cloak. As such, when crossing far distances, patrolling territory, or making threat displays, they phase out of their invisibility in order to conserve energy, reserving it for tactical uses to avoid exhaustion. [A note is attached. It depicts a blank spot inbetween two trees, with words underneath reading 'Lesson 2: Cheshires are great at hide and seek.']

Their skin and color patterns are also able to naturally change color and texture, however rather than being for camouflage, this color changing is used to show the current mood and emotional state of the Cheshire in question. As a result, color changing is combined with their vocalizations and emotive facial expressions in order to communicate with one another, allowing for Cheshires to hold conversations with one another, though research is inconclusive if this form of communication is universal in that all Cheshires of all subspecies can communicate with one another or if each subspecies is limited to only their own kind for conversation. As a direct result of this, although Cheshires live and hunt alone, they are able to form communities with one another spanning entire territories, sharing information on the locations for food, the best sunning spots, and areas of danger. [A note is attached. It depicts two cartoon Cheshires meowing at one another while a cartoon Oros with an eyepatch is trying to go to sleep. Words underneath read 'Lesson 3: Cheshires are chatty.']

In addition to invisibility and communication, as well as the usual plasma coated claws, Cheshires also have multi-tipped, poison covered tails that they use to target the eyes of an attacker in order to blind them. Smaller Cheshire species use this as an opportunity to escape, while others use the momentary blindness of their enemy to attack and kill them. The Oros cultural habit of wearing masks has, for the longest time, meant that outside of the largest and most powerful Cheshire species, their ability to blind has been a non-factor for our species. The Cerberi that have domesticated various Cheshire lines have bred different species to have less effective and more effective poison for use in pet and attack animal lines respectively.

One rare ability that is very uncommon among all species of Cheshire is the ability to teleport. What should be an energy intensive ability is, through some unknown arcane means, easy and repeatable for use by the Cheshires to inherit this rare ability. Those that have this ability use it in everything from hunting, to battle, to even sport, with a common 'game' for these Cheshires to scare a prey animal into running before teleporting in front of them over and over again until the animal drops from exhaustion. Extensive research has actually managed to find that the Cheshire's ability to do this is due to what is, technically, a genetic disorder that triggers their mystical abilities in a way that allows for teleportation as an act of instinct rather than concentrated spell-craft, though the disorder is recessive which results in it only occurring as a result of double-recessive expression. As such, the ability is, and will remain, rare in the wild. [A note is attached. It depicts a Cheshire with its lips curled back in a big, threatening grin.]

In terms of temperament, the size of the Cheshire is a factor as smaller Cheshires are more relaxed due to their ability to better hide in smaller, harder to reach places, while larger Cheshires ironically are more aggressive due to an increase in conflicts for survival. As a result, in the wild, smaller Cheshires are unlikely to attack creatures larger than themselves save to escape and rarely approach Civilized Races as a result, while the larger, more aggressive species can and will engage in combat if they feel threatened or if their territory is trespassed against. In combat, Cheshires use ambush to begin the conflict before making use of their invisibility cloak in hit and run attacks. If the target remains standing and unblinded after they have exhausted their cloaks, then they will engage in intense tackles and body slams, with occasional wrestling down of the target to the ground before moving in for the kill. This fighting style, while highly aggressive, is predictable if you already know how they operate, and as such various tricks, tips, and suggestions to survive or win encounters with larger Cheshires are common.

Breeding year round, Cheshire mated pairs stick to their own subspecies, producing kittens that grow to maturity every two years. As a result, the Cheshire population remains somewhat stable despite a, very relative, fragility, allowing them to compete with other predators in their respective size brackets. Young Cheshire kittens follow their parents under their instinctively activated cloaks, observing and learning from their hunts via a safe spot to observe from. Once reaching maturity, Cheshires break off from their family units to hunt on their own, often not taking on a mate until they have lived on their own for several years.

In popular Nullian Culture, Cheshires are known as mischievous creatures, both for the domesticate versions playful natures as well as for the wild counterparts telltale hunting tactics. Their likeness is often used in symbols and charms among the Yayai Fox Spirits, Mortalized or otherwise, for this association with mischief, making them the most common owners for Cheshire pets outside of the Cerberi who first domesticated them. In the modern day, feral Cheshires are a common sight in cities, considered a boon as free pest control in keeping unwanted rodent and insect populations in check, with their own population being kept in check via careful applications of sterility initiatives to allow for the breeding population of the animals to remain at a manageable size. [A note is attached. It depicts a well drawn sleeping Cheshire with a collar, curled up in a ball. Words underneath read 'Lesson 4: Cheshires are tired little guys who just want to sleepy.']

 

[TripleMRed]

Psychoraptors.

[Sketches depict a species of feathered Dromaeosaurid with particularly large claws on their front hands. The feathers range in coloration to match the environment they are in, with a major unifying factor being their large, wide open eyes and their 'grinning' muzzles.]

[A note is attached. It reads 'I'm so glad I never lived in any places with these freaky things around.]

Scientific Name Translation: Dread Eater.

Average Size: 7-10 feet/2.1-3.05 meters in length.

Average Weight: 500-850 pounds/226.8-385.6 kgs.

Notable Sexual Dimorphism: Females have longer feather crests than males.

Habitat Range: Select forests and jungles spread across the Arisa continent.

Summary:​

During the long evolutionary processes on our world, most Dromaeosaurid life of the most ancient of times to avoid extinction have long since evolved into modern forms as the birds of our world, with the most successful lines being the ones that were mystically fused into the first Gryphons in Null's history. However, just as there are living fossils such as the Mud Skimmer or certain family lines of Crocodilians, a handful of these original Dromaeosaurids, for one reason or another, never made the full evolutionary leap into modern day avian status. Indeed, those that remain to this day stand out for being remarkably unchanged compared to the fossil records of their ancestors, at least on a superficial level. [A note is attached. It reads 'Why couldn't they turn into normal ass birds like the rest? Was that too much to ask?']

The most common, widespread, and successful of these remaining family lines are what are commonly referred to as 'Psychoraptors'. This unflattering name is not without precedent or reason, however. Where other, less common family lines focus more on survival, the Psychoraptor's size and intelligence combined with their physical strength and strong pack dynamics affords them the ability to develop emotional intelligence that often leads to a level of sadism not often seen in the wild. Where most creatures stalk, hunt, and kill to feed or to drive off threats, Psychoraptors have been known to toy with potential prey over a period of hours, isolating them and wearing them down with hit and run attacks for the sake of entertainment before finally moving in for the kill. While the Jaco Killer remains more hated, lone Civilized Race members in Psychoraptor territory are known to feel a deep dread at potentially encountering these ruthless creatures when they are in a 'playful' mood.

The armaments of the Psychoraptor are many. In addition to wicked toe-claws that allow them to do great damage with a powerful leaping attack, penetration of armored hides aided by the usual Nullian animal's ability to coat their attacks in a plasma field. Additionally, their large and powerful tail, used primarily for balance, is also suited for strong swipes and strikes, with the tip of the tail being coated in quills laced with toxin. The Psychoraptors do not naturally produce this toxin, but rather create it by harvesting various kinds of toxic materials, mixing them together, and dousing their tail quills with them. [A note is attached. It depicts a cartoon Psychoraptor in a salon getting their tail quills attended to by another, words following: 'Oh honey, you'll knock 'em dead with this, you'll see.]

The most standout weapon of the Psychoraptor family line, however, and what sets them apart from most other remaining Dromaeosaurids, is their multi-inch long sharpened claws tipping their hand's digits. Giving them additional weapons to tear into armor with the added benefit of limited but functional dexterity to grab and grapple, Psychoraptors are adept close range combatants who are more than willing and able to swarm targets they have set their sights on. More than one Civilized Hunter has fallen believing they could outgrapple a Psychoraptor, only for its packmates to interupt the duel to attack the distracted Hunter before they had a chance to win.

The intelligence of these creatures allows them to plan, coordinate, set up ambushes and crude traps, or even direct other animals to attack while they sit back and watch the ensuing battle for their own entertainment. This similarity to Spider-Ant behavior has not gone unnoticed in the scientific community, and it is a common debate in some academic circles as to which species developed these behaviors first and which the other learned through observation. Furthermore, they have an uncanny ability for vocal mimicry, allowing them to mimic the voices of their prey to lure others in for the kill, or to psychologically attack more sapient targets. [A note is attached. It reads 'They love to say 'Who is a pretty bird.' and I don't know why. Creepy.]

In spite of their often-sadistic love of bloody entertainment, Psychoraptors are dedicated parents who raise their offspring communally with the rest of the pack. The young, hatched from eggs laid seasonally every year, are well taken care of and taught every trick and skill their pack knows until they are old enough to head out to find a new pack for themselves. This causes a spread of knowledge amidst the various Psychoraptor packs, so whenever one pack learns something new, it is only a matter of time before it spreads to more and more of them.

Historical enemies to many towns and villages in, near, or around select forests and jungles across Arisa, the Psychoraptor has made quite the name for itself in Nullian culture with their distinct, often psychopathic love for carnage. Encounters with them almost always ends in a fight, which has soured the image of the raptor for many, even those species that lack the more horrific traits of this particular species. A shame indeed, but not unexpected given the traumatic violence many in these more far flung settlements have to endure with such volatile and brutal neighbors. Only time will tell if the Psychoraptor's days are numbered, or if the increasing movement to live in the Great Walled Cities will see these places abandoned by Civilized Races in favor of newer, safer pastures.