Stairways of Starlight Naturalist's Guide

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Stairways of Starlight Naturalist's Guide

Postby C S » Sun Aug 09, 2015 2:28 am

The Codex Velo, which contains all of the necessary reading for the RPG.

Profiles are placed here.

For the sanity of all concerned parties, put your wildlife info into this topic. Profile entries can get bloated enough with basic character and race info without trying to make a solar system's bestiary to boot.
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Re: Stairways of Starlight Natrualist's Guide

Postby C S » Sun Aug 09, 2015 3:45 am

Flora




Name: Polytrastine Hahn "Vapor chutes"
Description: Network-spreading plant-life akin to moss with features of ferns as well. Thin, drooping branches with blade-like leaves. Takes on a cottony texture for the most part, with colors ranging from a deep rusty red to a brilliant viridian depending on location.
Habits: Near solutions with great concentrations of chlorine, vapor chutes take on a bright green color as they ingest the mineral deposits through their root systems. Their photosynthetic organelles make use of chlorine's highly reactive nature to produce energy, and as a result they are highly toxic plants to things that have not evolved a natural immunity to them, and in fact, feed on these chutes. Farther away from these solutions, vapor chutes vary from deep to pale shades of red due to a lack of chlorine-based minerals.
Method of Spreading: When germinating the next generation of chutes, clusters of these plants will produce small sacks that fill up with waste chlorine gas. When they pop, spores are jettisoned into the air, which are then carried by wind currents. Spores that reach a moist region with an abundance of chlorine will produce more vapor chutes.
Possible Uses: To Be Announced
Found On: Pa
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Name: Urilla Iopase
Description: A type of cave fungus. Thrives in areas where sulfur is plentiful. Tends to be a pale yellow in color and exudes a foul odor. Structure of the fungus is reminiscent of gills rather than mushroom caps, fleshy, grooved growths.
Habits: Urilla Iopase grows in areas of notable volcanism, which gives access to elements found deep within the crust. As a result, the species has become resilient to the plight of such harsh living conditions. The fungus produces a strange jelly due to bacterial interactions. The jelly is extremely acidic in composition. Droplets of the substance falls from cave walls and ceiling where the fungus grows and become stalactites when left to settle for a period of time. As one may expect, these solidified deposits are very toxic, but provide nourishment for various microbes.
Method of Spreading: When producing the next generation of Iopase, the fungus develops "packets" of biomass which are shed into the depths of the cave they grow in. These packets are hardy and resilient to heat, pressure and the jostling of landmasses. They can dehydrate and crack, allowing the spores to take hold in the home cave, or be tossed about in events of extreme geological activity, thus spreading to new favorable regions.
Possible Uses: If one is able to get around the issue of the acidic byproducts, Urilla Iopase is a good source of basic fuel. Burns long with a hot blue flame.
Found On: Pa
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Name: Ysoklia Viodine
Description: Ground vines that have enormous sprouts sticking out from the tendrils, the size of palm trees. Each sprout branches off into five massive leaves to collect as much sunlight as possible. Forests of these sprouts stretched across huge regions of land covered by these reaching vines that take on earthy browns and greens.
Habits: The sprout-trees turn to track the passage of the sun overhead as the day goes by and fold up at night, opening pores to release gaseous waste from their photosynthetic cycle.
Method of Spreading: Each vine has a "core". Through various natural events, sections of vines may be severed and separated from one another. If the cores are intact, a new Viodine colony will take hold and spread, throwing sprouts into the air. Each Viodine colony is a clone of one another.
Possible Uses: Cutting through the thick outer skin of the vines grants access to a nectar-like substance that can be used for nourishment. Use responsibly, some species may find this nectar as poisonous as a vapor chute.
Found On: Pa
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Name: Basadorin Gal
Description: A type of hardwood that does not look like it is wooden at all. They are tall alabaster titans, their structural cells integrating mineral composition into themselves to create trees that look like they are made of marble. The leaves that reach out from these white towers are a dark gray with black spots, meant to absorb as much light as possible.
Habits: Grows slowly, but due to the sheer strength of the material, forests of these trees can grow to incredible heights and cast the land they stand upon into a prolonged twilight as the canopy takes all light. Has led to the appearance of animals attuned to the darkness.
Method of Spreading: Seed capsules that sprout twin leaves that are long and broad, curved along the central axis. They are rigid structures. When a strong wind blows, these seeds spiral into the air and are taken for miles at a time.
Possible Uses: Crafting equipment.
Found On: Ko
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Name: Ollix Fese
Description: Trees that grow in spiraling growths of bark, giving them the appearance of a wooden rope banded together. Their branches droop and are covered in colorful leaves that are striped and spotted. They are not especially tall things and the wood from these trees is not particularly strong at all.
Habits: Fese trees produce fruit, hence their colorful appearance. Their leaves draw in all kinds of animal-life, which either help the fertilization of flowers or the spread of seeds after the fruit has been consumed.
Method of Spreading: Seeds within small, round fruits that tend to be pinkish in color.
Possible Uses: Food supply.
Found On: Ko
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Name: Tillidax Arda
Description: Bulb-like plants with a stem that is mostly obscured by an upturned bell. A fairly simple form of plant-life with leaves that form a rim around the bell, which can be a variety of colors and prone to have white speckles. Stringy fibers dangle from within the bell.
Habits: As a result of their biochemistry, these plants are bioluminescent. Chemicals that allow them to synthesize nourishment create products that are pigmented and electrically charged, which in turn can take on a variety of colors. The Arda line have come to use this ability to propagate their species, using this electrical brew to light up the fibers that hang from the bell.
Method of Spreading: Attracting animals to them with their lights, these plants affix their progeny to the creature's hide by means of micro-hooks. What looks like fuzz to the naked eye is actually billions of grappling filaments that attach to passing objects. They remain attached until the animal sheds or otherwise rids itself of the seeds, which then take root under favorable conditions.
Possible Uses: Bio-electrical generators.
Found On: Ko
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Fauna




Name: Gastridonts
Description: Aquatic foragers much like manatees in size and appearance, with notable differences. While they retain the gray, blubbery hide of manatees, their body types produce far more bloated abdominal regions like an upside-down hump. This means that their spines dip down towards the abdomen and rise again near the tail section of the animal. The tail sports one vertical flipper that is broad and long, acting like a rudder for the gastridont. Body cavities run along the animal's body with round packs of muscle surrounding them. The head of these creatures is rounded with a sideways parting jaw covered in bristles that act as whiskers. There are no visible eyes.
Diet: Herbivorous, feeds primarily on vapor chutes.
Natural Abilities: By digesting vapor chutes and storing the gasses that the plants produce, gastridonts harvest natural propellent which they utilize with their body cavities. The cavities, normally shut due to the muscle groups that surround them, can be opened like valves and release a burst of gas that allows the gastridonts to jet around. They use their two pectoral flippers for balance and their tail to steer. The bristles are sensitive to changes in the surrounding current, telling these creatures of predators or potential foraging spots.
Found On: Pa
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Name: Joranda
Description: Joranda have shelled bodies like crustaceans. They are akin to crabs in how they move, though with much larger and broader bodies, looking more like disks. At the top of the shell they have a single eye to look for predators and other threats with. Eight eyes around the circumference of the shell allow the creature to see in all directions. The many legs of these creatures are radially arranged underneath it, concentrated near the center of the body. Around the legs are what would could be called "gums", from which the joranda extends its set of many hooked teeth. The teeth form a cage around the animal's prey and the legs guide it towards the mouth located at the center of the disk.
Diet: Carnivorous
Natural Abilities: A tough shell means this creature can prowl along the sandy bottoms of waters of all sorts and not have to worry about being attacked from above. Its wide body makes it difficult to flip as well. However, if one were to be overturned, it would most likely not last much longer.
Found On: Pa
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Name: Hyperialons
Description: Another species that shares the seabed with joranda. However, unlike their discus companions, hyperialons are gifted swimmers as well. They have small bodies with two extremely long limbs that bear retractable fins on each joint segment, six on each limb. Each joint is doubled, giving these creatures unparalleled dexterity. Their fingers are no exception, long and multi-knuckled, with a membrane of webbing in between each digit, six on each hand. Their compact bodies are tapered towards the back, terminating in a spindly tail. Their mouths are round and, compared to the rest of their body, huge, meant to vacuum prey into the maw. Two plate-sized black eyes are situated on either side. They can be identified by their deep blue skin with markings of black and white across their backs.
Diet: Carnivorous
Natural Abilities: Hyperialons possess incredible fine motor control with their two limbs, which can be used for swimming or extracting prey items from inaccessible places.
Found On: Pa
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Name: Bramanax
Description: Creatures the size of elephants with dark hides and beige underbellies. Their bulk is covered in leathery skin and their bodies are adapted to the cramped spaces of a thriving jungle or forest. Narrow profiles allow them to step in between trees on quiet, padded feet. Their necks are long enough for them to scrounge across the forest floor without needing to stop walking.
Diet: Herbivorous
Natural Abilities: Quiet step due to padded feet, immense bulk at adulthood that deters predators from attacking, which can be used to deliver punishing blows when these things are on the attack.
Found On: Ko
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Name: Dondelous
Description: Small gliding creatures with a furry back and scaly underbelly. They are vaguely bat-like in appearance. Their coloration has spots of lightness, silver and blonde, but for the most part they take after the shadows that dominate their environment. They have single hook-like digits to climb the tough bark of Gal trees.
Diet: Omnivorous
Natural Abilities: Their small frames mean they are swift and agile gliders.
Found On: Ko
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Name: Feronduls
Description: A type of large insectoid that specializes in ambush hunting. Feronduls bury their shells into the dirt and mud with their arms held just beneath the surface. Lacking any digits whatsoever, these limbs end with barbs and clubs. When unsuspecting prey treads upon them, the feronduls strike with lightning speed. Many sets of mandibles tear into whatever the arms are latched onto, many times taking it off of the rest of the animal if it happens to be large enough.
Diet: Carnivorous
Natural Abilities: Ambush predator, can lay motionless for hours at a time and go without food for even longer.
Found On: Ko
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~More to come~
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