WORM ANATOMY Overview below the cut!
For some overview, all the worms in the Abattoir wastes are evolved from earthworms. This is going over the BASIC anatomy that all species draw from. They've got an extended mouth that extends in front of their 'head', said head is just a swollen cavity to house the brain. Four sets of limbs each hold an internal lung which pump air independent of each other. They have 5 hearts and sweet, antifreeze rich blood. That's the basics, now for SPECIFICS. We'll be using a basal 'salamander' build for this overview.
LUNGS 1. Deflated- The moving state of a worm lung, where the long air sac that extends down into the trunk of the leg pulls itself shut. The horse shoe shaped top of the lung is rigid and retains air, but as a leg is lifted; relaxing muscles squeeze air out of the limb.
2. Inflated- As a worm settles weight upon a limb, muscles tighten and pull the limb open to suck in air. All worm locomotion is derived from their old ways of respiration, the muscles of a leg must engage for respiration!
NERVES 3. Brain- A relatively recent development! The brains of worms are built to mainly remember where exactly they are out there. Worms tend to keep a sharp mental map of their surroundings, but alas are not too bright. Think of it like they can learn to use a push door to get food, but if you suddenly swap to a pull they just might starve to death. Very set in their ways. 4. Spinal Cord- A basic main nerve network that runs along their under belly, surrounded by thickened tissue that can limit a fair bit of mobility in some species.
GUT 5. Esophagus- Kind of a 2 for one deal, the mouth in a lot of species will be one in the same with this. Most worm species have evolved teeth within their mouth and throat. Either for straining or biting, it is a very common feature.
6. Crop- The storage of the worm. This is mainly used for excess food, but several species will brood their young or pack themselves full with ice and snow to regulate their temperature. It's MULTIPURPOSE.
7. Gizzard- A grinding hell of stone and mucus. 8. Fore Gut- Where the majority of nutrients are absorbed. Analogous to the small intestine. 9. Hind Gut- Where the poop is made. Though some species have adapted to ferment within this section of gut before internally puking it back up into their fore gut. How pleasant!
BLOOD 10. Head Heart- The first heart of the chain and the smallest, this heart is dedicated solely to pumping blood to the brain as well as flushing the aorta connecting all other hearts. 11. Body Hearts- These two lobed hearts evolved mainly to service the legs, but also feed the majority of the body! They can pump in unison or separate to better service each leg. This leaves worms with the odd condition of being able to have multiple heart tempos at any given time.
That's the gist of it! I wanted a more base rule set to go off of before I get into different varieties. For reaching the end, have a lil sneak peak of two different worm lineages. A fun basal salamander and then a whisker-y fellow!
