my spearmaster speculative biology notes! suns removed the mouth because they thought traditional slugcat digestion was energy-costly and took up too much space. instead they inject digestive enzymes into their prey to digest it externally, like a spider. the nutrient slop gets sucked back in and absorbed. they have an enlarged pancreas to help produce the high amounts of digestive acid they need.
unlike in-game, this digestion doesn't happen immediately. poor spearmaster doesn't get any paralytic venom so they have to be really careful to knock out (but not kill) their prey and feed on it, which takes a couple hours. good news is that one meal can last them several cycles before they eat again.
spearmaster's spears are shorter and grow directly from their spine. the osteoblasts there are bioengineered to be especially active, producing new spears in the span of a few cycles. spearmaster can snap these off when needed to use as weapons, or keep them on their tail as a predator deterrent. they're surprisingly strong for their size, mostly because the space where a normal digestive system should be is instead taken over by muscle.
compared to other iterator cities, suns' city is more hot and arid. spearmaster is a little bit drier than your average slugcat, with short fur and long ears to help them stay cool.
close-ups and transcripts below:
Compared to normal spears, these are more lightweight, shorter, and with a sharper tip.
Acid gland is detachable and continues pumping digestive fluid into prey after separation from body.
Opposable thumbs and pads support strong grip.
Claws are non-retractable.
Malar stripe adapted for hunting in bright environments. Pupils can dilate. Crepuscular hunting style (dawn and dusk).
Long ears help detect predators and also regular temperature in the hot climates of Suns' superstructure.
Large pupils take up most of the skull space, followed by the brain and olfactory system.
Lower jawbone will present to protect head, but is fused with upper skull. Teeth are removed.
The borzoi of slugcats lol
Well-muscled upper body designed to throw objects with force.
Sizeable heart + lungs take up the space where the digestive system is.
Ribs are semi-collapsible to allow organism to squeeze through small spaces.
Feeding takes several hours and is a very vulnerable time.
Bone and skin have remarkable regenerative speed. Organism capable of regrowing a spear within a few cycles.
Hollow spears grow from the spine and can be snapped off to wield as weapons. They are connected to an elongated stomach. Prey is digested externally and then siphoned into the tail.
Pearl stored in abdomen!
Intestinal tract is short for its species; single opening for combined liquid and solid excrement.
Thick skin with regenerative properties.
Tip injects digestive enzymes into prey.
Despite overall skinniness, the sizeable space for fat deposits allow this organism to store enough energy to last several cycles without eating after a kill.