#fangfolk

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It's biology time! (Yay) This was very fun to make (and honestly about... at least 2 years on the "i should make this" -board to the point where I actually can't remember if I've made something like this before already).

See the whole comic here! It is MUCH longer than this snippet.

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Guess what time it is? That's right! Quiz time (again! yay!)

20+ options, 20 questions - if you wanted to know your species, this is the place and time! (As per this quiz my 'shellsona' is an octofolk... which, yeah...)

DO THE QUIZ HERE!

If you missed the previous quiz (a character quiz), you can do it here!

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I was hoping I'd get all of the fangfolk drawn today... I got most of them. Here's some bottom feeder action; I'll compile the others once I've got them sorted

I'm thinking of doing this kind of reference for every sapient type eventually, and maybe even use it for wildlife down the line. It's very simple but I feel like it works!

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Size chart of the fangfolk (and the average inkfolk in the form of an ominous shadow figure).

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The rest of the fangfolk! This batch consists of pursuit predators from smallest to largest. Some of these guys are mostly bipedal, others depend on quadrupedal gaits to catch up to their dinner.

First Batch

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I started this with the intent of making a "quick" side by side for all fangfolk, then swiftly realized that will take probably 10 hours. So we're starting slow with just one (1). Added some extra stuff because this guy is so horizontal, it makes the canvas have way too much dead space otherwise.

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Know your neighbors!

With at least 3 broad classifications of seafolk, knowing how to read other species' body language will save you and other people a lot of trouble. Here is a generalized chart (not size accurate) comparing some common emotions between seafolk!

Smiling is a key component in relieving tension and communicating mood to others. Inkfolk and finfolk both generally share this trait. Fangfolk stick out in this regard however, as they lack the facial muscles for (at least well-intentioned) smiles. Instead, they signal peace by squinted eyes and down-turned fins.

The first sight of worry or danger is pretty uniform across species- and even folk gaps, with a general readiness for action. Species with the ability for rapid color change will often bolden their patterns to look more decked out.

In both nature and society, creatures will generally depend on size and strength to intimidate attackers and rivals. Many tricks are used to convey size (even when it is lacking), which includes raising of the fins, spreading the limbs to take up more horizontal space, and taking an upright posture. Species that are capable of rapid color change often darken their colors or bolden their patterns to increase perceived fitness and perform a deimatic display. Threat displays between folk vary, but are generally recognizable, and most involve showing the mouthparts. Finfolk and fangfolk are both known to flare out the gill covers to increase the apparent size of their head, whereas inkfolk reach a similar conclusion from raising their mantle and inflating it with air.

Inkfolk are peculiar for their ability to spray ink from their backs (hence the name of the class). While this ink is typically sprayed at predators to flee a confrontation, aggressive inkfolk may also ink to confuse challengers and obscure the environment, especially for predators which depend on chemical cues to track their prey and react poorly to the disruption from a lingering ink cloud.

Fangfolk have varying threat displays and are unique among seafolk in that they have virtually no instant color changing abilities between any of the existing types. Still, threat displays may include a "white head" display, which is present in some fangfolk due to blood flow being concentrated elsewhere in the body to prepare for pursuit or full-body combat. Fangfolk will often use their jaws and tails to fight off competitors, but will adapt a signature wavy hunched-back position to signal immediate aggression or agitation, which is often enough to settle conflicts with no scars.

Distress reactions vary among individuals but are general reactions to extreme emotion. Among seafolk, fangfolk lack a "disruptive" distress reaction and may simply be compelled to isolate upon feeling unwell, particularly among less socially bonded species where weaker individuals may just be eaten. Inkfolk and finfolk are generally more tight-knit with their social groups and convey distress very similarly by blanking (losing color) and being generally unresponsive. Between seafolk, droopy fins are a telltale sign of foul mood.

Finfolk experience a tear-based crying response seemingly similar to that of humans. Although all seafolk and most land fauna with similar eye structures possess tear glands, finfolk are the only ones for which the tears serve a purpose of venting excess mood-affecting chemicals and relieving immediate tension.

Inkfolk, like species of finfolk with rapid color-change, may experience blanking and lose their color either partially or completely. Inkfolk also commonly experience uncontrolled movements and curling of the limbs, which is usually most obvious in the crown. Similar to the tears of finfolk, inkfolk will often ink as a response to extreme emotions in any direction, and this is often uncontrolled (and sometimes called 'smoking'). Science has shown that stress and strong emotions stimulate the production of ink and general ink sac activity, and similarly, releasing ink reduces chemicals and hormones such as adrenaline. (However, inhaling lingering ink clouds or remnants has also shown to make fellow inkfolk more distressed and likely to also ink.)

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The term "littlejaw" is used as a catch-all for the smaller species of fangfolk that average less than 2 meters average height. Most, in fact, measure 1,7 meters or less, of course without counting the tail.

Longtails (A) are the oldest type of fangfolk and the first landsharks to emerge in the far past. This early success isn't particularly well-reflected in their numbers; longtails are small, and their range is similarly relatively small, confined mainly to the mountain ranges of the Eastern Continent - they are outcompeted or heavily preyed on in most other habitats. They have exceptional tolerance for low oxygen, allowing them to inhabit extremely high altitudes where predators can't follow them, and they tend to live fairly leisurely lives as a result. These fangfolk are considered harmless to other sapients and mainly prey on invertebrates. Notably, they are known to chew their food, which is not particularly common, let alone in fangfolk.

Roundfins (B) are quite closely related to the longtails, as is reflected in a similarly rounded face shape and the presence of nasal barbels. They also have similarly long tails, though shorter than those of their cousins. Roundfins are differentiated by, you guessed it - their rounded dorsal fins. They are reef dwellers, preying on invertebrates and carrion and also considered harmless to other sapients. Their anatomy quite well illustrates their burrowing lifestyle; groups of roundfins will live in interconnected dens and huddle together over cold periods. Among fangfolk they are by far the most diverse and ornamental, with populations worldwide ranging from blotched to striped, banded, spotted and even chain-patterned morphotypes.

Spurfins (C) are active hunters and the bane of lower trophic levels worldwide. They are cunning pack hunters that can hunt in schools with dozens of individuals; enough to terrorize and overwhelm towns and settlements in the long past with ease. Spurfins prey on a wide variety of things, but are known to actively hunt sapients on occasion, and they have been historically widely feared in this regard due to their concentrated group attacks being far more lethal and successful than the occasional one from a larger fangfolk. In coloration, they are fairly uniform across the globe with varying shades of greys or browns, usually with spots or freckling. These fangfolk get their name from the venomous spines in their dorsal fins; a trait also shared by wild spurdogs, their close relatives.

[Obsolete tag: These guys all have new and updated designs.]