#laseraw

[xurxogpenalta]

After hatching, female Enssamo infants stay with their mothers until their third cycle and up to the fifth in the case of males.

Long enough for their eye sight to be completely developed. Quietly staying secluded under the sticks and mud of the finely camouflaged riverbed nests carefully constructed by their mothers months before the eggs are laid.

Although one of natures sharpest eyesight and able to see color gammas beyond the Lem spectrum, complete darkness is crucial for young Enssamos; their developing conical eyes must remain unexposed to direct light sources for enough time, so that the corneas are able to endure it. Paradoxically, their characteristic protruding eyes provide Enssamos with a panoramic field of view, while such high sensitivity demands to build up a strong tolerance, an endurance training period, that if ignored could make them blind and unable to sustain themselves in the wild.

Even if as adults the Enssamos become some of the most effective hunters in the rainforest, this developmental condition renders them blind for the first few cycles of their life.

[xurxogpenalta]

The Otomn in its Floral stage is a voracious predator. Consuming most sorts of fauna it comes across in the Loop Rainforest. Its natural camouflage and amazing versatility of speeds place it ahead as the most lethal hunter in the area. The Otomn movement can go unnoticed at both ends of the velocity spectrum. Becoming so still and purposeful in its movement when prey is unaware of its presence, becoming practically invisible. And then moving a lightning speed as it attacks its victim, which mostly remain oblivious until impacted by its jaws or claws.

After the hunt is secured, although rarely perished, the Otomn secretes powerful fluids through its four frontal appendixes that quickly erode enough of the outer layer of their prey to penetrate beneath it and dilute the innards of the creature, which the Otomn will rapidly aspirate, avoiding all solid and indigestible elements.

Towards the end of 3 to 4 cycles that the Floral stage lasts the Otomn must have consumed enough nutrients to build enough strength to generate the chrysalis that will see it evolve to its maturity, the Aerial stage.

[xurxogpenalta]

The Ellmizho is often believed to be a carrion feeder, and while opportunistic findings of carcasses, as well as unsupervised eggs on momentarily empty nests, are a large part of its diet, there is a seasonal aspect to the nutrition of the female of the species.

During the estrous period and throughout their pregnancy, female Ellmizho’s turn to hunting live prey and consuming solely fresh meat and eggs, if they can find them. Completely abandoning the consumption of carrion.

This remarkable shift in their nurture comes as the cycle begins, in the first days of hormonal rearrangement, their side effects cause a severe purging of most digestive flora regularly used throughout the rest of the cycles. Leaving the animal with the bare basics for digestion and an instinctive appetite for plain but highly nutritious, low toxicity sources.

The clear inflammation and the abundant markings caused through the purging process signals males the launching of the mating cycle and suitors are attracted to engage the females attention.

To achieve this and although they would never consume it, due to its low odor and bare taste, compared to the fermented and rotting meats they mostly consume, some males will hunt down live prey and present it to receptive females as offerings.

This dietary pattern is carried on throughout the pregnancy by Ellmizho mothers, although their nomadic mates absent themselves after the estrous cycle concludes.

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[xurxogpenalta]

Although Marhn has been tending to this Horned Ollies for 8 cycles he still finds them mesmerising. How such large, mighty creatures can move so gently across the terrain. He can barely hear them if he closes his eyes.


For Marhn it’s hard to believe this natural wonders could one day cease to be. They seem as much a part of the landscape of the Elyanno plains as the Cobb Mountain Chain or the Sawff river. 

As a child Marhn had seen Horned Ollies in the old docu rolls and encyclopaedic archives of his units knowistry. Ollies were his favourite and loved to depict them on the simulators whenever teaches gave them task free access. He knew them by heart and was one of the best among his classmates at emulating them. His sims could even make sounds, emote and make eye contact. Loop copies of Marhn’s sims were often shared around by classmates and they even got to impress the students of higher grades that saw them. He was a natural. 

Around Marhn’s 2nd cycle, brief but ghastly reports of the plea of the Horned Ollie started to emerge. Sadly as he grew older, colonies grew smaller and foreseeable extinction was in the horizon. It only got worst and worst. All conservation efforts failed as the environment of the Lacla continued to degrade. Nutrient scarcity and the irreversible toxicity of the ground were too severe for the remaining Ollie population, already weakened and massively stressed. Reproduction numbers had thinned like the quality of the environment and the precious few new births faced a dire prospect.
 
At the time Marhn volunteered into the Assisted Migration Program, he did it only as a brief aside, something to help during a 3rd of the cycle at most and return to his position in the Ella Department of Analysis. It was his career after all. Once there, he worked on managing and strategy which felt closer to his profesional expertise.

When the recruitment notice for ground positions came up in the internal boards, he felt his skin rise with electricity. He hadn’t even considered it. He had come there just to help. Being actually close to the Ollies had not occurred to him. See them in person.

Soon after he applied for the position and was transported to the Elyanno plains, Marhn saw them for the first time. This environment was as new for Marhn as it was for the Ollies. Feeling of doubt, fear and trepidation whenof facing the unknown landscape. He felt that within him as much as he saw it in them. He felt synched to them. This changed Marhn for good. It became clear he would not go back to an office. Not as long as he could afford to be out in the open. Out with the Horned Ollies.

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[xurxogpenalta]

Allophs carry large amounts of fluid weigh within the fat cell matrixes that fill their many bulging bladders.

They cross over the Willby Valley to load up on the mineral gel that slowly pours out of the cracks on rock walls and crevasses. By firmly pressing against the walls with the hardened frontal region of their craniums, adult Allophs increase mineral gel secretion from the rock face, which they absorb through small organs within the seams of their cranial sutures. Once a crack is bared of gel they move their search to a different area and begin the process again, until the girth of their bulges has expanded enough in size that they feel their skin tighten, which will trigger a satiety response. Making the Alloph feel full; Depending on the cycles season, a satisfying fluid loading can take from 4 to 5 hours on damp periods, to over 3 or 4 days of hard stone pressing on dry periods.

On their return journey Allophs excrete the abundant mineral salts derived from processing the gel. The salt deposited on their pathways is abrasive to the voracious Toll mollusks that populate most other areas of the Willby. This exemption makes the pathways, created by Alloph pilgrimage through the ages, a unique environment in which to find several types of flora that is simply unable to thrive elsewhere in the valley due to the ubiquitous presence of the Tolls.

Once back on their safe nesting regions Allophs reunite with their offspring. The weary travelers kneel or lay down on their sides. Eager with thirst the younger members get their fill of fluids by pressing their developing foreheads against the bulges of the exhausted adult, rapidly absorbing the precious liquid through their cranial seams. The fluids they ingest were fully processed by the adult previously and are immediately digestible and highly nutritious for the cubs who enthusiastically push each other for a spot to drain.

[xurxogpenalta]

Nowadays Laplam lizards feed mostly Guyitts, invasive rodents species that the early settlers used as experimental subjects for development of multiple acclamation medical treatments, serums, vaccines and antibiotics. During the first 35 cycles of the arrival the breeding and use of Guyitts was so widespread that 3 full farming facilities were operative.

During the wind wall of 682 one of them got destroyed and the surviving Guyitts made it out into the wild. Batches of scientifically pre acclimated varieties were ideally designed to thrive in the environment and quickly became invasive.

Thanks to their astounding birth rates and exponential growth, Guyitts presence quickly displaced the native Polsat, a flightless bird that occupied the same area, which is now almost extinct. On the other hand Laplam lizards populations have tripled since records are kept and have double their size. 


[xurxogpenalta]

Mondhols are some of the most extraordinary pack hunters in the Lonmar Steppe. With their unrivalled stamina, a small pack of 4 or five Mondhols can chase down a large Elamond 20 times their size. Both their persistence and their tracking abilities are second to none.

Mondhols have no specialised respiratory apparatus since they breathe cutaneously, allowing them for a constant exchange of carbon dioxide for oxygen, leaving them unconcerned with thermoregulation. The absence of breathing organs not only helps with their extreme lightness, but breathing through the skin also provides them with a full body scent sensory organ. One of the sharpest know to exist; Mondhols dynamic olfatometry can reach between 10 and 88 on the odor prism. 

Highly territorial, Mondhols packs always return to the moister regions within the Lonmar to replenish fluid reserves on their dorsal sacs, depleted after their feats of hunting endurance, and recover by bathing on the pools that keep their skin moist.

This makes them specially vulnerable to the environmental changing conditions the Steppe has seen in the last 12 cycles. The Mondhol populations and specific packs have dwindled to a third of the earlier records and forecasts are not auspicious. 
The Mondhol, such an extraordinary predator, unrivalled on so many fronts, may soon be extinguished through merely remaining on its native habitat.

[xurxogpenalta]

Tall Almanos from the Elegg region are much taller than their counterparts from the tropical areas of the Molnnory, Known as the Mute Almano. 
Out in the open terrain the Almano reaches 2 meters by their first cycle and some can reach 7 meters by sexual maturity. In the tropical forests they rarely go above 3,5 meters. Managing much more height under the tropical tree coverage would be a hinderance.
 
Height aids the Tall Almano with the air filtration. Permitting their circular respiration, with constant inhalation through their multiple nostrils situated under the large striations on their long necks. Through which they emit their characteristic uninterrupted whaling sounds with occasional loud chirps that can be heard all across the terrain. The chant known as the Almano Song, pushed to its louder registries acts also as deterrent for predators. 
The complex language employed by the Almanos in their song is complex and allows constant communication among themselves as they keep a scattered herd. By mirroring the same chant with a slight variation they talk back and forth throughout the expansive terrain. Distances up to 10 Kilometres and even further subsonically. This way the Almano Song keeps the herd located and in contact at all times optimising the herds security, as well as scouting for best spots and procuring nutritional findings. 
The constant chanting and replication is shared and modified simultaneously by each member of the herd. This external chorus is seen was a manifestation of the herds inner spirits and preoccupations. Shepherds follow the choirs chant to assess their wellbeing and monitor their attitude. 
All Tall Almanos shepherds use protective gear, as their seemingly uninterrupted whistling sounds can easily reach 180 decibels. Even then, veteran shepherds tend to suffer severe hearing loss over time. 
Contrary to popular belief, the Almano from the tropics, known as the Mute Almano, isn’t silent but it communicates mostly subsonically with its herd, which are much smaller and even more spread apart. Over the years, chant recording studies and analysis have demonstrated a clear use of similar language patterns for both species. 
Derived from this perceived differences the Tall Almanos herds from the Elegg region, are popularly referred to as “Almano Choirs” and those who shepherd them colloquially known as “conductors” as well as the tropical Mute Almano, from the Molnnory, be considered a solitary species.