#organic wubboxes

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good lird this has been in my drafts for over a year but what EVER. heres some more msm spec bio (first part of this can be found here)

i'd like to redo this at some point, but i like the concepts overall (ive actually already redone the common and rare versions buuuuut i'll wait to share them lmao)

[crypticsketchpad]

Common & Rare Wubbox: Basic Species Information

Scientific name: Monstracantus electricor (rarus; “rare”) - “electric-hearted singing monster”

Average size (bipedal stance): 13' for Commons, 12'-11' for Rares

Diet: omnivorous, with a preference for vegetation and processed food; however, if choosing to eat meat, they are capable of swallowing small prey whole if desired

Habitat: all Natural islands, as well as Fire Haven and Fire Oasis (artificially introduced)

A recent addition to the Monstralia taxonomic tree, wubboxes are an unusual species of monster well-known for their booming roars and massive size. Presumed extinct after the Cataclysm, the species was reintroduced to the modern era after the discovery of dormant wubbox eggs found in underground nests. Unlike other monsters, the Rare variant did not evolve naturally, instead being a product of genetic modification in order to introduce more diversity to the species.*

HIIIII HEY who remembers my old organic/spec bio wubbox concepts?? been reworking them + the "organic monsters" AU a lot recently, so here's some references for the commons and rares! part ape, part reptile, with a little big cat thrown in there lol. very happy with these designs, hope y'all like them! i'll probably post more about them and the whole organic au world in general once i have more actual art to share, ha

More info and random concept sketches below the cut! :D

*in this context, monster rarities are the closest thing to biological "sexes" in species; Common monsters can reproduce asexually, creating other Commons, while Rares cannot reproduce on their own unless they cross-pollinate with a Common. Epics are the result of a rare and unusual genetic mutation in all species, and are unable to self-replicate.

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Detail of a Common Wubbox's eye and nostril area. The purpose of the under-eye scale is unknown, as it doesn't seem to provide much protection to the face, and seems to be a primarily cosmetic feature.

*right sketch is older but it's pretty much the same structurally, figured it's a little clearer than the new one so i included it

Wubboxes’ primary method of communication consists of almost mechanical-sounding trills, clicks, and chirps, as well as deep roars, growls, and purrs; in addition to this, they are capable of learning and speaking plain Monstrous as well as any other monster. The (typically) bright blue, tympanum-like structure on their chests functions as part of a sort of natural speaker. Behind it, their chests have a large, hollow area in the center, which connects to the larynx and windpipe. When vocalizing, the sound passes through this chamber, which amplifies it significantly, often giving their voices a bass-boosted effect. 

Notoriously loud monsters, an enraged wubbox’s roar can not only be heard but felt from a long distance away, and in close range can not only cause hearing damage but physical pain due to the vibration of the sound waves. On the other end, a content one’s purr is quite powerful as well; while the noise itself is too low pitched for most monsters to perceive, the vibrations it produces are very strong, though not enough to cause physical damage or anything other than mild discomfort in others.

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now for the disorganized sketch pile LMAO

1-3: older concept sketches that i still kinda like! i kept them as color reference for the final versions :]

4: ride wife, life good

5: sneak peek at an epic wub design i may or may not end up using. they're significantly larger than commons and rares, with adaptations that allow them to both blend into and survive the conditions of their native environments. they're rare anomalies in the wild, and little is known about them.

[crypticsketchpad]

baaaahhhhh it's been a while. have some sloppy organic au epic wubbox concepts i made but never really polished up lol

haven't really done the earth + two fire variants yet (plus the ethereal but i have a different idea in mind for that one lalalala), i will get to those one day but for now have these!

unorganized/unfinished nonsense under the cut as usual:

some ideas i had for the fire oasis wub! the last one is outdated bc i decided against giving it a neck frill (settling for the tail fan idea) but it's a good representation of how i want the face + facial spikes to look!

also a doodle of an au idea i had in mind for a universe where a few of my main wubs + their human variants coexisted :] it's. kinda less wholesome than that honestly (questionable science shit goin on) but shhh

pictured are Dr. Alva Wubben (the human), head of the Wublin Project, and their favorite subject, a common Wubbox known as "Subject A/Subject Alpha" (affectionately dubbed "Alva II" by some)

[crypticsketchpad]

surprise! double creature feature for today!

pictured here is Monstracantus fulcursor (roughly translated to "lightning runner" or "zap-runner"), also known as a Synthax. they're the closest known evolutionary relative/ancestor to the modern-day Wubbox (M. electricor) and share some defining features, but are also quite different;

chest + vocal cavity ("echo chamber") is much smaller than a wubbox's, giving them much less powerful vocalization capabilities. their voices were less deep and bassy, instead being higher-pitched with more of a "buzzy" quality to them, similar to 80s-style synth instruments (hence the name!)

alongside being smaller and less bulky overall, their armor is sparser and not quite as strong as that of the modern variant; rather than strength and size, they relied more on speed and agility to survive against potential enemies

synthax never quite reached full sapience, and died out alongside several other "lost" monster species during the Cataclysm. unlike the wubbox, synthax eggs weren't capable of staying dormant for long periods of time, so no viable, hatchable eggs remained at the time of the species' rediscovery

the antenna-like whiskers on their heads allowed them to "hear" each other from long distances despite their relatively quieter calls; this trait did not pass on to the modern wubbox species, but in the modern age, some rares may augment themselves to give themselves the trait through artificial means (typically just for aesthetic purposes, as they aren't really needed anymore)

not necessarily an in-universe fact, but their colors are based on the og wubbox concept design :]

as usual. bonus sketches under the cut !

here's the first synthax concepts i drew! probably like... 2 years old now?? sheeeesh alkddsgjsd........... they stayed kind of the same, mainly in the face, but i changed up the bodyplan to be more raptor-like + lessened the scale distribution

super sloppy concept design for organic au prototype/ethereal epic wub- instead of being a modern-day wubbox, i think it'd work well as a synthax! it was created by scientists attempting to revive the species, but it's far from perfect; they used modern wubbox DNA to fill in the gaps, meaning some bits turned out "wrong". still working on the actual design so i havent exactly decided which parts weren't up to par lmao, i do want it to have a prosthetic forelimb due to a birth defect + possibly damaged antennae/whiskers? the colors are artificial, maybe it was used as a tester for future rare wubbox gene editing methods, i dunnoooo

[crypticsketchpad]

wubbox birthday (may 9) today. have an organic/spec bio wubbox doodle from a few weeks ago lol

[crypticsketchpad]

ok u know what. *organics your robots*

spec bio wubbox concepts because why not! lore and rambling under the cut:

The Wubbox is an ancient species of monster dating back to the Dawn of Fire. Presumed to be extinct post-cataclysm, several caves full of dormant eggs have been found in the present day, and the species has once again become widespread in monster society. Loud, powerful, and somewhat territorial, they served as guardians of pre-contemporary monster tribes, and were regarded as gifts from the Celestials.

pic explanations

1. sketch of an adult wubbox, with different textures/components labeled. they are mostly covered in armor-like scales that are shed periodically; these can be replaced/upgraded by artificial parts, and are often repurposed into armor and instruments by other monsters.

2. sketch of a wubbox hatchling + notes:

- Baby teeth are sparse but very sharp, can and will eat almost anything (young wubboxes are notoriously ravenous, which lead to the myth that they eat other monsters)

- Protective cap over chest “speaker” (see image 4), falls off after a few weeks

- Long, fluffy fur for retaining warmth

- Simple armor plates that are shed several times while growing; initial set is made of eggshell parts that fuse onto the hatchling’s body

- Bioluminescent markings do not appear until adulthood

3. “blushing” wubbox; when flustered, their under-eye plates retract slightly, exposing patches of fur on their cheeks. these patches, like the rest of their fur, is bioluminescent, and is similar in texture to fiber optic lights

4. rough respiratory system diagram. they have very large lungs with a sort of dual output system; when speaking or “singing”, air passes through their larynx and into a hollow cavity in their chest covered by an eardrum-like membrane that functions like a speaker. this amplifies their voice and creates their signature booming roars.

5. side view of a wubbox’s head + skull concept. their mouths are full of large, flat teeth, with a diet consisting of vegetation and processed foods. 

6. earth epic concept. in this scenario, “epic” wubboxes are the result of eggs being stored in certain environments for prolonged periods of time and developing specific adaptations for said environments; for example, an earth epic would be created by keeping an egg buried in volcanic ash, in/near magma, or just in a high temperature environment.

an earth epic’s horns are hollow tubes developed from their eye plates, which grow out to cover their nostrils completely; these horns are the output of a built-in air purification function in its respiratory system that filters the ash and smoke it breathes in and ejects the contaminants in mist clouds.

7. air epic concept + notes

- Large eyes and angled under-eye plates

- Wingtips are notched like an eagle’s (air epics are very fast and agile fliers, being smaller and more lightweight than others of their species)

- “Nostrils”/air output valves on their wrists; purpose unknown (these are mainly used to emit train whistle-like shrieks for communication, but why they exist is a mystery)

- Body armor plates are replaced by smaller, feather-like scales

8. lol bald eagle

extra note bc i haven’t designed the rare versions yet: “rare” wubboxes are the result of experimentation on a common individual in an effort to “improve” the species for the modern age; all current rares are clones of the first successful specimen