In this final installment of the FEV-spawned creatures, the Pedant turns its eye to three comparatively conventional mutants: the Scorchbeast, the Hound, and the Radscorpion. While other species also exhibit signs of FEV exposure - the giant mantis, the gecko, etc - they are better dealt with under other headings. Read on below the cut!
SCORCHBEASTS
FIGURE 1: An artist's illustration of a typical Scorchbeast (first described by Pagliarulo et al, 2018) attack. Note the unnervingly hominid arrangement of the newly developed second limbs and enlargement of the rear legs.
The Scorchbeast is a mutant bat, but it is a most marked variety of mutant. It has transformed from a tetrapodal beast to a hexapodal one, increased in size by something on the order of a hundred-fold to a thousand-fold, and developed a symbiotic relationship with the disease-causing agent of Appalachian Ultracite-associated Petrification Disease. This presents a modest challenge for taxonomy. It is clear that the Scorchbeast is no longer a member of the tetrapodae clade, requiring membership in a hexapodal sister-order to the Chiroptera.
To that end, we nominate them as the type species of the hexmammalian Secundocheravolariera|radiomutandis order, Macrochiropteriformidae family, with the Genus and species binomial of: Macrochiropteriforme virginiapathogenitorus. Their niche and mythotaxa are in turn: Megalobattus apexus predatorus Pseudodraconus horribilis macrobattus evdomintaeksi
The defining characteristics of the species and Genus are the presence of six limbs, of which the two foremost are adapted for flight with the four remaining limbs enlarged and prominent; diurnal tendencies; eusocial organization; the loss of eyes in mature breeding queens; and a symbiotic relationship with the causative agent of Appalachian Ultracite-associated Petrification Disease, incertae sedis ultracitogenum. Presumably, other species of Macrochiropteriforme hexbats from the Earth of the Black Isles - if discovered - will possess most of these traits, though not the symbiosis with ultracitogenum.
Their exact relation to FEV remains ambiguous, but it offers the clearest explanation for the extraordinary transformation these creatures have undertaken. It is submitted that one of the two known Appalachian strains, combined with the unique properties of Ultracite, produced both Macrochiropteriforme virginiapathogenitorus and incertae sedis ultracitogenum, with the latter being a distinct mutant lineage of FEV. It is also not clear where the genetic interference that produced a simultaneous revision of the bodily plan towards a hominid form, though it is entirely plausible that this has involved the admixture of human genetics into the species.
Though not a part of the Scorchbeasts themselves, the Scorched Plague also merits attention. This disease obeys none of the typical laws of disease from the mainline Anthropic Cluster worlds, and more closely resembles a wide variety of supernatural plagues. This plague produces rapid onset illness, delirium, and psychosis, followed by a lapse into membership in a kind of 'hive mind', progressive tissue necrosis and replacement by an ash-like substance, and most curiously, the progressive growth of radioactive crystals throughout bodily tissues. It is unknown whether the disease is best categorized as bacterial, viral, fungal, or as belonging to another category.
FIGURE 2: A petrified victim. Observe the replacement of all tissue with an ash-like composite of decayed flesh and what may be spores of the disease-causing agent.
Faced with a lack of meaningful information, we nominate the Scorched Plague as incertae sedis ultracitogenum, and for the present time refrain from identifying it formally as a deviant variant of FEV. Its mythotaxa is allocated as zombiformetipathy hivusmindus septaugintasixtus, and the condition it inflicts is nominated as Appalachian Ultracite-associated Petrification Disease. We briefly note that the petrification phenomenon is known to occur only in human beings, and find this suggestive in combination with the possibility that it is human genetics that contributed to the transformation of the legs of the Scorchbeasts that carry the causative agent.
HOUNDS
FIGURE 3: A typical Mutant Hound, first described by Pagliarulo et al, 2015.
The Mutant Hound is to the common dog as the Super Mutant is to the common human. Mutant hounds exhibit the same transformation as their homid masters and are known to arise only from the Appalachian and Boston strains of FEV. It is currently unknown whether they are sterile, though the lack of external genitalia is suggestive of either considerable reorganization of reproductive anatomy or near-complete atrophy of the same.
Relative to the original bodily form of a canine, the Mutant Hound exhibits comparatively minimal morphological alteration. While they possess additional dentition, the overall shape and arrangement of the skull is not markedly altered. No new digits are noted, dewclaws remain present, and sensory organs are as typical. Barring the total loss of fur and the muscular hypertrophy, they are otherwise little different from their Canis familiarus antecedents.
There is little more to be said. On the same basis that we have provided taxa to the Super Mutant, we nominate the Mutant Hound thus: Canis|radiomutans (robusta) muscularis Verticanis gargantocanis Monsteracanis anthropovorus mutandis
RADSCORPIONS
FIGURE 4: An artist's impression of the Capitoline Radscorpion, first described by Pagliarulo et al, 2008. [Adamowicz, circa 2005-2006.] Note the enlarged claws - typical of the Capitoline Radscorpion genus.
The common claim - that all Radscorpions are descendants of the common North American Emperor Scorpion - is poorly evidenced, and hindered by the absence of any such known species. It may be presumed that this is a post-war misnomer of the West African Emperor Scorpion, Pandinus imperator, which was a common pet species and among the largest Scorpions of the pre-war reality. But beyond this pedantic quibble (in which we, as proclaimed Universal Pedants, beg to be indulged), there are certain other peculiarities that prevent a clean nomination of the common Radscorpion as belonging to the species Pandinus imperator alongside its alleged precursor.
First, and most critically, the populations of Radscorpion so far observed are substantially divergent from one another. This suggests that even if all radscorpions properly-so-called share descent, they have subsequently speciated.
Second, several populations have been observed to be oviparous. This is in marked contrast to mainline anthropic earth populations, in which all known scorpions are ovovivparous - that is, they give live birth to offspring that hatch from eggs within their bodies, rather than laying eggs. In a further complication, there is anecdotal evidence of eusociality among Mojave populations, with 'Radscorpion queens' reported (though the extent to which they may be said to be eusocial is unclear.) In isolation, this evolution alone would suffice to mark the Radscorpion as highly distinct.
Third, all known populations exhibit marked morphological differences from Pandinus imperator. Hair is absent from the pedipalps and legs, and most populations exhibit atypical mesosomal segmentation (the North-Eastern population bearing 6, the Capitoline 8 segments, and the Western populations six in a less robust configuration than the North-Eastern.) The tail likewise exhibit morphological differences in different populations, and even the number and arrangement of eyes (10, 6, and an indeterminate number among the Western populations) is markedly distinct. They may or may not rely on book lungs - the altered physics of the Earth of the Black Isle renders the precise anatomical limitation of the book lung unclear.
The evidence is clear. The Radscorpions cannot constitute a single species, nor are they mere Pandinus specimens (marked by seven mesosomal segments and a five-segmented tail - a pattern not known among any Radscorpion populations.) As they satisfy all three limbs of the mutant test, there is both a clear need for, and no barrier to, identifying them as distinct species from both their alleged precursor and from one another.
It appears considerably more likely that the Western Radscorpions are members of the genus Hadrurus or the family Hadruridae, sharing a seven-segmented mesosoma and comparatively slender claws. Accordingly, we nominate them thus: Hadrurus|radiomutans macrocalifornus This species should not be confused with the Mojave Radscorpion, dealt with below, nor the Bark Scorpion.
The more robustly built Eastern specimens we propose as two distinct species, based on their distinct presentation of mesosomal segments, eye configuration, and shared large, powerful and muscular claws. The north-eastern population, having six largely fused mesosomal segments, we nominate as a type species of the novel family and genus Robustoscorpidae Robustoscorpus, as: Robustoscorpus bostonii.
A variety of differently pigmented subspecies are known, including bostonii subsp. sardonicus, the Deathskull scorpion, and the hyperpredatory bostonii subsp. carnopursuans. It has been suggested that remnant populations of Robustoscorpus bostonii in Appalachia represent the original breeding ground of this species, but this is unconfirmed.
The Capitoline population, bearing an additional segment - a neotonous adaptation from the usual embryonic developmental fusion of the eight segments into seven - we likewise nominate as type species of the Elongoscorpidae family, as: Elongoscorpus cyanotus
Sister populations have been observed as far West as the Mojave Desert, though they do not exhibit the aggressive burrowing behaviours of the Capitoline Radscorpion. The Temple is divided as to whether this population is a distinct species or merely a behaviourally distinct remnant population. The Mojave-native 'Bark Scorpion' is largely morphologically non-distinct from Elongoscorpus cyanotus, but is a distinct species marked by a less aggressive venom, a uniform sandy or bark-like pigmentation, and a considerably smaller size. It is accordingly nominated as subspecies cyanotus vittatusiformes.
FIGURE 5: A revised taxonomic tree of the Scorpions.
All radscorpions share the following niche and mythotaxa: Scorpus giganticus jumpscaricus Scorpionidae macroscorpo-irradiogenetum cainsii
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With that, we close out this entry. Next time - who knows? There are many universes to visit, and the Dragon taxonomy is long overdue.
