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 !
