Ao-Oni: The Straights of Durka

The Straights of Durka:

The next area of Terra Incognetia aside from the far South is the Far East, where another connection with the ‘mainland’ has formed, known as the straights of Durka, where animals of a more temperate background are intermingling between the two continents. Here, the existing fauna is not too different from those living further west, but is much more adapted to drier, Mediterranean-like habitats near the ocean. Sand is a considerable part of life within this region as well, so sandstorms are often a possibility here. The climate here is much more habitable than that in other regions further south, and the fauna consist of an interesting array of different animals adapted to such a land. While the land is relatively dry, a number of different plants grow here, including fruit bearing ones which do not seem too different to the fruits that man would once have known. The coastline contains a fairly even mix of standard beaches and higher ground with cliffs, as waves batter these edges, the coastline slowly ebbing and changing over time. The weather makes it possible for a wide range of fauna to also live here.


[Spoileric] [img]i.imgur.com/WBd5jli.jpg[/img] [/spoiler]

[spoiler=bush jumper]One such example of fauna in this region is the bush-jumper (deinolagus durkanis) a predatory variety of saurodont that has adapted to the open and rough terrain that occurs throughout much of the highlands of the straights and the eastern coast. While the 8 legs of its ancestors are still greatly used in their own ways, the back two pairs are especially large and powerful, while the other limbs work like a catapult, allowing the animal to jump great distances like some kind of giant flea. It frequently uses this method to chase after its prey, which are relatives of the spur-footers west, bearing an almost uncanny resemblance to them in this regard. Bush-jumpers are primarily ambush predators in their lifestyle-they hunt via camouflaging within the low lying undergrowth around them, as their fur is striped like that of a tiger. They will then get an appropriate distance from their prey and jump out, attempting to catch the prey item with its large pincered hands, resembling a lobsters. It can use these to viciously dismember its prey when giving the chance, though in many cases it is forced to run after its prey with great speed. The jaws are quite formidable as well, with the teeth somewhat resembling that of a piranha. In fact, the general appearance of the animal’s body is like a furry, insectoid piranha, or alternatively, a vertebrate flea. As many species, there is some sexual dimorphism present between the genders. Female bush-jumpers measure around 56cm from tip of the tail to the anus, with a further 12cm taken up by tail, weighing in the region of 6-7kg. Males are significantly smaller, at around 50cm long overall and weighing 3-4kg. Despite their vicious behaviour towards their prey and other members of their kind, they are nevertheless very caring parents and will defend their young for up to the first 9 months of their life, until they grow to a third of their adult size, by which point they gain self-sufficiency. They will then roam around in small groups until they reach 70% of their adult size, by which point they retain independence and become sexually mature. [/spoiler]

[spoiler=hoats] Off the tops of the rougher edges roam a few solitary herbivores, coming in small groups as they grace on grasses, moss and small flowers that thrive in such climates. They are fairly adaptable hexapedal creatures, which use their thin legs and small feet to easily traverse rough edges and find food, while at the same time being fairly fast and able to get away from any predators here. The faces are long with horse like incisors, tusk like canines and thick molars for grinding. These are hoats (xenotragus occidentalis), a quite adaptable variety of herbivore here. Their long neck allows them to flexibly stretch around and fine food that will sufficiently feed them, while still balancing quite high. They appear almost stilt like with their legs, while the body is quite compact and with sandy fur. The third eye of these creatures has changed quite drastically-instead of being used to detect infrared radiation or whatnot, it instead uses it as a full on third eye, which faces forward while the other two face sideways, extending its field of vision dramatically. Atop their head lies wafer shaped crests forming a butterfly like appearance; these are used for sexual display, though unlike bighorn sheep, they are much too fragile to use for fighting. The animals are medium sized herbivores, with males measuring about 1.3m tall overall and weighing a maximum of 45kg, barely classifying as megafauna at all. Females are even smaller, maxing out at 30kg, and new-borns are just 1kg. The chin is curved somewhat and the animal will use it to move taller, hardier plants out of the way while it looks for the more tender shoots beneath. They will feast on roots and bulbs if necessary, but they prefer not to, although their offspring are a different story, even being somewhat omnivorous, feasting on insects and other such small animal life. [/spoiler]

[spoiler=squizzard]Along the quite intense coastal environments of Durka, their lies a wide range of dry-adapted flora that can support various creatures despite the harshness. While Durka and Terra Incognetia as a whole has little if any desert or even semi-desert, this habitat is not good for moist-skinned animals to comfortably live in, and so they must take unusual measures to keep themselves alive. Between the scrubs lies a hole, about 10cm in diameter. A light clicking sound is heard, causing the various insects, particularly descendants of crickets and beetles to move in the other direction. Soon, some tentacles pop out of the ground. Then a beak beneath them and a short bird like face and low body. This is no vertebrate or human though, it is a terrateuth, to be precise a squizzard (pachybrachiops andersonii), one which has quite thick skin with bumps, allowing it to cope in harsher conditions well. Squizzards are quite adaptable members of their group, being somewhat like toads. Like their relatives, they still have to reproduce in water, but they spend a lot of their lives underground, particularly in areas that are moist, which are definitely preferred. The eyes have developed eye lids which help protect them from biting ants as they feast. Their tentacles are short but thick and broad, and therefore are used to effectively tear apart ant’s nests, while the hooks dig into the mud and rock in which they live. They do not have a flexible tongue unlike most human descendants and thus the tentacles are their main way of finding their favourite food source. As mentioned earlier, these creatures are about 10cm in leg span, and with the tail measure about 40cm long overall. Very solitary creatures, they only come together during the mating season, though they are much more intelligent than amphibians on Earth, given their ancestry of cephalopods. These remarkable creatures have much potential indeed. [/spoiler]

[spoilerouchers]Strange shapes make themselves known in the skies, creatures with wingspans of more than 2m and a resemblance to some kind of gigantic dragonflies. However, these are no giant insects, even if insects do get larger than on Earth. These are a very different creature, with large pouches beneath their heads that are used to store coastal crustaceans. These are pouchers (stomapottamus acrocephalus ) a type of pelican like megadraconian that adapts to feeding off coastal foods, though they will also go into freshwater habitats that are present here to find their food. The young have more well-formed teeth and go after insects and the like. New-borns are similar in size to sparrows, and bare a superficial resemblance to the avidraconians they share with their habitats, though with proportionally longer bodies and arms and smaller heads. The arms in these animals are quite thin and are used for them to catch their food in juvenile forms and to protect them as adults. Pouchers are quite social creatures like flamingos and so ambushing these animals is quite a tempting target for predatory organisms, and they frequently are. [/spoiler]

[Spoiler=skyrat] One of the most common fauna of these regions roams in between the bushes and tree branches, searching for insects, grubs and slugs to devour, though it will also feast on small nuts and fruit. This creature is the skyrat (istiopterus cosmopolitas), a small insectivore found all across the world, being one of the most common species. This local subspecies, i.c. durkaformus has lighter fur than its relatives to cope with the hotter and drier climate than it would otherwise be used to, and the head is noticeably larger, indicating a more predatory lifestyle, as it will occasionally devour the offspring of other avidraconians. The tail resembles the feathers on a birds and adds for further lift while the animal is in the air. The animals are relatively small, with primary and secondary wingspans of 23cm and 15cm respectively, with a body length overall of about 18cm. Their arms are used for them to build nests or for fights between members of the same species, as despite the size of their jaws, they are not very useful against animals of their own size or larger. they form large swarms in the trees and frequently strip them of insects, which some trees actually benefit from, providing a mutual relationship between this creature and those trees. [/spoiler]

[spoiler=talontiger]One of these beasts is the talontiger (gruileo magnificens), a felitaur that has roamed these habitats and those it neighbours for millions of years, having developed a form greatly adapted to hunt its prey, whatever the form. These could be flying creatures like the pouchers, or elegant leapers (gracilotherium ssp.), immigrants from the east, or even the juveniles of the giants of these lands. Their long tails help them to balance while they run while ambushing their prey, with their stripes helping them to camouflage with high grasses and shrubs. The tip of the tail is white and is used mainly to signal other members of its species rather to help in camouflage. The claws on the animals actual feet are relatively small for the animal’s size, around 5cm long, which while still capable of leaving nasty wounds, is not nearly as impressive as the talons on its arms, for which it earns it name. The claws here rival those of a polar bear, and are excellent for it to tear into the flesh of prey it has recently captured. The jaws are built like a clamp to hold onto the animal’s throat once it is caught and mutilated in the arms, which finishes off any survivors of those. The animal’s fur is a darker yellow though their back is a dark brown with markings, not really comparable to any big cat on earth. This vicious beast is about 3.5m long excluding the arms and including the tail, stands 1.2m tall at the shoulder and weighs in the region of 270-300kg, with its arms resembling those of some kind of dromeosaur. They are relatively solitary animals but are strong and powerful, so group work is not really necessary. [/spoiler]

[spoiler= leapers]While many herbivores in this region are natives of Terra Incognetia, some immigrants have again arrived from the East, having increased the region’s diversity and led to a more interesting development of the ecosystem. A completely different clade of centaurs arriving from there include the leapers (gracilotherium ssp.), which are much more standard looking Valinorian forms adapted to an ungulate like existence. The leapers are somewhat like deer in many ways, and resemble certain creatures from the mythology of ancient Native Americans. Adult males are much larger than the females, measuring about 1.5m in height excluding the tusks and weighing over 400kg, while the females are less than half that size in weight. Their backs are covered in lighter spots compared to their brown fur, and their heads have what look like protruding tusks coming out of them, actually developed from the ancient wisdom teeth of their distant ancestors. The arms are let loose unlike in predatory felitaurs, to which they are separated by a very long space of time, and the hands only have three fingers to grasp things. They are often used to hold onto shoots as they eat, somewhat like pandas as their balance is not brilliant, or to groom one another and communicate. The males have extended tusks that they use to fight one another, with a bizarre extension which appears somewhat like the horns of Earth’s long gone deer. The eyes are on stalks so that they do not interfere with the tusks, and this actually enhances their field of vision. Leapers have a sense of elegance to them, and they can run faster than the native exapods from predators or natural disasters, drastically reducing their mortality rate. The mobile hands also help, and adds a new dynamic to the ecosystem. [/spoiler]

[spoiler= digpig] Another more subtle immigrant lives among the herds but also moves across the more open parts of the straights, often going between the shrubs to catch its prey. this is a digpig (monodactylus diminitivus), a strange omnivorous scythebeast living in the region, using its single-digit arms to dig for food, whether roots, insects or small saurodonts burrowing. The claws are strikingly similar to old human fingernails, though far larger and thicker, being more like hand shovels, and very effective for digging. They have short heads filled with quite blunt teeth, thick molars and incisors but with stabbing canines. The spines on its back are like those of a stickleback or hedgehog and help prevent it from being attacked by predators. Digpigs travel in small groups to find areas to live, and they tend to themselves live in burrows, giving their hands an additional and reliable usage. They are quite small animals, measuring only about 70cm long including the cat-like tail and weighing no more than 5kg overall. They are fairly slow animals, but their little hooves, somewhat like those of basal horses can provide quite a nasty kick for their size, meaning smaller predators rarely attack them either. While these creatures are not by any means the most spectacular of immigrants in any context, they are a highly adaptable group of creatures, capable of surviving in many different conditions and on many different foods. They have been around for only the last 15 million years, but they should have many millions more years to come. [/spoiler]

[spoilereacock scuttler] One of the most fascinating looking organisms here is what might otherwise be an ordinary looking creature, if it weren’t for its incredible tail. The peacock scuttle (magnouranis lamphros) has one of the most spectacular levels of display of any animal, possessing a pronged tail which extends with large colourful membranes which fan out at times when they are used sexual display. The tail makes up almost 70% of the animal’s length in the case of the males, with each of the membranes being a different colour and pattern. This not only functions as a great way of attracting mates, but it can actually function as a way of frightening off predators with the eye like patterns, which helps them protect the smaller females. The animal’s size varies significantly between the genders, with the males being well over 2.5m long and weighin in the region of 35-40kg, while the females are about 1.3m long and weigh about 15-20kg, under half the male’s weight. They are also much duller in colour. Unlike many other saurodonts, they are quite herbivorous creatures, feeding on grains and lower lying plants primarily rather than on life prey. The arms are used to grab this food while it feeds, and the tail is used as a defensive weapon against any predators that try anything. [/spoiler]

[Spoiler=Trojan Beast (not included in picture due to existing art)] While not many animals of significant sizes exist here, with many non-megafaunal items present, there are not by any means none. One very prominent example of a giant herbivore is the Trojan beast (epequus grandis). This is the least common of the giant enormacentaurs, but nevertheless one of the most awesome to behold. These strange creatures diverged from their kin about 23 million years ago, and have lost the trunks of their iconic relatives, instead developing an unusual horse like appearance in the meantime. They are quite large browsers which resemble the ancient indricotheres in appearance and structure. Even their fur is horse-like, with a thin coat in most of the body and a thick main across the back. Unlike horses, they have forward facing canines, which work like tusks during browsing sessions. It is significantly more horizontal than the other species, with almost no slope in its back. It is also the most sexually dimorphic, with males standing 4.5m tall, 3.5m at the shoulder, 15m long and weighing about 10-12 tonnes, while the females are just 3.3m tall, 2.7m at the shoulder and weigh about 7 tonnes. New-borns tend to way no more than 50kg for either gender. They are more solitary than other species and live either alone or in a mating pair. The females are extremely protective parents from local predators, and given their size, there are few that can touch them. Predators such as sharkheads or talontigers are powerless to attack these adults, though juveniles are another matter entirely, and so they will use their parental skills and their bulk to the full advantage. [/spoiler]

[spoiler=sharkhead] Speaking of sharkheads (charcharacephalus horridus), these are the largest predators in the region, named for their shark like heads which are ideal for attacking prey quickly, viciously mutilating them without the use of claws or arms. They are of course rippers, though their tongues are much smaller than their relatives, and their teeth are designed like blades to cut flesh, like the smaller species, only to an even greater extent. These prove useful when dealing with Trojan beasts, as it allows them to make these giants bleed out. Their scales are very small and compound, giving them a seemingly smooth and shiny appearance on their skin. The head has an overextended nose like that of a shark, giving it a highly elevated sense of smell, though its vision is also very good, allowing it to hunt quite well. The young work in small groups to attack prey items, though the adults have no such need. An adult female sharkhead measures about 8.5m long, is 2.5m tall and weighs about 1700kg, being an exclusively predatory creature. The male on the other hand is significantly smaller, at about 7m long, 2.2m tall and weighing 1200kg, while new-borns are just 10kg. Their brow ridges are almost non-existent, giving their heads a smooth appearance, almost seamlessly merging into the rest of the body. These powerful predators are not to be trifled with in such an ecosystem. [/spoiler]

[Spoiler=camel strider] The strider group of triskelids is one of the most prevalent of all the animals in the more southern regions of this area, mainly developing across niches somewhat similar to those of bears, being quite sizeable omnivores that won’t stoop against hunting actively. One exception, just like with Earth’s panda has also evolved in this more arid habitat, and has also spread east into Valinor, being quite an adaptable form. The herbivorous camel-strider (avicamelus psamathus) is one of the more interesting and unusual organisms in this habitat. It has adapted to the more arid regions of Terra Incognetia and uses this to be able to roam a wide range of habitats, surviving of relatively little food or water. It has relatively less fur than its relatives due to the warmth of its habitat, and its fur is a sandy colour, which means it camouflages well with the many arid rocks and beaches that are present. Its head in particular is even more camel like, with the exceptions of the third eye at the top and the split lower jaw. The animal is a fairly large creature, with the female measuring about 2.2m tall when its head is fully raised, and a weight of 400kg, while the male is somewhat smaller at around 1.8m tall and 300kg. Their speed and their habitat mean that large predators rarely try and go after them due to the peril. They also travel in herds which helps protect them and their young.  [/spoiler]

[Spoiler=Spike Tripe] Surely on the most radical herbivores in this habitat is also the most highly defended of them all, making even the enormacentaurs seem poorly defended in comparison. This beast of course is the spike tripe (ankylotherium stegouranis), a large herbivore which has taken the armour of its relatives to a whole new level, making them into outright plates, particularly on the animal’s tail, where they have become like a mace similar to that of the dinosaur stegosaurus. Their overall bodies are somewhat similar to those ancient creatures like ankylosaurus or doedicurus , with a furry almost rodent like head used to graze, and pincer arms which can easily tear through plants or keep them in place as it eats. Their strange horse like feet seem out of place on such a bulky and heavy animal, but the fact it has 8 of them makes it much easier for this beast to move around and make a living. The beast is also a very large creature, measuring about 6m in length, about 1.7m tall excluding its plates and weighs in the region of 2500kg, meaning that as adults they effectively have no predators due to the power of their armour and defences.  [/spoiler]

And that my friends, is the long over waited update for Ao-Oni’s east coast. Perhaps more shall be edited in in the future, but I digress. The next part that shall be done is open at the moment, though it may either be the islands to the north, or perhaps we should exist terra Incognetia and move to the vaster and even more spectacular lands that exist in all directions elsewhere. See you then!