HOME | DD

Description
Deadly Predators of Vabmojer

Maw Serpent
Camurungula subdolus

Gyrophel
Hexacetus cinisalvus

Vabmojer is a thriving biosphere, with huge biodiversity among its various biomes. Forests and "grasslands" dominate the land in swathes, and herbivores feed in their milions upon this bounty. As such, there are inevitably many predators, who take advantage of the abundance of prey. Whilst all are dangerous in their own way, some are more impressively deadly than others. These species have ingrained themselves upon the human psychi, and colonists delight in the splendour of sharp teeth, claws, biological darts and even deadly venoms.

One such deadly creature is the Gyrophel, a curiosity among Novuphysidae. When xenobiologists first reached the northern-most coastline of Matulande, they were surprised to see large colonies of gigantic, bright-purple hexapods. The gyrophels are purple as a form of camouflage, for the waters of Vabmojer are as purple as the sky. Gyrophels live much like Terran seals or sealions, spending the day out at sea before returning to a communal stretch of ashey beach. They are keen piscivores, spearing their prey on their sharp pseudo-beaks, before swallowing it, sometimes whole. Adapting to the oceans long ago, gyrophels have a fin-like structure running down their tails, webbing between their powerful clawed feet, and nostrils high on their heads. The waters off Northern Matulande are very cold, so the creatures have thick stores of blubber to keep them warm. It is this adaptation to the cold that has allowed them to survive - after the mass extinction that hit the Novuphysidae hard, new groups such as the Hydrosauridae began to take over. However, hydrosaurs function best in warmer waters, allowing the gyrophels to cling to existance in the freezing Rucussion Ocean.

Doing slightly better, although still restricted in range, are the members of the Sordicocephalidae. At a disadvantage due to their lack of vision, the maws have nonetheless managed to hold on to the role of top predators of Southern Vaghis. Here, the land is covered in forests, often so dense that light levels drop to one percent of normal. Here, the maws have the advantage over prey. One of the more common is the Maw Serpent, a species famous for its usage in illegal animal-baiting games. The stocky quadroped is arboreal, and specialises in hunting the larger herbivores that pass through the rainforests of Southern Vaghis along long-used paths cut through the undergrowth. Lying above the path on the thicker tree branches, the Maw Serpent is aware of all approaching prey, using echolocation to sense oncoming herbivores. Because the tangle of trees to either side of the paths confuse the echolocation, the Maw Serpents are reliant on the regular passings of prey along these trails. When prey walks underneath the serpents' branch, the maw quite literally falls onto its victim, and burrows its maw into the creatures' flesh. The animal dies from shock and bloodloss, as well as the injuries inflicted by the maw serpent as it continues to drive its maw further into its unfortunate victim. The serpent quickly eats its fill, and climbs back up its tree, before the scavengers such as Turpimuris arrive to feed.

These two species are just two of the many deadly predators on Vabmojer. Trying to live peacefully alongisde some of them has proved perhaps the greatest challenge to Vabmojan colonists.

Description
Deadly Predators of Vabmojer

Maw Serpent
Camurungula subdolus

Gyrophel
Hexacetus cinisalvus

Vabmojer is a thriving biosphere, with huge biodiversity among its various biomes. Forests and "grasslands" dominate the land in swathes, and herbivores feed in their milions upon this bounty. As such, there are inevitably many predators, who take advantage of the abundance of prey. Whilst all are dangerous in their own way, some are more impressively deadly than others. These species have ingrained themselves upon the human psychi, and colonists delight in the splendour of sharp teeth, claws, biological darts and even deadly venoms.

One such deadly creature is the Gyrophel, a curiosity among Novuphysidae. When xenobiologists first reached the northern-most coastline of Matulande, they were surprised to see large colonies of gigantic, bright-purple hexapods. The gyrophels are purple as a form of camouflage, for the waters of Vabmojer are as purple as the sky. Gyrophels live much like Terran seals or sealions, spending the day out at sea before returning to a communal stretch of ashey beach. They are keen piscivores, spearing their prey on their sharp pseudo-beaks, before swallowing it, sometimes whole. Adapting to the oceans long ago, gyrophels have a fin-like structure running down their tails, webbing between their powerful clawed feet, and nostrils high on their heads. The waters off Northern Matulande are very cold, so the creatures have thick stores of blubber to keep them warm. It is this adaptation to the cold that has allowed them to survive - after the mass extinction that hit the Novuphysidae hard, new groups such as the Hydrosauridae began to take over. However, hydrosaurs function best in warmer waters, allowing the gyrophels to cling to existance in the freezing Rucussion Ocean.

Doing slightly better, although still restricted in range, are the members of the Sordicocephalidae. At a disadvantage due to their lack of vision, the maws have nonetheless managed to hold on to the role of top predators of Southern Vaghis. Here, the land is covered in forests, often so dense that light levels drop to one percent of normal. Here, the maws have the advantage over prey. One of the more common is the Maw Serpent, a species famous for its usage in illegal animal-baiting games. The stocky quadroped is arboreal, and specialises in hunting the larger herbivores that pass through the rainforests of Southern Vaghis along long-used paths cut through the undergrowth. Lying above the path on the thicker tree branches, the Maw Serpent is aware of all approaching prey, using echolocation to sense oncoming herbivores. Because the tangle of trees to either side of the paths confuse the echolocation, the Maw Serpents are reliant on the regular passings of prey along these trails. When prey walks underneath the serpents' branch, the maw quite literally falls onto its victim, and burrows its maw into the creatures' flesh. The animal dies from shock and bloodloss, as well as the injuries inflicted by the maw serpent as it continues to drive its maw further into its unfortunate victim. The serpent quickly eats its fill, and climbs back up its tree, before the scavengers such as Turpimuris arrive to feed.

These two species are just two of the many deadly predators on Vabmojer. Trying to live peacefully alongisde some of them has proved perhaps the greatest challenge to Vabmojan colonists.