The Wanderer and Watcher of the Grounds

 O, what shall be the wanderer,

scrawling upon the legs of hex 

He searches among the trees 

The watcher waits aside 

in the crowded space

where, given chance, wanderer appears,

seeking it's purpose 

in clarity to the watcher.

The first and second layers of the Tuaisceartan Denseforest network is the forest floor and the understory layers, much similarly functioning to the rainforests we see on Earth. 

The two species of this entry we are focusing on, is an appendixaform, and the dyopod. We haven't interacted with these groups of life in a long time, to briefly explain these groups, these are the "vertebrates" of Eile, along with caputicentralisids (watch for the next entry!), the most obvious distinction between the two groups is the hexa/tetrapodal features for appendixaforms, and the dyopodal features for dyopods. 

Aurumcupitor vulgaris EILE or the common Forestwanderer, is an organism which is part of the clade Feithida, whose hexapodal structure evolved to look like an "insects" on earth, although they do not completely look like one. This organisms particular niche is a some sort of denseforest browser, picking on leaves, undergrowth and other dead matter in order to survive. It is delicate and careful in the dense environment, and are often seen in groups of 3-6 in order to survive predation. A single specimen is depicted in the picture, it is as seen in the said image, dark-blueish and almost hairless. Due to the humid environment.

Lower dense forest layers can often be quite dense as seen in the background. This organisms use the little amount of sunlight and decaying matter to sustain their growths. Despite how these pictures are illustrated, most of the photoids are quite small for Eile, being usually shorter than an average human male. This means that this organism is also quite small. Perhaps 40cm, which is still considerable size for an anapnoil on Eile.

One of the strangest things of this planet, that this organism shows, is that it shows how places can be on Eile. Tuaisceart, Notiodytikia, and Megalonotosia are all perfect examples of this anomalous planet. In Tuaisceart's case, On the west and east of the continent, it is occupied by the desert of plategrass, with the "cactuses" which are piercertrees growing occasionally, these plategrasses grows in colonies until it is physically impossible to penetrate the sand and expand into the oceans, it is cold, and windy, especially at the northern tip where temperatures can be described as "sub-arctic". 

On the same continent, you have a humid denseforests, in which the temperature seems temperate as you descend from the top, but as you descend to the forest floor, it is hot and humid compared to the rest of the continent, not enough to be hellish, but enough for organisms to become naked here. More extreme examples exist on other continents.  That is how you get furry creatures, and naked creatures, on the same continent . 

Next, Caedisartufex supervivex EILE , known commonly as a Common Fadcossed Watcher is a stealthy, slender-legged dyopod. Despite the morphological and bio-mechanical limitations that the clade of Dyopodia have, they are starkly different from the typical , bulky dyopods you would see on the plains in the same continent of tuaisceart.  The species mentioned, has a sharper teeth, it's mouth-jaw-proboscis is not retractable anymore, but highly segmented and flexible, lined with millions of small, sharp keratin-analogue spikes, this is a striking convergent evolution, with some "blade-pretender" taxa(A clade of completely unrelated organisms from the articulisid phylum) also having spikes to crush prey far more easily and using the proboscis as sort of a biological "mace". It is part of a highly genetically isolated , but successful clade, known as Rigidusids,  a group of long-legged dyopods, it is called "Rigidusids" due to a common feature the class has in regards to the structure of the dyopodian proboscis, the non-"retractability". A unique thing only applicable to this species is it has evolved a sharp "beak"-ish spear mouth, controlled and opened by hinges, the spearbeakish mouth having for segmented also lined with some teeth. The Fadcossed Watcher sets aside and stalks it's prey from a distance, built more for quick, ambush attacks, rather than prolonged confrontations, it has to wait for long hours at a time before the prey is relaxed, completely unsuspecting of anything and unprepared. 

Here is the specimen depicted, it is quite tall, being 1.1 meters. It is also proportionally wide, so it would make sense that it has enough room to even eat the species that they predate on.

OOC: There will 2 more posts regarding or relating to the continent of Tuaisceart, after this, I am moving on to something else in regards to the organisms on Eile. The Loch sea will be covered in another time. On an unrelated note, Eile is well over a year old at this point, so I want to thank the small audience who comes here on this site as well as the forum topic on the spec evo jcink forum. Thanks for reading. 

Denseforest, Temperate.

 If you haven't noticed, a recurring theme in all my previous entries is that all the species are from the continent of Tuaisceart. And as we go through each post and more is added. We briefly go through biomes of tuaisceart, as a result. And strike deeper into it's "heart". The massive Loch sea.

What guards the massive Loch sea is the Temperate denseforest of Tuaisceart . Otherwise known as An Coillthiubh , supported by the lake, whose is protected by precipitation on the lake itself, and the massive, ash consuming Ashcatchers, or Coilleanas, a group of species specialised by consuming the massive clouds suspended by Eile's lower gravity and wind patterns, which may not feel like much, being 30% less. But it makes a massive difference for small particles like volcanic ash, and the ability to develop structures to catch volcanic ash. 

Ash contains molecules , nutrients necessary to maintain massive size for the Coilleneas.  The coillean has selectively developed extended ends off it's upper leaves to reach up into the sky. Large Ash clouds are maintained via wind patterns, and it's particles consumed and stripped bare by these trees. The ends are electrically charged, nutrient molecules launch into the trees system from the top into the leaves, into the branches, into the trunk.  Sometimes, volcanoes may only erupt only a few hundred or thousand years, so the coillean are switch up and sustain themselves on other nutrient and water sources.

The red mounds are volcanoes , the lightest greens would be plategrass, darker greens would be TDTLFS and the darkest, denseforest. And Also the mysterious mountain range in tuaisceart, being labelled "An Nathair". 

You may notice the distance of some volcanoes to actual denseforests. There are a few explanations, ashes, due to the lower gravity of Eile, are easily suspended in it's atmosphere. Allowing it travel for hundreds of thousands of kilometers, considering the fact that all things considered, Tuaisceart is a massive continent. Another reason is plategrass, the denseforest is in a constant "war" with the plategrass, which is indeed, an invasive species. The reason of existence for TDTLFs on large continents is that they are outgrowth of denseforests, some photoid species can be found both on TDTLFS and in the cluttered, tight, denseforests. Even shrubland species, which evolved from denseforest undergrowth. It is an evolutionary arms race, with both sides launching parasitic species , adapted to the environments on either sides ,that is the reason why some TDTLF areas are trapped being TDTLFs whilst sorrounded by volcanoes. Or plategrass securing a victory by sorrounding it with plategrass species adapted to volcanoe habitats. Thus why Denseforests looked squeezed in along the end of the Tuaiscartean river deltas and yet spread out for hundreds of kilometers at the north and center loch region. 

 The layers of a denseforest are as follows, and as applies to most denseforests around the eilen globe; 

 The Emergent layer - similar to Earth's rainforest, denseforest's have their emergent layers, with some photoid "trees" naturally taller than other plants. Anapnoils here must be adapted to a changing environment, one that is can be occassionally covered in volcanic ash. Most motile organisms are small gliders or fliers.

 Canopy layer - The inside of the "roof" of the denseforest, can get quite humid at times. The canopy layer is formed as a result of a number of same species attained a certain same size, creating a network of branches and leaves and small canopy parasitic photoids. Small climber anapnoils as well as gliders also reside here. There is a large number of "fruit" as well produced by the Coilleanas in this network, which are eaten by some frugivorous anapnoils. Can be up to 8 meters

 Understory layer - the rest of the rainforest structure except the forest floor. Humid and dark environment. Home to many unique understory photoids using different pigments and large leaves to optimally catch sunlight. Surprisingly large yet prehensile anapnoils live in the understory. 

 Forest Floor - The decomposition layers, a lot of decomposers of various kinds from euheteroids to anapnoils to even photoids thrive here. Sometimes rivers flow through the forest floor, creating specialized species adapted for these variants of the forest floor ecosystem. 

 Thanks for reading.

Silvaconrepo culcitae and the phylum of Quadrachordates

 Silvaconrepo culcitae is a quadrachordate which slithers around the Tuaisceartan TDTLF biomes. It is part of a forest-dwelling quadrachordates who have adapted their locomotion to slither across the forest floor. This particular species eat up dead leaf litter exclusively. It is around 40 mm long . They are hunted by bigger organisms, such as articulusids and mollisids which traverse the forest floor for food. 

A loose illustration of a specimen traversing

A quadrachordate is a phylum of apothemaites who have evolved from slow-moving organisms which inhabited tidal areas of the Eilen coasts. They can be compared to echinodermata of Earth, but they have many differences. 

Quadrachordates are both sea-dwelling and land-dwelling apothemaites. Originally possessing radial symmetry, they were sessile organisms who had a mutation which caused them to store calcium deposit in four so-called "spinochords" . The spinochords would eventually get segmented and flexible as the organisms of the phylum got more motile. Developing complex structures in order to aid in faster locomotion(as to invade larger sea predators) and developing their visual senses, (developing compound eyes, for examples ) . They would use the unpredictable tidal zone areas for the safety. This would cause many quadrachordates to get dried on the beaches of Eile or stuck in smaller pools. Eventually, this hard-wires the quadrachordates to last longer on land. 

They would develop spiracles and small pseudo-lungs lined under the layer of their skin in the center disk part of the body  to process oxygen from the fresh Eilen air. They would invade the lands and establish their own niches like everyone else on Eile. 

Silvaconrepo culcitae and members of the clade it is part of have structures under the lower quarter of their "legs", these are loose, small fibrous which allow to sense vibrations  around it and can stiffen to aid in traversing rougher terrain in the forest floor. 

Thanks for reading.

Spotted Giblitka

 The organism we are looking at today is the Spotted giblitka, scientific name Magnagibber crudaangulus EILE . It is part of the motiloid phylum, Eumollisids, a topic which has only been briefly discussed beforehand. 

Eumollisids are truely a special type of phylum in Eile. Being older than the articulisid phylum and all apothemaite phylums. And being in early eons of multi -cellular life. 

Eumollisids are still quite significant today. From "worms" to "snails" to "pseudo-sea snakes", they are an incredibly diverse and adaptive phylum which may show mechanisms behind further advanced motiloid evolution to apothemaites and even more.

The species in general is part of a larger group called Gibberids, some may compare them to the gastropods of Earth , Gibberids use internal structures in order to produce locomotion and be able to move. Those internal structures are modified miniscule muscles enabling Gibbberids to move across the bumpy surface of the forest floor.

This organism (the Spotted Giblitka) traverses across the forest floor looking for leaf litter, sometimes, it will consume "eggs" that are attached onto the leaf litter that are left attached on the leaf. Sometimes these eggs can be a good nutritious meal, or cause a parasite to grow in their bodies(causing them to die as the organism develops more and more inside of them). The spotted giblitka is gonochoric, with males being brighter green and smaller, while females being duller green and bigger.Also having specialised reproductive organs for each sex. The female lays hundreds of small jelly-like eggs, only 1 in 100 eggs pass through the hatching stage. However, if they do hatch, most of them survive to adulthood and beyond, living for around a good 10 years. Thanks for reading as always and see you in the next post.

Sessile Organisms of the Tuaisceartan Forests

OOC: Hello, this post is going to be more of a proper post for Eile this time around. I have decided that I am going to refer to photosessilids as photoids/flora from now on.  Euheterosessilids as Eusessiloids/funga, and the Heteromotilids as motiloids/fauna from now on. Reason being to be more concise while trying to make it clear that That doesn't mean that the names for the Kingdoms of life have changed, however.

Greetings, everyone! Today we are focusing on sessile organisms which inhabit the forests of the TDTLF biomes.  TDTLF biomes for a quick explanation are necessarily mainly forest habitat with some plains contained inside it that continues after the range of a denseforests, although this isn't necessarily the case for every TDTLF habitat, it is, on Tuaisceart. 

A "forest"on Eile is defined by the dominance of tree-analogues. They contain a variety of organisms, despite being dominated by these towering tree-analogues. 

Most tree-analogues on Eile have to communicate in order to decide metabolic cycles and best times in order to loose leaves and other things. While this was said on the last post, we are going to be exploring this further on the habitats of Tuaisceart. Trees often have to communicate with sometimes completely different tree-analogues and in order to complete this they have to have symbiosis.  Symbiosis can often be hijacked, which forces symbiotes to evolve further, the hijackers adapt to these changes, an evolutionary arms race begins. Let's look at these tree-analogues.

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A sketch of a Cranya next to a stickman for size comparison, this tree analogue is a very typical one in Tuaisceart's TDTLFs, core and roots are extended and meet with "hyphae" treads of the eusessiloid organisms. The tree top half is especially confusing, some "tree-analogues" never developed any kind of symmetry. The Cranya branches and leaves are easily regrowable due to being rather flimsy structures. Despite this, they are often host to variety of organisms and organism-made structures over their long lifetime(130-140 Eilen years)Colonies, nests, parasites make this organism their home. Reproduction is also made through releasing pollenoids, however this time reproduction is more akin to a pine tree despite radically different morphologies . Releasing two fruiting bodies, one male, and one female, the female one is hard like an acorn, while the male one is soft and spongy. The male fruiting bodies releases pollenoid to other cranya trees female fruiting bodies through wind ( Eile has lower gravity, making it easier to traverse through wind), occasionally use of fire and some kind of heat was evolved as an alternative to spread the pollen. The female fruiting bodies once the pollenoids enters them, they fertilize into a "nut" and become so heavy that they drop down into the forest floor, where wandering organisms will eat and excrete the seeds out in a lucky enough location. All of this results in a new cranya "tree-analogue". The scientific name for the species is Confususmateriae confususmateriae EILE.

Here is some sketches of tree-analogue that can be found on Tuaisceartan forests,these show the variety of morphologies that can be found. The number to indicate what is what is below each tree.

1. A pine-like species of tree-analogue found in forests. Often a shelter or place for organism-made structures. Evolved from isolated species.

2.Perhaps more of an "undergrowth" tree-analogue, maybe related to the Cranya.

3. Bizzare tree analogue, also a great shelter for species, perhaps related to 1.

4. An uncommon tree-analogue which has an unusual shape and form.

5.A tree-analogue that looks like a spruce, however, not "evergreen"

6. The most special about this one in that it has the most secure "network attachments" between the eusessiloids in the ever growing arm race between saboteurs and symbiotes.

7. Produces large fruits which taste like somewhere between a tomato and an apple.

8.A monstrous tree analogues which reproduces using motile "gametophytes". This tree acts as a hub for pseudo-mycorrhizal networks and communication between trees.

9. A strange tree-analogue which roots itself using "hyphae".

10.Perhaps related to 9. , considered more as an undergrowth photoid, however it still communicates with other "trees" using the networks. 

Moving on from these photoids, are the eusessiloids. 

The Eusessiloids/funga of these "forests" are the powerlines and wires of a vast biological network. The energy and pumping between these can cause soil temperature to rise, making a land forest on Tuaisceart that is sometimes hot. 

This is basically a biological mini-powerline. Also, first look into one of the many Eusessiloids on Eile. This Eusessiloid is part of a phylum which had adapted to land, it is the analogue of the complex multicellular fungi found on earth, however, the shape of them are indeed, radically different. The purple bulb contains a clump of tubes and vessels pumping around collections and information between the big organisms of the forest. This also contains practically biological neural cells in order to organise the direction of which and what information is going. These organisms take around 30% of the energy that is sent between the"tree-analogues" for their own growth, sometimes, if there is a lot information being sent between, it can even take 60-70% of energy transmitted. The yellow structure is a spore "transmitter", containing sporomytes which are motile, microscopic, and move until they find an smaller untaken patch. Once found, they"germinate", unmatured younger mini-powerlines often parasitize networks before becoming mature. Flavum violaceum EILE is the scientific name for this species.

Let's look at this red, wondrous bush, it is a parasite of the endless symbiosis. An endless arms race between symbiotes and saboteurs is evident within the sessile side of the world of Eile. A possible relative of the exarborigramenids(A group of woody photoids, often with tree analogues), this photoid has assumed red leaves in order to gain as much energy as possible from what light is left in these forests . However, as you can also see in this illustration, it that it parasitises "mycorrhizae" and "roots" of connected networks, taking 80% of the nutrients and "information" being sent ,practically causing biological  "network disruptions" to occur. These reproduce asexually and through spores through the top "leaves" of the photoid. Rubrum tuaisceart EILE is the scientific name for the species illustrated.

2 Illustrations

 

OOC: Hello everyone this is a post simply demonstrating some landscapes I made digitally and simple explanation on what is going on.I have tried something new in both of them so feel free to give feedback or ask questions. Next post will be focusing on individual organisms again.Both illustrations apply to the TDTLF biome in Tuaisceart.Some of the organisms mentioned here will probably be in the next post and expanded on further.

An Illustration of some of the photosessilids of the TDTLF in  Tuaisceart, Forests in the distance are represented  by the green cage-like mounds, this does not mean  necessarily that "trees" have green wood,or leaves same colour as their wood.(Although some have subtle green shades). These illustration represents a TDTLF plain somewhere in  Tuaisceart. Classic grass analogues, which are ancestors of trees found in denseforests and TDTLFs , usually dominate the plains, These plains are usually small and found on "ecotones" of plategrass biomes, And an abundance of small plants that wouldn't be able  to grow on the "wooden" plains of plategrasses are found here. As illustrated here, small plants with droopy leaves called Dripleaves  are found in variety of green shades.

An Illustration of the forest floor of some understory sessile organisms, leaf litter and branches from Eilen "trees" of the TDTLF biome  forest habitat are scattered here. As we can see here.Two yellowish sessile organisms, who have emerged from underground in as fruiting bodies, these are euheterosessilids. Trees of this type on Eile can grow their leaves back, and often loose leaves,much like deciduous tree on ,they don't loose leaves pattern-wise, due to Eile's seasonal  and weather changes, having to rely on symbiosis of sending metabolisms through euheterosessilid's hyphae, which can be hijacked by the understory photossessilids, such as the Drapleavebush ,shown as the understory photosessilid in the illustration , with droopy leaves,which connects via hyphae-like threads   . Leaves are many and are small due to this. On average, "Trees" on Eile are taller, and looser by a  marginal amount, there are exceptions although we won't expand on that for today. There is some small "moss" growing on the trees as well.

Thickarmour Lightfly, Yellowcrest and Redlobe Astyels

Hello, today we are going to focus on flying organisms of Eile, specifically the temperate plains biome in Tuaisceart. These flying organisms have habitats that change often because of micro-migration. Thus making these organisms "inter-biomal". 

The larger flying organisms of Eile are mainly the articulisids and Apothemaites, specifically Katoikosaeras, a polyphyletic group of Appendixaforms which have evolved to fly. Unlike the term birds on earth,a katoik(Katoikosearan for short) may refer to any of classes of appendixaforms that evolved flight.

Flying organisms on Eile in general evolved from some kind of small plain dwelling or semi-plain(plains in TDTLF biome ) dwelling descendant, whether it'd be an articulusid or a Katoikosaeran. Using extended vein lobes or articulated wings as acceleration before eventually evolving to use air currents and wind direction in order to accelerate even further , thus achieving flight. Once achieved flight, the organisms evolved and repurposed their bodyplans for occupation of the many niches flight can offer. 

Due to lower gravity and thinner atmosphere, flying organisms are smaller on average then earth organisms,yet are able to stay on air longer on average due to lower gravity, as it is easier to retain flight, but harder to launch into the air. 

Katoikosaeras are appendixaforms, since appendixaforms are apothemaites(vertebrate-like on Eile), Katoikosaeras convergently utilize some aspects of earthen traits in their morphology, albeit rather loosely. Some Katoikosaeras have evolved an independent form of viviparity from the rest of the appendixaform group (many other appendixaforms are viviparous) .

We will explore some of these morphologies of flying organisms on Eile through 3  different organisms.

The Thickarmour lightfly is a microscopic, small flyer which are part of the articulusid phylum, they are part of a large clade of flying organisms called Sexartusmuscae , who are winged articulusids which evolved from hexapodal lineages. 

They are bloodsuckers, and not greatly sexually dimorphic, with only ever so slight differences in physicality between males and females. They are armoured as they are predators who actually scavenge for them. Thus quicker reproduction becoming a necessity in the species.

Illustration of Thickarmour Lightfly , The orifice
 at  the front,as well as the green appendage have evolved different roles, the green appendages has evolved into  a tube for sucking blood  and other liquids, a liquivorous diet only feasible for much small  organisms like itself,whilst the orifice has the role of helping with breathing. This illustration depicts a specimen clumsily walking along a tree branch, which is a mating behaviour that can be found in Thickarmour lightflies but is very random, tree branches or any solid area can be used as mating grounds.Like most articulusids in the temperate plains, these small organisms are much active in dawn and dusk. The scientific name for these organisms are Brunapinna ruberscutum EILE. In the top left, there is an illustration of the top side of the organism when it is flying.

Next up we have the Katoikosaeras. Yellowcrest atsyel and Redlobe atsyel are species of the same family,called Quantulacibidae .They're relatively small species, no larger then a tit when standing on their two legs, even smaller when flying,the naming behind atsyel is a chunk taken from the transcripted Russian word lyetatsyel'. And then "Redlobe" and "Yellowcrest" have been taken from their appearances. 

Yellowcrest and Redlobe flying through tree branches. Leaves were not illustrated here in order to show organisms In reality, they would all be covered in leaves.

The scientific name for Yellowcrest is Folirumpere fulvathorax EILE and the scientific name for the Redlobe is Foliumimpello cruentacaput EILE. Both apothemaites are part of clade of Katoikasaeras  in which bone structure changed drastically,  evolving from early more "bird-like"( four legs ,two wings) into an entire separate class, called Suprapenna , Whose wings are over the legs. This was an incredibly slow evolution , thus most of the class having still undeveloped clades as this is a recent morphology.  The skin of such lying organisms in this clade is lined by many, many hairs, similar to those of bat and pterosaurs,  however much lighter, and much more.

The Yellowcrest's an Redlobe's bright colours may be a form of false aposematism to try and detract predators, as larger apothemaites do hunt these organisms. While the Yellowcrest and Redlobe are similar organisms, with similar behaviours, such as thrusting through the leaves trees of the temperate plains and making nesting grounds of them.They have different enough niches which allows them to prevent competition. The yellowcrest is most times frugivorous, as it is difficult to be an obligated on the plains. The Redlobe is most time articuluvorous( eating articulusids,insect-analogues of Eile.), basically vice versa. 

This is it for today's Eile post, thanks for reading!