Caspian Sea

how do invasive species work in this universe? (also is Samara Jade’s name a reference to Mara Jade from Star Wars legends or is that just a coincidence 😂)

Let me know if I formatted this ask wrong 😅😅😅

Invasive Species, Companionaries, & Samara Jade . . .

[ Mentions of Poaching, Black Market Trades, Black Market Auctioning ]

(Sorry this is long)

So I based this logic/headcanon purely off of a comment Ranger Marsh made in his introduction episode “The Great Swamp Search”. Basically building worldbuilding of that same logic as what it is in real life except with a small twist. (And I’m so glad someone asked because I’ve been dying to share, this quote has changed the course of my world)

Ranger Marsh: “The Everglades are full of invasive species. Critters that come from somewhere else and don’t belong here.”

Peso: “How did they all get here?”

Ranger Marsh: “Different ways. Some were pets that got loose, others were stowaways on ships. But one things for sure, they all cause a LOT of problems!”

[ “The Octonauts & The Great Swamp Search” ]

[ A.S.A. Tip: “Invasive Species” do not include Elected, Forerunners, or Bipedal Variants, as they are more like people than wild animals (See post below for more info) ]

That being said, most invasive creatures fall under the Wilde/Primal umbrella. Creatures who live off the land through their natural habitats/environments, but for some reason or another found their way somewhere they didn’t belong. [ Ex: Lionfish in the Western Atlantic ]

Marsh himself said that in the world of the Octonauts there are animals who are kept as pets. So I adapted that knowledge to my version of this world which I’ve lovingly named as “Companions / Companionaries”.

Animals that fall under Wilde/Primal can be kept as pets, but that doesn’t mean that it’s always safe. Like keeping a black widow in your house and calling it a puppy. It’s not going to be safe. Same reason applies to other animals that even humans keep like big cats, wolves, primates, etc. — which obviously isn’t recommended.

Since this is an anthro world I created a system (post above) to differentiate between different levels of evolution. Wildes/Primals are just like any animal you and I see today, but they can talk.

Basically I leaned into the pets idea and figured that because the world was full of just animals, then there was more to gain from resources made by those animals. So I’ve introduced a few things into the mix . . .

Legal:

Pets (aka Companionaries):

Animals that choose to live under the care of another based on their personal needs. Many “domestic” species (cats, dogs, birds, etc) find ease of living, based on how far they evolved [ Ex: lion -> house cat ] within homes or “housing arrangements” [ Ex: Stables for horses - fenced pastures for cows - etc ]. They seek out being “adopted” into a “family unit” so they can give companionship where it’s needed while getting food and shelter in return. (Many are even used as service animals)

Spiritual Companion:

This is a religious tradition in many cultures (like the Palace Clan) where one Bipedal Creature (Elected/Forerunner/Variant) is bonded with a Non-Bipedal Creature (Wilde/Primal) — [ Ex: Reptiles, Mammals, Avians, Marine, etc ]

Both creatures are bonded over a certain amount of time (deep bosom friendship, soulmates) but the Non-Bipedal creature has full autonomy, they can go wherever and do whatever they please. They don’t have to necessarily live with their Bipedal friend, they can have their own home outdoors if they choose too. The Bipedal is just there to take care of them if they ever need it. [ Ex: Cuddles, grooming, food, shelter, etc. ]

Some Spiritual Companionaries have jobs or special skills that allow them to help their Bipedal friends in some way [ Ex: Herding, Letter Carrying, Scouting, Heavy Lifting, etc ]

In ancient times the Non-Bipedal Creature was usually worshiped in some way. (Think Egypt and their obsession with cats) They were seen as sacred, and were to be treated with exact respect and kindness. (Basically like a Spirit Animals, except they’re living breathing creatures that we can see)

Illegal:

Poaching:

The Act of Catching, Trapping, or Killing wild animals/protected plants/etc — The poaching business is very popular and in some cases lethal to certain populations of species.

Black Market Trading:

Trading animals/resources under the guise of making a profit to benefit one’s self/company/etc. — Has been known to be a main reason for underground fighting rings and breeding operations.

WITH ALL THAT BEING SAID—!

To properly answer your question:

“Invasive Species” are usually caused by . . .

Neglectful ownership of a companionary (allowing it to run away by accident or purposely releasing it into a place where its species doesn’t belong)

Black Market Trading (Sellers/Buyers have been known to release certain species in the environment to reduce costs on land because their presence “ruins” the area. Or the companionaries escaped due to poor living conditions given to them by their owner)

“Wandering” (A term used by many experts meaning: To wander into environments unknown based on food sources, curiosity, or changes in ecosystems (known mostly for . — (Ex: A mother snake accidentally finding its way into a crate that’s loaded overseas)

Poaching/Black Markets are very common in this world and are something that many governments are trying to stop/avoid if possible. Many animals have gone extinct because of these methods, while others are on the brink of being so.

Many organizations (like the R.S.R. & Safari Solutions & the Octonauts) have gone out of their way to be activists for the Non-Bipedal folks. Wildes and Primals help run the world after all. I mean just imagine a life without fish! (Which is one of the main food sources for this world mind you)

The Black Markets and back-alley auctions have started becoming a problem and only now have people begun to truly see how bad it really is. So when you start digging into invasive species, it’s not just about the environmental impact, but the societal impact as well.

Since everyone is an animal, everyone is affected by this. Food, land, water, plant life, everything is affected. And if things are not in their rightful place, if there are people out there purposefully forcing invasive species and purposefully ruining the environment, things can go down hill really fast.

There’s a lot of deeper issues that people don’t realize until they start doing the math. Unfortunately not every government is working towards better solutions. Some even profit off of the less fortunate. So when our lovely friends at the A.S.A. come in, it’s not always easy to accept the help our planet so desperately deserves.

What’s in a Name . . .

And for your second question my dear, no <3

Sadly it is just a coincidence, I haven’t watched Star Wars since I was a teen so I wouldn’t know who that is. The only names I know are from the “main cast” as in, Luke, Leia, Han Solo, Chewy, etc etc. I’ve only ever watched Episodes 4-6, The Force Awakens, & The Last Jedi. I’ve seen an episode/clip or two here and there of other shows but I never actually watched them if that makes sense.

Fun Fact:

Samara’s first name is (mostly) Hebrew ("guardian," "protected by God," or "watchful") and even though she’s Indian I really wanted something strong and feminine. I made Emma (her daughter) long before I made any other characters for this story, so when I made “Jade” her last name I kinda just filled in the blanks when I made her parents. Jade worked out in the end because that feels like a very Indian sounding name even if it’s literally a gemstone and not actually Indian.

I figured it would be cool if Emma took her mom’s maiden name when Sam died and became “Prof. Jade” in her honor. But I figured that might also be the result between a strained relationship between her and her dad Prof. Marin Kelp. (Not keeping her last name as Kelp I mean)

Another Fun Fact (lol):

When I name my characters I do one of three things . . .

I usually have a bunch of names pre-saved from Pinterest or I look up names on there usually using “fantasy names” in the search and I get a lot of good ones

I pull up a generator (usually “Fantasy Name Generators”)

I have a culturally appropriate name that I give them based off of research.

Very few times do I actually make a reference to someone that’s already in another media. Just because I want to keep it sort of unique.

But every now and then I do splurge and grab a random name like Yukon (because Yukon Cornelius from Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer is an ✨icon✨ and he deserves to be referenced — but for some reason I will only ever name my horse characters after him soooo 💀)

Thank you for the Ask lovely moot! I’m so glad to be chatting with you again! I hope you’re able to be around a little more but I don’t blame you if you aren’t 🤪 it’s a busy world out there!

(Don’t even worry about the formatting my dear, as long as I can read it properly you’re fine 😂)

[ Return to “World Building” / “Master Post” / “Welcome Post” ]

Mod: Steady Pregnancy Progression

This is a remake of my old mod with new cool features!

Daily Changes

In the game, pregnant Sims bellies only change when they move into a new trimester, but I've always wanted to make this process more gradual. With this mod, the bellies of all Sims in your save file (both playable Sims and NPCs) will update every day at 4 AM, so it won't draw your attention.

Belly Size Depends on Babies Number

As before, the more babies your pregnant Sim has, the bigger the belly will be.

Each Pregnancy Unique

The duration of pregnancy will vary for each Sim (upward and downward, but nothing drastic, few days at most). And the more babies a Sim has, the more likely it is that the pregnancy will be shorter.

Full Customization

You can choose from different belly size templates, but these aren't fixed values – they're just starting presets! You can customize your ideal template by adjusting the values as you see fit for each trimester and the number of babies.

Constant Belly Size

In the old version, it would sometimes reset, but now it remains constant even after a Sim reset or positioning.

Compatibility

You only need the Base Game! Besides that, the mod is still compatible with:

MCCC by Deaderpool

Wonderful / Wicked Whims (18+) by Turbodriver

Child Birth by Pandasama

Relationship & Pregnancy Overhaul by Lumpinou

Healthcare Redux by Adeepindigo

Conflicts can only occur with mods that also change the belly size.

Read More and Download (Patreon, Early Access)

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