#species dev

Norm is a type of alien known as a Greater Fenomenan. Every Greater Fenomenan possesses a fusion/duplication ability, just like Norm, but many of them are only able to create a direct replica of themselves, rather than a separate person. A Fenomenan’s most basic form is known as the host, which is what Little Norm is. When split in two, the second form is known as the doppelganger, which is what Big Norm is. A doppelganger starts out looking identical to their host, but can warp and change overtime according to the host’s repressed thoughts and feelings. Most of the host Fenomenans are roughly the same height when fully grown, but doppelgangers can fluctuate in size at any given point in life, whether that makes them larger or smaller than their hosts is a matter of circumstance.

Big Norm’s identity stems from Little Norm’s frustration with his shyness and lack of speech, so Big Norm balances this out by being loud and confident. Little Norm is insecure, so Big Norm does his best to boost Little Norm’s confidence, and praise him whenever he can. Many Fenomenan hosts like to give their doppelgangers special names, but since Little Norm doesn’t speak, Big Norm just goes by “Norm” as well. Big Norm and Little Norm have a very strong bond, which is very valuable in Fenomenan culture.

Fenomenans do not have blood in a typical sense, but rather, their bodies are made up of blue matter, roughly the consistency of jelly. The substance is very flexible, and can easily be compressed into small spaces, which is how Big Norm and Little Norm can fuse together without taking up any extra space. (This also means combined Norm is notably heavier than he looks, and by extension, very dense, but it’s not really a big deal.) When hosts fight, they prefer to resolve conflicts by having their doppelgangers duke it out. Due to the unstable nature of the blue matter that makes them up, doppelgangers can transfer body mass through fighting, so you can guarantee that a large doppelganger like Big Norm has won a ton of battles!

As a species of the arid planet Fenomena, the Greater Fenomenans have a few eccentricities regarding their environmental upbringing. One of the standouts would be that they can’t be fully submerged underwater, or else they’ll dissipate. The blue matter that makes up Fenomenans is good at preserving moisture, but is still unstable, so if placed in water, it’ll spread out, making it nearly impossible to get all of it back together in a manageable way. Yes, in some rare cases, Fenomenans have been able to survive being submerged, but it’s generally considered fatal. Rain is safe, and so is drinking water, of course, but too much water is generally bad for Fenomenans.

That’s all I got for now, but I’m sure I can think of more in the future!

Bonus pic of the Norms with stripeless sleeves because I thought it looked nice when I was working on the pic:

Yes good~

Even the alien Clawback shows traces of its pony ancestry. While they do not form so much as a herd, family groups know each other by scent. These groups consist of the two parents and one -rarely, two- babies. They stay together until the young have become independent, then they separate again. They will always recognize each other’s scent, and future meetings usually comprise a brief acknowledgment of the other’s continued existence.

Clawback offspring are born tiny and twiggy, their skin translucent so as to see the viscera within, and soft claws and hooves that soon harden to piercing points and sturdy toenails. They spend much of their early life in one or both of their parents’ cradled claws, strengthening the grips of their own teeny talons by hanging on to a finger or two for safety. As they mature, they learn to clamber over their parents’ forms and cling around their necks. It’s not uncommon to see Clawback parents with tiny scratches or scars from their offspring’s endeavors.The young lack their parents’ terrifying teeth at first, relying on their caregivers to deliver literal shreds of food to them. It isn’t until shortly before they can acquire their own snacks that the mouthful of needles cut through. They still depend on their parents to provide most of their food, but they do practice finding small arthropods and slippery water life.

Alright, I got a few!

Starting this off, here’s this picture of Nash and Saber! ... and... someone else they know.

Barin is the furthest planet away from the center of Velo’s system. Its standard surface temperature is usually 0 degrees Fahrenheit, give or take. It has one moon, and is larger than earth by a notable margin. Thousands of years in the past, Barin was once a temperate planet, but it became a frigid wasteland thanks to a mysterious global cooling that rendered the surface uninhabitable for the longest time. This forced the ancient Barinichthys to go underground and underwater for warmth. Nowadays, the denizens of Barin have ways to counteract the freezing temperatures, so they’re slowly returning back to the surface.

Barin’s atmosphere has a significantly higher oxygen content than Earth and Velo’s World, which is something its inhabitants are well suited to. This is why Nash needs the apparatus, as well as the need to keep hydrated. The device has two chambers, one for air and one for water. The air chamber is connected to the ring his nose, the water chamber is connected to his goggles.

Technology on Barin is very reminiscent of steampunk technology, as many of their designs can appear rather flashy and decorative rather than functional. Barin Ruins, despite being abandoned and empty, still serves a purpose for Barinichthys, as the lava-like substance that flows directly under it serves as a power source for Barinean machinery and heats their underground homes. It’s certainly a way to turn something dangerous into something good...

Introducing Saber!

Saber is a swordfish-like creature from Barin. I’ve decided he and Nash’s species is referred to as “Barinichthys”. He has similar aspirations to Nash, wanting to be Barin’s new champion. He and Nash are friends, however, so he’d feel like he’d be doing Nash a disservice by (indirectly) kicking him out of Velo’s entourage. 

As implied in the picture, Saber lost his dorsal fin (presumably in a fight he thought he could win), so he has a false one going down his spine. He could potentially take it off, but he doesn’t want to because he feels naked without it. On a similar note, Nash is also missing his dorsal fin, and alternates from a plethora of prosthetic fins. His favorite one is the prosthetic with three spikes.

A whole sheet of Terra-Sapiens! I wrote most of the important info on the actual picture, but I do have a few more details about them that I couldn’t fit onto the canvas.

Krunk and Snazzy’s tribe is rooted in the same location as the track, Tiny Temple. Leeke’s is closer to Jungle Boogie, though it’s not directly located there. Leeke lives close enough to the others to know who they are, and sees Snazzy on an almost daily basis (they’re friends, after all), but doesn’t tend to hang around in the open, or venture close to the temple itself. It should be noted that even though there are populations on Inferno Island, Terra-Sapiens are  not known for swimming.

Most Terra Sapiens, despite living a mostly grounded lifestyle, are very adept at climbing trees. Like many primates on earth, they are able to grip branches with their tails and their feet, not just their hands.  

Some Terra-Sapiens are capable of learning to use magic, much like Leeke. It’s a bit of an art form, but it’s not for everyone. Leeke obviously knows how to use it, but Krunk and Snazzy do not. 

Being heavier-set is seen as attractive in Terra-Sapien society, as it indicates an abundance of resources, and good health. Not to mention, strength!

Okay, okay, okay, so, I have a LOT of headcanons about Terra and I’ll get to all of them eventually, but for now I’ll focus on the basics!

Terra is a planet in the same solar system as Velo’s World and Gasmoxia. It has four moons, and is generally the same size as Earth, albeit somewhat more spherical. Its gravitational pull and atmosphere are roughly the same as Earth, and the planet is about a hundred million years younger than Earth. 

The denizens of Terra are called Terra-Sapiens, and from a civilization standpoint, have only recently come out of the stone age. They are polytheistic, believing in multiple gods, which are represented by masks and sculptures present on Terra. They tend to come in tribes of 30 or more, though there are known to be loners, or groups of up to 60 of them at once, to provide a few extreme examples. They tend not to be territorial or aggressive towards each other, but they can potentially attack if presented with an unfamiliar threat (IE: Earthlings). Blue is the most common fur color for them, though they can also be purple or green.

Krunk’s place as the racing champion of Terra is particularly odd, as most tribes of Terra-Sapiens do not, in fact, have the proper technology for kart racing. In fact, I’m sure the only reason some tribes can race is because Oxide challenged the planet some time ago to a championship race, and gave the Terra-Sapiens custom karts “to even the playing field”. In fact, it was because Oxide’s guard was lowered that Krunk became Terra’s champion, earning him favor with Velo and placement in the tournament. 

Lastly, going back to the topic of gods:

Yes! Like I said in other posts, they live in tribes led by one chief. Here are the chiefs of Krunk’s tribe and Leeke’s tribe respectively:

Krunk’s chief is named Amirah, and Leeke’s chief is named Zeno! Both are magic users, and are widely recognized as the strongest in their respective tribes. Unlike Krunk, neither of them know how to race, and Amirah herself is rather irritated with all the attention he’s been getting because of his career. Amirah is very charismatic and energetic, and has a very strong sense of justice. Zeno is intimidating, scary, and intense, and very hard to read, but very strategic.

When the time comes for a chief to resign, they hold a ceremony where they speak to the gods to choose a new one. Speaking of which, they do have a multitude of gods depicted in sculpture and on masks, not just the strength god I mentioned in the Tiny post. They have a god of peace (which is the most common protective mask for children to wear), a god of harvest (leeke’s mask), and a god of nature (which bears a striking resemblance to Komodo Joe… hmm…). 

In a tribe, each member is assigned their own job, and it’s very hard to switch out. As a child, a Terra-Sapien will be able to become an apprentice to an older member that’s already settled on what job they must do. Unlike adults, who are essentially locked into a profession, kids are allowed to explore all job areas to assure they’ll make the right choice. Notable jobs would be: architect/builder, miner, hunter, forager/harvester, chef, weaver/clothing maker, blacksmith, writer/scroll keeper, explorer/scout, caretaker, and chief’s adviser, among others. Snazzy is a forager, and Leeke is a miner. Krunk technically has two jobs, being a racer for Velo, and a builder for Amirah. He tries to balance them as best as he can, but Amirah understands his situation and has allowed him to work less often on building. 

Nash doesn’t appear to have gills.

Does that mean Nash has lungs?

So what’s the apparatus for? If it’s just for keeping him hydrated, why’s it hooked up to where his nose would be? 

Why don’t the other sharks on Barin use the apparatus? Is it just something Nash has to wear? 

... Why does Nash have 3 spikes for dorsal fins normally, but his Arctic skin only has 1?