Vir'netje - UMA interest check

[Favabeanz]

Ghree! (Hello!) I've been working on this worldbuilding project for quite a few years :) It would be my dream to share it with the world, so I figured out - what better way than make one of the species an adoptable?

Meet the Vir'netje (Creature of Life) - a species of deer-like omnivores roaming the barren ice fields of planet Vir'mik, hunting for the burrowing Isha and grazing on black algae in the hot springs.

a few examples of traits I have in mind, subject to change, lineart not final

You might say, "But that's just deer!" And yeah, you'd be right. They are very similar to our Earthly deer. The key is their biology.

the bacteria live in the esophagus, feeding on organic matter consumed by the host

You see, these critters live in a symbiotic relationship with a type of bacteria that produces oxygen. Vir'netje store the excess in an additional organ - an air sac. Thanks to that, they can venture out to any low-oxygen areas on the planet, making them the most versatile creatures of the ecosystem.

Now, what's our role in all of this? Well, people, having discovered Vir'mik, saw the planet as a big opportunity to explore an alien ecosystem. A lot of them were sent out on expeditions. They harnessed the natural production of oxygen by harvesting it from the Vir'netje with modern technology.

a Vir'netje with an oxygen tank-backpack

The UMA itself would feature raffles, semi-daily exploration and monthly events, known as expeditions. Some mechanics would include accessorizing your Vir'netje, caring for them so they can "level up" and writing (or drawing!) your own stories to the given prompts (with prizes, of course!) It would be lore-heavy with NPCs and snippets of conlang sprinkled here and there.

Although, I cannot do this on my own :( My art skills are severely lacking and I'd need artists and other staff that could help me with the preparations and managing the UMA. For now, I'm just looking for any interest and feedback, and maybe someone willing to form a team :3

Thank you for reading! I know I yap a lot :D

[Remains of Eternity]

love this idea! the lore is superer intriguing ^^ im looking forward to this becoming an official UMA (: rooting for you!~☆

[BlueberryBirdie]

As someone who loves worldbuilding, conlangs, and spec. bio., I am very interested!

[Favabeanz]

love this idea! the lore is superer intriguing ^^ im looking forward to this becoming an official UMA (: rooting for you!~☆

As someone who loves worldbuilding, conlangs, and spec. bio., I am very interested!

Thank you both! I got in contact with a great artist to get some more concept art, so maybe this idea will come to life after all :)