Username + ID#: PleaserOfCrowds
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DioxideChosen Prompt: Worldbuiling | Describe some of the flora/fauna that is unique to their world.
Prompt Response:
Not all species created by humans are lucky enough to become sapient. Many of them were rejects, now roaming the wilds as its original forms went extinct. There were barely naturally evolved species anymore, but Dioxide found them fascinating all the same. They regularly did dissections on such creatures, examining each part as Dioxide found that organs worked like components to an engine. Still, Dio regularly had their favorites amongst the creatures that remained after humanity’s tampering. Many of them were designer pets, others failed experiments that managed to thrive in the outside world beyond the lab. All of it was fascinating to them in the ways they evolved after humanity had been long gone, and certainly they had some favorites among the bunch.
The bettoxotl, the beautiful combination of an Axolotl, the fins betta, and the pattern of a butterfly. Beautiful, yet extremely fragile to the touch. Even as Dioxide though that these wouldn’t make it in the wild it seems even through the fallout they’ve thrived. Hundreds upon thousands of them resided in small streams, hidden from the bustle of the cities in which it was always a spectacle to see. Kalons would travel hundreds of miles just to see them congregate, and Dioxide couldn’t blame them. They themselves would stare at their migration, each with colors different from the other and vibrant fins that caused a ripple of colors, creating a rainbow in the streams. Dioxide notes that they’re probably hardier than the three previous species it took to create them, and the butterfly in them to explain their migratory patterns. They probably wouldn’t make great pets however; no records have existed of kalons being able to keep them in captivity.
Feathered serpents were various species of snakes (some venomous, some not) fused with various species of bird to create a feathered (occasionally winged as well) snake. Originally created by scientists that wanted the public to protect both snakes and birds, they were perfect animals to get others afraid of snakes to warm up to them. Of course, when the cataclysm occurred thousands escaped into the wild. They range from the smallest snake to the biggest constrictors, with feathers that reflected their morph as well as the bird’s natural feathers. The one thing that Dioxide hasn’t been able to figure out is that why some individuals have feathered, useless wings while the others did not, as it seemed about a fifty-fifty chance they would have wings. Their temperaments varied; those based on venomous species like cobras and vipers were often defensive and unsafe to hold, while those based on previously commonly kept pet snakes were docile. It was always fun to hold them according to Dioxide, as the feathers often felt plush and soft.
Sea serpents were another thing entirely based on the flying fish, the blue dragon sea slug, moray eels, and the swordfish (which ended up looking like an actual dragon). Wildly aggressive and hard to tame, these were created for show and performances that many would get hurt. After their initial use had been up they replaced sharks as an apex predator, and even to this day the best wranglers risked a lot reeling these things in. While Dioxide notes they were fun to look at, they were definitely not trying to catch one. Horror stories exist where a Kalon caught one of these serpents, but it ended terribly for the Kalon and the serpent escaping. They noted that these creatures are often behind the tales of a fisherman that had a limb lost from one of these terrifying creatures. Only once had Dioxide been able to get their hands on one of these creatures, and it was a handful to say the least. There are still something admirable about the sheer will of these creatures.
Wyverns were the combination of bats, lizards, and goats. Stubborn yet docile, they make for a uncommon yet cherished pet amongst certain kalons Dioxide would describe them as dogs, but able to fly and stubborn to the point of frustration. In the wild however, they struggled a lot and honestly Dioxide felt kinda bad. Often, other animals would take their food and attack them as easy prey, and they were none the wiser. They noted that wyverns weren’t all that bright, but still they were endearing animals despite the strange combination that somehow created something that looked like a mythological wyvern. Cute videos of them are often appreciated by Dioxide, with their search history consisting of short videos showcasing them. They were cute, in a ugly sort of way but still cute.
Unicorns were an exact replica of the ones in the original myths, and just as aggressive. As the project was mismanaged due to focusing on aesthetics rather than temperament, unicorns had a more feline like mouth and thus were completely carnivorous in nature due to the lion and narwhal in them. While able to be tamed at an early age, they acted similarly to lions more so than horses or goats that inspired them. Due to this, the project was deemed a failure and herds were dumped into the wild to hopefully claim them. Unfortunately for them, they thrived and basically hunted down quite a large amount of livestock from humans. Even now, kalons had a specific patrol to safely capture and relocate them if they ever wandered in too close since despite seeming docile at times, they are very unpredictable in nature. Dioxide does admire their aesthetics at a distance, preferably at a zoo or something. At least a few times Dioxide has tried to ride them, with some attempts being more successful than others. Still despite all of that, Dioxide does want to eventually examine one up close. Even if they somehow get hurt.
Those were what Dioxide would say were their favorites, with all animals fascinating in the way they work. From giant tarantulas that were basically cats, to what seemed like miniature dragons, and even velociraptors there is quite a lot of new fauna after humanity’s end.
Token Worth: 1005 words | 10 tokens
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