Description:

Anatomy: The darting palmworm doesn't fit into any modern scientific classification, but probably matches a coral - neither plant nor animal - most closely. These creatures are on average about as thick as an adult man's arm, but specimens as wide as a trash can lid can be found rarely. The flesh ranges from pale grey to black to dull pink, and the outer membrane produces a thick slime that hardens to a durable, waterproof lacquer when fully dry and allowed to cure. The "head" is broad and flat with a sturdy armored shell on top, which typically closely resembles the terrain where the worm lives in color and texture, likely due to different subspecies. All along the upper length of the worm are feathery antenna that unfold spread open on sunny days, which appear much like palm leaves except of a soft, semi-transparent flesh supported by long, thin bonelike structures that are highly flexible and tough.

If the worm is cut off at the ground another one will grow in a matter of weeks, functionally identical to the first although the new growth tends to be paler in color.

They don't seem to have eyes but are extremely sensitive to vibration, and they will swiftly pull back into their burrows if approached. If one were ripped whole from the ground, the industrious person would find an extensive system of fleshy "roots", amid which there is a rounded bulb that contains the organs, nervous system, and a simple 'brain'. This is the true organism and the 'worm' is but an appendage. One organism can support multiple "worms' and they tend to grow in clusters - on open plains they can number in the thousands.

Breeding: These creatures can breed both sexually and asexually, but in either case the young crawl up the length of the parent worm and fall on the ground, at which point they will start wriggling along the ground until they locate a suitable place to live. Unlike the parent, they appear to have simple eye spots capable of recognizing movement in addition to a basic vibration sense. This is likely because of the small whiskers surrounding the armored "head" of the little worm, which resemble the 'leaves' of the adults.

They typically breed shortly after the scorch but well before the freeze.

Freeze and Scorch: The worms retreat deep under ground during both the freeze and scorch, but as this is a reaction to changing temperatures they could still be cultivated in a temp controlled greenhouse. However these worms will not reproduce under these conditions.

Practical uses: As mentioned the slime could be useful as a sealant. Thus the warning: do not forget to remove slime thoroughly!

However they are most useful as a food source. The dense flesh has a gritty, earthy flavor reminiscent of the love child of escargot and a mild mushroom, though it's far more dense and filling. Seems to be best stewed or steamed rather than grilled, because they tend to dry out and become tough and leathery. Good for making jerky though. Tastes best when served with fats like butter as it's very lean. High in protein and traces of some minerals which vary based on the worm's location.

The young worms are bland, sweet and flavorless, but far more tender. Need gentle cooking methods like baking or else the flesh falls apart. Higher in fat than an adult, can be cooked as a sweet or savory dish.

*Image is a loose representation*


Max height at the top of the head: 4 ft (1m)

Description: Because sunlight that can cook you isn't bad enough, allow me to introduce the creature that comes out to play during the Scorch! It burrows underground, but is capable of withstanding sunlight. A carnivorous creature with few weaknesses, it would be best not to attempt fighting this thing. The slits on its face close when the animal is burrowing to protect its eyes, at which point it relies on its sense of smell and vibrations from the ground around it to stalk its prey.

Its hide is thick and leathery, likely impenetrable to most weapons. Its head is extraordinarily well-protected by a thicker layer that is closer to stone or bone, with the only obvious weak points being inside its mouth (lol good luck with that) and at the throatlatch (where jaw meets throat). Its jaws are powerful enough to bite most creatures cleanly in half, and no one really knows how long it is, as you probably aren't sticking around to find out.

Max height at top of head: Unknown

Description: Budgies are nasty little creatures! They are very small - you can easily fit 5 in the palm of your hand. These little guys are often compared to ants. Yes... the ants of Petra Exterior. They are also often compared to piranha's in that they will flock to their meal and destroy it - bones licked clean. Oh right, they are carnivorous creatures. They thrive in dry, coarse environments. Budgies are nocturnal, spending most of their day underground. The Scorch makes them extra feisty because they have less time to explore and devour small creatures.

You can tell where a group of Budgies live because there will be giant mounds; at least 6 feet tall protruding from the ground.

BE CAREFUL IF YOU ARE BIT!! Their fangs secrete a toxin that will give you an overload of dopamine and serotonin. Basically their bites feel like a combination of heroin and ecstasy. The toxin is highly addictive, you WILL crave being bitten. Then you die. Terribly. If you are unfortunate enough to be caught by the tiny evil ravenous things, at least your death will be pleasurable and swift. We won't be able to tell who you are from your bones, unfortunately.

Budgies are hardy when it comes to braving harsh climates - their main weaknesses: loud sounds and water

Banging of metal on rock, or anything enough to make a human wince, will incapacitate a Budgie. This is good because you can kill them easily, cold water will shut down their entire nervous system. You can bake them, boil them, even fry them. Careful though, the toxin is poisonous unless fully cooked. And unless someone brought a thermometer, you're better off having them SUPER well done. Their meat is tough, jerky-like and slightly gamey, but it's easy protein to keep you going.

Fried Budgie with a side of chipotle ranch, anyone?

Description: Named for the speed with which they move and the constant noises they make, the Rushers of Din are among the least pleasant things to appear. Composed of three different castes which serve their queen and hive, the Rushers might be mistaken for common ants or possibly a generic action-horror antagonist which acts as a mindless swarm. Regrettably, they are much more dangerous than that.
Possessing heuristic minds, the Rushers learn and adapt each time they encounter a situation and work together to overcome any obstacles. Though they possess the numbers to overwhelm their prey, they prefer to set ambushes and avoid taking as much damage as possible while picking off their targets one by one, herding them away from one another and into different traps.
There are three particular attributes that make the Rushers of Din so vicious. First and foremost, they are capable of secreting two separate substances which are themselves nothing noteworthy; when they come into contact with one another however, they form a rapid chemical bond and the material becomes as strong and durable as steel. This is used to create a number of traps and debilitate prey. The next great threat they pose is the lethality of their bodies. With legs that can impale a man and a tail that can crack ribs, they already pose threat enough. But then one must take into consideration the strength of their maws which can rend a body in half or tear through some defenses, and leave a survivor of their bite with sickness in their blood. Finally and perhaps worst of all, the Rushers of Din are masters of sound mimicry.

Mimicry: At the back of their maws is a second smaller mouth that appears humanoid in size and shape. It possesses lips and small beak-like ridges which act as teeth, and a tongue within, allowing it the full range and complexity of human speech. Their complex assemblage of vocal cords allows them to mimic incredibly low and high frequency sounds, or anything in-between. Using this to their advantage, they mimic the mating or warning calls of their prey to herd and lure them as necessary. Though they may not completely understand the meanings of words and sentences, it’s obvious that they comprehend the intent behind most shouts based on the tone and emotion involved. Knowing such, they will lure people out with the calls of loved ones or, when prey fails to come, they will fill the dark nights with screams of people and animals that they mimic in order to psychologically wear down and break their prey. Working in shifts as this, Rushers will constantly try to find their way in to where their food waits, all the while making it impossible for them to rest or relax. Eventually, the mental strain will become enough that the Rushers are given an opening, and an opening is all they need when they’ve planned their next attacks carefully.

Sense Organs: A powerful sense of smell which can be used to track blood, urine, faeces, sweat, food, and other odors. It is used for long-distance game hunting and following the trails of their prey. A tactile sense of touch and pain receptors lets them feel the world around them, which is important for avoiding heat. They emit several notes constantly which acts as sonar detection and “shows” them the world around them. The notes strike an object and the sound returns to them, striking a sensitive hollow portion of their heads which acts as a giant ear and interprets the noise for their brains, revealing what is around them. It can be used to see obstacles and track movement and can even detect heartbeats if it’s quiet enough, but the same sensitivity can be overwhelmed if there is confusing background noise to blur its mental images.

Notable Strengths: Powerful tails which can knock the wind out of you. Muscled bodies which can be used as battering rams, or quickly chase you down. Powerful jaws which can crush bone or tear off limbs. Due to their dietary needs, their jaws are also festered with dangerous bacteria, so those that survive a bite from a Rusher are guaranteed to face terrible fevers and possible sepsis. The sharpened tips of their legs can be used to fight, and the two humanoid arms they possess are excellent for grabbing enemies. They are excellent at setting traps, learning strategies, and employing psychological warfare. The secretions they can produce are fast-acting and potent chemical bonders when in contact with one another.

Notable Weaknesses: Striking their “ear” on their head will daze them and in some cases deafen then, making them unable to hear and hunt. Background noise can confuse and “blind” them. They hate heat and are forced to hibernate during the Scorch season, or hunt at night during the Mild season. Light cannot blind them, but any light that generates enough heat could trick them into thinking it’s a danger to them. Unlike almost every other creature on Petra Exterior, Rushers are totally blind, and are totally unable to mimic humans’ appearances or shape-shift in any way.

Lifespan: 16 years, average.

Diet: Rotting meat and fruit or vegetable matter. Due to a lack of teeth, they swallow small stones that rest in one of their three stomachs, grinding up plant matter. Because they cannot chew food properly they consume carrion, which they store in their hives in rot-pits. Once it has broken down enough, they feed. Because the rot-pits are secure within their hives and surrounded by a swarm of Rushers, they know that no prey can escape it. As such, they do not always make sure their prey is dead; they will merely deposit it in a rot-pit to die and decompose, killing it later if necessary.

Language: Though it’s nearly impossible to detect, the Rushers do actually communicate with one another in a spoken language. Using higher frequencies than most species can hear, they have a sort of cultural morse-code they use to rapidly convey simple concepts. It can’t be used to hold casual conversations, but it can warn others of danger or be used to implement battle plans, or issue orders in a fight if a situation changes.

Culture: A xenophobic and repressive hive structure which exists as a kratocracy. The mightiest has the power to rule, and when challenged they either survive to continue their reign or are deposed by those stronger. Among the Rushers, strength is not limited to physical prowess however. Their cunning and ingenuity are key traits to assuming and keeping control. When a Queen must be replaced, the four most dominant males of each caste all join a free-for-all battle against one another until one of the twelve emerges victorious over the others, by any means necessary. That male then changes sexes and becomes a female, which must battle the existing Queen if there is one or simply take her place if unopposed. Depending on which caste the Queen originated from, her psychology will impact the direction in which she leads the hive while in charge of it. Despite being the strongest of the hive, the Queen is not given absolute power. Everything is for the good of the total of the hive, and an incompetent Queen will find itself constantly battled until she is replaced, for the good of all. Everything returns to the hive one day; the grievously injured are not nursed back to health but are instead cannibalized. Rushers will harvest their own dead from a battlefield to make use of them for the hive.

Life cycle: They hatch from eggs fully formed. There is no larval stage or need for chrysalis; they merely require time and food to grow larger. They are able to fend for themselves two weeks after hatching, and reach full maturity after their first year. At the end of their life cycle when they are too old or injured to continue serving the hive, they are slain and cannibalized.

Technology: Despite having two humanoid arms that can wield tools, the Rushers so far have not developed any of their own. At their most sophisticated, they use flat stones as mortar trowels or pick up large round rocks to use as crushing tools. Despite this limitation they are highly innovative, using their numbers and natural abilities to compose sophisticated hive structures.

Habitats: Hives are almost exclusively located underground in soft-earthed areas that can be easily dug by the Rushers. As they construct a section of tunnel they coat it with their secretions, mixed with roots and stones, to form a durable buttress against cave-ins. In areas that they cannot easily dig such as mountain caves, they will populate large caverns and construct a confusing mass of these supportive structures, effectively building a bee hive in the center and spreading outwards. Their hives always contain three key features which are the rot-pits for storing food, the spawning pool where the Queen's eggs are taken to incubate and hatch, and the Guardian pods. The pods are stand-alone structures similar to a trap-door spider's lair which the Guardians will pop out of to slay anything that wanders into the hive's territory. They are spaced randomly throughout the hive, though there will always be several near any entrance. Beyond these three things the layout of a hive depends primarily upon its location and the dominant psychology of the Queens which have run it. Some will be geared more towards expansion and growth and may be seen as a far-reaching network of small working clusters that support one another like a kingdom. Others will be isolated into one colossal structure that is heavily defended and trapped, to ward off threats.
They are capable of building above-ground, utilizing the same building techniques as they would in a large cavern. Typically however a hive will be located deep underground, to protect it from the bitter cold or searing heat of Petra Exterior's worst weather.

Castes: Drones, Harvesters, Guardians and the Queen
•DRONE
Dimensions:
Standing Height- 3’6” (ground to top)
Length- 9’5” (tail tip to mouth)
Leg span width- 3’2” (side to side)
Notable features: The smallest of the Rushers, Drones have weak chitin and little need for offensive or defensive capabilities. They remain close to the hive, maintaining and expanding it. Their shells are white mother-of-pearl in hue, and highly iridescent.

•HARVESTER
Dimensions:
Standing Height- 5’3” (ground to top)
Length- 13’7” (tail tip to mouth)
Leg span width- 5’1” (side to side)
Notable features: The largest of the three caste, these Rushers go out and forage for food to return to the hive. Because of this, they must be large enough to carry loads and to hunt and dismember prey. They are incredibly intelligent and work in cohesive hunting parties, adapting to their prey with every encounter. They do not throw themselves in harm’s way, but will instead use whatever tricks and resources they can to claim their quarry- from traps to brute force. A favorite tactic of theirs is the psychological warfare of their constant cries. They are also the fastest due to their increased size, and their chitin shells are able to withstand most natural threats. Harvester shells are blue tinged, with white aposematic patterns.

•GUARDIAN
Dimensions:
Standing Height- 5’3” (ground to top)
Length- 13’7” (tail tip to mouth)
Leg span width- 5’1” (side to side)
Notable features: The dumbest and most aggressive of Rushers, the Guardians are slightly smaller than Harvesters but sport a thicker chitin. They are smaller so that they can more easily maneuver in the tight confines of the hives, and because they are not required to hunt or collect and carry food like the Harvesters. They are the taskmasters of the hive and bully drones into working when needed, as well as serving as protectors. Unlike the other castes they have their own trap-door "Guardian pods" that they will wait in when resting or preparing for an ambush. Their shells have a slight red tinge to them and have horny barbs.

•QUEEN
Dimensions:
Standing Height- NA (ground to top)
Length- NA (tail tip to mouth)
Leg span width- NA (side to side)
Notable features: A Queen’s size is approximately double that of its original caste, be it Drone, Harvester or Guardian. Its chitin color is the same as its origin caste as well, and it maintains the psychology of its caste. For this reason, Drone-based Queens are highly “industrious” and expansive, Harvester-based Queens are deadly tacticians and adaptive to threats, and Guardian-based Queens are isolationist and territorial.