the1andonlyvoid

[the1andonlyvoid]

Day 1 of neichetember: Autotroph

A grassy field featuring a plains cluster tree. Lacking the size and leaves of their woodland cousins the majority of these plants live underground. Only a few branches from the tree can be seen above ground with flowers growing during the rainy season. They provide a source of shade for small animals and perches for flying ones.

[the1andonlyvoid]

would like to know 13!

Alluii and Amuaai the fishermen of Tsyprucee

Question 13: Are there any unintelligent species in your sophonts clade if so how do they view them?

Amuaai are the larger of the two species with all members of the clade being larger than Wolfmen. There are not many species and they are mainly found in salt marshes in the Caou and Banni territories. They mainly feed on large fish and other aquatic organisms. It is also common for them to eat insects by breaking into trees and nests with their large claws. They are active swimmers with their feet being webbed. They are not a threat to Wolfmen due to their diet of fish but can be territorial if they view one as a threat.

Alluii are the smaller species filling the environmental neiche if a heron or bittern. They are not great swimmers with legs made for walking on floating plants and height in tall grass. There are many species in this clade being found across the northern and southern parts of the western ithsmus. More species are found in the north than the south due to it being difficult for them to travel far distances. They are not found on the eastern continent but two species are found on a yet to be named island chain.

Both species are not social and only tolerate other individuals during mating seasons. Young leave the mom immediately after pupation/birth. The reason for the elongated snout is that it is full of receptors that detect food under water and mud. Extra whiskers help in prey detection as well.

Wolfmen in the Caou region view the species as a part of the ecosystem but they are considered sacred. Some believe that they carry the souls of great fishermen. The Banni view them as gnomes or small trickster entities. In both cultures it is seen as wrong to eat them as they are to similar to Wolfmen. Wolfmen from areas where they are not common are usually startled by their presence and view them as uncanny.

[the1andonlyvoid]

Nichetember? -tober?

So lately I've been working on a little speculative ecosystem project, picking back up the work I did about four years ago. A lot of those creatures were designed for prompts for an art challenge that I just happened decided to use in that way, but I was thinking how much I'd like to have an actual list of prompts geared towards the goal I set for myself. Which lead me to making up this, a little list of prompts based on very broad ecological concepts so as to be as applicable as possible to the widest possible range of different projects.

Producer - give me an autotroph ie. an animal that feeds directly on an energy source, like light, radiation, or chemicals

Primary Consumer - predator of the autotroph you just made (cows are predators of grass!)

Secondary Consumer - now what’s something that eats that animal.

Tertiary Consumer - or an “Apex predator”, an organism with no natural predators of its own

Decomposer - something that consumes the remains of any of the previous organisms.

Parasite of any of the above organisms

Hyperparasite ie. something that parasitizes that parasite

Coprophage - something that eats dung

Ecosystem engineer - an organism that creates habitats for other organisms

An organism with a hard shell, carapace, etc.

Durophagic predator of previous organism

An organism which occupies different trophic levels in its adult and immature forms

A sessile organism

An organism that with a symbiotic relationship with any of the previous organisms

An autotroph small enough to fit on your fingertip

An autotroph small enough to fit in your hand

An autotroph taller than a house.

Autotroph with specialized defenses

Autotroph that depends on a symbiotic relationship

The organism the previous organism depends on

A fossorial organism

An aquatic organism

A cursorial predator

An ambush predator

An organism that utilizes mimicry

An organism not visible to the naked eye

An R selected species - an organism which has many offspring, each with a low chance of survival

A K selected species - an organism which has few offspring, each with a high chance of survival

A keystone species - an organism who’s presence defines the ecosystem it is a part of, without it this ecosystem would not exist in the same state

An extremely specialized organism

An adaptable generalist

This is formatted as a month-long challenge, but I don't think anyone needs to approach it that way if they want to do it.

Part of the goal of this is to not just design organisms, but to think about how each thing you design interacts with the other creatures, and how they form an ecosystem together!

[the1andonlyvoid]

I love this silly little critter

Critter belongs to @the1andonlyvoid

[the1andonlyvoid]

The firetail is a large species of a crustlizard, a creature from the uniima landmass. They specialize in hunting prey using their bioluminescent tail as a lure.

A land unii nomad holding a wild firetail

They can be found in only a few places where their powers can truly shine. Those being thick northern forests and more recently other areas along the forest line of the continent due to land uniima travelers spreading them around.

Mostly nocturnal, the firetail shakes its bright tail tip in the air and brushes it on surfaces, mimicking other shining animals, primarily the oilfly/oilseed, a little flying bug-like creature. This is not as effective where these light creatures don't live. Firetails outside those areas have often lost their bioluminescence altogether and developed a slightly more active hunting style, unless they are outcompeted completely. When a creature is lured by its tail, the firetail sets into a scorpion-like posture and grabs the victim with its 'head' and 2 limbs, immobilizing it with grip alone (some crust lizard species deploy venom) while targeting its weak spots. When hunting a smaller creature, it often grabs onto the whole animal and uses its limbs to get inside the creature's side, rotating it around to find the ideal breakpoint as the prey struggles.

They also use their tails in elaborate dances during mating displays.

Firetails have become a fascination of a few land uniima groups who have been keeping them in their homes as fancy moving candles, breeding them to amplify those properties. They are not the only small, fancy pet being traded around, of course. There's a surprising number of breeders with creature shops in the middle of nowhere. But a lot of these firetail pets aren't very good hunters and rely on meals prepared by the owner. In some places, they are considered an almost mythical pet, owned by strange people, witches, and such. They say a mistreated firetail will set its captor's home aflame, while a satisfied one will go on missions to burn the owner's enemies.

Two captive-bred firetails inspecting each other

[the1andonlyvoid]

English is not my native language.Did I can whatever I want in my worldbuilding project or I should write off things that I can't make original? Because I want to use standard fantasy races original but I can't make my elves original . I only made them with cheetah like legs bat ears herbivirous and noctural but this things were arleady done before. So you think I should write them off even when part of me will never br happy with tjat decision? What will be beneficial to my worldbuilding in the long term?

When working on any project that you want to do especially involving creativity it is important to have fun. Make the designs that you want to make. A lot of media has normal fantasy races and excellent stories and characters. Staying with the ideas you love and creating what you want are the best things you can do.

Also if you are stuck on a design it is ok to take a break from it. I have been trying to design wildlife for my project and it has taken me more than a year to get one design that I like. It's ok if it takes a while. It's ok if it looks unoriginal or boring. You just need to enjoy it and enjoy creating.

[the1andonlyvoid]

Vgen code vouch?

I need some money for an oncoming project for a non profit. Could someone vouch for me to make an artist Vgen account. Here are examples of my work.

[the1andonlyvoid]

Would anyone be interested in exclusively spec bio / world building commissions? Like a style of commission where I illustrate a environment or full scene from your worldbuilding setting?

The price would vary depending on the complexity of the piece.

[the1andonlyvoid]

Vgen code vouch?

I need some money for an oncoming project for a non profit. Could someone vouch for me to make an artist Vgen account. Here are examples of my work.

[the1andonlyvoid]

Been really thinking about the plants and landscapes of tsyprucee and how it differs from earth. I want the color of plants to vary a lot between areas even blending together like those taiga steppe fields. Mountains and rock would give color to buildings. The blue mountains in the shriukk region are used for stone buildings.

Plants also would be so many different shapes more like coral and have different reproductive strategies. Large cluster like plants that shed mobile seeds or tall winding cacti reproduce in an animals stomach. There are so many possibilities for plants and biomes.

[the1andonlyvoid]

Don’t know if you wanted asks from that worldbuilding thing, but if so, #9?

How many colors can your sophont see? This is a difficult question to answer because 1 I want Wolfmen to see a lot of colors 2 their evolution is weird. Wolfmen didn’t evolve from a carnivore clade their marsupial clade includes the equivalent of deer, horse and rabbits. Twik or Wolfmen deer have vibrant display flags that would logically result in excellent color vision to differentiate one species from another.

Wolfmen would have good color vision both from their ancestry to Twik and identification of both Twik and other prey animals. This vision also helps them to discern edible plants from poisonous ones. So yeah Wolfmen would be able to see as many colors as a human.

[the1andonlyvoid]

Currently designing some species in the wolfmen clade. What if big heron creature. Essentially a mammalian baryonyx.

[the1andonlyvoid]

Apologies if you already have something on this but do Wolfmen use the little arms in the back for anything, Or are they just there like t-rex arms.

They are brooder limbs. Most organisms in Tsyprucee lay larva that then pupates outside the womb into their actually baby form. This has its flaws where you need to stay in one spot and protect the pupating young. Wolfmen and their marsupial clade have brooder limbs and a pouch. For this clade after 2 months of development the fetus moves out of the womb and into the pouch. Scent glands on the limbs help guide the young to the right spot.

Once in the pouch the young pupate and after 5 months exits the pouch largely self sufficient. They can run and eat on their own after birth. For males the limbs act as scent glands that help with identification. Females also produce scent glands during and outside of pregnancy.

[the1andonlyvoid]

please ask me some. I want to have some asks I can answer with drawings when I want to draw some worldbuilding posts.

Worldbuilding asks

I was looking for a numbered ask list about worldbuilding projects and found none so I made my own.

What inspired you to make your project and what was the starting idea?

What is the first art you made for the project?

What is something that you struggle with designing / writing for the project?

What kinds of pet animals do your sophonts keep?

What is the technological era of your setting? how does it differ from our timeline?

What are the health and beauty standards of your sophonts?

How do your sophonts react to seasonal change?

What does your sophonts art look like?

How many colors can your sophont see?

What are the basic foliage colors? are there areas where the color is different?

What do plants look like? are they similar to earth ones are drastically different?

Are there unique biomes?

Are there any non intelligent species in your sophonts clade? how do your sophonts view them?

How social are your sophonts? how do they show affection? is it done in private or in public?

Is there a crab like creature?

What weapons or tools are used by your sophonts?

What is your sophonts diet like? how does this affect agriculture?

Are there any big cities or well known areas in the world?

What sports are common and how is it perceived publicly?

Are there any rude or disrespectful gestures used by sophonts?

What does the typical family structure look like?

What organisms reside around cities or settlements but are not domesticated? (like seagulls or rats)

How does society view those not within the norm?

Are body modifications like piercings, tattoos, decorative scarification / branding common?

What are some holidays celebrated?

Is there food only eaten during certain times of year? is it because of the availability of the food or just the holiday?

Are there any dolls or toys that resemble sophonts?

What musical instruments are common? how often is it enjoyed?

What are forms of literacy that are used? are there books , scrolls or other forms of writing canvas?

Is seafood regularly eaten?

What types of drugs or smokable substances are used?

What domestic livestock exist? how do they differ from the wild species? what different breeds are there?

Is your sophont located in a specific area or are they found everywhere?

What insect or small organism species are there?

What large organism clades are there and how have they evolved?

Are there any animals that evolved out of the ocean and returned like whales / dolphins?

What are commonly ridden animals?

What "bird" species are there?

What children's toys are there depending on the age group?

What beverages are common?

What new invention exists and what is the public perception of it?

What creature or concept have you wanted to talk about but have not had the chance to? now is your chance :)

How do your sophonts refer to themselves?

What is your biggest worldbuilding pet peeve?

What camouflaged organisms are there?

What are some architecture examples?

What home decorations are common? are there statues, tiles, flags or other decorations?

What are some bed/ chair examples used?

How big are your sophonts compared to a human?

What mythical creatures or sprits are believed in?

[the1andonlyvoid]

Worldbuilding asks

I was looking for a numbered ask list about worldbuilding projects and found none so I made my own.

What inspired you to make your project and what was the starting idea?

What is the first art you made for the project?

What is something that you struggle with designing / writing for the project?

What kinds of pet animals do your sophonts keep?

What is the technological era of your setting? how does it differ from our timeline?

What are the health and beauty standards of your sophonts?

How do your sophonts react to seasonal change?

What does your sophonts art look like?

How many colors can your sophont see?

What are the basic foliage colors? are there areas where the color is different?

What do plants look like? are they similar to earth ones are drastically different?

Are there unique biomes?

Are there any non intelligent species in your sophonts clade? how do your sophonts view them?

How social are your sophonts? how do they show affection? is it done in private or in public?

Is there a crab like creature?

What weapons or tools are used by your sophonts?

What is your sophonts diet like? how does this affect agriculture?

Are there any big cities or well known areas in the world?

What sports are common and how is it perceived publicly?

Are there any rude or disrespectful gestures used by sophonts?

What does the typical family structure look like?

What organisms reside around cities or settlements but are not domesticated? (like seagulls or rats)

How does society view those not within the norm?

Are body modifications like piercings, tattoos, decorative scarification / branding common?

What are some holidays celebrated?

Is there food only eaten during certain times of year? is it because of the availability of the food or just the holiday?

Are there any dolls or toys that resemble sophonts?

What musical instruments are common? how often is it enjoyed?

What are forms of literacy that are used? are there books , scrolls or other forms of writing canvas?

Is seafood regularly eaten?

What types of drugs or smokable substances are used?

What domestic livestock exist? how do they differ from the wild species? what different breeds are there?

Is your sophont located in a specific area or are they found everywhere?

What insect or small organism species are there?

What large organism clades are there and how have they evolved?

Are there any animals that evolved out of the ocean and returned like whales / dolphins?

What are commonly ridden animals?

What "bird" species are there?

What children's toys are there depending on the age group?

What beverages are common?

What new invention exists and what is the public perception of it?

What creature or concept have you wanted to talk about but have not had the chance to? now is your chance :)

How do your sophonts refer to themselves?

What is your biggest worldbuilding pet peeve?

What camouflaged organisms are there?

What are some architecture examples?

What home decorations are common? are there statues, tiles, flags or other decorations?

What are some bed/ chair examples used?

How big are your sophonts compared to a human?

What mythical creatures or sprits are believed in?

[the1andonlyvoid]

Made a simple reference for Wolfmen limb mobility. Overall their limbs are not that flexible in the shoulder but the forearm and wrists have a lot of movement. Manipulation of items not in reach of their arms is done with the mouth. Wolfmen necks are very flexible and birdlike compareable to a bittern of heron than a mammal.

[the1andonlyvoid]

What differences between high class and low class clothes are there?

This depends a lot depending on the culture and modesty standards but I have designs for the Caou and Zitiwau cultures.

The Caou have a very loose standard of coverage with the majority of common clothing being minimal.

The first illustration and the first drawing of the 3 designs depicts fishermen’s clothes. Hats made out of dried reeds and leather are worn to protect the eyes from the sun. The only real clothing that is worn is a fabric band with a rope belt that items can be attached to. The fabric is needed to prevent rope burn and add a bit of fashion.

The second drawing is an example of cold weather clothing. They have leather gloves and shoes. A wool or plant fiber undershirt and pants and a woven reed over shirt.

The final drawing is of a more fancy outfit with a decorative capelet and more elaborate shoes and gloves. The gloves tend to be more of a focus in terms of decoration instead of the shoes.

For the Zitiwau I have designed both common and upper class clothing. Colors and coverage of clothing in terms of class is very important to the Zitiwau.

old design but the clothing is still cannon

Lower class Zitiwau need to wear full coverage of the body except for the face and sometimes the end of the tail. Colors of clothing are usually earth tones with middle class members wearing white and golden yellow. The styles of neck scarves vary and have many unique common styles.

For upper class clothing patterns are usually geometric and repeating. Veils are worn with the higher the status the more of the face the veil covers. Green and blue can only be worn by the upper class with green being a more valued color.

The first drawing shows a silhouette guarding garb. In religious sects the body’s form is usually covered with decorative tassels. The veil is shorter than it should be but the eye covering is required.

The second drawing to the right is an upper middle class scholar. Most scholars don’t wear veils because it impedes in vision when reading and writing. They are wearing a house tag on the base of their neck that describes their major and the location of their school. The subtle blue on the coat signifies their status.

The third drawing is of a noble with darker clothing and more vibrant decorative patterning. The feather like markings are a common pattern for nobles with more round patterns setting them apart from the more angular patterns that are found in the middle and lower class. The veil is accurate to their status with is covering the whole face.