New Year, New Creature Reveal!

New year, new creature reveal!

This animal is an Iťalaq, a large creature adapted for the hot and dry environment of the east. Just like some earth desert animals, it has energy storage in the form of its watery bloodstream and of a large fat pocket under its 'pelvis'.

They feed primarily on plant matter. Bushes and grasses are easy targets, while hard or spiky materials will get stomped on with their middle limbs to then scoop up the insides. For food high up, they pick on it using their front limbs and throw it to the ground or insert it directly into their mouth. They do not mind a meaty snack.

As a bonus unpleasant fact, Iťalaq have the contents of their 'ends' ready to protect them from predators (both liquid and bullets), and it gets very stinky if they eat meat before the processing.

You are unlikely to ever see one in nature - at least not the domesticated species that are used all over the eastern sloman cultures (those are better reported to the nearest settlement).

Their history with slomen is not as long as it is with pamuli that evolved side by side with slomen. However, they are considered the first domesticated "arm-jaw" animals and have served people for thousands of years as their main "vehicle". Where they are used, wheels and carts are uncommon, finding most use in cities.

One iťalaq can often carry over 200kg (330 pounds), but it's better to keep the weight lower and let a pamuli take the rest of the cargo.

In this illustration, the rider is a sloman matriarch, likely stopping to stare at a strange phenomenon.

It is often that a northeastern family has at least one iťalaq, and the oldest members are the primary riders (both because of the member's importance and less energy from old age). The matriarch is the oldest and most respected, so it's only expected she's most familiar with the animal.

the picture with no text

hope the text wall doesn't have too many mistakes man

Random slug post before I finish my extremely procrastinated-on art.

But I have an excuse! (Christmas)

Kinda a slugsona design.

Gourmand but bigger and one that can barely even throw. Combat is 90% melee.

The claws are misleading, this slug doesn't scratch opponents as much as it crushes them and suffocates them.

It's also very slow if it doesn't roll (but can roll for veeery long).

This is so f good I'm exploding.

I LOVE HOMOSEXUALS

I hope to used the second image as a reaction image.

@yellosnacc i got you your gay aliens!

An elder master performing one of many forms of a silent wing dance. The goal of this show is to appeal to the eyes alone, using movement and colors - making too much sound is seen as a failure in this specific style.

Some of the silent dances might try to confuse the watcher with fabric appearing as other body parts or wing flags that cover most of the performer. With uniiman arts, there are really too many variants to cover as their whole deal is to compete and innovate (but most often can still be categorized).

To some, the silent dance is more artistic than the loud one while others find it lazy not to play music with the body. It really is a question of taste.

Based on the crest drawings of this uniima it seems their show's purpose is to find 3 partners and create three lives. This however isn't because their dance or outfit is sexual, it is simply a show of skill with an additional message.

Look at what I found while foraging for fruits outside.

Can't believe this is real. What a creature.

At this stage the critter is still covered with thin layers of shedding skin even over its crest and beak. It makes it quite shiny.

You can even see its mouth is starting to turn purple.

someone mentioned me in a reblog of this photo saying it looks like baby uniima, but when I finally got the time to do this the reblog was sadly gone

Smooth Helmeted Iguana (Corytophanes cristatus), family Corytophanidae, Costa Rica

photograph by Hans Hillewaert

After her crew escapes further conflict with the trickster ship, Maaj retreats to the deckhouse to try comfort the creature she took from the possibly-pirates.

While Maaj has only ever seen uniima in art, she believes it is up to her to protect this perhaps sapient being and take it to land. Why else would the gods leave this child to her?

The rest of the crew, including her partner Lteny, don't think a barely moving enigma is worth the jolly boat or risking their lives.

But behind the harsh words, Lte wants to protect Maaj from the pain the creature will cause with its inevitable death. She knows how desperate Maaj is to be a mother. It's better to end things before she sees it as her own. That can never happen.

"Its face and body are solid. It will look the same awake, asleep, and dead."