The
juvenile herd ship that
Calyrra Ontéró found after it was separated from the others.
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History
Origin
Like presumably all
herd ships that are currently alive, the Lone Youngling was born long after the herd started roaming the stars alone. Consequently, she was not intended for a particular purpose apart from what is deeply ingrained in the species' genes. Although
Those Who Know tried to investigate the matter, none of the ancient ships could provide an answer as to who bred or engineered the ships for carrying passengers.
What is known, however, is that this particular ship was born elsewhere in the universe, some time before the herd's last visit to this star system. This makes the Lone Youngling around
37 Years old in the
Calendar of Those Who Know.
Separation
The herd's last visit ended
in Year 80211 on Day 25 in The Phase formerly known as The Phase of Greatest Power.
About nine Days earlier, the Lone Youngling had been distracted by the launch of
Pasutgiruta and strayed away from the other ships. After she missed the opportunity to leave the system with them, she dejectedly returned to
the Watery Planet where Pasutgiruta had been headed.
Architecture
Ycalla can absorb raw electromagnetic energy, such as the radiation from a star or
That Which Changes. When she has access to an oxygen-rich atmosphere, she switches to aerobic respiration. She prefers eating high-caloric food such as sugars and fats, although any material will do in a pinch.
Atmospheric Travel
Ycalla creates an air cushion for gliding over the ground, while gas pockets in her outer shell reduce her overall weight. For longer distances she relies on her jet propulsion. She requires a wide open space in order to take off.
Space Travel
When Ycalla feeds, she converts certain nutrients into the necessary fuel compounds for her jet propulsion. Being just a child, she only has one set of propulsion arms, but will grow more as she matures and requires additional thrust.
Interstellar Travel
Traveling between star systems is only possible by teleporting between phenomena such as
That Which Changes, and only when their electromagnetic fields are sufficiently synchronized. Since Ycalla missed the time window for departure, she will be trapped in this system until the rest of the herd returns.
Ycalla has no particular weapons, presumably because herd ships have no known enemies. However, her size and sturdy body can make her dangerous to smaller life forms or artificial structures. Her tongue, for instance, is strong enough to uproot small trees and crack rocks.
Molecular Reconfiguration
Ycalla can change the material properties of her tissues, in a manner similar to
The Recombination worked by Those Who Know. She uses this to ward off injuries, shield herself and her passengers from extreme temperatures or blend in better with her surroundings.
Camouflage
Ycalla can change the coloration of her skin to mimic the world around her. Additionally, she can emulate light sources via bioluminescence and alter her skin texture to match the environment's surface textures.
Acoustic Communication
Ycalla produces trilling and cooing sounds when a medium for transmitting soundwaves is available. Unfortunately, no-one besides Those Who Know understands their precise meaning, but the emotional intent can be picked up by people familiar with her.
Radio Communication
Herd ships are capable of a form of
Telepathy, transmitting radio signals to their friends and family while they are traveling through the vacuum of space. In theory, Ycalla could use the same method to connect to radio devices developed by other species, but that would require both sides to speak a shared language.
She has two large eyes near the front for examining targets in detail. Additionally, most of her skin is photosensitive which allows her to pick up and replicate the shapes and colors around her. The latter mostly happens subconsciously.
Ycalla has a keen sense of smell which allows her to track down the necessary nutrients or detect potential threats at long distances. Likewise, she can quickly identify less aromatic substances by taste once they enter her mouth.
Such a lovely creature! I also love the map, it really has a nice amount of detail.
Thank you very much! ^^
Creator of the Kaleidoscope System and the planet Miragia.