Top Ten Fascinating Creatures! in Yonderverse | World Anvil

Top Ten Fascinating Creatures!

This article is supposed to be for the Bestiary February Challenge. Unfortunately, the article is suffering from an issue and is not currently submitted to the challenge, and I cannot re-submit it. Nevertheless, I will continue and enjoy this challenge!
You hear a crackle out of nowhere. You scan your surroundings, trying to finds its source, but fail. Suddenly you hear a voice.
"Testing, Testing. Yep, seems to work. Noice,"
You begin wondering who this is, and why you can hear it, but before you can think of anything the voice interrupts your thoughts once again.
Welcome to the Yonderverse! My name is Mochi, and I will be your guide for today. Together, we will explore ten different locations in the Yonderverse and observe a particularly fascinating creature, something that sets it apart from all other creatures in this vast universe.
— Your Tour Guide

Pack - Shrill Whale

I think the best place to start would be a gigantic creature found swimming through space. This animal is the one, the only, shrill whale! These behemoth beasts look very similar to meteors, and are often mistaken for them.

If you're lucky, you'll see these magical animals swimming across your planet. They are found across the Yonderverse, through all three Districts, but are extremely rare despite their size. Watch out during sunsets, because you may just notice a shower of shrill whales flying through space!

Fun Fact!

Shrill whales produce a magical song that can be heard from a million kilometres away! Despite being extremely loud, these alluring calls are pleasant to the ear, and anybody will fall in love with their majestic songs.

Predator - Sun Ray

For our number two spot, we are swimming in the depths of the Inner Ocean on the planet Dave. Watch out, because there are many dangerous predators lurking in these waters. But the most peculiar of them all are sun rays.

These awkwardly shaped animals are only five metres from top to bottom, and even lack a mouth! Instead, they have a long tail, known as a trunk, that is completely hollow. The three little arms on the end of their trunks grab food and shove it down their trunk, all the way to their stomach where it is digested. Pretty disgusting.

Did You Know?

Sun rays have an electric organ! These animals will produce a shockwave to scare off or stun predators, that effects anything around them in a ten metre radius. Sometimes they use this to catch lots of prey. Watch out!
Sun Ray by Mochi

Colourful - Eclectus Crab

Eclectus Crab by Mochi

For our number three spot, we have eclectus crabs! These magnificent crustaceans live across the coastlines of the planet Cilvarth, and are so common they're considered a major pest in the city of Aricos. Watch out, as they are very poisonous when eaten.

"Fun" Fact!

Eclectus crabs eat their babies! As an accidental form of population control, both male and female eclectus crabs will snack on their giant swarms of babies that hatch once a year that turn the beaches in to a haze of reds, purples and yellows.

Food - Thermal Carp

For our fourth critter, we are heading over to the planet Hell. Swimming through the lava lakes of this boiling hot planet are thermal carps, a common freshlava fish species.

These animals are very brightly coloured, in an attempt to make predators think they are poisonous, when in fact they are very tasty.

Thermal Carp by Mochi

Being slow-moving animals, thermal carp are a prey species for many other creatures inhabiting the lava lakes and oceans of Hell.

Their only defence mechanism is the spines that line their fins, which can scare off predators if they are wounded by them.

Did You Know?

Thermal Carp are a delicacy on many planets! They are rich in proteins and potassium, and are naturally spicy, making them a popular meal. They are a major dish in cilvarthian culture, as Cilvarth owns a small portion of Hell and often catch these fish and ship them off to their home planet.


Burrow - Ash Worm

Ash Worm by Mochi

Fun Fact!

Ash worms are responsible for major reforestation around the north pole of Uriti! Thanks to controlled breeding of these worms and releasing them into the environments, ash forests have grown by 30% in recent years.
 

For our fifth wonderful creature we are on another lava planet, this time Uriti in the Ria System.

Ash worms are a magnificent little annelid that burrows through the ashy soil on the North Pole of the boiling planet, digging its way through the ground and consuming the soil, only to poop out incredibly strong fertiliser.

 
Ash Worm
Species | Jan 23, 2024

An annelid species from Uriti. Ash worms have repopulated much of the ash forests they inhabit.


Vicious - Snow Cow

For our sixth entry we are visiting the planet Greg, in the same solar system as our earlier entry, Sun Ray on Dave. These animals are generally docile, but when approached by a predator, they turn completely savage.

Snow Cow by Mochi

Snow cows have a thick layer of wool, approximately 10 metres in diameter, which protects them from both the cold and from predators. Each strand is decorated with thousands of tiny barbs, that cause immense irritation when ingested. Incredibly unfortunate for predators that take a big ol' mouthful of their wool.

Snow cows are herbivores, despite their love for tearing predators apart when they get too close. If an animal wanting to eat a snow cow doesn't run away at the sight of their terrifying teeth, then the animals will feel what it's like to have those teeth tear them apart. It is truly one of the most gruesome things I've ever seen, and I wish nobody ever witnesses it.

Snow Cow Roaring by Mochi

Fun Fact!

These animals are kept as domesticated pets in many other planets, including the various settlements on the North Pole of Karkhala, where a lot of livestock farming takes place. They produce large amounts of milk and and incredible amounts of wool, which is incredibly handy when living in cold climates. As well, snow cows enjoy the North Pole on Karkhala, which is basically a summer vacation for them compared to the temperatures of their native land.

Prey - Bapycara

We are headed to Osao for our seventh creature. Bapycaras are prey to many other animal species, but through excellent camouflage that takes advantage of carnivorous animal's colourblindness, these cuddly critters can disguise themselves as logs and rocks, and thus go completely unnoticed.
Bapycara by Mochi
Bapycara
Species | Apr 21, 2024

A cuddly mammal species from Osao. Despite not being a domesticated animal, some seek them out as pets.

Did You Know?

Bapycaras might not be domesticated, but they make great pets! These animals are literally addicted to cuddles and pets, and people cannot resist their adorable faces.

Sometimes it gets to the point where bapycaras are breaking down doors to cuddle with the people inside. Some consider these animals a nuisance, others happily invite these critters in for a cuddle.

What would you do?


Wings - Jovian Ray

Our eighth creature can be found on the planet Jupiter, in the Kinosmo System. These animals are named after the people who use them for transport, the jovians.

These animals grow up to twenty metres in diameter, making them the largest airborne species on the planet. This is very small compared to most other planets in this solar system.

Fun Fact!

The proboscis on jovian rays produce one of the loudest natural sounds on Jupiter!

They communicate using their proboscis, producing deafening honks when angry, excited, or searching for a mate. In fact, their honks are twice as loud during mating season, much to the dismay of the resident jovians.

Jovian Ray by Mochi

Mating season on Jupiter is the worst time to visit. During mating season, their deafening calls and the horrific odour produced makes for the worst time of the year.

Many jovians take time off from work and go visit another planet for the duration of mating season, because of how bad the conditions are. It's worse in urban areas, where jovian rays are used more.


Stalk - King Heart Penguin

 

Our ninth entry is the king heart penguin, a flightless bird species from Ocearia. These animals are excellent predators despite them standing out in the blue and white icebergs.

These birds are skilled hunters, using their ability to remain completely still for hours on end to wait at the water's edge for fish and other creatures to swim by, before darting in the water. If this doesn't work, they can actively stalk larger prey and swarm them in large colonies.

Did You Know?

King heart penguins are often kept by rulers in Ocearia. These animals are a symbol of wealth thanks to their colour scheme aligning with symbols of royalty. In older times, these penguins were hunted and skinned for their feather coats which were worn by only the most prestigious, but nowadays that practice is illegal since there are only a couple thousand of these birds left in the wild.

 
King Heart Penguin
Species | Aug 28, 2023

A penguin species from Ocearia. King heart penguins are popular with royalty.

King Heart Penguin by Mochi

Danger - Ned

These skittish animals are our tenth and final entry in this list. Neds went completely unnoticed by the human species on Earth, and only came out of hiding when Jupiter gained control of the planet.

Fun Fact!

Neds can become completely invisible. By reflecting light off their fur, these animals can become entirely invisible during daytimes. They used this to hide from the various dangers in Australia, their homeland. They developed this ability after humans migrated to the land, and with it hid from humanity.
Ned by Mochi

Comments

Author's Notes

NOW THIS IS A CHALLENGE FOR ME!
— Mochi, right now

A challenge all about species!??! WHERE I CAN WRITE MORE THAN ONE SPECIES?!?!? I am SO EXCITED!! I have sooooo many species still to write, but knowing me I'll just make even more and my list will grow, and grow, and grow, like it has been doing ever since I joined WA.

I am of course extremely excited to write a ton of awesome species, but I am also really excited to read species other people write! If you have one you're particularly proud of, leave it in a comment! <3


Please Login in order to comment!
Feb 3, 2023 15:21 by Jacqueline Yang

I love this page. It is organized so well and I love the little Fun Facts that you have. Your species are always so interesting, and each one of them is familiar, but different from the creatures that we all know. I love reading through them and they've been a great way for me to get ideas for my own Bestiary February! (I'm still trying to decide whether to do articles or short stories.)   Check it out if you want Bestiary February Short Stories   And Best wishes to you in world building!

Feb 3, 2023 19:22 by Mochi

Thank you ever so much! That really means a lot <3 I am so excited to get more species done for this, so you'll have to check back in again! :D

I hope you have a great day!   Explore the endless planets brimming with life of the Yonderverse! Go after creatures, discover new places, and learn about the people you find along the way.   Consider voting for me in the Worldbuilding Awards!
Feb 5, 2023 23:17 by Chris L

Great work here Mochi! It's a shame you can't submit it.


Learn about the World of Wizard's Peak and check out my award winning article about the Ghost Boy of Kirinal!

Feb 5, 2023 23:35 by Mochi

Thank you so much! It is indeed a shame, but I'll still be getting a badge so it's not a total loss :D

I hope you have a great day!   Explore the endless planets brimming with life of the Yonderverse! Go after creatures, discover new places, and learn about the people you find along the way.   Consider voting for me in the Worldbuilding Awards!
Feb 17, 2023 04:33

What lovely beings you conjure up here! Thanks for sharing. I am very proud of my own creation I finished today, called an Echo-Parrot If you have the time, I would love to hear what you think of them ;)

Yours truly, Nino.
Its Worldember!I am building out a spooky world, which you can read about here! (psst, its a link)
To learn about my main world click on this link! (if you want to ;) )
Feb 17, 2023 10:43 by Mochi

Thank you so much! I enjoyed your article :)

I hope you have a great day!   Explore the endless planets brimming with life of the Yonderverse! Go after creatures, discover new places, and learn about the people you find along the way.   Consider voting for me in the Worldbuilding Awards!
Feb 18, 2023 21:07 by Dr Emily Vair-Turnbull

Congratulations on finishing this, Mochi! I love how it's formatted! :D

Emy x   Etrea | Vazdimet
Feb 18, 2023 21:13 by Mochi

Thank you so much!! <3

I hope you have a great day!   Explore the endless planets brimming with life of the Yonderverse! Go after creatures, discover new places, and learn about the people you find along the way.   Consider voting for me in the Worldbuilding Awards!
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