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Earth's ecosystem; Demons and dragons explained here
Topic Started: Apr 18 2012, 06:21 PM (92 Views)
PureDark006
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Having been left alone for so many centuries, everything below the purple mist is different. The mist's property accelerated the ecosystem's evolution so much it almost looks like another planet, and everything man created has long been engulfed by nature. Now, all of Earth looks like a giant natural reserve, as if humans had never existed. Although the weather still resembles its past self, the water everywhere has been tainted dark purple, even the underground rivers and the rain and snow. The ever-present mist makes visibility poor in general, specially in areas with dense foliage like jungles, and completely blocks the stars at night. It also filters the light of the sun and moon, tainting everything with a purplish tinge.

Flora

The flora has evolved to adapt to these adverse conditions; down in Earth, everything is poisonous. The mist carried its curse to the water, and plants grew to assimilate and secrete the same toxins. Now most flora has red, blue or purple coloration, replacing the brown and green from before, and more of them followed the example of the pitcher plants and started evolving ways to consume meat. In forests and jungles, where the biodiversity is big, there are even ferals that look like plants to lure their prey; the only way to distinguish them is that normal plants, no matter how evolved they are, can't move freely.

Grass has become extinct; all plants are at least the size of a human child, and there are some variants that can grow as tall as a skyscraper. Plants that rely on water and photosynthesis have big, thick leaves that absorb as much of the thin light as possible. Carnivorous plants can take a variety of forms, from those who produce sweet scents to attract prey into their 'mouths' (like the Venus Flytrap or the Pitcher Plant) to those who are large, underground traps that use the smell of rotting bodies to attract large scavengers and make them fall into their deaths. All plants reproduce either by spores (either released so they can be scattered in the wind, or blasted out when something touches the plant so they can take root inside the creature and use its body as nutrients) or by seeds. Much like the plants before the mist, some of the actual flora has also established symbiotic or parasitic relationships with specific kinds of ferals or demons.

Ferals

Ferals are like the animals before the mist. They come in every shape and size, and fill in all ecological niches; from herbivores to carnivores, omnivores to scavengers, land, water and flying ferals, all adapted to a certain habitat and lifestyle. Ferals are poisonous, like all plants; their teeth, claws and horns secrete a poison that can immediately kill humans and dragons not raised in the mist, and it has a paralyzing effect on the rest of living creatures. Small ferals, those resembling the old insects, have poison on all their bodies and can shoot it from their mouth and behind. All the old Kingdom the animals were divided into before have mixed, giving birth to ferals as big as horses with an exoskeleton and a parasitic reproduction cycle, or ferals as small as flies that band in the thousands to consume everything in their path.

Ferals can only reproduce with those of their same species, and their intelligence is much lower than a human's or a demon's. The most intelligent ferals are the carnivorous breeds that travel in large, organized packs and can understand basic orders given by their Alpha, like wolves. Ferals can't be tamed, even by demons; they only obey their Alpha or their own selves, and if caught, will attack everything in their way until they're free again or die. That response is because all ferals have evolved to be as aggressive as possible; those who didn't fight back were almost always the first to be eaten by other ferals or demons. Even those small, herbivorous ferals that act like mice or squirrels where their first instinct is to run and hide can't be tamed.

Dragons

Dragons born under the mist are almost exactly like their 'normal' selves both in attitude and intelligence. The only main difference is that they're immune to both the effects from the mist and the poison secreted by ferals and demons; however, unlike everything else down there, they aren't poisonous themselves unless it's a trait from their breed. All dragons are as intelligent as humans or demons, though 'stupid' and 'genius' dragons also exist. Also, dragons can have powers depending on their breed, but a dragon with individual powers that others can't have doesn't exist. With enough food and no predators, any dragon can live up to 100 years, though wild ones tend to be killed before they reach that age. Baby dragons are called 'hatchlings' until they reach adulthood.

Dragons come in an array of sizes. Normally, they're as big as a bus, but some breeds like Night Glory Drakes can be as small as bats and Terraes are the size of a three-story house, with hatchlings as big as a car. Most dragons are hunters and eat ferals, demons and even other dragons, though some breeds only eat plants. Usually, the mother dragon takes care of all her eggs; however, when they're too many for her, she abandons them. Even then she tries to assure the survival of the baby dragon, so she either hides the egg where she thinks no one will find it, or, if she's near, leaves it in a special open cave where the mist doesn't reach. Since it's difficult to breathe non-toxic air, mothers will spend as little time in that cave as possible, just enough to leave the eggs and go away. When an egg hatches, the baby is usually loyal to the first thing it sees, so it's not uncommon for demons to take care of dragon eggs they find instead of eating them, so they can raise the hatchling and have an adult dragon obeying them in 3 years. However, dragons tend to be proud creatures, and will snap at their 'masters' and even kill them if treated badly. Some breeds are also harder to 'tame' than others.

Dragon eggs take a year to hatch. After that and for one year, the hatchlings are defenseless and need the protection of an adult. They can't talk, but can emit an extremely high-pitched squeal when they are frightened to call for their protectors. Hatchlings are usually active and curious, though there are some breeds where they sleep all day. When hatchlings are a year old, they start changing, growing wings and scales, changing colors and growing in size. Mature hatchlings then start learning how to communicate to other dragons via growls, and later with telepathy. They also start developing the powers of their breed. One year later, they're full adults, and just need to master their strength. Only adult dragons can breed, and dragons can communicate only with other dragons through telepathy.

Dragons can breed with almost any other species of dragon and with wyverns: the only exceptions are Two-headed (can only breed with other Two-headed), Pygmies (can only breed with other Pygmies and Pumpkins), and Drakes (can only breed with other Drakes); breeds like Vampire and Guardians of Nature, that have other means of making their eggs, can't breed at all. The egg with parents from different species will always be the species of one of its parents, never a hybrid. Different dragons look for different qualities when looking for a mate, but the most important thing for them is a compatible personality.

Demons

Demons are a sub-species of feral so different from the others it deserves to be called its own species. Unlike ferals, all demons have at least a partially humanoid shape and human intelligence, and all can speak. However rational they appear or can act, demons are first and foremost animals, and as such usually follow their instincts instead of thinking rationally about a situation, specially when they're altered, scared or angry. Besides the humanoid forms, demons can be as different as night and day, with only one other important common trait: the weak are eaten, so all demons have evolved different ways of keeping themselves alive. Demons with soft skin, rounded teeth or no claws (in other words, demons who resemble humans too much) tend to be quickly killed. Unlike dragons and ferals, demons can be born with powers unique to them besides those their species has; however, they don't have the diversity humans' have. Individual powers always relate to the demon's breed, and none can be as powerful as a human that has mastered theirs. Also, like ferals, all sharp ends and fluids of a demon are poisonous.

Different as they are, all species of demons can interbreed: in that case, the offspring is born with random traits of both parents. However, if the parents are too different, the cub may have defects due to organ incompatibility and die before its first year. Demon babies and kids are called 'cubs' until they reach adulthood, which can be anywhere between 15 and 20 years and is marked by some important changes. All demons have a lifespan of 80 years if they aren't killed first, but some can die younger or older depending on their health and powers. Dragons can only produce offspring with other dragons, and ferals with other ferals, but it remains to be seen if demons and humans are compatible.

Demons can reproduce asexually, lay eggs or give birth to live cubs depending on their species. All demon cubs are defenseless during their first two years and need the protection of their parents or pack, and either drink their mother's milk or are born with a digestive system that can handle meat and other foods. During their third year of life, cubs start learning to talk, walk, run, climb, etc, and are as developed as a 5-year-old human. They start learning their breed's and unique powers when they are 4-6, and by 8, they can already do anything an adult can to a much lesser degree, except moving; cubs always prefer to walk on all their legs, like a quadruped, while adult demons favor upright positions, like a biped's.

From the time they're born to adulthood, demon cubs have mellow dispositions and are easily influenced (unless some event in their lives forced them to mature early). In other words, they behave like normal, playful human kids. They easily form alliances and are convinced to follow stronger demons, since their strongest instinct is survival; a cub is genetically programmed to choose the option that keeps itself alive. Once they start maturing, the changes happen fast: they start walking upright, their size increases rapidly, their powers double in power and they start becoming more aggressive, distrustful and sadistic. A year after they start maturing, they become full adults, and their personalities can take a 180° turn from the sweet, playful cubs. Since the year cubs mature depends on the individual, there can be within the same pack adults who are 16 and cubs who are 19. In that case, the 16-year-olds have authority over the older ones that are still cubs, since demons care more about maturity than age.

Once they mature, demons are able to reproduce. However, that doesn't mean the first thing they do is look for a mate. Demons first look for a place to live (the ones in packs either stay or form their own, and the solitary ones go looking for territory), with plenty to eat, before even considering the possibility of having offspring. Even then, demons of different species behave differently regarding that subject; some immediately start looking for one, others don't consider it until the possibility presents itself, etc. When they do look for a mate, though, the first thing a demon looks for is strength. Both males and females prefer partners who are stronger than them. However, demons can also be influenced by other factors that makes them choose a weaker mate. One of them is personality; the strength takes a less important place if both demons get along and can fight together as a team. The demon may also be interested in partners whose personality or powers are the opposite. All in all, subconsciously, all demons look for the same: a partner that can give their cubs a higher chance of survival so their genes can continue to be passed down.

Once a demon is interested, courtship begins. Demons usually aren't shy of what they want and will make it clear. The most normal way of making their interest choose them is to display their strength and abilities; one of the most common displays is the kill of a big, dangerous prey, like an adult dragon. Other demons will prefer to flaunt their intelligence or looks, but that's less common. Once they have a partner, demons can behave as differently as ferals; depending on their species, they can mate for life and will protect each other, or just have cubs, raise them and leave, and everything in-between, including packs made of numerous same-gender demons and only one of the opposite gender. Live litters usually consist of one or two cubs, but some species can have up to five, and the species that lay eggs can lay only one or have a clutch of even a dozen. Regardless, all species take care of the cubs until they're strong enough to survive on their own, and will protect them from predators and other demons.
The two parts of life, the beginning and the end
The two sides of a story, the sun and the rain
The two courses of life, the right and the wrong
The only end for a story forgotten long ago
My wings are broken, you can fly
Don't you see, this is you and I
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