Desert Earthworm

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iksi99
Krill Swarm
Posts: 14
Joined: Sun Jul 01, 2012 9:47 pm

Desert Earthworm

#1 Post by iksi99 »

NOTE: I have been heavily inspired by Mass Effect Thresher Maws.

Summary
Large, subterrenean creatures, resembling earthworms or other annelid creatures. They have adapted to hot environments and are relying on thermosynthesis to get starch out of organic matter they ingest while burrowing through the ground. They supplement their "diet" during the wet season with small animals that can be found. They get water by absorbing vapor. They are solitary creatures, and as a result have a very strong telepathic link. They are asexual and reproduce via spores. They have very rudimentary space technology, and they don't even need advanced or fast ships, because they live for 20-30 millenia. They are very intelligent, even though they barely have a peanut sized brain. They owe this to telepathy.

Homeworld
A huge desert world, with a scorching sun and a rather eccentric orbit, causing a world to have a wet and a dry season. There are two wet and two dry seasons per solar year, which is around 8 earth months long. During the dry season, all water evaporates, no matter how deep underground. During the wet season, the vapor condenses and water penetrates deep into the sand.

Appearence
They are giant worm-like creatures, reaching half a mile in lenght, yet their spores are microscopic, no larger than most of the protozoans. They have two large claws they use to burrow through the ground. They use telekinesis to build things. They are covered with chitin nearly impenetrable to weapons.

History
Due to their solitary nature, they did not acheive nearly anything special through their existence, being unable to build things on their own, but telepathically they have had major scientific breakthroughs, though they have not utilised them until the recent past.

Reason for leaving
One day a spacefaring race landed on their homeworld in an attempt to colonize it, but have eventually aborted and left. Little did they know they picked up a few spores along the way. At some point they crashed on a gaia world. The only survivors were the spores. They grew up and telepathically messaged their kin, telling them about a planet with mild temperatures, plentiful food and water, a paradise of it's own. Motivated, the desert earthworms on the homeworld collaborated and built a spaceship, in an attempt to find the planet their kin spoke of.

Social structure
They are physically solitary, but telepathy allows them to maintain a thriving society. They have no goverment, so they all do what they want.

Attributes
-Prefer desert worlds, but can also live on terran and swamp worlds. They are able to survive in toxic and inferno environments, though they have some difficulty.
-Bulletproof chitin (increase in troops), telepathy (increased research), subterrenean (better mining, increased target population)
-Solitary (reduced industry and construction)
-Long lived (small population growth)
Last edited by iksi99 on Sat Jul 07, 2012 11:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Ilija Anastasijević - iksi99

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eleazar
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Re: Desert Earthworm

#2 Post by eleazar »

iksi99 wrote:and are autotrophic, relying on thermosynthesis to get starch out of organic matter they ingest while burrowing through the ground. They sometimes supplement their "diet" with small animals that can be found.
That's not what "autotrophic" means.
They are very intelligent, even though they barely have a peanut sized brain.
How's that work?
They have two large claws they use to burrow through the ground.
So how can they build anything, without hands or some sort of fine manipulator?


They should have Low population to account for their size, and balance their advantages.

iksi99
Krill Swarm
Posts: 14
Joined: Sun Jul 01, 2012 9:47 pm

Re: Desert Earthworm

#3 Post by iksi99 »

About that autotrophy, I got a little tangled up. What I meant to say is that they mainly feed by synthesis, but when its colder, like during the rain season, they are carnivores (or even better, omnivores). I'll edit it.
About the peanut brains, its telepathy. It creates a neural network. If they are reduced to only a few, they would be just ordinary animals.
About the arms, good point. Didnt think about it. But considering their psychic skills, telekinesis is more likely. Will edit.
I forgot the population growth. Will add. Thanks for your feedback!
Ilija Anastasijević - iksi99

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