Central Desert

Location:

Central Novopangaea (Pangaea II)

Biome:

Hot Desert

(So hot that water can only be found in underground reservoirs with the exception of a few scattered oases on the surface)

Climate:

Scorching hot during the day, with freezing nights.

Hazards:

Sandstorms, heat exposure, dehydration, and underground predators.

Bestiary:

Arthropods

Terrabyte (Termitomax monumenta)

Ancestor: Termite.

Size: Workers range from 3 cm (1.2 in) to 10 cm (4 in) depending on caste, while queens can reach 30 cm (12 in).

Appearance: Pale, chitinous exoskeletons with specialized body shapes and mandibles suited to their roles. Warriors (gum-spitters) have enlarged heads and mouthparts adapted to shoot sticky resin. Rock borers have reinforced jaws and heads for drilling.

Advanced Social Hierarchy:

Queen: Central to reproduction, producing eggs in massive numbers.

Transporters: Carry algae and food supplies.

Builders: Construct and repair mounds.

Warriors (Gum-Spitters): Use sticky resin to immobilize prey or threats like Garden Worms.

Rock Borers: Tunnel into hard surfaces to expand chambers.

Biters: Defend nests with powerful jaws.

Water Carriers: Collect moisture to hydrate the colony.

Nurses: Tend to eggs and larvae.

Niche: Eusocial builders constructing skyscraper-sized clay mounds, farming algae stolen from Garden Worms as food.

Sandpiercer (Sceliphron desertus)

Ancestor: Sand Wasp.

Size: 6 cm (2.4 in).

Appearance: Long, segmented body with powerful digging legs and sharp mandibles.

Niche: Burrowing predator laying eggs in Terrabyte mounds. Its larvae feed on termite larvae.

Thorncrawler (Diplopodus cactinus)

Ancestor: Millipede.

Size: 30 cm (12 in).

Appearance: Heavily armored, cylindrical body covered in spiny protrusions.

Niche: Herbivore feeding on algae-covered rocks near oases, preyed upon by Thornspikes.

Ashdrift Beetle (Tenebrionis aridus)

Ancestor: Darkling Beetle.

Size: 5 cm (2 in).

Appearance: Black, matte exoskeleton with sand-repellent grooves.

Niche: Scavenger feeding on decaying plants and algae scraps left by Garden Worms.

Stoneburrower (Gryllotalpax herbivora)

Ancestor: Mole Cricket.

Size: 8 cm (3.2 in).

Appearance: Chunky, clawed forelimbs for burrowing and tough, armored plating.

Niche: Herbivore feeding on plant roots near oases, attracting Terrabytes seeking water-rich plants.

Thornspike (Solifugus nocturnis)

Ancestor: Solifuge (Camel Spider).

Size: 10 cm (4 in).

Appearance: Long legs, sharp mandibles, and spiny body for nighttime ambushes.

Niche: Predatory hunter targeting Garden Worms and Terrabyte workers.

Sandweaver (Atrapara arenicus)

Ancestor: Trapdoor Spider.

Size: 6 cm (2.4 in).

Appearance: Sandy-brown, camouflaged body with silk-lined burrows.

Niche: Burrower creating silk-lined pits to trap smaller insects and desert creatures.

Shadeskitter (Gryllus cavemirus)

Ancestor: Cave Cricket.

Size: 4 cm (1.6 in).

Appearance: Pale, wingless body with long antennae for sensing in darkness.

Niche: Herbivore feeding on fungi near underground reservoirs, prey for Thornspikes.

Dune Glider (Locustomorpha volatus)

Ancestor: Desert Locust.

Size: 7 cm (2.8 in).

Appearance: Slender body with broad wings for long-distance gliding.

Niche: Migratory herbivore feeding on sparse vegetation near oases, preyed upon by Sandweavers.

Glassfang (Myrmeleon spiculosus)

Ancestor: Antlion Larva.

Size: 15 cm (6 in).

Appearance: Camouflaged body with mandibles adapted for grabbing prey.

Niche: Ambush predator creating sand traps to catch Sandpiercers and Thorncrawlers.

Burrowbreak Weevil (Curculio excavator)

Ancestor: Weevil.

Size: 12 cm (4.7 in).

Appearance: Large insect with a long, flexible proboscis and clawed legs for digging.

Niche: Burrowing predator raiding Terrabyte mounds for food.

Worms

Glassworm (Translucentia venatrix)

Ancestor: Velvet Worm.

Size: 20 cm (8 in).

Appearance: Transparent, slender body with sticky thread-launching appendages.

Niche: Ambush predator targeting Terrabyte workers and other insects near oases.

Garden Worm (Photosynthica deserti)

Ancestor: Polychaete Worm.

Size: 40 cm (16 in).

Appearance: Green, segmented body with fern-like fleshy lobes for photosynthesis.

Niche: Amphibious herbivore potosynthesizing algae inside its lobes, making it a target for Terrabytes.

Gloomworm (Caecowormis subterranea)

Ancestor: Polychaete Worm.

Size: 15 cm (6 in).

Appearance: Blind, smooth body adapted for dark caves.

Niche: Aquatic grazer feeding on cyanobacteria mats in cave pools.

Slickribbon (Predatoris gladius)

Ancestor: Polychaete Worm.

Size: 50 cm (20 in).

Appearance: Smooth, elongated predator with pincers and extendable jaws.

Niche: Ambush predator feeding on Gloomworms and Garden Worms.

Needleworm (Venomata abyssalis)

Ancestor: Bristleworm.

Size: 25 cm (10 in).

Appearance: Burrowing predator with venomous bristles.

Niche: Waits buried in sediment to ambush prey.

Glowdrift Worm (Lumifiltrus pelagicus)

Ancestor: Deep Sea Tube Worm.

Size: 20 cm (8 in).

Appearance: Bioluminescent body with glowing appendages.

Niche: Filter-feeder drifting through underground pools.

Snarecoil Worm (Tentacula spiralis)

Ancestor: Feather Duster Worm.

Size: 30 cm (12 in).

Appearance: Sessile worm with coiled, tentacle-like appendages.

Niche: Ambush predator trapping passing Gloomworms and Glowdrift Worms.

Grubroot Worm (Vermis radicatus)

Ancestor: Earthworm.

Size: 12 cm (5 in).

Appearance: Brown, segmented burrower.

Niche: Scavenger aerating the soil and decomposing plant material.

Fish

Blindbarb (Silurictus caecus)

Ancestor: Catfish.

Size: 25 cm (10 in).

Appearance: Smooth, whiskered body with no eyes and sensitive barbels.

Niche: Scavenger feeding on decaying matter and small invertebrates in cave pools.

Fungi

Glowstalk Fungus (Lucifungus cavernalis)

Ancestor: Modern bioluminescent fungi

Size: Stalks reach up to 1 meter tall

Appearance: Slender translucent stalks with glowing green-blue caps that release luminescent spores.

Niche: Keystone primary producer in underground ecosystems