Post by TheUdjat on Jul 14, 2008 12:27:14 GMT -5
Flora and Fauna
Categories:
- Time and Life Cycles (Land/Air/Sea)
- Domesticated Life
- Wild Life
- Unusual Species
- Magic and Nature
Time and Life Cycles (Land):
Before reading anything else, it’s important to note the biggest change from Earth to Venus, as it concerns life: Time. On Earth, life revolves around the concept of seasons: wet/dry, cold/hot, revolving in these cycles of growth and death back and forth. On a daily basis, life focuses on the pattern of light/dark to thrive, some species becoming better acclimated to day or night, as necessary.
Venusian life is different. On Venus, there are no seasons—it is always hot, always wet; prime conditions for both growth and decay. Day-to-day, change is radical—dead matter is consumed quickly while plants spring up at an impressive rate (by Earth standards). It is a faster, more dynamic atmosphere.
But a day on Venus is 120 Earth-days in length, and that brings about a major change. Earth-life, adapted for quick light-dark cycles, has adjusted to account for this drastic change. For most land-bound diurnal animals, the adjustment has been the same one humans made: during the Light Half of the Venusian Cycle, such animals are extremely active, sleeping little and thriving in the daylight; when night falls, they sleep more and nearly hibernate, using as little energy as possible and staying secure in dens or other sanctuaries.
Nocturnal animals operate differently—opposite, really. They hibernate during the long Venusian day and come out in force at night.
Plants operate differently—for them, the thriving summers have been replaced by thriving daylight, while winter becomes night. They grow greatly during the light, and then die or go inert during the night. Fungus tends to be active all the time, however, and many insects and reptiles operate more by the ebb and flow of rainfall than night and day, being equally suited to both.
Indeed, rain is often more important on a daily basis than anything else. With rainfall occurring daily in most of Venus’s lowlands, this simple factor often determines when creatures will emerge from their hives (or retreat to them), and when flowers will blossom to take advantage of the moisture.
Time and Life Cycles (Water/Air):
Many sea creatures are subject to the same factors as their land-bound cousins—however, they have two other very significant changes. The first is the water itself—Venus operates in a consistent pattern of tides, rising and falling once during every 20 Marks (almost 24 Earth-hours). This means sealife tends to be more inactive during the Low Marks, while the tide rising indicates a corresponding rise in activity. By High Tide, the waters are teeming with action and competition as some creatures hunt for algae and food revealed by the rising tide, while others emerge to eat those very creatures.
Since avian life is often very dependent on aquatic life, it is not unusual for them to match the pattern of their food. Tide is just as important for flying creatures as it is for swimming ones.
The other important factor is migration and mobility. Land-bound creatures are confined by their continents and islands, but those in the water can easily traverse the whole length of the globe—it is even easier for birds. There are many species of fish and birds alike that have adapted to migrate with the sunlight (or with the night), so that they are never forced to endure the other half of the Cycle. This in turn influences mankind, often reliant on birds and fish for sustenance, to harvesting and hunting them at the appropriate time period—before they move on to the East. In turn, water-bound plantlife tends to thrive when this wave of consumers has passed, only to be eaten when they return again in 100 Tides or so.
Domesticated Life:
As a terraformed and colonized world, Venus was always intended to hold Earth-like plants and animals. These things were familiar to the terraforming engineers, and so they are all present in more or less the same form. Agriculturally, it wasn’t especially difficult to adapt major crops to the new world—Rice, Corn, and Potatoes were already well-suited to the climate, and it was a small matter for Wheat and other crops to follow. Tropical fruits fared especially well in the rainforest-like habitat, and new varieties of mushroom flourish beneath the jungle canopies.
Animals have done much the same. Horses are still common, but are often only used in the highlands where foliage is less dense—often one must travel by foot in the lower jungles, unless there are established roads or railroads. Other farm animals—pigs, cows, goats, chickens, etc.—have adapted to hotter and wetter climates, but tend to have trouble existing outside of cultivated lands where competition is more fierce. Thus, plants are often more relied upon for food than meat.
For simplicity’s sake, assume that any common animals/plants also exist in Venus in some variety. The exceptions to this are obvious cold-weather animals (polar bears, walrus, etc.) and plants (ever-greens) which tend only to survive on the Northern Plateau, if at all. Tropical species are always more prevalent.
(Bear in mind, as mentioned above, the change in plant life-cycles and patterns. Plants tend to thrive in their 60 Tides of light, growing rapidly to impressive sizes, only to die just as abruptly when night falls. Mankind has thus adapted to harvest crops every Cycle, during the last Quarter of daylight.)
Wild Life:
The wilds of Venus are competitive and savage, even for nature. They tend towards the tropical side, making an excellent habitant for species native to Earth’s rain forests—fortunately this is a good 57% of Earth’s native species. Familiar faces include monkeys, snakes, turtles, other reptiles, most any insect, jaguars, sloths, bird of many shades, and so on. But many of these creatures are dangerous and/or poisonous, making exploration by foot a risky prospect. This would explain why so little exploration of Venus has occurred, with only the well-prepared and well-trained venturing into the undiscovered regions of the world.
In the wilds, tall, leafy trees, vines, and fungus do remarkably well in the rainforests. Grass is seldom seen within most of the forests, but increases in the highlands, where trees thin out (but it is no less wet). Carnivorous plants often do well at all times, due to Venus’s abundant insect life.
Unusual Species:
Aside from adaptations, Venus is due to have many of its own, very unique species. Some will seem quite alien to their Earthen counterparts, and they will frequently be better suited to Venusian life. For my personal convenience, these species will be better suited to the savage, untamed lands of the Western and Southern continents, where man has had significantly less influence. In these parts less domesticated animals (if any) exist, drastically changing the local ecosystems. These places also harbor less highlands, being even wetter and hotter than the rest of Venus. The Northern Plateau and its small valley is also due to have radically different life, due to its isolation and need for specialized species.
Tentatively speaking, I would like to see unique insectoid lifeforms and sentient plants, and other creatures utilizing Venus’s unique tides and day/night patterns to better survive—perhaps a nomadic race of sea-creatures, potentially intelligent as well. Resistance to acid and dependence on acid are also viable themes (Venusian plantlife is assumed to be highly resistant to acid storms, since they can’t move). I can’t say specifically what I have in mind (which is why this is in the unexplored areas), but these can be discussed in later articles. Contribution welcome!
Magic and Nature:
I have long planned to do something unique with the planet and its terraforming, and the relationship magic has with all of this. As will be revealed later, I want magic to be a very unknown factor in the workings of the world, understood only in fragmentary pieces—in some cases it will seem to come from the divine, in others it will appear to be the result of careful phrases, formulae, and meticulous rites, and in some cases it will seem to be the most natural thing in the world.
This last is important to Venus’s natural life. The planet is alive in a very literal sense, and its quiet influence will be felt all across the globe—though in what for is uncertain. There will be a cult that hails the planet as the true Goddess, and there will be others that think a vast species of monsters (or demons) lurk underground. Some creatures may even seem to be extensions of this Venus Consciousness. Whatever the case, Venus itself will play a significant role in the setting as an unexpected and unknown result of the terraforming. It will be tied especially close to those things too alien and unique to be of human origin—that is, the lifeforms that truly seem to be Venusian.
And that will be Natural Magic—supernatural or unexplainable creatures/effects derived from the planet itself.
Categories:
- Time and Life Cycles (Land/Air/Sea)
- Domesticated Life
- Wild Life
- Unusual Species
- Magic and Nature
Time and Life Cycles (Land):
Before reading anything else, it’s important to note the biggest change from Earth to Venus, as it concerns life: Time. On Earth, life revolves around the concept of seasons: wet/dry, cold/hot, revolving in these cycles of growth and death back and forth. On a daily basis, life focuses on the pattern of light/dark to thrive, some species becoming better acclimated to day or night, as necessary.
Venusian life is different. On Venus, there are no seasons—it is always hot, always wet; prime conditions for both growth and decay. Day-to-day, change is radical—dead matter is consumed quickly while plants spring up at an impressive rate (by Earth standards). It is a faster, more dynamic atmosphere.
But a day on Venus is 120 Earth-days in length, and that brings about a major change. Earth-life, adapted for quick light-dark cycles, has adjusted to account for this drastic change. For most land-bound diurnal animals, the adjustment has been the same one humans made: during the Light Half of the Venusian Cycle, such animals are extremely active, sleeping little and thriving in the daylight; when night falls, they sleep more and nearly hibernate, using as little energy as possible and staying secure in dens or other sanctuaries.
Nocturnal animals operate differently—opposite, really. They hibernate during the long Venusian day and come out in force at night.
Plants operate differently—for them, the thriving summers have been replaced by thriving daylight, while winter becomes night. They grow greatly during the light, and then die or go inert during the night. Fungus tends to be active all the time, however, and many insects and reptiles operate more by the ebb and flow of rainfall than night and day, being equally suited to both.
Indeed, rain is often more important on a daily basis than anything else. With rainfall occurring daily in most of Venus’s lowlands, this simple factor often determines when creatures will emerge from their hives (or retreat to them), and when flowers will blossom to take advantage of the moisture.
Time and Life Cycles (Water/Air):
Many sea creatures are subject to the same factors as their land-bound cousins—however, they have two other very significant changes. The first is the water itself—Venus operates in a consistent pattern of tides, rising and falling once during every 20 Marks (almost 24 Earth-hours). This means sealife tends to be more inactive during the Low Marks, while the tide rising indicates a corresponding rise in activity. By High Tide, the waters are teeming with action and competition as some creatures hunt for algae and food revealed by the rising tide, while others emerge to eat those very creatures.
Since avian life is often very dependent on aquatic life, it is not unusual for them to match the pattern of their food. Tide is just as important for flying creatures as it is for swimming ones.
The other important factor is migration and mobility. Land-bound creatures are confined by their continents and islands, but those in the water can easily traverse the whole length of the globe—it is even easier for birds. There are many species of fish and birds alike that have adapted to migrate with the sunlight (or with the night), so that they are never forced to endure the other half of the Cycle. This in turn influences mankind, often reliant on birds and fish for sustenance, to harvesting and hunting them at the appropriate time period—before they move on to the East. In turn, water-bound plantlife tends to thrive when this wave of consumers has passed, only to be eaten when they return again in 100 Tides or so.
Domesticated Life:
As a terraformed and colonized world, Venus was always intended to hold Earth-like plants and animals. These things were familiar to the terraforming engineers, and so they are all present in more or less the same form. Agriculturally, it wasn’t especially difficult to adapt major crops to the new world—Rice, Corn, and Potatoes were already well-suited to the climate, and it was a small matter for Wheat and other crops to follow. Tropical fruits fared especially well in the rainforest-like habitat, and new varieties of mushroom flourish beneath the jungle canopies.
Animals have done much the same. Horses are still common, but are often only used in the highlands where foliage is less dense—often one must travel by foot in the lower jungles, unless there are established roads or railroads. Other farm animals—pigs, cows, goats, chickens, etc.—have adapted to hotter and wetter climates, but tend to have trouble existing outside of cultivated lands where competition is more fierce. Thus, plants are often more relied upon for food than meat.
For simplicity’s sake, assume that any common animals/plants also exist in Venus in some variety. The exceptions to this are obvious cold-weather animals (polar bears, walrus, etc.) and plants (ever-greens) which tend only to survive on the Northern Plateau, if at all. Tropical species are always more prevalent.
(Bear in mind, as mentioned above, the change in plant life-cycles and patterns. Plants tend to thrive in their 60 Tides of light, growing rapidly to impressive sizes, only to die just as abruptly when night falls. Mankind has thus adapted to harvest crops every Cycle, during the last Quarter of daylight.)
Wild Life:
The wilds of Venus are competitive and savage, even for nature. They tend towards the tropical side, making an excellent habitant for species native to Earth’s rain forests—fortunately this is a good 57% of Earth’s native species. Familiar faces include monkeys, snakes, turtles, other reptiles, most any insect, jaguars, sloths, bird of many shades, and so on. But many of these creatures are dangerous and/or poisonous, making exploration by foot a risky prospect. This would explain why so little exploration of Venus has occurred, with only the well-prepared and well-trained venturing into the undiscovered regions of the world.
In the wilds, tall, leafy trees, vines, and fungus do remarkably well in the rainforests. Grass is seldom seen within most of the forests, but increases in the highlands, where trees thin out (but it is no less wet). Carnivorous plants often do well at all times, due to Venus’s abundant insect life.
Unusual Species:
Aside from adaptations, Venus is due to have many of its own, very unique species. Some will seem quite alien to their Earthen counterparts, and they will frequently be better suited to Venusian life. For my personal convenience, these species will be better suited to the savage, untamed lands of the Western and Southern continents, where man has had significantly less influence. In these parts less domesticated animals (if any) exist, drastically changing the local ecosystems. These places also harbor less highlands, being even wetter and hotter than the rest of Venus. The Northern Plateau and its small valley is also due to have radically different life, due to its isolation and need for specialized species.
Tentatively speaking, I would like to see unique insectoid lifeforms and sentient plants, and other creatures utilizing Venus’s unique tides and day/night patterns to better survive—perhaps a nomadic race of sea-creatures, potentially intelligent as well. Resistance to acid and dependence on acid are also viable themes (Venusian plantlife is assumed to be highly resistant to acid storms, since they can’t move). I can’t say specifically what I have in mind (which is why this is in the unexplored areas), but these can be discussed in later articles. Contribution welcome!
Magic and Nature:
I have long planned to do something unique with the planet and its terraforming, and the relationship magic has with all of this. As will be revealed later, I want magic to be a very unknown factor in the workings of the world, understood only in fragmentary pieces—in some cases it will seem to come from the divine, in others it will appear to be the result of careful phrases, formulae, and meticulous rites, and in some cases it will seem to be the most natural thing in the world.
This last is important to Venus’s natural life. The planet is alive in a very literal sense, and its quiet influence will be felt all across the globe—though in what for is uncertain. There will be a cult that hails the planet as the true Goddess, and there will be others that think a vast species of monsters (or demons) lurk underground. Some creatures may even seem to be extensions of this Venus Consciousness. Whatever the case, Venus itself will play a significant role in the setting as an unexpected and unknown result of the terraforming. It will be tied especially close to those things too alien and unique to be of human origin—that is, the lifeforms that truly seem to be Venusian.
And that will be Natural Magic—supernatural or unexplainable creatures/effects derived from the planet itself.
