Edge-sama In reply to Ribbontail [2015-08-21 14:40:46 +0000 UTC]

thanks! The feelers came from looking at some arachnids that have psuedo-antenna (my non-professional wording) evolved from their middle legs, Amblypygi I think they're called. Figured the other way around could be doable as well, creatures developing manipulators from their feelers. I allways did imagine them being very touchy feely but it hit me that having both overdeveloped antennas and tiny awkward arms made them look weird. So now they got two pachyderm-antenna-hands on their face.

 New legs was a bit considering the function of their legs, I think they walk kinda like deer. But that also makes me a bit concerned about their butt (thorax? not good with bug anatomy really). Its gotta wiggle about a lot when they run, and considering I was considering having most of their vitals in the rear (need to do a anatomy sketch someday), that might be a serious problem... Need to figure these things out.

 I read a little about psuedopupils, and thought it would be cool if Eloquis compound-eyes had an ACTUAL psuedopupil. Like they can "switch on" a section to focus their vision. Likely this will go in three stages like Off (eye "closed"), Peripheral, or Pointview. But while I like the idea of them having pretty bad vision and relying on touch, It doesn't make sense for a flier to see badly. I think they would need their sight for flight, but touch is defs very important for social interactions and such. I still haven't decided quite if they are able to vocalize since I have an idea bout their lungs working in a funny way (intakes on the sides of the thorax, exhausts somewhere else).

 They are defs up for high fives and cuddles tho ^^ I need to draw one cuddling with a human.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Ribbontail In reply to Edge-sama [2015-08-22 20:17:51 +0000 UTC]

"Pachyderm-antenna-hand"-- right on the dot, there! One of my first thoughts was elephants, who use their trunks like little hands. Nice! I see what you mean about the abdomen though, that would be a problem if they hop around a lot. You could add a bit of grasshopper by giving them more support in the rear underbelly. This could be a great chance to work on their ethnicities, too! Some races of Eloquis could be springy and more grasshopper like, while others are waders and slow-movers who are "squishier" like this fella here. Lots to think about!

Oh my gosh I love this kind of worldbuilding. Damn you always making me think! ;;

I like the idea of psuedopupils, ooh! That makes me think of mantises always staring at us , eeek! <3

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Edge-sama In reply to Ribbontail [2015-08-22 21:09:08 +0000 UTC]

yes thats what a psuedopupil is! Light bounces around in their big ol peepers in funny ways that make it look like they have pupils, since they absorb the light directly heading towards the viewer (I am a sociologist/chef/doodler, not a physicist, I don't know the right words).

 And nice! thanks for the idea on looking at grasshoppers, never considered crasshoppers for some reason. I've allways wanted their bodies to be mostly blattodean or bettle-like. But that makes sense with how they get around!

 Speaking of their Ethnicities and such, they're all gonna have to rely on cattle in some way since they need hosts to reproduce. But I can imagine sleeker coastal Eloqui that looks like dragonflies, grasslands grasshoppers, or sorta dipteran dessert dwellers. I imagine their world is overall dryer than earth because of hot it is (carapaces are important to keep the sun at bay), and gravity is pretty light (compared to earth), so all thats gotta be taken into account for what kinda climates they have to deal with c:

 ((idk how to small text but hahahaha got u! think! think!!!)

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Ribbontail In reply to Edge-sama [2015-08-22 22:59:25 +0000 UTC]

Oh my goodness! Wow, the bit about cattle as hosts really caught me off guard-- wow! For such innocent-looking folk that's a pretty deliciously gruesome fact. Do you have any more information on their reproduction? I'm dying to know how this goes down! Normally cattle are seen as food, so that's seriously unique. Love it!

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Edge-sama In reply to Ribbontail [2015-08-23 14:32:38 +0000 UTC]

I haven't quite decided yet, I know in the early drafts I dubbed their "females" Impalers, thinking some kinda HR Gieger like parasitism. But the more I've read up on parasites I think they'd lean towards a less lethal approach.

 Thing is, Eloqui have three "sexes", drones, impalers, and the sentients (the only ones they really call eloqui since the other two are about dog-smart). Drones only really live to inseminate Impalers, I've played with the idea that Eloqui keep them as pretty pets though (nice awkwardly big wings that are useless for flight but good for showing of). While Impalers fly on to lay eggs in host creatures, but these days they're kept under control so they don't go lay eggs all willy nilly.

 I think their cattle are like big isopod-cows that snuffle about in the dirt to eat tubers, roots, and tasties. I did a doodle of them over here: 
edge-sama.deviantart.com/art/F…

 But there might be a few other species they can use for reproduction, as long as they got the right... gubbins. I think Eloquis larvae are like "brood sneaks" or something, impaler putts the eggs in a hosts brood sacs. And once hached they eat the eggs, babies or whatever in there and then leeches of the host like a baby. Or something...

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Ribbontail In reply to Edge-sama [2015-08-23 20:43:43 +0000 UTC]

Oooh nice, that's definitely a lot to think about! Chest-bursting alien parasitism is damn awesome, hell I've got a few myself, but it has lost its edge. I think that's a great idea with the brood-sneaking; perhaps they adapt themselves to the host's body and kick everything into a sort of pseudo-[pregnancy]? This saves the host's life, making reproduction more efficient! Hmmm... That's a damn awesome idea with the three sexes though, I really like that only one sex is "a person" while the others are like animals. That's really unique!

(Hahaha... imagine coming across a species of humanoids who do that. Hoo boy, the ethical implications!)

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Edge-sama In reply to Ribbontail [2015-08-24 06:09:03 +0000 UTC]

 oh yeah ouo that'd be nasty. I imagine Eloqui would have a hard time wrapping their heads around the concept that humans carry their own darn fetuses, like "wow nasty! You treat your friends like cattle?"

 The psuedo pregnancy idea is interesting, and sounds kinda like what Crab-cancer-barnacles allready do (wich is probably the nastiest body horror parasite on Earth). And that way maybe they don't even need to eat the hosts babies first like I innitially thought... Need to consider how and stuffs...

 Three sexes isn't unique to Eloqui in the setting tho I've made that a thing for Skulks as well, and Bizacouer have a practical infinity of them (like mushrooms).

👍: 0 ⏩: 0