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Description

Mu

INTRO: Legends of lost lands and cultures have persisted throughout history. In light of recent discoveries made by FATHOM in the years spend searching the globe for other kaiju and their origins after Godzilla’s secret discovery in 1954, it has been determined that a bygone paleolithic human culture of wide extent and advancement had indeed existed before recorded history. What happened to this vanished culture is still a mystery, though many old tales hint at possible survivals of the ancient people either as refugees that went on to fade into the emerging oldest officially recognized societies, or as remnants hidden away in forgotten corners of the world. One of the most prevalent of these tales is that of an entire land that sunk beneath the ocean, which has survived in various interpretations by many different cultures, Atlantis and Lemuria being among the most well-known conceptions.

The discovery of Mothra’s Temple in 1961 was of great significance to the further understanding of the world’s first bygone human culture, especially through the questioning of the Shobijin, the last remnants of an isolated race believed to be an offshoot of said culture. Among the old stories they spoke of was of a “living land” called Mu, and their assertion that it and the people who survived there would rise again.

Two years later, in 1963, FATHOM received a strange package of unknown origin labeled only as “MU”. In it was a strange type of filmography device that appeared to show glimpses of a totally unknown society. The artifact also came with a brief written message essentially stating that the senders were watching and would be returning soon. They seemed to desire no conflict, but firmly demanded that no harm come to their home upon their eventual appearance. For decades, the identity of these mysterious senders and what could/should be done about them after their existence could no longer be kept a secret was among the most feverishly debated topics at FATHOM. One strange point that often went overlooked was how the senders implied that somehow their home, Mu, would itself “decide” when to resurface. What this meant wouldn’t become clear for many years…

DISCOVERY: After the battle of Cairo, the only active kaiju that remained on the surface was the female varanid, Komodithrax. This creature began making her way through the Mediterranean and across the Atlantic. While scientists pondered as to why, several nations of the Americas sent a conjoined fleet to block the monster in case it approached their shores. An interception point was pinpointed in the mid-Atlantic, and Komodithrax was engaged with missiles at increasingly close range as she dodged or shrugged them off.

Then, something larger began to surface. Much, much larger. So large, in fact, that it initially looked as if the entire seabed was heaving towards the surface. What emerged from the water was unlike anything seen before. A lifeform so immense that it utterly dwarfed all others and formed a biome all its’ own. There was soon no doubt that this could be nothing less than the fabled sunken land, returned to the surface. The living island of Mu.

During the upheaval, a few naval ships were stranded upon the creature’s expansive back, which underwent a radical metamorphosis as plants and plant-like organisms began sprouting rapidly across the living island’s carapace. Most of the crews survived, but when communication with the vessels suddenly went offline, apparently deliberately, a rescue/reconnaissance mission was sent to retrieve the survivors, and document this strange new land…

BIOGEOLOGY: Its’ general outline indicates that Mu is derived from filter-feeding anomalocarids, such as Aegirocassis, which were among the Earth’s first large predators. Its’ size and biolithic traits are so highly developed, though, that it would be crude to call it merely a creature. Mu has developed over hundreds of millions of years into a fully self-sustaining superorganism. The enormous arrow-like head is laid down by vast streams of molten lava which eventually ooze their way into the sea. The debris and leftover radioactive elements of these flows are recycled by the nearly three-mile long filtration arms that dangled into the depths below. A multitude of anterior underwater caves provide intakes for free floating metals, background radiation, and biological matter. All serve as fuel for several sets of biological nuclear reactors that power the island. This process generates tons of steam which provide extra power for Mu’s respiratory system. These internal steam-vents create large air-filled caverns beneath the upper carapace, adding extra buoyancy. The reactors circulate blood-like magma, which forms a volcanic mountain range along the dorsal surface, consisting of four major active calderas. Mu’s unique biogeology generates many types of unique radioactive compounds that provide the basis for the living island’s kaiju ecosystem. Towards the hind thorax, internal water and air are filtered and condensed into water that resurfaces as fresh springs that flow down the remainder of Mu’s abdomen, eventually tapering off into swamps along the telson.

ECOLOGY: Most of the lifeforms that colonize Mu are derived from Paleozoic stock. The radioactive compounds of Mu are quite different from those of other kaiju hotbeds, such as Skull Island. They don’t seem to support larger kaiju, but encourage mutations that lead animals to develop more closely linked symbiosis with each other and the island itself, keeping the ecosystem in near perfect balance. The porous volcanic carapace is saturated with nutrients, which allows forests to cover most of Mu’s dorsal surface. These forests are strange ancient florafauna derived from mixtures of early land plants and sessile animals. A few notable creatures that inhabit this biome include, starting clockwise from top right:

Arboropteryx: These florafauna are among the most common small predators along the coasts and sheltered lagoons of the Mu Biome, chasing after fish and clambering about the cuticle cliffs. Despite having feathers, anatomical analysis otherwise indicates that they are derived from basal diapsid reptiles; the feathers either being borrowed mutations from later-evolved birds, or perhaps a more elaborate case of convergent evolution. Most intriguing is their manner of reproduction. They seem to have become genetically linked with a type of derived Lepidodendron, or scale tree, to the point where they grow virally within the plant’s own reproductive areas, oddly reminiscent of bygone myths of “goose-trees”. The Arboropteryx themselves carry the tree’s spores within their bodies, which sprout from their animal aspect’s dormant bodies after a varied lifespan between a decade and a century. In this way, they are essential in recycling nutrients between the upper forests and the waters around Mu. Length: 2 to 2.5 feet.

Glass Salamander: These highly derived temnospondyls are among the more extreme cases of biolithic evolution. Their cellular structure incorporates large amounts of silicone, held together in a flexible mesh by an unknown type of protein strand. In order to keep their bodies from fully crystalizing, they absorb heat and radiation from the dorsal calderas and magma veins. They can even spend limited amounts of time within the lava and can become almost fully liquid. Overexposure will cause permanent liquidation, though, and at times they may burn off extra heat by rampaging across the surface, causing wildfires in their wake. These occasional flare-ups actually help clear away overgrown patches and provide the surface soils with rarer types of radioactive elements usually restricted underground. Length: 10 to 18 feet.

See-Rex: These animals seem to be a type of terrestrially-adapted belemnite, with a segmented internal rostrum serving as a backbone. Their hyper-developed arms enable them to run, leap, and brachiate through the forests of Mu with ease as they pick off small prey with their shorter arms. They can detect the slightest motions by sensing bioelectrical patterns generated by neurons. This sense seems to be linked with their vision as well, and is so highly developed that they are able to detect the moving patterns generated by brain cells, essentially allowing them to “see” thoughts. This gives them a kind of intuition that makes it nearly impossible to take them by surprise, as they act with almost precognitive swiftness. They communicate to each other via changing colors of their caudal fins. Among the few creatures of Mu to retain both sexes, males and females are highly sexually dimorphic. The more numerous males are mostly harmless unless threatened, but females possess larger caudal fins with which they hypnotize selected prey, which usually consists of males unable to resist their influence. Those that aren’t fooled are allowed to mate, promoting sharper mental flexibility. Length: 6 to 8 feet.

Hender’s Rat: These are among the only hypervorous creatures in the otherwise evenly-balanced and relatively tame kaiju ecology of Mu, and may be an invasive parasite species. Believed to have evolved from mantis shrimp, Hender’s Rats are named after their discoverer (and first human victim) on the FATHOM reconnaissance team. They are extraordinarily aggressive, and attack anything within sight of their cephalic and thoracic eyes. They are always pregnant, and should they fail to feed consistently, their young will consume them from the inside. A side effect of their hypervorous mutation has also led to them becoming intolerant of salt water, effectively restricting them to patrolling the freshwater springs of Mu. Removal of these animals from the Mu Biome is restricted under all circumstances. Length: 2 to 3 feet.

Hallucipod: This strange creature may be a descendent of lobopodian worms such as Hallucigenia, though they have taken their ancestor’s confusing symmetry to a new extreme. This biradially symmetrical herbivore has heads on either end of its’ body, and its’ leg joints allow it to shift quickly between forward to backward locomotion. Though not the swiftest animal of Mu, it consumes various poisonous plants and stores their toxins within the armor spikes projecting from its’ carapace. Their unique digestive system produces pellets of undigested matter, which help fertilize feeding grounds as their browsing cuts back overly-competitive foliage, allowing seedings better chances to sprout. Length: 3 to 5 feet.

Tully Croc: This large carnivore is derived from the strange animal, Tullymonstrum. They are semiaquatic ambush predators, similar to crocodilians in more average ecosystems. Their periscopic eyestalks allow them to track prey while submerged, which they then lunge at with their jointed mouth at incredible speed. They are otherwise slow crawlers on land. Though found in freshwaters throughout Mu, they are most common in the telson swamps, which are isolated by broad cliffs. Their predation of animals that become trapped in this region ensures that this section of Mu’s Biome does not become imbalanced. Length: 12 to 20 feet.

Triblite: Many subspecies of these terrestrial trilobites can be found all across Mu. Though they appear unassuming, they are covered in highly irritating hairs which are easily shed and replaced. Some varieties store the toxins of the plants they eat within their hairs as well. Despite this, they are among the most common prey animals of the Mu Biome. In fact, they are able to feed rapidly on seemingly any type of plant matter. They are also extremely proficient at reproduction, each individual containing dozens of offspring at any given time. These offspring, in turn, may contain hundreds of smaller spawn of their own. If left to their own devices, they may strip an area bare of vegetation within hours. Fortunately, they are the primary prey of many other inhabitants of the living island. The possibility of ecological collapse should they be introduced to a mainland ecosystem without any natural predators makes their containment highly recommended. Length: 1 to 2 feet.

Rod: These creatures, named after the “rod” photography phenomenon to which they may be partially responsible for, gather spectacularly in night skies above Mu. These agile flyers normally move at speeds too fast to be perceived by the naked human eye, but seem to slow down considerably over Mu, though, and are further highlighted by a form of bioluminescence that they seem to activate, again, only over Mu. For what purpose, whether as part of a sort of reproductive or metabolic life cycle, is still unknown. Bodies of recently deceased individuals are hard to collect and extremely delicate, but have yielded a few surprising results under study. They seem to be highly derived temnospondyl amphibians adapted for flight at high speed. Their thin bodies are coated in an ultra-thin molecular sheet of crystal mucus with areas of almost zero frictional resistance. This, combined with a siphon-propulsion system allows them to slip through the air mostly unseen. Certainly among the strangest known hyper-evolved kaiju lifeforms, it is impossible to determine the population or range of these creatures outside of Mu, or just how many times they have truly been caught on camera before. Length: 1 to 6 feet.

Sumian: This race of highly evolved anomodont therapsids, possibly descended primarily from Suminia, are among the most feared beings on Mu. They have likely managed to survive Mu’s past submersions by retreating into the living island’s respiratory caverns, to which they’ve become highly adapted. They are blind, yet detect their surroundings through a combination of echolocation via their chattering teeth, smell, and vibrations. As large as grizzlies, and much more powerful, they dwell within their caves by day and emerge to hunt and feed by night. They are quite selective in their prey, though, preferring old and sick individuals. They are highly resistant to nearly all types of pathogens, and seem to share acquired immunity with other members of their tribe. They become especially active when Mu’s bio-volcanic activity rises, usually in response to a perceived threat to the ecosystem. This has led to them being likened to white blood cells of Mu’s body. Height: 6 to 8 feet.

Bush Crawler: Descended from drepanosaurs, this slow-moving predator lurks within the mid-canopy region of Mu’s forests. Color and pattern-changing skin allows them to blend in among the ropy trunks and branches of scale trees. Thorn-like protrusions along their backs provide extra protection. The Bush Crawler’s main prey consists of colonies of smaller Triblites that infest the trees’ trunk, which it exposes with its’ large claws. Its’ scythe-like tail is used not only for defense, but to cut off dead branches, which ultimately keeps the tree in better health and provides the underbrush with healthy patches of sunshine. It, like the Arboropteryx, represents a mobile animal-like phase in the life cycle of several types of the plants they cling to. Length: 4 to 6 feet.

Kamoebasaur: These huge, primordial turtles are the largest native creatures of Mu. They are few in number, but play a major role in monitoring the surface conditions of the living island. Mu’s dorsal calderas radiate high levels of waste energy, which the Kamoebasaurs utilize within their own biolithic bodies, essentially acting as buffers to the more potent radioactive chemicals. This energy is used to grow stony shells, which are rich in concentrations of leftover nuclear elements. This promotes the growth of small groves atop the turtles’ backs, and between them and the energized magma, they derive almost all their energy. Occasionally, however, they will take prey that wander within range of their hyperextendable necks, earning them their scientific name, Megalomatamata. Glass Salamanders are a favorite treat, which they lay in wait for near active lava flows from their own sedentary pits. The oldest and largest individual, Kamoebas, moves between the largest calderas herself and seems to enjoy simply watching the daily life of the nurturing ecosystem. Shell Diameter: 30 to 55 feet.

Ganime: Beneath the sunlit surface of Mu’s upper ecologies, a ravenous army brood. Ganime are crab-like crustaceans that can be found clinging to the dark undersides of the ancient anomalocarid, picking off any leftover detritus and radiation that circulates around the living island as it moves. They are coated with a layer of thick fur extending from their exoskeletons, which house colonies of chemosynthetic bacteria which allow them to go for extended lengths of time without external food. They are the largest and so far, most well documented inhabitants of Mu’s submerged ecosystems, owing to the fact that they often attempt to raid the surface where they consume all things in sight. Sumians, though, are experts at forcing them to retreat. But even they are often troubled by the army’s commander, the alpha crustacean Ganimes, which has attained a size much greater than his counterparts. Diameter: 15 to 45 feet.

SOCIETY: The last time Mu roamed the surface oceans was during the reign of the bygone paleolithic civilization, destined for self-destruction and mostly forgotten in the ensuing millennia. During the collapse, though, some found sanctuary on the forbidden land of Mu, which took them down with it as it retreated to the seabed once more. In time, these stowaways would become as fully integrated into Mu’s biome as the other beasts. They now form a race and civilization all their own, constituting the Undersea Kingdom of Seatopia.

Modern Seatopians differ greatly from their fully human ancestors. Mu’s influence has adapted them well to the caverns beneath its’ carapace, lighted by magma and bioluminescent organisms. Their eyes are adapted for low-light conditions in the visible spectrum, though they mainly detect infrared light. They, like most other inhabitants of Mu, are also entirely female, and reproduce via a type of parthenogenesis with a high genetic variation rate and ensures inbreeding is not a problem, and which has allowed they to evolve in such drastic fashion over a relatively short length of time. Mostly notably, however, are their adaptations for a semiaquatic lifestyle. Instead of legs, they possess powerful tails that propel them easily through the winding flooded caverns, and are also capable of a slithering motion on land.

The Seatopian society is composed of around several hundred individuals at any given time, with the average lifespan measuring up to five hundred years. They regard Mu and much of its’ life as sacred entities, and dutifully contribute to its’ well-being by regulating and maximizing the healthy flow of seawater through Mu’s filtration system. They also keep internal parasites, such as larval Ganime, in check by using them as a primary food source. Reproduction is rare, but new members are highly cherished. They maintain an uneasy truce with the Sumians by offering their dead to the undertakers, as their final contribution to Mu’s biome.

Technologically, they retain several artifacts and techniques of their ancestral human culture. The art of stone and crystal masonry, ceramics, light-based computation, and chemistry are all highly developed. Over time, they have learned to utilize various types of mutative substances found on and within Mu as well, and can temporarily modify themselves with various enhancements. This is how they have kept track of the surface world, by occasionally sending agents with terrestrial modifications to observe cultures throughout history. Though they don’t seem hostile, much of their ultimate motives remain unknown…

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Notes: Sorry for the extended wait on this one. It was a real doozy to write, and I kept adding last minute changes and screwing around with it for three days trying to get the lighting and resolution just right, which even now I’m not entirely satisfied with. Well, better than nothing I guess. Anyway, the inspirations of all the different creatures are as follows:

Arboropteryx and Glass Salamanders are loosely based on creatures that would’ve appeared in the scrapped movie Bride of Godzilla. The Bush Crawler is a combo of another creature that would’ve featured in BoG and what can now be seen as a proto-Skullcrawler that appeared briefly in the original 1933 King Kong.

The See-Rex is based on Crustaceous Rex from Godzilla: The Series.

Hender’s Rat is from a novel, Fragment, by Warren Fahy.

The Hallucipod and Sumian are both based on creatures that appeared in the 2001 sci-fi-comedy, Evolution.

The Tully Croc is from… Uh… Um… Nothing, I just think Tullymonstrum is cool.

Triblites are basically trilobite versions of Tribbles as seen the original Star Trek series.

Rods are based on an alleged cryptid/UFO phenomenon that has been shown to actually be motion-blurred insects.

Kamoebas and Ganimes are of course from the 1970 Showa Toho film, Space Amoeba.

Mu itself is based on the sunken empire in 1963’s Atragon.

The Seatopians are a reference to both the antagonists in Godzilla vs Megalon, as well as the mermaid race that also would’ve appeared in Bride of Godzilla. I kid you not, there were almost mermaids in an official Godzilla continuity. Kinda adds an odd perspective to that Godzilla-Little Mermaid crossover fanfic I read once… Anyway, I hope you enjoy as always, and look forward to this final stretch of this series before the finale.

Description

Mu

INTRO: Legends of lost lands and cultures have persisted throughout history. In light of recent discoveries made by FATHOM in the years spend searching the globe for other kaiju and their origins after Godzilla’s secret discovery in 1954, it has been determined that a bygone paleolithic human culture of wide extent and advancement had indeed existed before recorded history. What happened to this vanished culture is still a mystery, though many old tales hint at possible survivals of the ancient people either as refugees that went on to fade into the emerging oldest officially recognized societies, or as remnants hidden away in forgotten corners of the world. One of the most prevalent of these tales is that of an entire land that sunk beneath the ocean, which has survived in various interpretations by many different cultures, Atlantis and Lemuria being among the most well-known conceptions.

The discovery of Mothra’s Temple in 1961 was of great significance to the further understanding of the world’s first bygone human culture, especially through the questioning of the Shobijin, the last remnants of an isolated race believed to be an offshoot of said culture. Among the old stories they spoke of was of a “living land” called Mu, and their assertion that it and the people who survived there would rise again.

Two years later, in 1963, FATHOM received a strange package of unknown origin labeled only as “MU”. In it was a strange type of filmography device that appeared to show glimpses of a totally unknown society. The artifact also came with a brief written message essentially stating that the senders were watching and would be returning soon. They seemed to desire no conflict, but firmly demanded that no harm come to their home upon their eventual appearance. For decades, the identity of these mysterious senders and what could/should be done about them after their existence could no longer be kept a secret was among the most feverishly debated topics at FATHOM. One strange point that often went overlooked was how the senders implied that somehow their home, Mu, would itself “decide” when to resurface. What this meant wouldn’t become clear for many years…

DISCOVERY: After the battle of Cairo, the only active kaiju that remained on the surface was the female varanid, Komodithrax. This creature began making her way through the Mediterranean and across the Atlantic. While scientists pondered as to why, several nations of the Americas sent a conjoined fleet to block the monster in case it approached their shores. An interception point was pinpointed in the mid-Atlantic, and Komodithrax was engaged with missiles at increasingly close range as she dodged or shrugged them off.

Then, something larger began to surface. Much, much larger. So large, in fact, that it initially looked as if the entire seabed was heaving towards the surface. What emerged from the water was unlike anything seen before. A lifeform so immense that it utterly dwarfed all others and formed a biome all its’ own. There was soon no doubt that this could be nothing less than the fabled sunken land, returned to the surface. The living island of Mu.

During the upheaval, a few naval ships were stranded upon the creature’s expansive back, which underwent a radical metamorphosis as plants and plant-like organisms began sprouting rapidly across the living island’s carapace. Most of the crews survived, but when communication with the vessels suddenly went offline, apparently deliberately, a rescue/reconnaissance mission was sent to retrieve the survivors, and document this strange new land…

BIOGEOLOGY: Its’ general outline indicates that Mu is derived from filter-feeding anomalocarids, such as Aegirocassis, which were among the Earth’s first large predators. Its’ size and biolithic traits are so highly developed, though, that it would be crude to call it merely a creature. Mu has developed over hundreds of millions of years into a fully self-sustaining superorganism. The enormous arrow-like head is laid down by vast streams of molten lava which eventually ooze their way into the sea. The debris and leftover radioactive elements of these flows are recycled by the nearly three-mile long filtration arms that dangled into the depths below. A multitude of anterior underwater caves provide intakes for free floating metals, background radiation, and biological matter. All serve as fuel for several sets of biological nuclear reactors that power the island. This process generates tons of steam which provide extra power for Mu’s respiratory system. These internal steam-vents create large air-filled caverns beneath the upper carapace, adding extra buoyancy. The reactors circulate blood-like magma, which forms a volcanic mountain range along the dorsal surface, consisting of four major active calderas. Mu’s unique biogeology generates many types of unique radioactive compounds that provide the basis for the living island’s kaiju ecosystem. Towards the hind thorax, internal water and air are filtered and condensed into water that resurfaces as fresh springs that flow down the remainder of Mu’s abdomen, eventually tapering off into swamps along the telson.

ECOLOGY: Most of the lifeforms that colonize Mu are derived from Paleozoic stock. The radioactive compounds of Mu are quite different from those of other kaiju hotbeds, such as Skull Island. They don’t seem to support larger kaiju, but encourage mutations that lead animals to develop more closely linked symbiosis with each other and the island itself, keeping the ecosystem in near perfect balance. The porous volcanic carapace is saturated with nutrients, which allows forests to cover most of Mu’s dorsal surface. These forests are strange ancient florafauna derived from mixtures of early land plants and sessile animals. A few notable creatures that inhabit this biome include, starting clockwise from top right:

Arboropteryx: These florafauna are among the most common small predators along the coasts and sheltered lagoons of the Mu Biome, chasing after fish and clambering about the cuticle cliffs. Despite having feathers, anatomical analysis otherwise indicates that they are derived from basal diapsid reptiles; the feathers either being borrowed mutations from later-evolved birds, or perhaps a more elaborate case of convergent evolution. Most intriguing is their manner of reproduction. They seem to have become genetically linked with a type of derived Lepidodendron, or scale tree, to the point where they grow virally within the plant’s own reproductive areas, oddly reminiscent of bygone myths of “goose-trees”. The Arboropteryx themselves carry the tree’s spores within their bodies, which sprout from their animal aspect’s dormant bodies after a varied lifespan between a decade and a century. In this way, they are essential in recycling nutrients between the upper forests and the waters around Mu. Length: 2 to 2.5 feet.

Glass Salamander: These highly derived temnospondyls are among the more extreme cases of biolithic evolution. Their cellular structure incorporates large amounts of silicone, held together in a flexible mesh by an unknown type of protein strand. In order to keep their bodies from fully crystalizing, they absorb heat and radiation from the dorsal calderas and magma veins. They can even spend limited amounts of time within the lava and can become almost fully liquid. Overexposure will cause permanent liquidation, though, and at times they may burn off extra heat by rampaging across the surface, causing wildfires in their wake. These occasional flare-ups actually help clear away overgrown patches and provide the surface soils with rarer types of radioactive elements usually restricted underground. Length: 10 to 18 feet.

See-Rex: These animals seem to be a type of terrestrially-adapted belemnite, with a segmented internal rostrum serving as a backbone. Their hyper-developed arms enable them to run, leap, and brachiate through the forests of Mu with ease as they pick off small prey with their shorter arms. They can detect the slightest motions by sensing bioelectrical patterns generated by neurons. This sense seems to be linked with their vision as well, and is so highly developed that they are able to detect the moving patterns generated by brain cells, essentially allowing them to “see” thoughts. This gives them a kind of intuition that makes it nearly impossible to take them by surprise, as they act with almost precognitive swiftness. They communicate to each other via changing colors of their caudal fins. Among the few creatures of Mu to retain both sexes, males and females are highly sexually dimorphic. The more numerous males are mostly harmless unless threatened, but females possess larger caudal fins with which they hypnotize selected prey, which usually consists of males unable to resist their influence. Those that aren’t fooled are allowed to mate, promoting sharper mental flexibility. Length: 6 to 8 feet.

Hender’s Rat: These are among the only hypervorous creatures in the otherwise evenly-balanced and relatively tame kaiju ecology of Mu, and may be an invasive parasite species. Believed to have evolved from mantis shrimp, Hender’s Rats are named after their discoverer (and first human victim) on the FATHOM reconnaissance team. They are extraordinarily aggressive, and attack anything within sight of their cephalic and thoracic eyes. They are always pregnant, and should they fail to feed consistently, their young will consume them from the inside. A side effect of their hypervorous mutation has also led to them becoming intolerant of salt water, effectively restricting them to patrolling the freshwater springs of Mu. Removal of these animals from the Mu Biome is restricted under all circumstances. Length: 2 to 3 feet.

Hallucipod: This strange creature may be a descendent of lobopodian worms such as Hallucigenia, though they have taken their ancestor’s confusing symmetry to a new extreme. This biradially symmetrical herbivore has heads on either end of its’ body, and its’ leg joints allow it to shift quickly between forward to backward locomotion. Though not the swiftest animal of Mu, it consumes various poisonous plants and stores their toxins within the armor spikes projecting from its’ carapace. Their unique digestive system produces pellets of undigested matter, which help fertilize feeding grounds as their browsing cuts back overly-competitive foliage, allowing seedings better chances to sprout. Length: 3 to 5 feet.

Tully Croc: This large carnivore is derived from the strange animal, Tullymonstrum. They are semiaquatic ambush predators, similar to crocodilians in more average ecosystems. Their periscopic eyestalks allow them to track prey while submerged, which they then lunge at with their jointed mouth at incredible speed. They are otherwise slow crawlers on land. Though found in freshwaters throughout Mu, they are most common in the telson swamps, which are isolated by broad cliffs. Their predation of animals that become trapped in this region ensures that this section of Mu’s Biome does not become imbalanced. Length: 12 to 20 feet.

Triblite: Many subspecies of these terrestrial trilobites can be found all across Mu. Though they appear unassuming, they are covered in highly irritating hairs which are easily shed and replaced. Some varieties store the toxins of the plants they eat within their hairs as well. Despite this, they are among the most common prey animals of the Mu Biome. In fact, they are able to feed rapidly on seemingly any type of plant matter. They are also extremely proficient at reproduction, each individual containing dozens of offspring at any given time. These offspring, in turn, may contain hundreds of smaller spawn of their own. If left to their own devices, they may strip an area bare of vegetation within hours. Fortunately, they are the primary prey of many other inhabitants of the living island. The possibility of ecological collapse should they be introduced to a mainland ecosystem without any natural predators makes their containment highly recommended. Length: 1 to 2 feet.

Rod: These creatures, named after the “rod” photography phenomenon to which they may be partially responsible for, gather spectacularly in night skies above Mu. These agile flyers normally move at speeds too fast to be perceived by the naked human eye, but seem to slow down considerably over Mu, though, and are further highlighted by a form of bioluminescence that they seem to activate, again, only over Mu. For what purpose, whether as part of a sort of reproductive or metabolic life cycle, is still unknown. Bodies of recently deceased individuals are hard to collect and extremely delicate, but have yielded a few surprising results under study. They seem to be highly derived temnospondyl amphibians adapted for flight at high speed. Their thin bodies are coated in an ultra-thin molecular sheet of crystal mucus with areas of almost zero frictional resistance. This, combined with a siphon-propulsion system allows them to slip through the air mostly unseen. Certainly among the strangest known hyper-evolved kaiju lifeforms, it is impossible to determine the population or range of these creatures outside of Mu, or just how many times they have truly been caught on camera before. Length: 1 to 6 feet.

Sumian: This race of highly evolved anomodont therapsids, possibly descended primarily from Suminia, are among the most feared beings on Mu. They have likely managed to survive Mu’s past submersions by retreating into the living island’s respiratory caverns, to which they’ve become highly adapted. They are blind, yet detect their surroundings through a combination of echolocation via their chattering teeth, smell, and vibrations. As large as grizzlies, and much more powerful, they dwell within their caves by day and emerge to hunt and feed by night. They are quite selective in their prey, though, preferring old and sick individuals. They are highly resistant to nearly all types of pathogens, and seem to share acquired immunity with other members of their tribe. They become especially active when Mu’s bio-volcanic activity rises, usually in response to a perceived threat to the ecosystem. This has led to them being likened to white blood cells of Mu’s body. Height: 6 to 8 feet.

Bush Crawler: Descended from drepanosaurs, this slow-moving predator lurks within the mid-canopy region of Mu’s forests. Color and pattern-changing skin allows them to blend in among the ropy trunks and branches of scale trees. Thorn-like protrusions along their backs provide extra protection. The Bush Crawler’s main prey consists of colonies of smaller Triblites that infest the trees’ trunk, which it exposes with its’ large claws. Its’ scythe-like tail is used not only for defense, but to cut off dead branches, which ultimately keeps the tree in better health and provides the underbrush with healthy patches of sunshine. It, like the Arboropteryx, represents a mobile animal-like phase in the life cycle of several types of the plants they cling to. Length: 4 to 6 feet.

Kamoebasaur: These huge, primordial turtles are the largest native creatures of Mu. They are few in number, but play a major role in monitoring the surface conditions of the living island. Mu’s dorsal calderas radiate high levels of waste energy, which the Kamoebasaurs utilize within their own biolithic bodies, essentially acting as buffers to the more potent radioactive chemicals. This energy is used to grow stony shells, which are rich in concentrations of leftover nuclear elements. This promotes the growth of small groves atop the turtles’ backs, and between them and the energized magma, they derive almost all their energy. Occasionally, however, they will take prey that wander within range of their hyperextendable necks, earning them their scientific name, Megalomatamata. Glass Salamanders are a favorite treat, which they lay in wait for near active lava flows from their own sedentary pits. The oldest and largest individual, Kamoebas, moves between the largest calderas herself and seems to enjoy simply watching the daily life of the nurturing ecosystem. Shell Diameter: 30 to 55 feet.

Ganime: Beneath the sunlit surface of Mu’s upper ecologies, a ravenous army brood. Ganime are crab-like crustaceans that can be found clinging to the dark undersides of the ancient anomalocarid, picking off any leftover detritus and radiation that circulates around the living island as it moves. They are coated with a layer of thick fur extending from their exoskeletons, which house colonies of chemosynthetic bacteria which allow them to go for extended lengths of time without external food. They are the largest and so far, most well documented inhabitants of Mu’s submerged ecosystems, owing to the fact that they often attempt to raid the surface where they consume all things in sight. Sumians, though, are experts at forcing them to retreat. But even they are often troubled by the army’s commander, the alpha crustacean Ganimes, which has attained a size much greater than his counterparts. Diameter: 15 to 45 feet.

SOCIETY: The last time Mu roamed the surface oceans was during the reign of the bygone paleolithic civilization, destined for self-destruction and mostly forgotten in the ensuing millennia. During the collapse, though, some found sanctuary on the forbidden land of Mu, which took them down with it as it retreated to the seabed once more. In time, these stowaways would become as fully integrated into Mu’s biome as the other beasts. They now form a race and civilization all their own, constituting the Undersea Kingdom of Seatopia.

Modern Seatopians differ greatly from their fully human ancestors. Mu’s influence has adapted them well to the caverns beneath its’ carapace, lighted by magma and bioluminescent organisms. Their eyes are adapted for low-light conditions in the visible spectrum, though they mainly detect infrared light. They, like most other inhabitants of Mu, are also entirely female, and reproduce via a type of parthenogenesis with a high genetic variation rate and ensures inbreeding is not a problem, and which has allowed they to evolve in such drastic fashion over a relatively short length of time. Mostly notably, however, are their adaptations for a semiaquatic lifestyle. Instead of legs, they possess powerful tails that propel them easily through the winding flooded caverns, and are also capable of a slithering motion on land.

The Seatopian society is composed of around several hundred individuals at any given time, with the average lifespan measuring up to five hundred years. They regard Mu and much of its’ life as sacred entities, and dutifully contribute to its’ well-being by regulating and maximizing the healthy flow of seawater through Mu’s filtration system. They also keep internal parasites, such as larval Ganime, in check by using them as a primary food source. Reproduction is rare, but new members are highly cherished. They maintain an uneasy truce with the Sumians by offering their dead to the undertakers, as their final contribution to Mu’s biome.

Technologically, they retain several artifacts and techniques of their ancestral human culture. The art of stone and crystal masonry, ceramics, light-based computation, and chemistry are all highly developed. Over time, they have learned to utilize various types of mutative substances found on and within Mu as well, and can temporarily modify themselves with various enhancements. This is how they have kept track of the surface world, by occasionally sending agents with terrestrial modifications to observe cultures throughout history. Though they don’t seem hostile, much of their ultimate motives remain unknown…

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Notes: Sorry for the extended wait on this one. It was a real doozy to write, and I kept adding last minute changes and screwing around with it for three days trying to get the lighting and resolution just right, which even now I’m not entirely satisfied with. Well, better than nothing I guess. Anyway, the inspirations of all the different creatures are as follows:

Arboropteryx and Glass Salamanders are loosely based on creatures that would’ve appeared in the scrapped movie Bride of Godzilla. The Bush Crawler is a combo of another creature that would’ve featured in BoG and what can now be seen as a proto-Skullcrawler that appeared briefly in the original 1933 King Kong.

The See-Rex is based on Crustaceous Rex from Godzilla: The Series.

Hender’s Rat is from a novel, Fragment, by Warren Fahy.

The Hallucipod and Sumian are both based on creatures that appeared in the 2001 sci-fi-comedy, Evolution.

The Tully Croc is from… Uh… Um… Nothing, I just think Tullymonstrum is cool.

Triblites are basically trilobite versions of Tribbles as seen the original Star Trek series.

Rods are based on an alleged cryptid/UFO phenomenon that has been shown to actually be motion-blurred insects.

Kamoebas and Ganimes are of course from the 1970 Showa Toho film, Space Amoeba.

Mu itself is based on the sunken empire in 1963’s Atragon.

The Seatopians are a reference to both the antagonists in Godzilla vs Megalon, as well as the mermaid race that also would’ve appeared in Bride of Godzilla. I kid you not, there were almost mermaids in an official Godzilla continuity. Kinda adds an odd perspective to that Godzilla-Little Mermaid crossover fanfic I read once… Anyway, I hope you enjoy as always, and look forward to this final stretch of this series before the finale.