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Description

Titanosaurus

Intro: Until relatively recently, it was thought that the deepest regions of Earth’s oceans could harbor no life, for all life was thought to be dependent on the sun. In 1977, however, hydrothermal vents were discovered wherein organisms thrived under chemical energy via symbiosis with extremophile bacteria. This much was made public. Unofficially, such an environment was observed two years prior by a FATHOM exploratory submersible. They were investigating previously unexplored regions of the depths for potential signs of kaiju activity, following anomalous radioactive signatures. Scans with an experimental hypersonic sonar system, however, seemed to elicit an aggravated response, as the submersible was attacked and its’ crew lost. The creature responsible was not visually recorded, but auditory readings indicated a massive kaiju, which would come to be known as “Titanosaurus”.

Story: Many years later, Mu, the island-sized anomalocarid kaiju, arose after millennia of dormancy, stranding several naval vessels and attracting many kaiju from across the world to spawn on the relatively peaceful ecosystem. That peace was abruptly shattered by the return of Godzilla, who sought the island out himself for sustenance. The multinational fleet which had amassed around Mu for the past few days was dispersed to avoid any further casualties in the face of Godzilla, though this opened a new debate: should Godzilla be allowed to kill off as many of the other kaiju as he could and therefore eliminate future disasters, which would place the still-stranded teams in eminent danger, or should a rescue attempt remain on the table?

Meanwhile, Godzilla made short work of the smaller kaiju, devouring those designated Yongary and Jirass. Zilla and Komodithrax, which seemed to have bonded over the past few days, offered more resistance by working as a pair, though they were unable to inflict significant damage. Even the return of both Mandans into the fray had little effect aside from increasing annoyance on the Monster King.

At the same time, a radical plan of rescue was proposed involving the Shobijin, whom had insisted on observing the island for themselves. A bioacoustic signal was sent, amplified by Mu itself, and caught the attention of the twin Mothra Larvae, which promptly began heading to the living island themselves. The protective adult Mothra was not far behind. The hypersonic range of Mu’s distress also happened to attract another large inhabitant of the depths. All additional kaiju were monitored as they traveled by the fleet, including the unknown marine giant. As it neared the island, it revealed itself to be the long-rumored abyssal titan, Titanosaurus.

Mothra was first to engage Godzilla, followed closely by Titanosaurus. Together, they, Zilla, Komodithrax, and the Manda couple managed to gradually slow him down. Titanosaurus finally managed to hold him in place long enough for the Mothra Larvae to beginning encasing him within their silk. Unfortunately, this meant trapping Titanosaurus as well, but the amphibian kaiju continued to push Godzilla towards the edge of Mu even while he sustained heavy mutilation by Godzilla’s teeth and claws. Meanwhile, the surviving naval personal, together with the Seatopians, created a makeshift raft with ropes and salvaged lifeboats. Godzilla attempted to wipe them out with a final blast of atomic breath, but the people were saved at the intervention of Mothra, who carried them off of Mu and into the waters within the awaiting fleet. Titanosaurus crashed into the sea along with Godzilla, and had just enough strength left to steer them into an active undersea volcano, wherein both kaiju disappeared.

Upon reviewing the reports of the survivors, the island of Mu was officially recognized as the sovereign nation of the Seatopians, and any and all plans for ecological invasion and/or destruction were permanently suspended. Several fleets continue to actively monitor the conditions on and surrounding Mu to this day...

Abilities: Titanosaurus is highly adapted for life in the deep sea. His reddish coloration makes him nearly invisible to other abyssal inhabitants, as red light doesn’t penetrate far into the ocean. External gills are home to colonies of bacteria that assist in respirating a variety of volcanic chemicals, similar to those found within the bodies of giant tube worms. The many folds within the skin of his ventral regions increase surface area for better oxygen extraction as well. He does not rely on any form of sonar, but possesses a very sensitive lateral line system across his body, allowing him to detect even very faint movements and construct a three-dimensional map of his surroundings in pitch darkness. This allows him to move silently within the abyss, attracting as little attention as possible. Smell is also highly developed, aided by baleen-like structures within his mouth, which are also used to filter radioactive elements from seawater.

Despite being adept in the dark, Titanosaurus retains large, functional eyes, which are very sensitive and can detect the still poorly-understood phenomena of hydrothermal light and seismic light. This sensitivity, however, makes him almost totally blind on the surface, where he must protect his vision with dark nictitating membranes. His lateral line is also easily provoked by hypersonic frequencies, which he is quick to respond to. Like many deep-sea organisms, Titanosaurus is bioluminescent, which is activated in ever-changing patterns along his dorsal fins, possibly as a form of communication, though he is the only member of his species observed thus far. Under stress, he is able to produce a sudden, very intense blast of light all across his body, stunning attackers.

Physically, Titanosaurus is sleek, but still very powerful. He easily outpaces Godzilla underwater, and is highly maneuverable and graceful. On land, however, he is much more cumbersome. Even so, he retains use of his powerful claws, dagger-like retractable teeth, and immensely strong tail, whose thrashing is able to create whirlpools underwater and gales in the air. A strike from such an appendage is estimated to be enough to level the average city building. At times, even his terrestrial clumsiness plays in his favor as he violently throws his weight around. His hide is coated in thick layers of large, overlapping mineral scales for flexible protection.

Character: Despite the incidents surrounding his discovery and the battle of Mu, Titanosaurus has been determined to be a very reclusive and passive kaiju, rarely prone to aggression. He is a filter-feeder, sifting the abyssal plains and water columns for radiation. His first action, upon sensing a possible threat, is to retreat, only fighting if absolutely forced to, usually in defense of a favored feeding ground or if cornered. As mentioned earlier, he is also highly reactive to hypersonic frequencies, which he seems to regard as a form of distress signal. The only fellow kaiju he seems to actively oppose is the cephalopod, Gezora.

Titanosaurus appears to be representative of a stem tetrapod, exhibiting traits of both lobe-finned fish and more derived temnospondyl amphibians; an ancient transitionary creature between land and sea. The mix of derived and basal traits is almost uncanny, and may be indicative of a form of currently unknown hybridized reproductive cycle involving both terrestrial and aquatic phases.

----------
Almost there... Just a heads up; the final entry of this series will likely take a bit longer to get out than usual. It's a dozy...
Titanosaurus (kaiju) is copyrighted by Toho

Description

Titanosaurus

Intro: Until relatively recently, it was thought that the deepest regions of Earth’s oceans could harbor no life, for all life was thought to be dependent on the sun. In 1977, however, hydrothermal vents were discovered wherein organisms thrived under chemical energy via symbiosis with extremophile bacteria. This much was made public. Unofficially, such an environment was observed two years prior by a FATHOM exploratory submersible. They were investigating previously unexplored regions of the depths for potential signs of kaiju activity, following anomalous radioactive signatures. Scans with an experimental hypersonic sonar system, however, seemed to elicit an aggravated response, as the submersible was attacked and its’ crew lost. The creature responsible was not visually recorded, but auditory readings indicated a massive kaiju, which would come to be known as “Titanosaurus”.

Story: Many years later, Mu, the island-sized anomalocarid kaiju, arose after millennia of dormancy, stranding several naval vessels and attracting many kaiju from across the world to spawn on the relatively peaceful ecosystem. That peace was abruptly shattered by the return of Godzilla, who sought the island out himself for sustenance. The multinational fleet which had amassed around Mu for the past few days was dispersed to avoid any further casualties in the face of Godzilla, though this opened a new debate: should Godzilla be allowed to kill off as many of the other kaiju as he could and therefore eliminate future disasters, which would place the still-stranded teams in eminent danger, or should a rescue attempt remain on the table?

Meanwhile, Godzilla made short work of the smaller kaiju, devouring those designated Yongary and Jirass. Zilla and Komodithrax, which seemed to have bonded over the past few days, offered more resistance by working as a pair, though they were unable to inflict significant damage. Even the return of both Mandans into the fray had little effect aside from increasing annoyance on the Monster King.

At the same time, a radical plan of rescue was proposed involving the Shobijin, whom had insisted on observing the island for themselves. A bioacoustic signal was sent, amplified by Mu itself, and caught the attention of the twin Mothra Larvae, which promptly began heading to the living island themselves. The protective adult Mothra was not far behind. The hypersonic range of Mu’s distress also happened to attract another large inhabitant of the depths. All additional kaiju were monitored as they traveled by the fleet, including the unknown marine giant. As it neared the island, it revealed itself to be the long-rumored abyssal titan, Titanosaurus.

Mothra was first to engage Godzilla, followed closely by Titanosaurus. Together, they, Zilla, Komodithrax, and the Manda couple managed to gradually slow him down. Titanosaurus finally managed to hold him in place long enough for the Mothra Larvae to beginning encasing him within their silk. Unfortunately, this meant trapping Titanosaurus as well, but the amphibian kaiju continued to push Godzilla towards the edge of Mu even while he sustained heavy mutilation by Godzilla’s teeth and claws. Meanwhile, the surviving naval personal, together with the Seatopians, created a makeshift raft with ropes and salvaged lifeboats. Godzilla attempted to wipe them out with a final blast of atomic breath, but the people were saved at the intervention of Mothra, who carried them off of Mu and into the waters within the awaiting fleet. Titanosaurus crashed into the sea along with Godzilla, and had just enough strength left to steer them into an active undersea volcano, wherein both kaiju disappeared.

Upon reviewing the reports of the survivors, the island of Mu was officially recognized as the sovereign nation of the Seatopians, and any and all plans for ecological invasion and/or destruction were permanently suspended. Several fleets continue to actively monitor the conditions on and surrounding Mu to this day...

Abilities: Titanosaurus is highly adapted for life in the deep sea. His reddish coloration makes him nearly invisible to other abyssal inhabitants, as red light doesn’t penetrate far into the ocean. External gills are home to colonies of bacteria that assist in respirating a variety of volcanic chemicals, similar to those found within the bodies of giant tube worms. The many folds within the skin of his ventral regions increase surface area for better oxygen extraction as well. He does not rely on any form of sonar, but possesses a very sensitive lateral line system across his body, allowing him to detect even very faint movements and construct a three-dimensional map of his surroundings in pitch darkness. This allows him to move silently within the abyss, attracting as little attention as possible. Smell is also highly developed, aided by baleen-like structures within his mouth, which are also used to filter radioactive elements from seawater.

Despite being adept in the dark, Titanosaurus retains large, functional eyes, which are very sensitive and can detect the still poorly-understood phenomena of hydrothermal light and seismic light. This sensitivity, however, makes him almost totally blind on the surface, where he must protect his vision with dark nictitating membranes. His lateral line is also easily provoked by hypersonic frequencies, which he is quick to respond to. Like many deep-sea organisms, Titanosaurus is bioluminescent, which is activated in ever-changing patterns along his dorsal fins, possibly as a form of communication, though he is the only member of his species observed thus far. Under stress, he is able to produce a sudden, very intense blast of light all across his body, stunning attackers.

Physically, Titanosaurus is sleek, but still very powerful. He easily outpaces Godzilla underwater, and is highly maneuverable and graceful. On land, however, he is much more cumbersome. Even so, he retains use of his powerful claws, dagger-like retractable teeth, and immensely strong tail, whose thrashing is able to create whirlpools underwater and gales in the air. A strike from such an appendage is estimated to be enough to level the average city building. At times, even his terrestrial clumsiness plays in his favor as he violently throws his weight around. His hide is coated in thick layers of large, overlapping mineral scales for flexible protection.

Character: Despite the incidents surrounding his discovery and the battle of Mu, Titanosaurus has been determined to be a very reclusive and passive kaiju, rarely prone to aggression. He is a filter-feeder, sifting the abyssal plains and water columns for radiation. His first action, upon sensing a possible threat, is to retreat, only fighting if absolutely forced to, usually in defense of a favored feeding ground or if cornered. As mentioned earlier, he is also highly reactive to hypersonic frequencies, which he seems to regard as a form of distress signal. The only fellow kaiju he seems to actively oppose is the cephalopod, Gezora.

Titanosaurus appears to be representative of a stem tetrapod, exhibiting traits of both lobe-finned fish and more derived temnospondyl amphibians; an ancient transitionary creature between land and sea. The mix of derived and basal traits is almost uncanny, and may be indicative of a form of currently unknown hybridized reproductive cycle involving both terrestrial and aquatic phases.

----------
Almost there... Just a heads up; the final entry of this series will likely take a bit longer to get out than usual. It's a dozy...
Titanosaurus (kaiju) is copyrighted by Toho