Post by thorneldrich on Feb 15, 2019 19:27:07 GMT -8
Minor Creatures of the New Epoch Seas & Waterways
(treat as environmental hazards)
Tainted Spikefish
This mutant species of bottom-feeding scavenger live in both shoreline & deeper waters, its mouth is designed for eating small pieces of carrion, tiny bottom-sand dwelling worms & other relatively harmless organisms. It is totally immune to all poisons & radiation of any level (indeed these things often feed on the remains of sea creatures killed by leaks from underwater toxic chemical or radioactive waste disposal drums).
Its soft body is easily crushed under the foot of a wading human or skullock (the fish only has d3 END). The danger comes from the potently lethal & slightly radioactive poison that it injects into anything stepping on it or attempting to eat it (it has no natural predators in the wilds) through small spikes along its back. Anything not wearing foot protection (or not having at least a -6 DV natural armor rating) who steps on it (PER-based type C check to see the well-disguised little fish before doing so) is automatically envenomated. The poisoned victim must make a END-based HC (type C, Death) of suffer a violent heart-attack as the poison attacks the muscles of it's heart. Even if they survive the initial poisoning, they have also suffered a single Mild exposure to radiation (the little beasts accumulate radioactivity in their toxin-glands). The flesh of these palm-sized (flounder-like) fish is also radioactive (Mild exposure & utter foul-tasting) if eaten. Alcohol (either strong drinking spirits or fuel) cuts the poison & can be used to remove it from surfaces (weapon blades, etc..)
These fish can be milked of their toxin (usually for 6+d4ml from each fish & this process kills it) by someone protected from the radioactivity as well as the poison. Lead-coated bottles or lead-cased flasks are usually used to store the poison. The poison itself is both oily & syrup-like. It is usually a faint lime green in color & smells akin to freshly cut spearmint.
Drowning Eel
This species of mutated eel (they are at home in seawater, freshwater, or brackish estuary waters) is only the size of a relic cigar when fully grown. The do form swarms of up to 25 or more individual eels but they are herbivorous (reeds, kelp, algae, water lilies, etc...) & therefore are not an aggressive threat if encountered. The danger lies in their natural defense mechanism; the are covered in a concentrated paralytic slime (type C Paralysis) at all times. Any creature attempting to grab one while not wearing waterproof gloves or gods forbid, tries to eat one alive must make the appropriate hazard check. Its name is comes from its victims fate in most instances, they collapse into the water & usually drown before recovering from the poison. If a being is truly unlucky, it may end up caught in the middle of a swarm of panicked eels, all dodging & squirming against it, thus exposing it to a massive accumulative dose (raising the poison's effective strength to type D). Needless to say, there are few unlucky beings who escape this sort of encounter unaffected.
They are immune to all poisons & seem to be resistant to radiation as well (they reduce all radiation exposures by two steps, thus they can live in up to moderately (Medium exposure) radioactive water without suffering ill effects). Any members of this species living in radioactive waters are themselves considered radioactive (Mild exposure if eaten).
The paralytic toxin can be harvested from the eels by someone properly protected from it. Only 1ml per adult eel can be harvested, but the eel doesn't need be harmed in doing so & will replenish its protective slime naturally over a 24hr period, thus those who collect the poison tend to raise the eels in tanks or netted off areas of water & feed them to ensure a steady & safe harvest source. The poison itself is thick, does not wash away or dilute in water & is a unhealthy shade of light brown. It also smells akin to spicy pickled cabbage (or Kim-chi if you know what that is).
These eels can be eaten (if untainted by radiation) after cleaning & roasting on half a dozen spits (the typical way they are prepared). They are usually served with a herb or garlic butter for dipping. The meat tastes like unmutated chicken. They meat is often used to replace bird/fowl meat in recipes by the locals & they rarely tell outsiders of the substitution (so sea-food allergic travelers should be cautious & ask in coastal areas before ordering any "available fowl/bird meat" dishes).
Other Aquatic Oddities of the TME
Steel-Bite Coral
This species of coral polyp creates extremely dense & mineralized defensive sheets of steel-hard coral to protect the underlying softer (normal-strength) coral structures they live within as well as to channel tidal currents across them (so the polyps may feed on the microscopic lifeforms in the water). These sheets often break away during violent storms or after the coral head is struck by something substantial (since the anchoring points of the defensive sheets are normal coral & thus easier to damage). These broken off pieces are sometimes washed ashore by storms or wave action (as well as harvested by locals who risk the dive down to collect them, not surprisingly, there is a high mortality rate among these folk).
Steel-Bite Coral is as strong as steel, almost as heavy, & while difficult to work with, can be used in place of metal for weapon blades, arrowheads, spearheads, etc... It also is utterly immune to Acid damage of any kind (& being non-metallic, does not conduct electricity).
Each colony of Steel-Bite Coral seems to take on a single shade of color that is constant throughout that colony. Thus there are literally items made of Steel-Bite Coral in every color imaginable (even pure white or pitch black).
(treat as environmental hazards)
Tainted Spikefish
This mutant species of bottom-feeding scavenger live in both shoreline & deeper waters, its mouth is designed for eating small pieces of carrion, tiny bottom-sand dwelling worms & other relatively harmless organisms. It is totally immune to all poisons & radiation of any level (indeed these things often feed on the remains of sea creatures killed by leaks from underwater toxic chemical or radioactive waste disposal drums).
Its soft body is easily crushed under the foot of a wading human or skullock (the fish only has d3 END). The danger comes from the potently lethal & slightly radioactive poison that it injects into anything stepping on it or attempting to eat it (it has no natural predators in the wilds) through small spikes along its back. Anything not wearing foot protection (or not having at least a -6 DV natural armor rating) who steps on it (PER-based type C check to see the well-disguised little fish before doing so) is automatically envenomated. The poisoned victim must make a END-based HC (type C, Death) of suffer a violent heart-attack as the poison attacks the muscles of it's heart. Even if they survive the initial poisoning, they have also suffered a single Mild exposure to radiation (the little beasts accumulate radioactivity in their toxin-glands). The flesh of these palm-sized (flounder-like) fish is also radioactive (Mild exposure & utter foul-tasting) if eaten. Alcohol (either strong drinking spirits or fuel) cuts the poison & can be used to remove it from surfaces (weapon blades, etc..)
These fish can be milked of their toxin (usually for 6+d4ml from each fish & this process kills it) by someone protected from the radioactivity as well as the poison. Lead-coated bottles or lead-cased flasks are usually used to store the poison. The poison itself is both oily & syrup-like. It is usually a faint lime green in color & smells akin to freshly cut spearmint.
Drowning Eel
This species of mutated eel (they are at home in seawater, freshwater, or brackish estuary waters) is only the size of a relic cigar when fully grown. The do form swarms of up to 25 or more individual eels but they are herbivorous (reeds, kelp, algae, water lilies, etc...) & therefore are not an aggressive threat if encountered. The danger lies in their natural defense mechanism; the are covered in a concentrated paralytic slime (type C Paralysis) at all times. Any creature attempting to grab one while not wearing waterproof gloves or gods forbid, tries to eat one alive must make the appropriate hazard check. Its name is comes from its victims fate in most instances, they collapse into the water & usually drown before recovering from the poison. If a being is truly unlucky, it may end up caught in the middle of a swarm of panicked eels, all dodging & squirming against it, thus exposing it to a massive accumulative dose (raising the poison's effective strength to type D). Needless to say, there are few unlucky beings who escape this sort of encounter unaffected.
They are immune to all poisons & seem to be resistant to radiation as well (they reduce all radiation exposures by two steps, thus they can live in up to moderately (Medium exposure) radioactive water without suffering ill effects). Any members of this species living in radioactive waters are themselves considered radioactive (Mild exposure if eaten).
The paralytic toxin can be harvested from the eels by someone properly protected from it. Only 1ml per adult eel can be harvested, but the eel doesn't need be harmed in doing so & will replenish its protective slime naturally over a 24hr period, thus those who collect the poison tend to raise the eels in tanks or netted off areas of water & feed them to ensure a steady & safe harvest source. The poison itself is thick, does not wash away or dilute in water & is a unhealthy shade of light brown. It also smells akin to spicy pickled cabbage (or Kim-chi if you know what that is).
These eels can be eaten (if untainted by radiation) after cleaning & roasting on half a dozen spits (the typical way they are prepared). They are usually served with a herb or garlic butter for dipping. The meat tastes like unmutated chicken. They meat is often used to replace bird/fowl meat in recipes by the locals & they rarely tell outsiders of the substitution (so sea-food allergic travelers should be cautious & ask in coastal areas before ordering any "available fowl/bird meat" dishes).
Other Aquatic Oddities of the TME
Steel-Bite Coral
This species of coral polyp creates extremely dense & mineralized defensive sheets of steel-hard coral to protect the underlying softer (normal-strength) coral structures they live within as well as to channel tidal currents across them (so the polyps may feed on the microscopic lifeforms in the water). These sheets often break away during violent storms or after the coral head is struck by something substantial (since the anchoring points of the defensive sheets are normal coral & thus easier to damage). These broken off pieces are sometimes washed ashore by storms or wave action (as well as harvested by locals who risk the dive down to collect them, not surprisingly, there is a high mortality rate among these folk).
Steel-Bite Coral is as strong as steel, almost as heavy, & while difficult to work with, can be used in place of metal for weapon blades, arrowheads, spearheads, etc... It also is utterly immune to Acid damage of any kind (& being non-metallic, does not conduct electricity).
Each colony of Steel-Bite Coral seems to take on a single shade of color that is constant throughout that colony. Thus there are literally items made of Steel-Bite Coral in every color imaginable (even pure white or pitch black).