Setting:CATastrophe/Bestiary

This is a list of animals suggested for the CATastrophe setting for the use of GMs who run games using the setting. Stats for various creatures per system will be given in the future if possible.

Kemomimi

The genetically modified descendants of humans. With their more unusual biology, they are able to survive the new changes to the atmosphere since the cataclysm that took their ancestors, and are typically much cuter than their Earless predecessors.

Felines

Cats. The most common of the strains of Kemomimi, the jack-of-all trades of the Great Blue.

Canines

Dogs. The second most common of the Kemomimi. More militaristic and aggressive than the Felines. Not well suited to diplomatic scenarios.

Lapines

Rabbits. Faster than the Felines. More laid back and chill, and therefore not much good in a fight.

Ursines

Bears. Standing at twice the height of the other denizens of the Great Blue, the Ursines are much stronger than the other Kemomimi and loyal to a fault, though they sacrifice agility and intelligence for this attribute.

Vulpines

Foxes. Shifty, sly creatures, Vulpines are sought out for their almost unnatural ability to locate shinies. And, if money runs low, they come in handy at the nearest gambling den.

Musen

Mice. Less outgoing and extremely shy, the Musen are almost worthless in diplomaticly-tense situations. They have a nearly magical way of hiding in plain sight and can be almost impossible to find when they wish.

Animals

Skitterbugs

Large, pink or light orange amphibious shrimps that are found all over on Kemomimi boats, settlements and inhabited and uninhabited islands. Skitterbugs can travel both on land and in the water easily. They are notorious pests that like to get into places they are not supposed to and eat up anything a Kemomimi will leave out. They are a supreme nuisance but a tasty one at that, and if you catch one you are sure to be rewarded with a good meal. Skitterbugs are not usually seen far underwater, at most in the shallows. Skitterbugs when caught make good improvised throwing weapons, or tools for pranking fellow Kemomimi. Nothing like a creepy crawly Skitterbug shoved down your trunks to get you up and moving. Skitterbugs are usually daring enough to be around Kemomimi, but if startled will not hesitate to flee.

Tankrabs

Tankrabs are massive armored crabs roughly the size of a large dog. With a shell one would need a crowbar to crack open and claws strong enough to tear through steel, they are not to be trifled with. While mostly docile, they become hostile when agitated. Their shells do make for good armor and dinnerware, though, making Tankrab hunting a profitable, if dangerous, venture.

Scuttlers

Occupying the other end of the crab spectrum are Scuttlers, small pest crabs that tend to get into everything, much like some crustacean variety of a rat. However, they are rather tasty and fun to chase, so many young Kemomimi children spend their days hunting the little guys for sport and extra dinner. Some Kemomimi might even keep one as a pet, due to their manageable size and omnivorous nature.

Sea Flea

Kemomimi have not avoided their parasitic fiends even in the waters. Sea Fleas are small crustaceans, relatives to the more commonly known giant isopod that feed on the blood of any passing sea creature and adhere to their skin to suck their blood, using a syringe-like mouth. Although relatively uncommon, a Sea Flea infestation can reduce the stamina of the host, and are difficult to take off while underwater; but can be painlessly extracted on land.

Kleptomanders

These giant salamanders are perhaps one of the biggest banes of the Kemomimi. Their midnight black bodies are nearly impossible to see, either in the darkened depths where they make their home or in the dead of night when they prefer to surface. They use their six spindly -- and surprisingly dextrous -- legs to pilfer any electrical item they can and hoard it in their deep sea nests. It is believed they somehow feed off the energy of these items, due to their tendency to show up in any ruins with a high concentration of Shinies. While it is a well documented fact that they pilfer Shinies, kleptomanders have achieved superstitious status in many Kemomimi settlements, with everything from misplaced items to mechanical issues being blamed on them. Some are even used as a boogeyman of sorts to scare Kemomimi children into behaving themselves.

Birds

Waddlers

Waddlers are medium sized flightless birds, who are found both in the wild and in Kemomi settlements. They are similar in vein to penguins, but are found in more temperate waters, and have a zebra striped coat of fur. They are known well for their cute signature waddle, and often seen aboard larger vessels as they are prized for their Skitterbug-catching prowess, although they tend to eat what they catch, which isn’t really a problem on a larger vessel as the Skitterbug population adapts to the size of a vessel. Waddlers are intelligent and understand Kemomi speech, but tend to not listen when it suits them. Waddlers are seen as pets and companion all over, and some owners even take their Waddlers on shallow dives with them. Despite this, some Kemomi enjoy eating Waddler meat, which is looked down upon in most settlements as highly taboo, if not outright illegal.

Peckers

Peckers are large flightless birds, who are found predominantly in the wild. Peckers are natural hunters, and for the most part are pretty high in the food chain. Peckers are named after their extremely long, pointed beak that they use to impale phish with as they swim in order to catch them. Peckers are double the size of their smaller cousin, the Waddler and are noted by its two red crests that appear on either side of the top of their head during summer time. Pecker’s coats are not the same zebra-stripe pattern as well, being just a flat white and black; a black head and body with white as a secondary color primarily found on the legs and stomach. Pecker’s favored prey is generally Phish, but they are seen also eating Skitterbugs, Slugs, and even Turtles if hungry enough.

Beakers

Beakers are large birds, with wingspans the size similar to a modern day albatross. They are known for their uncaring attitudes and will usually take up residence in settlements or on ships to rest. When Beakers are startled, or roused they become quite mean, pecking and flapping their wings at any and all who dares bother them. Settlements usually deal with this by setting up Beaker nests in high positions for them to rest on. It is said that if you chase away a Beaker from resting on your ship, stormy weather is bound to come to haunt you as a form of karmic payback.

Rockskimmer penguins

An undomesticated breed of Waddler living in a region of long, flat rooftops and the tops of what were once cliff faces, Rockskimmer Penguins use the long stretches of land to build up speeds great enough to propel their gargantuan bodies bouncing across the water like a skipping stone. After a few bounces, they level out and skim across the surface of the ocean, scooping up the Phish that lurk just beneath the ocean surface in their beaks. How they manage to maintain their velocity during all this is unknown, mostly because Kemomimi don't particularly care.

Birds, oceanic and otherwise

All the old species of common oceanic birds are still in existence; gulls, pelicans, and albatross are a common sight on the Endless Blue. But many of them now sport colorful tropical feathers much like modern macaws. Birds like doves and sparrows are no different and are also a common sight, though they are usually seen in cities; magpies, however, are considered vermin for their tendency to steal unprotected shinies.

Marine Life

Inkers

Inkers are domesticated versions of octopi, cuttlefish, and squid. They are typically kept by kemonomimi for their meat and ink and even their eggs.

Wild Inkers

Cuttlefish, Octopi, and Squid are fairly common in the Endless Blue and have, if anything, become even more intelligent. Some going so far as to form mating pairs and to care for their young until they reach adolescence. The main issue with wild inkers though is that they are curious, and have a fondness for shiny or brightly colored items. As such they will gather these items in their nests and steal them from divers.

Riptrout

Form schools of quick moving fish that when startled create a short-term riptide as they move. Occasionally cause ruins to collapse as they pass in these underwater stampedes.

Hugtopi & Cuddlesquids

Hugtopi are unusually affectionate species of mollusc that will seize wandering divers and cuddle them until they break free or are rendered unconcious by lack of breathable air upon which point they'll be returned to the surface. They use these lovable traits as "piggyback-evolution", in order to gain the protection of a more dominant species, ensuring their survival. The more lovable the traits, the better.

Cuddlesquids are faux Hugtopi who leach off the latter's well earned reputation by using it to hunt. They will find a Kemomimi that has been separated from the group and one of their number will swim up and proceed to hug the doomed diver. They will slowly begin to lure them farther away from the main group and, once a suitable distance has been reached, will clamp down onto the victims flesh and emit pheromones atraccting the rest of the pack, who will then tear the Kemomimi to shreds. Luckily, many veteran hunters can quite easily spot the difference between Hugtopi and Cuddlesquids, so they mainly hunt other aquatic life.

Phish

Small, photosynthetic fish. They like to hang out near the surface to bask in the sunlight and are exceptionally tasty. With algae and widespread kelp less common now than before the cataclysm, Phish make up the foundation of several food chains in the Endless Blue.

Discoslugs

Discoslugs are descendents of the modern day sea cucumber. Named after their bioluminescence and vibrant colors, discoslugs are often kept and cared for by kemomimi, who use them as organic lights. They also react strongly to sound -- particularly music -- changing the color and intensity of their glow to match the rhythm. This makes them a big hit and must-have accessory to parties.

Corrosive Discoslugs

A more dangerous subspecies of the discoslug, corrosive discoslugs feed on metals that they spit up digestive enzymes on and slurp up the resulting goo. Most infamous of these is Neonhoggr, the City-Eater.

Sunfish

Sunfish, oddly enough, have remained mostly unchanged over the years. Some places keep them as pets while others revere them as symbols of good luck. A similar holdover from the past is the ever resilient coelacanth.

Dunkleosteus

Even odder than the sunfish are the reemergence of several prehistoric fish, such as the dunkleosteus. It remains uncertain what has effected this inexplicable return, and no one alive knows that there is anything out of the ordinary about it.

Seacows

Seacows are mutated or intentionally modified manatees. They have udders and limited amphibious capabilities. They produce milk and typically feed on kelp. Many kemonomimi settlements keep Seacows around for their precious milk.

Electrolotls

While the Electrolotl resembles its axolotl ancestor in appearance, it has undergone a variety of changes. Its external gills have become a sensor array, able to detect electrical signals, and Electrolotls come as big as a small horse or as small as a toy dog breed. They are often used by Kemomimi for their sensitivity to electronics to "sniff out" old tech when going on dives, but for reasons unknown kleptomanders seem to be virtually invisible to them.

Glowchomps

Bioluminescent sharks who hunt in packs. I don't know if we really ever expanded on them or if we should include them due to them being shamelessly ripped whole cloth from The Future is Wild and given a different name.

Raydudes

Riding a raydude

Loyal and eager to serve, raydudes would likely be known as "waterdogs" if Kemomimi knew what dogs were -- or rather, dogs would be known as "land rays". A descendent of the manta ray, raydudes are a species of ray that has been domesticated by the Kemomimi and come in a variety of vibrant colors. While occasionally used as pack animals, they are first and foremost used for travel. Their agile, muscular bodies can support the weight of a full-grown Kemomimi as they skim across the surface of the Endless Blue like a self propelled surfboard. Raydude surfing is a common and beloved pastime throughout the Endless Blue, with Raydude Racing being one of the few recognized sports in Kemomimi culture with actual codified rules.

Grumpy Tortoises

While raydudes are occasionally used to transport goods, grumpy tortoises are famous for it. Large and obstinate, these turtles are able to heft a great deal, but they are stubborn and not easily motivated to travel. The few Kemomimi with enough patience to actually corral grumpy tortoises into action are few and far between and as a result of this typically become famed merchants that even pirates will think twice about attacking.

Spanish Man 'o War

A rather dangerous denizen of the Endless Blue, Spanish Man 'o Wars are large hydrozoan colonies (many microorganisms working together as one large animal). Standing at 4 meters at full mast above the water, they have a floating balloon-like bell full of methane and a tall membrane acting as a sail, which they can move and shift according to the winds. Underneath the water, these creatures trail between 10 to 15 meters of translucent poisonous tentacles able to stun any passing animal, including Kenomimis.

Plants

Wandering Palms

Wandering palms are coconut palm trees that have gained the ability to walk using a modified version of their root systems. They are fairly common sights on islands and in coastal areas and are known to bind themselves together into enormous rafts that some Kemonomimi use as a base for mobile villages. Wandering palms have a maximum speed of about four inches per day.

Floaties

Floaties are plants which naturally produce hydrogen in a large pod on the back of the plant's main body. The pod is full of cells of both nitrogen and hydrogen so in the event of a puncture by some incendiery substance the hydrogen is mixed with an inert has so it can't do much in the way of damage. Floaties are sometimes harnessed by Kemomimi as a source of flight or fuel; they're a common sight to the rare Kemomimi who have airships or balloons at their disposal and completely harmless (unless one of them blows up, hydrogen is quite flammable)

Stranglekelp

Stranglekelp is a oceanborne weed. A genetically engineered type of kelp that harvests carbon into an energy dense form for use as fuel. Many boats with combustion engines run off of greenfuel, which is made of prepared stranglekelp. The plant gets its name from its tendency to grow rampantly all over anything near the waterline, and docks, strangling the engines and waterways if not kept in check.

'Nip

created by YerManOverThere

'Nip, along with tobacco, is one of the few remaining drugs in the Great Blue, and is taken in joint form. It's often referred to as "Lupine Leaf" on official documents, as its effects are to make the taker more slow and sluggish. The better the 'Nip quality, the more relaxed and carefree the inhaler. This is the reason why it is mostly discouraged on ships and most settlements, with some places, like the Phishery, making it fully illegal to take it, with severe consequences following its use.

Luminas

A rare form of light producing plankton that is usually found several hundred meters below the surface, but occasionally will drift upwards. Luminas are mildly poisonous, and they glow a light blue in large colonies, and are only seen at night. Lumina colonies floating on the surface often die off within a day or two, and are rare enough that passing through or near one at night is considered good luck by many.

Mechanicals

Oldguard

While not strictly animals, they are a dangerous inhabitant of the Endless Blue all the same. Oldguard are leftover machines from the Earless Era that still guard their ruins to this day and, much to the dismay of Shiny Divers, recognize Kemomimi as intruders. While there are still some harmless and even beneficial Oldguard in existence -- such as those who run the Akadmee -- most are destructive security bots who will defend their homes until they cease to function.

SWATBots

Some ruins, through being large or watertight, have dry sections full of Pre-Flood tech. Easy pickings, right? Wrong. SWATBots are security 'droids which patrol Earless ruins; they will stun, apprehend, and briefly imprison the Kemomimi they catch. Only use of commands in the Earless language combined wth technical knowhow can fend them off. It is entirely possible to defeat them in combat or sneak past them, but you'd need a group of heavily armed Kemomimi in the former case or skill in stealth in the latter.

Ruin Sentries

These things are like protectrons, they are heavily armed and can tear Kemonomimi to bits with their rapid-fire weaponry. Thankfully they're loud and slow so it's easy to avoid them. Just avoid these things when poking around ruins and you'll be fine.

Floatguards

They are surveillance oldguard that float on the surface like buoys with inflating rings around their cylindrical form. They have cameras on their top and bottom to observe passing dive ships and divers. Their presence is usually a sign of Oldguard activity.

Face Stealers

Nobody knows what a Face Stealer is supposed to look like, just that the Earless built them not to look like it. Utilizing materials found around them, they can retrofit themselves to appear as creatures they have encountered. Usually appearing as lone riptrout or unusually reclusive hugtopi, they are content to simply observe their surroundings and relay their data to whatever Earless network they’re connected to.

Silver Snakes

These creatures aren't snakes, they're robotic drones that bear a mild resemblance to snakes. They come equipped with cameras, microphones and a small suite of tools designed to aid in sabotage. They're waterproof and capable of making copies of themselves. Some Kemomimi use them for spare parts, others just destroy them. Either way they're a nuisance.

Stalkers

These are large (300+ tons) amphibious spider robots that stick to a designated area and guard it with extreme prejudice. They will also chase anyone who takes anything that they have been tasked to guard, often they will continue this chase until the item is recovered or they are destroyed.

PDA

Personal 'Droid Assistants are robotic assistants which are a combination of Pet, Android/Gynoid, and personal computer. They come in many shapes and sizes varying from fairies with antigrav hover devices to fully functional and somewhat eerie copies of Kemomimi. They are capable of tutoring Kemos in basic subjects, helping them tidy up, and keep schedules.

AIs

Salvaged artificial intelligences are usually tasked with tending to shops, guarding visitors, educating children or one of many other tasks. They tend to speak the major earless language of the region they are localized in and rarely understand Kemomimi language (at least not right away). That said, it is not unusual for Kemomimi to come to agreements with AI who are not malfunctioning (or who are malfunctioning in exactly the right kind of manner).

Subtype: Massive

Whether by nature, mutation, or even artificial means, some animals in the Endless Blue appear to have no upper limit to their growth. The most infamous of these is Neonhoggr, the massive corrosive discoslug big enough to devour entire settlements.

Message to GMs

Get creative and have fun! This list is by no means a definitive list of all the creatures in the Endless Blue. If you think the perfect thing to throw at your players would be an overly affectionate cuttlefish that bewilders and entrances kemomimi with rainbow colored ink, a moray eel with multiple heads like a hydra, or a mantis shrimp that has developed its claws into sonic pistols, then by all means include them. The most important rule of CATastrophe is to have fun.