Flora, Fauna & Resources - Kharas

[atlasmods]

PLANET : KHARAS
AVAILABILITY
Plentiful Flora and Fauna in this category can be found in great abundance. Characters will be able to see these species anywhere they go so long as they are in the appropriate biome. Real-world examples of this kind of frequency would be plants like grass which cover a vast area, or miscellaneous tiny insects such as mosquitoes or gnats. Common Flora and Fauna in this category are less abundant than those above, but they can still be found without difficulty. Typically they will appear in bunches and patches scattered around the landscape. Real-world examples of these include clover, dandelions, crows or pigeons, butterflies, and moths. Uncommon Flora and Fauna in this category are a little bit more difficult to find, but once characters know what areas to look in they can generally be found with a bit of searching. Species in this category tend to be either in small bunches intermittently, or all together in one large area as opposed to scattered throughout the landscape. Real-world examples include fruit-bearing trees, berry bushes, raccoons, wild cats, mice, and other vermin. Rare Flora and Fauna in this category is very difficult to find. Characters aren't likely to find more than 1-2 per day even with rigorous searching as they are almost always found individually as opposed to in groups. Real-world examples of this are corpse flowers, dragon trees, moose, and bears. Very Rare Flora and Fauna in this category are almost impossible to find. It is highly improbably that characters will find more than 1-2 a week, even with rigorous searching. Real-life examples of this include the rat-eating pitcher plant, rafflesia flowers, jaguars, and Hawaiian crows.
FLORA
	Species: Unknown. "Coral." Location: Surface. Availability: Uncommon. Toxicity: No. Edible: Yes. Source of Water: No. This plant is incredibly sensitive to atmospheric pressure and will retreat inside its shell whenever conditions become inhospitable. If grabbed or threatened it will sting its attacker with its tendril-like stalks, which causes incredibly itchy red blotches to form. Unlike the hard, coral-like outer shell the inside tissue of this plant is fleshy and fibrous--and doesn't cause itching! So that's a plus. It is not readily flammable when fresh. When cooked it releases a nutty smell and can be consumed. It has a taste reminiscent of almonds. UPDATE 28/11/06: As a result of The Swarm event all Coral between the Boneyard & Kharid Nest has been consumed. Full image reference.
Species: Unknown. "Cactus." Location: Surface. Availability: Uncommon. Toxicity: High. Edible: No. Source of Water: No. Why would you ever eat this? All parts of this plant are inedible and will cause serious damage if ingested. Both the mature (right) and juvenile (see below) forms of this plant are highly toxic and its slime-filled insides are corrosive enough to eat through most metals. Full image reference.
	Species: Unknown. "Bulb." Location: Crags. Availability: Very Rare. Toxicity: No. Edible: Yes. Source of Water: No. Found only in shaded areas of crags and cliffs, this dragon fruit-looking plant only opens up its sharp spines during the few precious hours of sunlight Kharas has. The bulb of this particular plant is okay to eat raw or cooked, and is a great source of nutrients. The spines of this plant can be brewed into a tea which is useful for pain and fever relief, and will increase alertness for the next 12 hours. Unfortunately these plants are incredibly hard to find and do not grow in bunches. It takes three Kharas years for a new bulb to grow. Full image reference.
Species: Unknown. "Flesh." Location: Unknown. Availability: Unknown. Toxicity: Unknown. Edible: Unknown. Source of Water: Unknown. Full details unknown.
	Species: Unknown. "Leaves." Location: Surface, certain locations only. Availability: Rare. Toxicity: No. Edible: Yes. Source of Water: No. This strange plant spends most of its time with its leaves shriveled and closed to prevent moisture loss. The only time it becomes active is during the daily eclipses, during which its leaves will coil around one another and form a stalk and bulb-like head. It has an oddly sweet smell and at times moisture can be seen dripping from its bulb. When it senses touch the head of this plant rapidly unwinds and snaps around its prey and attempts to suffocate it with its moist secretions. The inner leaves are mealy and can be eaten raw with no adverse effects. Full image reference.
FAUNA
Species: Kharid. "Trilobite." Location: Sand. Availability: Common? Toxicity: Low. Edible: Yes. Source of Water: Unknown. Full details unknown. These creatures are most active during the hours of the eclipse when the sun's rays aren't as intense and can often be found scavenging for sources of food. When surprised they will bury into the sand to protect themselves and are often skittish when encountered. It is common to see these sand-dwelling invertebrates in small clusters or two or three. They like fibrous material. Kharids have liquid insides and are edible when cooked. Their gooey insides render like crab meat, so be careful not to crush them! Their shells are hard, but they can be crushed. They do not display any significant signs of intelligence, but will respond to sounds they associate with food. If for some reason you are unlucky enough to be bitten the area will rapidly turn numb, similar to freezing at the dentist. This lasts for 12 hours before fading with no adverse effects. UPDATE 28/11/06: As a result of the hostilities to their Queen, all Kharids on Kharas are now hostile to characters and cannot be tamed, controlled, or coaxed. They are now skittish around characters and will run on sight. They will not attack unless forced to defend themselves. Full image reference.
	Species: Kharid Queen. "Trilobite Queen." Location: Sand. Availability: Very Rare. (1 specimen, dead) Toxicity: High. Edible: Yes. Source of Water: No. Full details unknown. The carapace of the Queen is tough & hardened, perfect for sculpting armor or weapons! No matter how much one breaks off or cracks, its integrity remains--although it's a lot of work to shape or work the stuff without plasma tech. Full image reference.
Species: Unknown. "Seedlings." Location: Sand. Availability: Common. Toxicity: Low. Edible: No. Source of Water: Unknown. Full details unknown. These strange creatures prefer to spend all of their time settled beneath the sand growing in the hopes of one day turning into Kharid-eating "Leaves" plants. Unlike their Flora cousins, the seedlings are completely docile and will not fight back even if harmed. When poked or prodded they will jump out of the ground and waddle around aimlessly until they can bury back into the sand. When they feel threatened they will release a cloud of pollen that causes feelings of immense affection & familiarity with whoever the subject sees. They feel the need to just spread the love with anyone they see...for a while anyway. Then they get a fever and puke for two hours. Good times! Seedlings are deaf and cannot be clicker trained, and also? Not exceptionally bright. If left alone they will always start to dig their way back under the sand for a good hunkering down. Full image reference.
RESOURCES
Specification: Processed deposit. Name: Unknown. "Pearl-looking thing." Location: Kharid Queen corpse. Availability: Plentiful. Value: Unknown. Full details unknown. When pressure is applied to these strange pearls they flash sharply with white light. If in contact with a character's body, their Atlas Exosuit will light up temporarily as it power percentage climbs to 100%. When thrown they release a bright flash of light similar to a flash bomb on impact, and then crumble into tiny shards. Full image reference.
	Specification: Alien Transmission Language. Name: Unknown. Location: Unknown. Availability: Atlas Exosuits. (via sharing) Value: Unknown. Full details unknown. A series of strange messages in an alien language were picked up during The Swarm event by those who stayed behind.
Specification: Mineraloid. Name: Kh'svil. Location: Sands near The Ruined Hull. Availability: Very rare - 1 specimen per character. Value: Unknown. Full details unknown. This strange mineraloid is formed only on Kharas thanks to the unique sandstorms the planet occasionally experiences. These storms kick up sand and create so much friction that lightning happens, and when it strikes the sand this mineraloid is formed. A small sample of this strange white & yellow, crystal-like substance was found inside the Ruined Hull. It has most of the same properties as quartz: hard and resistant to damage & heat.
NAVIGATION