Wandering Beast

The beast regains sight in its eyes, though vision remains poor...

Mon, 01 Oct 2012 18:09:59 -0700

The beast regains sight in its eyes, though vision remains poor and short-sighted, and its various whiskers remain sensitive to light and vibrations. The tip of its mouth and nose harden, becoming beak-like, allowing it to continue stabbing and tearing at its prey even as its number of teeth shrink. The gill frills of females grow and harden, awkward flaps of flesh becoming more deliberate stretches of toughened skin, giving it more aerial control when the beast leaps from the water after birds. The males, meanwhile, grow smaller in size and are more seabound, preferring lower depths and less difficult prey. When the occasional female sinks underneath the mesopelagic zone, males will swarm her.

The beast continues to grow uninhibited in the vast seas....

Thu, 23 Aug 2012 17:07:37 -0700

The beast continues to grow uninhibited in the vast seas. Extrasensory organs in its snout and ‘whiskers’ allow it to see perfectly in the murky depths despite being totally blind. Curiously, it has started to develop eternal gill frills. Colorful skin flaps beneath its fins are only found on females.

As its upper body continues to flatten and its lower body slims...

Sat, 11 Aug 2012 07:59:01 -0700

As its upper body continues to flatten and its lower body slims down and lengthens, the beast spends more time nearer to the surface of the water, gulping up small fish, shrimp, and krill. However, it has not lost its taste for larger prey. Its sensitive tendrils detect the small waves caused by the feet of swimming seabirds, and the beast will frequently leap out of the water in order to catch these animals as they take off to escape.

The Beast has developed a wider mouth, for feeding on large...

Fri, 20 Jul 2012 20:03:47 -0700

The Beast has developed a wider mouth, for feeding on large schools of organisms, but still retained rows of teeth for snatching larger prey. Its wider body allows it to sail smoothly through the oceans, and has begun to migrate seasonally to follow its food sources. It has developed extra sensitivity organs near its mouth to sense vibrations in the water.

The beast becomes fully aquatic. The armouring along its back...

Fri, 08 Jun 2012 18:38:01 -0700

The beast becomes fully aquatic. The armouring along its back parts and gives way to fins, its gills become fully functional, and its flippers lose some vestigial claws. It is still carnivorous and with a voracious appetite, but its hunting habits become more passive as it swallows entire schools of fish in single gulps. As such, his jaws need no longer be as powerful, and its teeth no longer need to crush and tear its prey.

The Beast has evolved to fit a more aquatic environment,...

Sat, 12 May 2012 23:28:30 -0700

The Beast has evolved to fit a more aquatic environment, particularly murky depths. While it still must surface for air, it has undeveloped gills which helps it sustain longer dives underwater.

whoops, this only a little bit late.

To pursue prey in nearby lakes and rivers, the beast becomes...

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 15:37:52 -0700

To pursue prey in nearby lakes and rivers, the beast becomes somewhat semi-aquatic. With the same large lungs that allow it to hold its breath in the soil and wait patiently for an unsuspecting meal, it is able to remain submerged for half an hour to an hour at a time — plenty of time to chase after and devour entire schools of fish.

The beast has moved into softer soils and sands, easier for it...

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 19:44:13 -0700

The beast has moved into softer soils and sands, easier for it to slide through the underground with its snake-like body. Its limbs have shrunken, and are almost useless. Lack of large prey to satisfy its hunger has lured it back above ground. Using ambush tactics, the beast literally snatches food right up underneath their feet, dragging them underground to be devoured.

Never seen above ground anymore, the blind beast’s skin...

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 23:36:32 -0700

Never seen above ground anymore, the blind beast’s skin becomes hardened and pebbly, protecting it against the rough surface of caves and tunnels. Its feet begin to splay, allowing for more efficient scooping and moving of dirt as it creates and defends complex underground territories.

The beast has fully adapted to its tunnel life, with its body...

Sun, 08 Apr 2012 18:12:00 -0700

The beast has fully adapted to its tunnel life, with its body elongated to better fit through the narrow passages. The beast has also become almost completely blind, instead choosing to rely on its sense of hearing and smell to better find prey. The enlarged tail now used to store water and fat for long periods in which the beast is unable to find nourishment, making it a very successful survivor.

Though it becomes blind and nearly hairless, the beast grows in...

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 23:43:48 -0700

Though it becomes blind and nearly hairless, the beast grows in size and is as fearsome as ever. Its armoured skull, piercing tusks, and powerful, stabbing claws ensure the end of any creature it encounters in its tunnels, allowing its still-unhinging jaws to devour the carcass. Though still living primarily in the tunnels and caverns of the wilderness, the beast has also found a home in the complex labyrinths of city sewers. It is not aquatic by any means, but the beast’s protective bone structure, which now extended over its spine, helps it keep afloat against powerful currents, and its primitively webbed feet allow it greater control when the water is calm.

The beast has gone fossorial, now digging its way through the...

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 20:35:28 -0700

The beast has gone fossorial, now digging its way through the underground. Its front teeth have fussed together to form large shovel-like tusks, which it uses to shovel whatever its nose deems worthy of eating into its crushing jaws. It is believed the large tusks also are used as a form of defense against the pincers of gigantic beetles, which are its favorite meal. The front feet have also adapted to tunnel life, with the first three toes fused to better dig and the feet shape similar to a paddle, to move the up heaved dirt away. A peculiar mutation is that of the hardened shell now formed on the bridge of its nose, which is believed to help protect the softer part of the skull.

While not commonly seen above ground, the beast still proves to be a pest. Broken pipes and electrical cords are a common issue, as well as large sinkholes, as the tunnels the beast creates eventually collapse.

An active campaign to purge the beast from city streets drives...

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 00:03:00 -0700

An active campaign to purge the beast from city streets drives it back to the forest and underground. Its body becomes more stout; it has plantigrade feet and foreclaws made for both digging and killing. No longer a pure scavenger, the beast’s sense of smell continues to grow, aiding it in its hunt for lizards, birds, and small mammals. Unhinging jaws ensure that no potential meal is too large. Meanwhile, its eyes and ears diminish in importance

The beast has expanded its appetite, and now scavenges anything...

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 00:52:26 -0700

The beast has expanded its appetite, and now scavenges anything that can fit into its mouth. Elongated jaws chew up anything it deems edible and a heightened olfactory allows it to constantly seek out its next meal. While it still forages within forests, this beast has become a recent pest in near towns and cities.

Not much of an expansion off the previous beast. Some beasts may take a dramatic turn while others have a more subtler mutation depending on inspiration.

My roommate PencilCat and I, Kiriska, are starting a project in...

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 00:06:32 -0700

My roommate PencilCat and I, Kiriska, are starting a project in the same vein as Evan and Yuko’s Exquisite Beast. I’ll update Mondays, and she’ll update Thursdays, so I’ll have the odd-numbered beasts and she’ll have the evens.

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The first beast is a nocturnal insectivore. They live in deciduous forests near cities and it is not uncommon to see one or two of them near roadkill, picking off the flies and maggots.