Once again I’m seeking to speed up the process of working through all the Gurxian animals I’ve drawn by posting a bunch of them that aren’t connected by any single region.

Iakeab

A species of nocturnal predator that hunts in the dense forests of Gurx, the Iakeab are stealthy creatures with excellent lowlight vision and a tendency to grab onto their prey and just hang onto it until it tires itself out. Iakeab like to build nests in the rotting remains of vegetation.

Uuggovoau

Uuggovoau are a grasslands species that has specialized in eating nests of smaller animals, especially small Vootuph that live in tunnels in the dirt. Their claws are perfect for digging open the tunnels and they can insert their long Rel to catch their prey.

Simauginis

Living in the shallow waters near shorelines, Simauginis are soft-tissues filter-feeders that walk along the sands in the day, and burrow into it at night. If they are divided into chunks, each can grow into a full-grown Simauginis over time. This, and their rapid reproductive rate, makes them a plentiful food source for a variety of predators.

Otyanoa

Large, aquatic creatures with eyes on stalks, the Otyanoa are docile and often farmed by Strondovarians in cooler oceanic regions. It is generally assumed that Otyanoa would be extinct if not kept by Strondos, so they’re treated as an example of the Strondos’ mastery over shaping their planet.

Tesses

The flying Vootuph species called Tesses fill the same niche on Gurx that honeybees do on Earth. They fly around collecting the Gurxian equivalent of pollen and turning it into a honeylike substance called Vaumian. And yes, there are Strondovarians who care for Tesses colonies to farm that Vaumian, the Gurxian equivalent of beekeepers.

Imbaukla

Another predatory species from the dense forests, the hindmost limbs of the Imbaukla have curled forward into limbs used to move the detritus that gathers at the forest floor to flush out smaller animals to eat. Imbaukla are tall creatures, standing as high as an adult Strondovarian, with eyes that can move independently to help them spot prey to grasp with their sticky Rel.

Oaushaue

A flightless species related to the Glounaph line, the Oaushaue are nearly endangered and now only exist in captivity. This has made all three-hundred and seven remaining Oaushaue extremely notable and they are prized possessions of famous individuals and organizations. It is good luck for the Oashaue, at least, that their captors want to take care of them, lest they lose their status symbol.

While these Planet Gurx posts have been about the planet, Gurx, Strondovarian culture has expanded far beyond that one world. The majority of the Strondovarian population lives on other worlds or space stations. Gurx is still important to Strondo culture, but few see it as the place to be. Today we’ll look at some individuals who were born on Gurx, but left, for various reasons.

Kisilib

Wounded in an accidental explosion that killed most of their friends and family, Kisilib left Gurx to find new meaning in life. Living for a time on Doaphean, then on a space station near the New Gurx construction, and now works in a relay station on a planet in the Briagrog system. Kisilib has not yet found the new meaning they seek, and still pines for times long passed with lost loved ones. We can only hope things improve for poor Kisilib.

Pegelleb

Pegelleb is a murderer. This has earned them the title “killthinker” (“Agiihit” in Strondovarian language), which is a Strondovarian who resorts to violence to solve problems, which in Strondo culture this is downright shameful and is seen as indicating an inability to think. If a Strondo isn’t clever enough to come up with useful solutions, instead needing to rely on destructive impulses, they are considered too flawed to be of any real import. The only thing that keeps individuals like Pegelleb from being completely removed from Strondo culture is that their crimes make them somewhat Notable and so other Strondos can gain esteem from capturing and imprisoning them. Pegelleb is currently kept in captivity on a prison space station run by a famous team of Strondos who keep as many killthinkers locked up as they can.

Leafhearer

An extremely rare case is the Strondo now known as Leafhearer (if we translate from the language of the Rootfolk). Leafhearer has forsaken Strondovarian culture and left Strondovarian space altogether to worship the Rootfolk. Seeing those enemies of the Strondo species as examples of strength and ruthlessness, Leafhearer has joined a special unit of “aliens” who serve Rootfolk interests (with varying levels of desire to be there), and has show loyalty that has impressed their new masters.

On a mountain in the foreground, a Pholbunu tries to keep still to avoid a passing Ougliahai. On a lower mountain a handful of Ealpaia are gathered.

Ealpaia

A white-furred Aehubar not too distantly related to the Strondovarians, Ealpaia are larger than but nowhere near as intelligent as their cousins. As omnivorous pack animals that live in small packs, they are highly territorial and have been known to chase away even Strondovarians who wander too near. As such, Ealpaia are a symbol of aggression in Strondo culture.

Pholbunu

Although the primary diet of the Pholbunu is vegetation that grows on the lower parts of the mountain, these small creatures often climb higher to travel greater distances when migrating, and to build little stone nests during the mating season. This puts them at risk of being snatched up by predators who operate in the skies above, but Pholbunu have some of the strongest hearing of any creature on Gurx and that helps to keep them aware of their surroundings.

Ougliahai

Unlike their more populous herbivorous relatives, the Tessen, Ougliahai are predators that dwell in the skies near mountains. Sensing the world through echolocation, the Ougliahai have venomous spittle that they can rain down on a target, paralyzing and killing it, allowing the predator to float down and eat. This is an expensive evolutionary advantage, so they have to be eating almost nonstop, and if they prey on creatures too low in the mountains, there could be other predatory creatures that sneak up on the feasting Ougliahai while they are eating and make a meal out of them.