Thymops

I. General Characteristics

Physical Appearance

Size

Thymops tend to have similar averages in stature to Aernyn naiad, though they are considerably bulkier and often appear larger. Male thymops usually grow bigger than females, but females have wider tails.

Shape

Thymops, like other naiad species, have two arms and a tail, but this is where the similarities end. While the silhouette of regular naiad is all smooth, flowy lines, thymops are very muscular (especially their tails) and possess a hard outer shell that gives them more of a boxy shape.

Color

Thymops come in all the colors on the visible spectrum (and even a few that can only be observed under UV light). Some thymops will allow small creatures and certain kinds of coral to attach to their shells thus camouflaging themselves or, sometimes, cultivating an offensive weapon.

Features

Thymops have hard, sometimes bumpy or textured, outer shells that cover most of their bodies from shoulders to the tip of their tail.

Instead of hands, thymops have pinchers and, instead of ear fins, they have antennae. Thymops both hear and smell with their antennae.

The thymops tail "fins" at the end are actually modified limbs and are more like flippers. In this same vein, thymops also have what are called "swimmer feet" tucked under the edges of their carapace (dorsal shell) along the underside of their tail.

Mental Capabilities

Thymops aren't exactly pillars of intellectualism. Most of their mental prowess goes toward surviving in the unforgiving ocean. That said, thymops make for brilliant defensive strategists.

II. Habitat

Geographic Location

Traditionally, Thymops spend most of their time in the deep ocean combing the seafloor while traveling back and forth between dens in rocky coastlines or reefs.

Climate Needs

Thymops prefer cooler temps, but will tolerate warmer waters. They molt once a season (year) and will make for the safety of their nearest den in which to do so; sometimes a shift in temperature, usually moving from cold to warm, can trigger their molt.

Home Needs

Thymops have been known to burrow in soft, silty seafloors as a last resort, but would rather find an already existing hole in a reef or underwater cliff face (thymops can, and often will, just take over the den of something else). Thymops tend to look for dens that have an obvious, easily defensible front entrance and at least one secret back way out in case of emergencies.

III. Life Behaviors

Diet

Thymops are omnivorous opportunists who forage while they move and strike out at passing fish or buried mollusks as the chance arises.

Mating

Male thymops can reproduce at any time of season, but females are only receptive during the few weeks their shells are still soft after molting. Most female Thymops tend to molt around the same time, either in late spring or early autumn.

Raising Young

Thymops young, called crickets, will usually stick around in one or the other parent's den until they can fend for themselves (teen stage) and then will either set out or be kicked out to find their own dens and migratory paths.

Sleep Pattern

Thymops are most active at night and hole up during the day because too much bright light hurts their eyes.

Movement

Thymops move around using their basically invisible (so art doesn't need to be changed) "swimmer feet" in two ways: scuttling along solid surfaces or "swimming" in little fits and starts by moving them all together like paddles or boat oars. When threatened, Thymops will swiftly flex their powerful tail and shoot themselves, albeit backwards, out of harm's way.

Sound

Aside from speech, Thymops can make long-distance rasping sounds by rubbing their antennae against protrusions on their shell or claws. While this rasping is most often used as a simple "I'm here" call-out, it can also be considered a highly flirtatious behavior since many females will continuously do this when they're getting ready to molt.

Mannerisms

Not accounting for individual variance, Thymops are generally a cantankerous, territorial lot. Much of their aggressive behavior, however, is a bluff intended to intimidate the threat into backing off. If this display fails, most Thymops will just bail, even going so far as to drop a claw as a distraction. Thymops will only stay and fight if they think they have a reasonable chance of winning the encounter.

IV. History

Leadership

Thymops have no centralized leadership and usually don't form long-term groups of any kind.

Social

Thymops lead mostly solitary lives, only really coming together to molt and then possibly breed. Being highly territorial, Thymops don't particularly like to share their space. This is especially true with other Thymops since they are direct competition for resources out in the deep ocean. However, being consummate survivors as well, it is fairly commonplace for thymops to form mutually beneficial alliances, usually with other types of naiad.

Religion

Thymops also believe in the Spirits of the Water, but their version focuses on the more dangerous, primal aspects such as an emphasis on respect for, and appeasement of, The Depths. By and large, Thymops are open to the idea of other belief systems, including the gentler, nourishing Water of Alu Spring.

Journey to the Lake

Most thymops responded to Queen Tariel's call in much the same way they treated molting rasps: by following the sound and sometimes forming long lines of Pae all heading for the same place. Many of the Thymops who made it to Tuatha'ri Lake were instantly smitten with it. Life there was softer than in the open ocean. A few of them even made the transition to Palace life and settled in reasonably well, despite a couple of territory disputes (there were only superficial injuries).

Racial Abilities

• Regeneration - Thymops can regrow lost limbs. Claws, swimming feet, and other small parts regenerate within one molt cycle. More serious amputations take longer and will likely permanently scar.
• Compound Eyes - The way Thymops eyes are structured allows them to perceive UV and Infrared on top of the visible light spectrum. Their overall vision isn't great, however; they can see more, but not well. Thymops eyes are extremely sensitive to light and that's why they can detect flashes of it and movement in dim or murky conditions. This sensitivity leaves them essentially blind in sunlight.
• Sensitive "Nose" - Thymops antennae act as both ears and nose, detecting sound vibrations and smells. In lightless conditions, thymops rely on their antennae rather than their eyes.

...Contribution from Elros...