ftp.ee.pdx.edu/2014.02.ftp.ee.pdx.edu.tar/ftp.ee.pdx.edu/pub/frp/purditory/dlankrae

Internet Message Format | 1991-06-28 | 15KB

From [e-mail] Fri Jun 28 10:55:49 1991
From: [e-mail] (Michael Barlow)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp,aus.games.roleplay
Subject: PURDITORY: Dlankrae
Keywords: purditory, dlankrae, critter
Date: 24 Jun 91 06:50:37 GMT
Organization: Australian Defence Force Academy, Canberra, Australia

Subject: Dlankrae (critter)
Author:  Spike [[e-mail]]
Note:    The original followups to this post are in a separate article
     to follow.
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            DLANKRAE
            ========

    The Dlankrae is an non-intelligent, sexless, aquatic species found
in warm-watered coastal regions. It has a life-cycle of one year in which
it goes through a "larva", "pupa" and "adult" stage much like an insect.

    The Dlankrae is of primary interest to human (and other intelligent
species) only during its pupa and adult stages. The flesh of the Dlankrae
during its pupa stage is considered a delicacy, and is a highly priced
commodity. During its short adult stage the Dlankrae is extremely ravenous
and aggressive, making the waters of their area dangerous to all creatures.

Larva Stage - Sea Cheruet
=========================

    The Dlankrae spends eleven months of its 1 year life in its larva
form; called the Sea Cheruet by the fisherfolk due to its passing resemblance
to that vegetable.

    During this stage of its life the Dlankrae has a tappered, irregular
conical shape (like a carrot) with its "mouth" at the broad end. A cluster
of small tentacles surround the mouth, though they have no obvious practical
purpose.

    The Sea Cheruet eats and moves by sucking water in through its mouth,
syphoning out micro-organisms for food (e.g. plankton) and ejecting the water
out vents in its "tail-end".

    At the start of the larva stage the Dlankrae are no larger than 10cm
(prawn size), and a pale sandy colour. However as they progress through the
larva stage they take on a lurid red colour and grow to sizes upto 1 metre
in length. As they grow they become more truncated and cylindrical in
shape. At the end of their larva stage they have become nearly as broad as
they are long and their changing size and mass has reduced their mobility
to such an extent that they ar no longer capable of moving.

    Dlankrae have many natural enemies during their larva stage, and
90% of all larvae are eaten by other sea creatures in the first 2 weeks
of their existence. If a Dlankrae survives past this stage then first their
quick, darty speed, and later their increased size tend to make them a
difficult food source.

    As the Dlankrae nears the end of its larva stage, during early
summer, its outer hide/skin becomes extremely thick and hard, taking on the
overlapped scale appearance of a fish, and changing to a dark brown colour.

Pupa Stage - Armour Fish
========================

    At the end of its larva stage the Dlankrae has become so large
that it may no longer move, and has "grown" a dark scaled skin. At this
point the Dlankrae stops its (to this point) ceaseless feeding, and within
a day has grown a scaled hide over its mouth aperture.

    During the next 16 days the Dlankrae lies quiescent and undergoes the
internal changes that will lead to an adult Dlankrae. The scales on the
Dlankrae at this stage are so thick and strong that very few predators
may take advantage of their position.

    It is at this point in their life-cycle that "fisherfolk" attempt
to find and open Dlankrae (see "Fishing").

Adult Stage - Ravener
=====================

    After 16 days have elapsed in its pupa stage a Dlankrae has finished
its internal changes and emerges as an adult. The hard outer casing of the
pupa stage is pushed out (typically over what once was the mouth) and the
adult Dlankrae emerges.

    For the next two weeks, right up until its death in a feeding frenzy,
the adult Dlankrae will make the waters of its areas unsafe for *all*
creatures larger than a shrimp (including other members of its species).

    The adult Dlankrae has a similar shape to a sting-ray, being long
(about 1 metre), wide (about 50cm) and flat (10cm). It has a sandy grey
colour, 2 small eyes in the centre of its "head" (on top of the body,
10cm back from the edge) and a large mouth on the underside of its body
(just back from front edge also) containing many sharp inward pointing
teeth.

    Adult Dlankrae are ravenous, mindless predators; and for the
remainder of their short life (about 2 weeks) rush about attacking and
and tearing to pieces all creatures in the water. Their blind ferocity
and terrible tearing teeth make them a "foe" feared by all including
much larger predators (e.g., sharks).

    Throughout its two weeks of feeding frenzy the body of an
adult Dlankrae has been undergoing internal changes which will lead to
the continuation of the species. At the height of one of its feeding
frenzies an adult Dlankrae will suddenly undergo a threshing, spasmodic
attack before dropping dead and sinking to the bottom. Within half
an hour of the adult Dlankrae's death the first of 30 to 50 lavae
Dlankrae will have burst from under the skin of the dead adult. These
lavae swim off, and thus is the species continued.

Fishing
=======

    As mentioned previously, the flesh of the pupa stage Dlankrae
is a highly valued delicacy.  Such is its value that small insular
fishing communities have grown up around Dlankrae areas.

    For approximately 2 months during summer the Dlankrae go
through their pupae stage and the Dlan-Fae (fisherfolk) ply their
trade. Unfortunately, individual Dlankrae mature at different rates
and thus for most of this time the waters are also infested with adult
Dlankrae.

    Typically, each Dlan-Fae "clan"/family  has/"owns" a particular
section of the ocean bottom, and hence any pupae Dlankrae that are found
there. Such territory is jealously guarded (much like lobster pots) and
handed down from generation to generation.

    "Fishing" over this period takes the form of scouring the
territory/fishing ground in boat looking for pupae lying on the bottom.
Boats usually contain at least 2 members and have a specialised winch
mechanism. When a pupa is found one crew member dives overboard with
rope and pitons or a net mechanism to attach to pupa. This process
typically requires a few minutes and several breathes of air. During
this time the remaining crew members are on the watch for predators
(particularly adult Dlankrae) and will attempt to inform the diver via
signalling with the rope. Once the roping is attached the diver quickly
climbs on board and the pupa is hauled up using the winch mechanism.

    Dlankrae pupae quickly perish out of water, so the pupa is
immediately taken ashore to be broken open. Large picks are used to
puncture the outer scales which are then peeled off. The pupa itself
is discarded along with the scales. What remains, the "flesh" lining the
casing (to provide sustenance for the Dlankrae during the change), is
a white substance with the consistency and texture of bean curd paste.
This lining is scooped out and immersed in a special (secret) solution
to preserve and enhance its flavour. It is later sold.

    Dlankrae fishing is an extremely lucrative, but dangerous
trade. Dlan-Fae may live comfortably for the rest of the year on what
they earn during the 2 months during which they work. However, each
year several Dlan-Fae die due to various accidents; usually adult
Dlankrae attacks.

Adventure Ideas
===============

    1) "Joining the Business"

The characters have heard how profitable Dlankrae fishing can be, and
decide to turn their hand to it. What they are soon to find out is
that it is a "closed" business (no outsiders are welcome), special
equipment is required (boat/winch, trade contacts, special preserving
solution), and it is very dangerous.

    2) Dlankrae Farm

Someone has finally decided to attempt "farming" Dlankrae. It requires
a large investment and a lot of work but they are making progress (none
have survived yet but...). Various Dlan-Fae are *not* impressed (seeing
the end of their monopoly) and would like to see it stopped. The characters
are drawn in one way or another as guards or saboteurs etc.



                            Spike
                            Bun Bu RyoDo
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Barlow                mgb@csadfa
Dept. Comp. Sci.
ADFA
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------8<---------------------------->8--------------------
--------------
Michael Barlow     [e-mail]

From [e-mail] Fri Jun 28 10:55:53 1991
From: [e-mail] (Michael Barlow)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp,aus.games.roleplay
Subject: PURDITORY: Dlankrae [followups]
Keywords: purditory, dlankrae, critter, followups
Date: 24 Jun 91 07:00:29 GMT
Organization: Australian Defence Force Academy, Canberra, Australia

Subject: Followups to the Dlankrae post
Authors: Mark Grundy & Spike
Note:    The original Dlankrae material is in a separate post.
---------------8<------------------------>8------------------------------
***************
* Mark Grundy *
***************

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Michael Barlow) writes:
>     OK, here's an addition for the Purditory milliue. Comments,
  additions etc. please.

      It's nice to see a good Purditory contribution again after such a space.
  And people were starting to say it had ``died in the arse''...

      Dlankrae queries:

      What exactly do  they attack?   Is it anything  they see, anything  they
  smell or hear,  anything that  moves, or  what?   Do they  attack their  own
  pupae?   Do they  nosh on  sea grasses  as well?   What  precautions do  the
  fishermen take to prevent becoming dinner?  What about the local sea-life  -
  what adaptations  might they  have made?   Does  this affect  other  fishing
  industries?  Is there competition for the same areas?

      Some other plot ideas:

      o A local  natural calamity (say, the water  silting up)  threatens  the
  Dlankrae fishing for  a small, rich  community.  Dlankrae  are dying  within
  hours of emerging  from their  pupal cases -  the breeding  cycle is  broken
  before they can feed enough to reproduce.  The community hasn't the manpower
  to protect the species, so hires lots  of outsiders to do the difficult  and
  high-paying job of moving pupae to better waters.  The players have the  fun
  tasks of:
    1) Locating and extracting pupae in murky waters (probably by _feel_!)
        - coping with confused adults just emerging from pupal stage
    2) Keeping the pupae alive while they are being moved (probably
       dragging them behind the boat)
    3) Protecting the vulnerable pupae from predators while they're
       floating near the top of the water
    4) Protecting community secrets from local big merchants eager to
       benefit from this breach of insularity.

      o A decadent potentate  has heard of the Dlankrae ferocity, and wants  a
  dozen of  them to  use  in his  next Games.    The merchant  accepting  this
  contract has no idea  what they are,  and neither do the  players.  All  the
  players have to do is to locate some Dlankrae areas, snatch 12 live Dlankrae
  from underneath the noses of the Dlank-fae, keep them alive until the end of
  the month (with plenty  of fresh, warm salt  water), acquiring approx 4  1/4
  tonnes of  fresh,  warm  coastal  seafood, replace  any  losses  with  other
  Dlankrae from the same irate community, then get them to somehow act  savage
  in the cold water pool of the ruler!

      o To discourage  export of  Dlankrae meat to  wealthy foreign  countries
  (and hence to  bring the price  down here), the  same drop-kick monarch  has
  slapped on a whopping  tariff on Dlankrae meat  exports.  The Dlank-fae  are
  peeved that their produce is rotting on the docks because nobody can  afford
  to buy it.  They want  to run a cargo of  Dlankrae meat up the coast,  under
  the noses  of the  customs boats.   Unfortunately,  their insular  community
  hasn't got the know-how to set up the deal.  They hire the players to act as
  middle-men in  the smuggling  operation, to  nick the  meat from  the  docks
  (averting suspicion from  the Dlank-fae), trick  the customs officials,  and
  make the trade elsewhere.  Of course, the foreign merchants themselves might
  not be totally straight about the deal....
--
[e-mail]                              Mark
                    --------------
*********
* Spike *
*********

>From postnews Wed Oct  4 16:49:04 1989
In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail] (Mark Grundy) writes:
>       Dlankrae queries:
>
>       What exactly do  they attack?   Is it anything  they see, anything  they
>   smell or hear,  anything that  moves, or  what?   Do they  attack their  own
>   pupae?   Do they  nosh on  sea grasses  as well?   What  precautions do  the
>   fishermen take to prevent becoming dinner?  What about the local sea-life  -
>   what adaptations  might they  have made?   Does  this affect  other  fishing
>   industries?  Is there competition for the same areas?
>

    OK, thanks for the queries. I'll try to talk a bit more about the
adult Dlankrae.

    Adult Dlankrae are a good manifestation of mindless ferocity. Imagine
a shark in a feeding frenzy. The sharks' feeding frenzy is only slightly more
ferocious than the adult Dlankrae's normal demeanour, and when the Dlankrae
finds some prey...

    The senses of an adult Dlankrae are fairly poor. Their sense of
movement/vibration/pressure change is their most developed and tends to find
them most of their prey. Thus, things splashing around (like people swimming)
tend to attract the attention. At close range their eye sight is quite
sufficient, however, to spot prey. Basically, adult Dlankrae tend to attack
anything that moves. Generally they can differentiate between living and
non-living moving objects (e.g. boats), but there have been times when this
hasn't seemed to matter...

    It is not clear whether Dlankrae even eat the prey that they attack.
They tend to tear great chunks off most things they attack, and it appears
that if they eat any, it is a very small portion. The attack of an adult
Dlankrae usually only ceases when when the "prey" has been torn to shreds.
It should be noted that the violent threshing attack of an adult Dlankrae
often serves to attract other adults in the area. Adult Dlankrae, much like
sharks, generally don't attack each other unless one is injured or
incapacitated.

    The most common precaution taken by Dlan-Fae is the watch-people
in the boat while someone is down diving. Often these people on watch
are armed with long spear like implements which they attempt to thrust
through the bodies of any attacking adult Dlankrae. It is not desirable
to spear a Dlankrae, as though it generally will not kill them the other
adults probably will, and there goes some of next year's income.

    As regards their effect on other species it can be fairly dramatic.
However, Dlankrae appear to remain confined to certain fixed areas (e.g.,
a certain bay), and the remaining species have learned to live with them
(the others died out in the area).





                            Spike
                            Bun Bu RyoDo
--------------------------8<-------------------->8-------------------------
--------------
Michael Barlow     [e-mail]