Spaceborne Fauna

Beacon Space is home to many species of spaceborne, or void-borne, creatures. The majority of theses species arrived in Beacon Space roughly 250-400 years ago during The Great Migration, however, many species are endemic to the region.

Both the Hunting Lodges of the of the Syndicate and crews of the Tahora Whai live closely with these creatures.

Antaboga

Appearance	Colossal void-snakes with large razor-lined mouths, scales, and manes of spiny frills.
Habitat	Shipping lanes and asteroid belts
Threat	Volatile and universally dangerous.

Short tempered and possesive, Antaboga use their constrictor-like bodies to wrap around and crush starships and asteroids. The presence of an Antaboga can spell doom for local space travel. The most famous example of these creatures is from the Nusantara system, where a particularly nasty snake kept the planet Puluhan isolated. Only with the help of a Whai fleet, could the creature be driven out to an asteroid belt and travel be safeguarded over the planet.

Asteroid Catchers

Appearance	Spider-like creature as tall as a man covered in dark wiry bristles that help it hold on to its webs.
Habitat	Rocky asteroid fields
Threat	Moderate, extremely dangerous to small and fragile ships.

Asteroid Catchers gather small asteroids and bits of rubble together in a rough nest held together by their webbing, which they then use as a platform to set up ambushes. It has been said that a group of determined asteroid catchers can salvage an entire starship before rescuers can reach it, should it run into trouble near their nests.

Burrowing Maw Eel

Appearance	A small eel like creature with razor sharp teeth which are able to rotate like a drill.
Habitat	Found across the sector
Threat	Moderate, dangerous if they get inside a ship

Known as the Wani by the Tahora Whai. Utilizing it's bizarre, jawless mouth, the maw eel can burrow into the flesh of other space-born creatures. The maw eel lives primarily on carrion, but has been known to attack living creatures when desperate. It is also capable of burrowing into starships. Though they usually don't survive very long within the confines of a ship, they often cause great harm to both ship and crew while trying to find food or return to the void.

Crater Worm

Appearance	Small worms that cling to asteriods.
Habitat	Asteroid belts and ship hulls.
Threat	No combat threat. May impede operation and longevity of spacecraft.

They are a filter-feeding nematode native to the Baldr Belt in the Asta System. During the expansion of travel in the modern era, they have latched onto ships and found a nice around space stations and transport hubs. Regular cleaning of ships and docking ports is recommended to prevent the spread of these creatures out of their native system.

They are often cooked as a popular snack and street food called Craterworm Balls served with tangy sauces.

Also spelled Craterworm

Fantaii

Appearance	A large, ray-like creature, which are said to never stop growing, though few grow larger than a small starship.
Habitat	Open space across the sector
Threat	Limited, avoid slow moving pods to avoid collision with larger individuals

Some Aguamala Syndicate members speak of legends of the largest of the Fantaii, who is said to lead lost travelers back home. These beautiful creatures float through space, propelled by their large wing-like sails. They live off the light of stars, and occasionally, they drift near enough to a spaceport or other construction to absorb light from there, where the smaller ones are often considered a nuisance.

Grasping Knifebeak

Appearance	A 12 tentacled monstrosity, known to grow as large as a corvette class ship. Legend says they can reach the size of capital ships
Habitat	Asteroid fields across the sector
Threat	A danger to ships, best avoided

Known as Akkorokamui among the Tahora Whai, this creature uses its powerful tentacles to grasp passing asteroids, and its powerful tri-pronged beak to bore into their surfaces and consume the minerals within. A danger to spacers, it can just as easily capture a passing ship and open its interior to the cold of space.

Herd Eels

Appearance	Eel like creatures with sharp teeth, which grown to a size of two meters when fully mature
Habitat	Native to the Teuthem system
Threat	A minor threat, usually found accompanying Tahora

Known as Mōkai by the Tahora Whai, these void-fauna have a commensal symbiosis with Tahora and other megafauna. They have also been bred by Dynaeans and Tahora Whai to aid in scouting, tracking and herding of small megafauna. With teeth sharp enough to do minor harm to the Tahora, they latch on and work in unison to help steer the Tahora, interrupting their neural functions with their bioelectrical bursts. In reward for their valuable service, the Whai often give Mōkai surplus meat and blubber from lower-priority parts of megafauna.

Karthelion Hatchlings

Dragon discovered by the Starlit Court in sector north east

Naivitas

Appearance	Segmented worm. It's long top half long segmented head has enhanced auditory nerves and a large maw with needle-like teeth. The bottom half resembles a powerful snake with a muscled abdomen and tail.
Habitat	Asteroids
Threat	Low to Moderate.

Naivitas, also known as Batworms, are a blind predator native to Mentta that create nests within asteroids (or secrete to create an asteroid if an existing body cannot be found) and spend many years dwelling within it before becoming large enough to traverse the void of space

Nebula Walkers

Appearance	Large sea-dragon like creatures, with trailing fronds resembling stardust scattered across their bodies
Habitat	New nebula, where their camouflage is most effective
Threat	Low. Avoid their territory, and they will not bother you

Known by some Syndicate members as Astraelus Nebulaii, these large, peaceful creatures wander from one nebula to the next. They raise their young in these areas, where their camouflage is most effective at concealing them. They are rather shy creatures, with the exception of when they are protecting their young, when they will protect them above all else.

Teuthemi Leviathans

Appearance	Larger than most capital ships.
Habitat	Endemic to the Teuthem system, often orbit large gas planets throughout the sector.
Threat	A danger to all but the bravest whalers, best avoided.

AKA 'The Great Tahora. One of the most famous spaceborne Fauna, and are popularized by the pirates and whalers of the Tahora Whai in sector west and the Kikorangi o te Tahora Whai. These colossal creatures are emblematic of a classification of "Space Whale", or Tahora in Dynaean Pidgin, that envelope many different species.

Research into these creatures lead to the development of the Vāk and the genesis of the Tahora Whai faction.

The White Whale

Appearance	A large wyrm/worm with a long beak-like maw and small fins/spines which run the length of its body.
Habitat	Void Sanctuary over Saarinen or empty space
Threat	Exceedingly dangerous if cornered, but otherwise will flee. Safe to observe while at the Void Sanctuary of Saarinen

Formally known as Akhlut, the White Whale is an elusive creature first rumored of among the lodges of Nueva Cuauhtémoc. It is able to camouflage itself in the very void of space, and will slip into the darkness if challenged. Among Aguamalans the White Whale is a deified creature, an Intomidó, and currently the target of a Great Hunt.

Other names: The Great Wanderer, Syr William the Free

Wurmwolls

Appearance	Very large worm-like creatures wrapped in torus and mobius strip like forms.
Habitat	Gravitaional anomalies and black holes.
Threat	Minimal outside of its gravitational radius. However, little escapes within range of their sticky cilia.

This project was done in collaboration between members of Tahora Whai and the Aguamala Syndicate. We hope you enjoyed, and if you have any questions, feel free to reach out.

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