Staryon Starfish

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Staryon Starfish
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Fauna
Official Name Staryon Starfish
Common Nicknames Reinbôge Stjer, Najima Qus
Classification Fish
Habitat Oceans of Aloria
Domesticated No
Current Status Common

The Staryon Starfish is a notable species of invertebrate that populates the waters in and around Eastwynd. Possessing six limbs, and known for their bright array of colors due to location and water temperature, they have been pursued by many in recent decades as the source of dyes and unique colors for artistic creations. Some alchemists and scholars are also intrigued by possibly cracking its color-shifting abilities as well as rapid regeneration.

History

The Staryon Starfish has been at the fringes of history and scholarly knowledge for many centuries, perhaps millennia, given its residence in a less traveled part of Aloria. While many believe it’s been around what is now Eastwynd for millennia, it was first noted among the hauls of the region’s Velheim migrants many years before the Cataclysm. The Qadir Ailor also noted the creature at some point, but this was late into their civilization and was perhaps the last scholarly identifications before their war against the Dragons and the Great Storm that followed. It wasn’t until after the Cataclysm that the Starfish gained greater notoriety. Upon first contact by the Regalian Empire with the region’s kingdoms, this species of starfish was among the local fauna Regalia examined. However, it took another several decades for scholars to truly dissect the creature, and for their regeneration to be discovered should any cut-off limb be left untreated for long enough. This revelation, and the conquest of the Regalian Empire in the region, unlocked the importance of the Staryon, and ever since they have been an important local trading commodity for the Empire’s fabric industry. Regional disruptions at the hands of the Bone Horrors both in the Bone Horror Crisis and in the many years since, have resulted in the species only again growing in number as the number of fishermen has substantially dwindled. They are likely to carry on thriving for many more years to come, even if the Regalians find a way to return to harvesting them in large numbers.

Physical Appearance

Staryon Starfish broadly have a similar appearance to other sea stars, though there are some differences. Ranging from eight to twelve inches in diameter, the species possesses six legs instead of the regular five, equally spaced out from one another. Staryons also have an unusually firm central structure, which radiates slightly down each of their limbs, helping to protect them. This “shell” often appears in a mottled tan hue, sharply contrasting the brighter colors that routinely surround them in the rest of the body and their limbs. Their undersides though, are all a clean near-white, usually tinted or slightly swirled with their main coloration.

Diversity

Staryon Starfish are an agender species, lacking diversity or abilities to measure their population on that level. However, they can be distinguished by their coloration, which varies wildly in and around the waters of Eastwynd. This is believed to relate to water temperatures, but depths and other factors may also play a role.

  • Simple Staryon: Also called the Plain Staryon, this coloration is an off-pink or pale red, and exists in normal coastal waters.
  • Southern Staryon: This grouping has colorations in the yellow and pale green spectrum while being located off the southern coastline of Eastwynd.
  • Northern Staryon: Known for their dark hues of blue and purple, the Northern Staryon is also known for having adapted to freshwater regions just inland, and has a broader reach than the other groups.
  • Sea Staryon: Called the Sea Staryon for its sea green coloration, and not for a particular body of water, this species is found in the west and was a source of competition between the nations of Arlora and Torse in the past.

Life Span and Development

Staryon Starfish asexually reproduce once a year through the willing detachment of a limb. In a matter of hours, the adult specimen will begin to regenerate the lost limb, while the detached wriggling worm-like arm will also have already begun to generate a body core for itself. An entirely new Staryon will emerge by the end of a month, while the adult regenerates what it loses in just a week. Staryons can live for up to thirty years, but many expire earlier due to how their pigment is harvested. While the species can regenerate one lost limb, removing over half at once literally halves the individual’s lifespan.

Mental Overview

As is typical among starfish, the Staryon has a fairly lackluster life on the floor of oceans, seas, and some lakes and rivers in the region of Eastwynd. They act on instinct, moving around, over debris, other members of their species, and avoiding creatures who hunt them as much as they can. They do eat other organisms, mainly clams and other mollusks, but they also eat undersea plants.

Territory and Groupings

The species has little to no territorial instinct, capable of grouping up in such large numbers, piling on top of each other, it looks like a living, blobish organism, or being singular, surrounded by sand and water. Generally, however, Staryon live in clusters of between two and three hundred, sometimes spread out over a mile, other times more closely packed together. These are believed to be groups made up of Staryon offspring and their “parents” but given how similar they look, and how many there can be, it is hard to determine at this time.

Trivia

  • Staryons get their name for their six-limbed structure, as commoners from Eastwynd’s states would commonly describe the creatures as being “stars from beyond” given their extra limb.
  • The secrets of Staryon regeneration have been partially cracked by some Maraya, who use it to create Genos experiments and to conduct research. However, they hoard this knowledge and do not share it with other people.
  • The extraction of bodily fluids for dyes often involves a Staryon being caught, having two limbs cut off, and then the animal is thrown back after each limb has been squeezed “dry.”

Accreditation
Writers HydraLana
Processors FireFan96, MantaRey
Last Editor HydraLana on 01/14/2024.

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