|
OPNET Resource Science Data |
||
|
|
Homarus Gigantus |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Description |
|
|
|
Homarus gigantus, commonly called the Zydeco Lobster from the fishing town dedicated to harvesting them, is a species of lobster-like animals that evolved on the planet Zanzania. The Zydeco lobster begins life as an extremely hard shelled egg. They must use their sharp belly-mouths to break the crystalline eggshells. Many lobsters never accomplish this and die inside their eggs. The lobster is then in its medusa, or larval stage. In this stage it is less then a foot long and soft skinned. It very much resembles an earth squid (Loligo), but without the benefit of propulsion jets or ink spray. This is a very dangerous time for the Zydeco lobster as it is a favorite food for many predators, including the adult forms of their own species. The Zydeco medusa spends nearly a year living in the silt, feeding off of other smaller animals and consuming sand. It processes the silt and sand into a silicate shell that it secretes around its limbs. This shell gives the lobster its characteristic metallic coloring (exactly which color depends on the mineral content of the sand), which also aids the lobster in attracting fish to eat. When the Zydeco medusa completes its shell, it has entered the young adult stage. It will continue to add to its shell during the course of its life - Zydeco lobster never stop growing. Like their Earth-borne namesake, the Zydeco Lobsters have four sets of legs and a pair of impressive claws (used for opening hard-shelled mollusk-like animals). They also have another pair of claw-like hands with long fingers and webbing. These are used to sift through the silt and capture soft-skinned animals that reside there and feed them into their beaked belly-mouths. There is a strong market on Earth for Zydeco lobster meat. The meat must be harvested on Zanzania, and then teleported or jumped to Earth. This is difficult for two reasons. First off, even under refrigeration, the meat has a shelf life of about a month after which is spoils and becomes poisonous (faster if the meat is not quickly taken from a live lobster). Secondly, any form of teleportation kills the lobster (with rotted meat soon to follow). Scientists are at a loss to explain why this happens. This problem is exasperated by the fact that the UAN (who is the primary power on Zanzania) consistantly tries to shut down the harvesting of the Zydeco lobster. Nonetheless, lobster harvesting is a booming business for the denziens of Zydeco (the FSA colony on Zanzania). Lobsters are kept in large marshy pens throughout the Zydeco archipelago. The locals even go so far as to craft shiny jewelry for their lobsters claiming it makes it easier for them to catch fish (and thus grow faster). |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Statistics |
|
|
|
Homarus Gigantus STR- 3(5)[7], DEX- 3(3)[3], STA- 4(6)[8] Skills- Brawl 1(2)[4], Might 0(2)[5], Endurance 2(3)[4], Resistance 2(3)[5], Awareness 0(1)[3], Survival 1(2)[3], Intimidation 1(3)[4] Mass- 50 kg (150 kg) [1000+ kg] Special- 360o vision. Breathe underwater. Big claws (Str + 4L dam), and small claws (Str + 1L dam), Silicate armor can soak lethal as well as bashing damage. Armor is halved against whistlers (and whistler damage is lethal). * for purposes of intimidation only |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|