Name: Barnakkles, Peregrinus viator Description: Hitchhikers from beyond our own mortal coil of reality, the Barnakkle are creatures from Hyperspace who long ago evolved the ability to survive in Realspace as an interloper species. It is theorized that they first gained this ability due to contact with ancient species that were capable of Hyperspace travel, ones who perhaps may have even been responsible for the pioneering of the Hyperlanes, or perhaps it was by interaction with species such as Stellar Whales or Mantesyds that occasionally use naturally forming tunnels to traverse the galaxy. In appearance, Barnakkles look similar to univalve crustacean species that originate from earth, the source of their namesake. A large, shell protects the internal organs of the creature. The color and texture of this shell typically blends to whatever they have bonded to. For example, a barnakkle that has gripped onto a ship's underside hull will take on the color of its paint, and any textures or patterns that it may have. This is used to avoid its predators such as immature stellar whales, who will feast on them, cleaning them from things they have grown onto. The insides of the barnakkle are soft, and usually the only organs which are seen during the lifespan of the specimen are its feeding arms, which come out whenever the barnakkle has been able to detect through its limited "sight" that food is nearby. The feeding arms are four long, tentacle-like organs which are covered in serrated "fangs", used to claw into the organisms's desired food, and pull it back into the center for consumption and mastication by the contractions of tooth-covered muscles in the stomach which grind down food into small particles. Immature barnakkles in Hyperspace appear as almost squid-like beings measuring 6in (~15cm) which float aimlessly in Hyperlanes, waiting for something to pass by that they can latch onto. Once they've grabbed onto a passing ship or creature, they'll immediately begin a process by which they quickly grow a thick, durable shell that allows for camouflage to their new home. Spoiler A large barnakkle on the underside of an immature Stellar Whale. It is currently feeding on a poor, unlucky creature native to an asteroid field that its carrier whale was passing through. Behavior: Immature barnakkles float around, waiting for something to take hold of so that they can mature and keep on feeding and breeding. Mature barnakkles generally do what you would expect of such a creature. Eat, breed, repeat until dead. Tamability: Untamable. They're nowhere near intelligent enough for someone to do something like domestication. Where is it found?: Nearly everywhere. They're ubiquitous among star-craft capable of hyperspace travel of any size, shape, or kind, as well as on organisms that can traverse hyperlanes naturally or by entering randomly formed tunnels. The little parasites are basically impossible to avoid without purchasing chemical treatments for hulls that prevent immature barnakkles from going through their maturation process when they attempt to attach. Rarity: Extremely common. Diet/Method of gaining nutrients and energy: Barnakkles are opportunity eaters. Whenever they can eat, they'll eat, whatever it is, wherever it is. Their stomachs are capable of breaking down organic and inorganic substances for energy, and if they cannot find any food for long periods of time, they've been noted to cannibalize and even try to feed on their carriers by breaking apart hulls or ripping chunks from the creature carrying them around, making them a rather annoying nuisance for ship-owners who don't either prevent their attachment to their ship, remove them regularly, or make sure that they are kept regularly fed if they care enough to do so. Products?: Nothing, much, really. Useless little buggers, but the substance that they produce that allows for them to cling to nearly anything is a powerful adhesive. Reproduction: Asexual, and sexual. Its a bit complicated. When born at first, barnakkles have a massive amount of pre-fertilized eggs that they will release as soon as the time is right and proper conditions are met. First, they must've matured and clung to a vessel. Second, they must've returned to Hyperspace in what is deemed by the organism itself as being sufficiently far away from their birthplace. The exact means by which they can determine this is currently unknown, but it is possible that it derives from some kind of innate instinct deep in the minds of these creatures. Once they've released this first clutch of eggs, which can range from 500,000 to even 1,000,000+ eggs, they will wait to breed with other, nearby barnakkles through means of sexual reproduction. Each barnakkle is hermaphroditic, and has sexual organs that allow for them to breed with any organism around them which has lain their first clutch. Gestation of a clutch takes around three weeks inside of a barnakkle, at which point they may be released at any time in a hyperlane from one to six months after initial fertilization once similar criteria to the first clutch are met. If these criteria aren't met at some point between one and six months from fertilization, the barnakkle will simply discharge the eggs, and begin production of another clutch for fertilization. A mature barnakkle may produce anywhere from 10 to 200 clutches of eggs in their lifetime, each clutch gradually tapering down in size until they are no longer capable of breeding. Once an egg has been lain, assuming it is in ideal conditions, it will remain close to the walls of the hyperlane in which is was release into, absorbing energy from the chaotic forces that are the environment of the borders of hyperlanes. After around seventeen weeks, the egg will hatch, and a small, immature barnakkle will be released at a size of around an inch. This barnakkle will grow until it is ready to cling to a vessel, and can spend up to fifteen years in this state, using built-up energy it got during incubation before hatching to feed off. Size: Immature - Hatches at around an inch, grows to six. Mature - Can have a circumference of anywhere from four to twenty inches as they slowly grow over time, vertically growing out like a small mountain on the side of their vessel, capable of reaching heights of up to eight inches. Weight: Immature - 15 ounces. Mature - 26 ounces to forty pounds. Lifespan: Immature barnakkles are limited to their ~15 year lifespan during which time they can search for a vessel. If they cannot find an appropriate one during this time, they will end up staving to death, withering up and falling apart in the harsh environment of the hyperlanes. Mature barnakkles, however, can live up to 250 years, and are extremely durable creatures that can survive a multitude of harsh, unforgiving environments, such as the vacuum of space, massive radiation, a multitude of atmospheric conditions, and even the madness of Hyperspace itself, although they source from its calmer Hyperlanes. Abilities: - Able to create a naturally secreted adhesive that allows the barnakkle to attach to nearly anything. - Able to survive nearly any environment, from temperatures over 2500 degrees to nearly absolute zero, massive amounts of ionizing radiation, and the high environmental cuils of Hyperspace. - Very durable shell, can survive being pelted by space debris that would typically destroy any other organism like being ripped apart with bullets. - Powerful muscles can pull in prey and food, and crush it down to easily digested bits. Flaws: - As an immature barnakkle, they are easily slain, and are largely defenseless. - They're as immobile as a terran barnacle, and only slightly more defensive due to their powerful feeding arms. - Stupid as a terran barnacle, other than their somehow innate sense of where they were born in Hyperspace. - If you apply commercially-available chemical treatments to your ship's hull, you can easily ward off these little monsters for up to five years between applications. Other: At least they aren't grabbing you from ceilings and biting your head off.
