Name: Prismatic Monoliths, Gemmus sibilatus Description: Prismatic monoliths are a class of colonial photosynthetic lithoids that are native to the Zidain system but often can be found cropping up in the ruins of fallen civilizations or on desert planets with low gravity due to their hardiness and perceived beauty. Monoliths manifest their colonies as towers that range from six to twenty feet high at their prime and most self-sustaining state, but on planets with low enough gravity their height is basically unlimited. The towers are rigid and crystalline, growing in erratic jagged "modern art" shapes that some could consider beautiful in their own right. Along the structure are tiny holes made to capture air and dust particles for the colony to metabolize and breathe. Wind can pass through these holes, creating melancholic, somber melodies that ring throughout the colony's territory. "Forests" of prismatic monoliths harmonize as, with age, colonies' songs grow deeper in pitch. An individual prismatic "polyp" or single organism that makes up the colony is basically indistinguishable from a tiny crystal shard, being translucent and tiny. Behavior: Prismatic monoliths are notably indifferent to the world around them, particularly in the face of other forms of life. They grow assertively upwards, pushing rocks and shrubbery out of their way, but aren't known to interact with other life on a complex level. Their exterior is rather sharp and spiny, making breaking or climbing colonies a difficult task. Tamability: As tamable as one would expect rock coral to be. There are bonsai techniques to facilitate and alter colony growth but otherwise there's hardly any way to interact with such unintelligent polyps to begin with. Where is it found?: Colonies that fall under prismatic monolith taxons originate on Zidain-5-A, the moon of Zidain-5, which is a desert moon capable of sustaining primitive silicon lifeforms. Some have been spotted having spread to other planets in simulated environments, or in the ruins of long-forgotten civilizations or colonies, singing the eulogies and elegies of those who once lived. Rarity: Extremely common on desert planets that have lots of light exposure, with forests singing melodious music throughout windy days. Basically nonexistent on planets incapable of sustaining silicon-based life. Diet/Method of gaining nutrients and energy: Prismatic monoliths subsist off of an efficient photosynthetic positive feedback loop that is supplanted by negligible lithotrophic behavior. Holes in the sides of monolith colonies catch dust and weathered-down rock particles on the wind, which are then broken down to provide subsistence for the photosynthetic process, which produces egregious amounts of ATP and is distributed accordingly across the colony. Products?: Unless one considers the music specifically valuable, there isn't much that a prismatic monolith can do for sapient life other than be cool modern art, as the polyps when colonized aren't hard enough for the nough to be used as a construction material, and don’t fertilize the ground around it enough to excuse its use as a partner crop. Reproduction: Polyps are sexual reproducers, but are genderless and carry both egg and sperm to meiose with. Colonies, if they are considered a different “lifeform,” reproduce asexually. When a branch grows more fragile with age, it is prone to shatter or fall off. When it does so, it is often carried by wind elsewhere for the polyps to reproduce completely independently of the old colony and form a new one. This happens relatively quickly, with “forests” being able to sprout up in a matter of months. Size: A single polyp is roughly aphid-sized, but colonies can grow to the size of a small building in the right circumstances. Weight: Similar size-to-weight ratio as coral. Lifespan: Individual polyps have a lifespan of about three months, but colonies are functionally immortal as long as they snowball out of control with no competition. Abilities: Resilience. If there’s light, wind, and ground, chances are a crystalline monument will sprout up there. Animals don’t often like to mess with them due to their rough exterior. They create natural music and their presence is appreciated by many sapients. Flaws: Polyps have a low lifespan, creating new colonies is difficult in cluttered biospheres and dark places. If you’re strong enough you can snap an entire colony in half like a twig, but it might hurt since they’re sharp. As a colony grows older, the further their ends of branches from the base, the more fragile they are and are liable to fall off. Other: diegetic starbound ost
They are found mostly near fallen civilizations because they are places where little tall plant life grows to compete for sunlight, since usually succession in cityscapes takes a while. Also, polyps are able to metabolize certain debris lithotrophically within a city if it blows over which may be rarer elsewhere. They don't need dirt to live, unlike plants, so they are free to dominate the otherwise lifeless landscape where most other lifeforms would starve without sustenance from the ground or other animals.
