[Pronunciation key: skiz - uhm - ar] =Images= =General Description= Schismahers are vicious, unrelenting pack hunters of moderately high and up threat-level planets. They have no vision and instead hunt purely on scent. Though masking your odor can prove to keep them from aggroing you, this will not prevent them from honing in on you after your scent is locked onto, nor does it prevent them from smelling you entirely. It just reduces the aggro range. Schismahers are also very adaptable creatures. They evolve rather rapidly over the course of just a few days to better thrive in their new environment. They come in a small variety of body types and follow under a much larger Schismaher that serves as their Pack Alpha. They are all found on the surface, though some may be found inside caves, though this is rare and they never venture far down them at all. Packless Schismahers of all kinds are slightly more common in shallow caves as they use them to evade interaction with other packs. =Natural Actions= As stated before, the Schismaher are pack hunters. They travel in packs of approximately 3-12 and restlessly hunt for prey, only stopping to rest in shifts or finish off a meal they just took down. There is no tact among their race. Once they take a prey down, they proceed to relentlessly devour it. All of the Schismahers in the pack immediately hop in, tearing at the creature for a few seconds before moving on from its clean bones for its next prey, like a pack of piranhas. Despite their primal and ruthless nature, they do have an underlaying group mentality. While a Schismaher might run ahead of the others to catch a prey, they do actively try to slow down the fleeing target and weakening them while trying to kill it so that the rest of the pack can catch up and have an easier time overwhelming it. =Interactions= Schismahers are very vicious, animalistic, and, above all, hungry creatures. They will attempt to devour any living thing they encounter, including you. The only time they do not try to eat something is if it is another Schismaher of their pack. They communicate with pheromones, so attempts to disguise yourself as one of them is futile, since they don't see you to begin with. This also helps them tell the difference between packs. If one pack meets another, they will get especially bloodthirsty and proceed to attack each other in a frenzy. The Pack Alpha will tear through any Schismaher from the other pack as it makes its way to the other Pack Alpha. They then fight to the death while the others attack in a cluster around them. After one Pack Alpha is killed, the members of its pack instantly stop fighting back and attempt to flee. The winning pack will pick off runners until a certain distance from the fallen Pack Alpha, where they will return and begin devouring their trophy. The losing pack may either regroup and a new Pack Alpha will be decided, or completely disperse and become packless. Packless Schismaher running into a pack will immediately be attacked, whereas meeting with another packless will result in them joining together as a survival instinct. After the new pack gets large enough (approx. 3-5), the collection of pheromones will trigger a Pack Alpha fight, resulting in the traditional fight for who becomes Pack Alpha. This functions just as if they lost their Pack Alpha. At this point they become a true pack. Pack Alphas who lose their position and are kicked out, though, will never gain the opportunity to join a new pack. Instead, even a disabled loner will shun it (though probably opting to flee instead of attack it).As for other creatures, on the overworld, if a Schismaher ever encounters one, it will immediately attack it, calling its pack if it has one, and begin doing so until it is killed or escapes. It will not be uncommon to find a pack already in the process of hunting as you approach it, but don't use this as a flag to run past them. The chances one will break off and attack you is fairly high, and the chances that they will finish eating and come after you as an entire pack is even more so. Instead, it would be most wise to run away, seeing as their aggro range is smaller when feeding. After killing the prey, they will all group together and begin devouring the corpse for approx. 2-5 seconds before breaking way from it. =Classifications= Within the pack, there are multiple different kinds of Schismaher. They aren't too visually diverse, short of the Pack Alpha, but they do contain rather distinct characteristics. -Juvenile: A juvenile Schismaher is the technical term for a child Schismaher. Depending on how old they are, a juvenile quite possibly has not yet evolved to suit their environment. This is the smallest size of Schismaher and has yet to grow into a particular body type, therefore all juvenile are more or less the same. Capturing one at this point can possibly lead to the tasking process in taming it, but this is highly unadvised, as noted later. Game translation: Size-. All stats- by a set percentage. The percentage can range from 1-50, but will be the same percentage used to reduce each stat. The reduction is inversely proportional to their age. 45%-50% will not have evolved to their environment, yet. AI: Sticks with the Pack Alpha and attacks with it, being heavy on hit and run tactics. -Runt: A runt Schismaher might be rather puny compared to the rest, but that does not make them any less vicious. Imagine a German Shepard then a Chihuahua. Sure, the calm Shepard can tear you down in one pounce, but the Chihuahua is relentless and more zealous than the others. Runt Schismahers are no different. Their smaller physical size makes them harder to hit, as well as increasing their speed. Once they catch up to their target, the runt Schismaher will endlessly combo their prey until it goes down by either it or its pack members' actions. Game translation: Speed+, Evasiveness+, etc. Size-. Strength-, Defense-, HP-, etc. AI: Run towards the target, only keeping with the rest of the pack if assaulting a herd or group. Once reaching the target it will do relentless combo assaults, evading as its only means of defense. It takes on a sort of hit and run tactic, but only running a body size away before lashing back. Hits more than it runs. -Lean: A lean Schismaher is less bulky than the rest of its members, but that does not mean it is any less of a threat. A lean Schismaher can possibly become more of a threat than any of the others due to its more nimble body type. The lean Schismaher trades in girth for being more agile than the rest. Though there is no job specifications within the pack, any lean Schismaher tend to take up the duties of that of a scout, running ahead of the rest due to their speed and swiftly landing a few blows in an attempt to slow it down for the rest of the pack. They also tend to be more evasive minded than the rest, attempting to dodge blows more so than tanking them. Game translation: Speed+, Evasiveness+, Mobility+, etc. Strength-, Defense-, etc. AI: Dash ahead of the pack and try to hold back the target for the rest. -Average: An average Schismaher is your base body type among all of them. Without the nimbleness or girth of the other classifications, an average Schismaher must resort on defensive tactics around blocking blows. This does not stop them from engaging in the same headstrong reckless behavior of the rest. Just like the others, an average Schismaher will still charge in a mob and begin tearing down its target, only stopping its attacks to brace itself for attacks. Game translation: Stats defaulted. AI: Charge as a group with other Schismahers. Uses a more guarding oriented attack pattern, though still berserking between blocks. -Brute: A brute Schismaher tends to be more muscular than the rest of the pack. Their body size also is a few inches wider as well. While not as fast as the rest, if a brute Schismaher is able to make contact with their target, there is a slim chance they are even going to be alive for what's coming up next. Brute Schismahers, once in combat, care little about their own defense, instead taking on a 'the best defense is a good offense' mentality, though this is usually not a problem because the brute Schismaher is able to take on far more hits than any other member short of the Pack Alpha. They will continue to brutishly assault their prey until it is subdued. Game translation: Speed-, Evasiveness-, Mobility-, etc. Size+. Strength+, Defense+, HP+, etc. AI: Rush recklessly towards the target and begin to unyieldingly attack the target, only giving up to retreat if absolutely necessary. Summary Comparisons: This all is simply major classifications of the species, as with any other creature, there are not only numerous hybrid builds, but varying decrees of each. For example: A lean, brute Schismaher - 75% lean, 25% brute - uses the lean sprite, but is enlarged to a size between that of a lean and a brute. Its speed category stats have a gain of 75% the gain leans give as well as 25% of the gain Brutes get to the HP stat. Their strength drops like a lean, but their defense is almost unaltered. Because being more lean, they dash ahead and attempt to incapacitate the target for the rest, and if variable AI is allowed, it can be a little more tank oriented than a lean, but still highly dodge oriented. Note: Hybrids do not need to result in a balanced Schismaher. Just like certain people can achieve fitness perfection, there are moments where a Schismaher can be max rolled on every stat a non-Pack Alpha can get. Cream of the crop Schismaher are not a common sight, though. -Pack Alpha: As well as the basic variable classifications, we also have the Pack Alpha. A Pack Alpha is a single unit within almost every pack that serves as a sort of general within the army that is the Schismaher pack. They are easily spottable among other Schismahers by their size and unique body structure and hide patterns. Whether they lost their original Pack Alpha by its termination or the pack broke off to form its own, whenever a pack is without a Pack Alpha the Schismahers fight among themselves for the position. During the fights, each Schismaher releases a pheromone until it surrenders. This pheromone serves as an inhibitor for other Schismaher, preventing them from evolving into a Pack Alpha. Once the pheromone is not being released, the winner will begin a rapid transformation into the Pack Alpha form. Pack Alphas release a more powerful pheromone that not only prevents others from evolving, but also mentally suppresses them, causing them to become near completely subservient to the Pack Alpha. If a Schismaher in the pack gets strong enough to overcome to suppressing pheromone, it will fight the Pack Alpha for its spot as leader of the pack. If it wins, it will release its own suppressor and the old Pack Alpha, if still alive, will be shunned from the pack. As for the combat abilities of the Pack Alpha, they did not get that position for nothing. Even without its pack with it, a Pack Alpha is a harbinger of destruction to anyone its locked its nose onto. It will charge headstrong at its target, not showing a single shred of fear, even if its own pack begins to fall around it, knocking it down upon impact before thrashing it to shreds. Game translation: All stats+ (mini-boss, or possibly even boss level). Size+ (Far larger than even a 100% Brute). AI: Charge towards its prey, dealing trample damage to all non-Schismaher that get in its way. Once it reaches its target, it will tackle it, dealing moderate damage with its spikes and knocking down/stunning the target. This allows for the others to catch up and begin swarming. It cares not for defense and will place all of its resources into dealing as much damage as possible against it. It will never retreat, dying before it lets its prey go on alive. -Disabled (Packless): Naturally striving for perfection, a Schismaher pack will harbor no comradery with any disabled members of their pack. Whether at birth or from a battle injury, a pack will abandon any members that fail to keep up, leaving them to fend for themselves. This does not make them harmless, though. Even when disabled, a single Schismaher can prove to be a dangerous foe. Game translation: Random basic body type, then random stat drops, varying from single stats to all stats, small drops to critical drops (Disabled Schismahers will be as random and varied as its pack dwelling counterparts, but always breaching a certain threshold of stat drops). AI: The same as the pre-stat reduction counterpart. -Alphaless (Packless): After losing their Pack Alpha, any Schismahers that get separated from the pack will wander around without an Alpha. These Schismahers have a number of outcomes: Wander aimlessly forever, die to another pack, join other Alphaless and form their own pack. Out of the three types of the Loner subcategory, this is the only Schismaher that has potential to recover and join a pack once more. Game translation: Exactly like Disabled but without the stat reduction. -Former Pack Alpha (Packless): After losing against another Schismaher in the pack for position as Pack Alpha, if they live, the previous is shunned. Like a disabled Schismaher, former Pack Alphas will roam alone, hunting down other creatures for food. The only visible difference between them is that former Pack Alphas lose their unique coloration, though they keep their body structure. Game translation: Literally a packless Pack Alpha. =Habitats= Based on the habitat a Schismaher pack lives in, they evolve to suit their environment, gaining advantages over those from another habitat. These changes can take place within days (even hours if the environment is volatile enough). Each evolution brings forth minor aesthetic changes, making each kind quickly recognizable to those familiar with their race. -Enviornmentless: If a Schismaher is contained within an enviornmentless area quickly enough time after birth, it will not evolve and be in its most basic form. This is the only way to find an adult unevolved Schismaher, as if they are contained while already evolved, they will retain its evolutions until moved to a new region, where it will then shortly evolve to take on the characteristics of its new environment. After suiting itself for its environment, a Schismaher will NOT return to its original form without any sort of outside forced evolution as revertion is not beneficial, or even natural, for its species. -Grasslands: Because of the wide open plains, Schismahers in this biome have adapted to the flat expanses, allowing them to dash faster across the fields than other Schismahers. (In-game: Movement speed+) -Forest: Because of the tall trees, Schismahers in this biome have adapted to leap far greater than others, allowing them to leap from the ground into trees, and continue to leap between them, giving them the advantage of attacking from above. (In-game: Jump+. AI addition to allow tree travel) -Tropical: Like all other tropical creatures, the Schismaher is no different when it comes to developing a strong toxins within its body. The stinger rests at the tip of its long serpentine tongue. At close range, it may open its mouth and launch a sting attack, inflicting a paralyzing toxin. This poison cripples its prey without damaging the tissue and muscles, as to prevent damaging the food. (In-game: New attack - Tongue Sting [more info in attacks section]) -Aquatic: Due to their scent based nature, a Schismaher quickly loses track of any prey that enters the water. This is completely removed from this evolution of Schismaher. Though they lose the scent when the target enters the water, once they dive in, they quickly lock back on, using their webbed legs to propel themselves towards the target. They lose the scent once it leaves the water, but just as with entering, once it leaves as well, it will quickly lock back on. (In-game: Gains ability to smell and swim underwater. AI change to make them jump in the water to continue pursuit as well as swimming pursuit AI) -Arctic: As a byproduct of insulation, the hide of the Schismaher has been lined with a thick layer of fat, increasing its physical durability as well as giving it a large resistant to temperature based attacks and damaging effects. (In-game: Physical defense+. Temperature resistance+, temperature status resistance+) -Desert: Schismahers of the desert have evolved to take advantage of the loose sand the ground is comprised of. Schismahers of this region can dig themselves under the sand and burrow their way near the surface. They cannot dig very deep not only because the sand is more compacted, but because scent becomes less and less trackable the further away from the surface you go. If near the top, though, they are fully capable of gliding effortlessly through it. Its body is more streamlined and its spikes are capable of laying flat against it, allowing it to take the form of a bullet as it pushes through the sand. (In-game: AI addition to allow burrowing and near surface underground travel in sand. Speed while underground is reduced, but it serves as, like the slower tree movement, a stealth method in its hunting) -Volcanic: Due to the harsh heat and possible magma interactions of the volcanic regions, this Schismaher has evolved a thin lava-proof chitin exoskeleton in place of its thick hide to protect it from magma as well as allow its body to remain relatively cool in the high temperatures. When it comes to protecting it from impact, its exoskeleton provides the same protection as its hide, but it is more resistant to projectiles and energy attacks. (In-game: Ranged defense+. Heat resistance+. Energy resistance+) -Radioactive: When around high levels of radiation, quickly adapts to take on the dangers associated with it. A Schismaher body has become completely immune to the effects of the radiation after being so heavily poisoned because of it. The evolution is one of the quickest, only taking an hour or two, but if they survive, and have a few hours to recover, they are bigger and stronger than ever. This is currently the most dangerous of all noted evolutions seeing as the naturally mutagenic nature of radioactivity has also taken its effect on them, increasing their overall abilities as well as literally turning them into a giant radioactive battery. Their bodies have been noted to store radioactive energy for up to three months, slowly releasing it as an aura, releasing radioactive waves upon anything that enters it. (In-game: All stats+. Complete immunity to radiation effects. Weak, yet large, aura causing radiation DoT to enemies) Like body types, habitat evolutions can mix together if they live within mixed ecosystems. For example, an Arctic Forest Schismaher will have the arctic blubber as well as the leaping legs (Physical defense+, temperature resistance+, temperature status resistance+, jump+. Tree travel AI), and a Jungle Schismaher will have the stinger and leaping legs (jungles being a tropical forest). Note: Environmental adaptations do not end here. Their ability to evolve is limited only by what physical lifeforms are capable of achieving (I am banning the growth of wings though. If Tiy really wants to give them flight, their legs become winged like bat arms/wings, but that's only if they really want it.) =Fighting Style= Aside from their own AI quirks as stated above, they generally attack in a structured form with their pack. They almost always care more about DPS than they do about their own defenses, but smaller ones will actively dodge as well as larger ones and blocking attacks. Pack Alphas are the only ones to never block, not really needing to with their thick hide. In game terms, Schismahers are beatdown swarmers. -Bite: All Schismahers contain the ability to bite, and it is their primary attack. Moderate speed. High damage. In small numbers, the bite attack is easy to block, but can serve as difficult to impossible if fighting an entire pack. -Claw: All Schismahers contain the ability to swipe with one of their legs. This is rarely used as their bite is much more effective. It is more used by leans as they attempt to incapacitate their prey before killing it with the rest of the pack. It is very quick, but deals low damage. It is mostly used to slow the target down as it is much harder to block, especially if you plan on running. -Headbutt: All Schismahers but juveniles contain the ability to dip their head and butt their target with the spikes on the back of their neck. Again, this is rarely used when a pack is attacking at once, but it is much more common than the claw swipe. This is once again more seen with the leans in their attempt to incapacitate. It is used less than the claw swipe, since it is slower, but it does have a decent knockback. If they get too far from the pack, they will cut ahead of their prey and begin to spam this in an attempt to let them catch up. As well as leans, this attack is much more common with the packless Schismaher. It serves as their keepaway move since they do not have the safety blanket of a large pack behind them. -Charge: Brutes, and Pack Alphas have a charge attack that they use when dashing towards their prey. It is a passive attack that simply does damage to anything other than Schismahers from their own pack as they move. They only charge whenever first spotting the prey and running towards them. Brutes will simply do light AoE damage without knockback whereas Pack Alphas will do moderate damage with slight knockback. When spotting another Pack Alpha, their charge is buffed, dealing heavy AoE with heavy knockback. -Tackle: Pack Alphas are the only form of Schismaher that have the ability to tackle. After charging its prey, the Pack Alpha will drop its head and headbutt the target. It is different from the regular headbutt, though, in that it deals much more knockback, stun, and damage than the Pack Alpha's headbutt. If the prey is already being assaulted by other Schismaher then it will not tackle it, not wanting to knock it away from others already holding it. -Tongue Sting: All Schismahers who have evolved to suit the tropical habitats have also grown a toxic stinger on their tongue and have access to this attack. Uncommonly used normally, this is yet again, a common tactic in leans in their attempts to incapacitate. It is also common in packless. It is a very quick, short-ranged strike. Upon hitting, it does not deal damage, but instead if the poison takes, it paralyzes the prey. Once paralyzed, it will begin attacking like normal, even if the pack has not yet caught up. =Taming= While it is unadvised to tame a Schismaher, it is still a possible feat. They are captured like any other creature, but to actually tame it, you must go through a small series of tasks to make it recognize you as their Pack Alpha. First, you must kill the Pack Alpha of the pack you captured it from. (IMPORTANT: Letting the Pack Alpha die to even despawn will make the juvenile 100% untamable) If boss monsters will be harvestable, you must then proceed to harvest off their pheromone sack. If everything is drop based, then there is a 100% drop rate on said sack if you own at least 1 juvenile of their pack. Otherwise, it is much MUCH lower. You must then go through the task of converting the pheromone sack into an equipable item. Depending on how crafting is implemented, it will basically involve placing it inside a metal sphere and chain to make a necklace with vents and the sack inside. Wearing this necklace will cause you to continuously release the Pack Alpha's pheromones. At this point, you can immediately release the juvenile and it will automatically follow you. Despite how relatively simple it is to tame one, it is highly unadvised because of the simple fact that you must wear the necklace at all times. Removing it will cause it to immediately attack you until you put it back on. Other Schismahers will see you as another Pack Alpha, resulting in not only a greatly increased aggro range, but causing the other Pack Alpha to enrage, increasing its already towering stats.You may obtain a Schismaher at any point of its juvenile stage, but if you have obtained an already evolved one, it will not revert back upon going to the space station. Also, after 5 solid days in an environment, they will evolve to that environment (3 if they are currently unevolved, and 1 day for radioactive environments as well as other ultra abnormal and harsh biomes). This will allow you to directly determine the evolution you wish for any off planet battling, if you are a tamer for that reason, as well as generally letting them be able to function better if you are simply using them as a companion for exploration. Also, after they reach 0% stat reduction, they will change into a random body type, including hybrids.
Protip: In order to make spoilers show text, you do: spoiler=Text and then the /spoiler (all in brackets of course)
I know. It is not that difficult a concept. I just like the eyecatching bolded +1 font sized headers lined with equal signs.
