Male Enyo specimen in sprawled stance
Female Enyo specimen, aggressively rising
An Enyo, named for the Greek goddess of fury, stands just taller than a man, though with far more girth and length. In many senses, their armoured forms can be described as living tanks. Coiling tendrils, piercing hooks and armoured shells are among their distinguishing features. Yet frequently mentioned by those within the Nexus are the contemptuous necessities of their form- the way in which they feed and the manner by which they reproduce. Regardless of any labels, it is undeniable that the Enyo are an intelligent race capable of forming complex technological societies. Native to the searing world of Anaplekte, they are forced into constant migration to escape the scorching death that is daylight on their planet.
Biochemistry:
To withstand the harsh temperatures of Anaplekte, the biochemical makeup of the Enyo is substantially different to that of most organic life. Their proteins would be far too unreactive to function at Earth-like temperatures. But in the scorching heat of their homeworld, anything less would denature. Enyo respirate with oxygen, and use water as their solvent. They are adapted to contain vast amounts of salt, to reduce the rate at which their hydration evaporates.
External Anatomy:
The Enyo body can be roughly divided into a lower and upper section. The lower sections contains the legs, muscular limbs used for locomotion. Four of these legs end in hardened hoof-like feet. In females, the fifth leg is a sharpened pike attached to a muscular limb. This is capable of rapidly stamping into the ground for skewering burrowed prey and cracking open the shells of various less motile organisms that make the Anaplekte their home. In makes, the fifth leg is significantly different, instead serving as a prehensile reproductive organ, ending in a barbed dart. Males have larger hooves and a more sprawled leg position to compensate for their lack of a proper fifth foot, though they can use their dart to assist in stability if needed.
The rear side of an Enyo’s upper body is protected by an armoured shell. While this greatly reduces their mobility and dexterity, it provides a substantial defensive advantage against attacks from the rear, and defends their critical organs. This can be further divided into three major plates, each of which has a blue orb in its centres- a primitive optical organ that provides vision from behind. Each plate ends with the beginning of an armoured limb. All three of these limbs contain crystalline optical sensors reminiscent of those found in scallops, and each also has several seats used to detect mechanical vibrations, providing their equivalent of hearing. Each plate has an armoured ridge at the sections that connect, producing a form of opening towards the anterior end of the creature.
Due to their anatomy, Enyos lack any kind of distinct head. Their mouth is positioned in the centre of their front-facing “face”, with two limbs directly beside it to assist in feeding. Above this, five chemoreceptors reminiscent of noses are located, also used for respiration. Females possess their reproductive orifice further above. Emerging from the shell are a pair of muscular limbs, ending in calcified structures. In females, these have an unusual ringed shape, terminating in simple hooks. In males, the ring is absent, and the entire structure is a piercing hook. These limbs are used to grip prey and for mating rituals, and are tipped with paralytic poison. Beneath the mouth are six additional limbs, wiry tendrils used to coil around prey and which serve as the primary gripping limbs of an Enyo.
Diet:
When it comes to their diet, Enyos are an oddity. Their mouths contain rows of teeth, which are angled horizontally against each other. These are, however, rarely used for tearing. Instead, they serve as protection for an Enyo’s barbed tongue. This nearly prehensile organ is designed to puncture flesh, and drain the internal fluids of prey. Rather than fully consuming prey, Enyo instead rely upon their innards and blood. Enyo are also capable of draining their own kind in a form of cannibalistic feeding.
The digestive tract of an Enyo begins with the throat and ends with an expulsive orifice at an opening between the legs. Their two-chambered stomach is designed to process drained fluids, dissolving them into more basic components. No matter their efficiency, the nutrition gained from this is still small compared to what can be obtained from direct feeding. As such, Enyos are gluttonous in their appetite, and can bloat substantially if constantly fed. This is followed by a spiralling intestinal tract, which absorbs the nutrients. A large portion of their immune system is dedicated to combating the various plagues and parasites that result from consuming such fluids. One effect of relying upon this manner of consumption is that there is minimal solid waste to dispose of.
Internal Anatomy:
The internal organs of an Enyo are concentrated within the upper mass. The internal skeleton of an Enyo is comprised of rigid bone-like structures- comprised of similar tissue to their calcareous shells, in fact- rendering it resilient but inflexible. The species has considerable muscularity, necessary to haul their considerable weight across the ground. The greatest of these muscles is their heart, which pumps their own blood. Due to its pigmentation, this appears a murky brown when deoxygenated and a dull orange orange when oxygenated. Like humans, Enyos possess a closed circulatory system with arterial and venous components. Enyos have three lungs, which surround the heart and serve as respiratory organs.
The functions of kidney and liver are combined into a single organ known as a filtration gland, of which three exits. They are additionally two spleen-like organs which serve as hubs for immunological activity. The brain of an Enyo is located behind the heart, and resembles a hemisphere in shape, with a flattened end towards the anterior side and a round end towards the rear, with a rough equivalent to a spinal cord running downward to provide signals to the legs. Four other major cords run down to the tendril clusters and up to the piercing arms respectively.
Reproduction and Life Cycle:
Males and females of the Enyo species engage in a typically non-fatal form of violent reproductive competition. In non-consensual mating, males use their hooks to force aside the female’s antlers, exploiting the round shape of the organs. They then attempt to force their barb into the female reproductive orifice, while the female struggles with all available limbs, often attempting to drain blood. If the male is successful, the dart will either break off inside of the orifice, or release its gamete contents without injury. This will also render the female temporarily docile. Otherwise, the male is either wounded and driven off, or drained until they can no longer continue. In consensual mating, the female does not resist, and the male is able to freely release their gametes without opposition.
Males will also compete against other males, either to prove dominance or to persuade a female to mate consensually. These struggles typically involve the use of their hooks to prove strength. As a result of their competitive mating process, males experience stimulation and aggression when lustful, whereas females experience a form of pleasant confusion and relaxation when aroused. Generally, large horns are attractive, as are substantially sized darts, thick shells, and bloated bodies.
Once fertilised, females begin to produce eggs inside of an internal organ located at the base of the tongue muscle. After a period of time, these eggs are ready to hatch. The female finds a compatible victim and feeds upon them, then used their tongue as an entry point for force the eggs into organism. These eggs then hatch into parasitic larvae and attempt to devour the victim from within. Those that survive the process metamorphose into children. In modern times, a relationship between mother and child can exist, as the victim of the process is generally a domesticated animal. Naturally, however, there is little relationship between parent and spawn.
Psychology:
Enyos have a natural compulsion to dominate their peers. To do otherwise is to invite weakness, to risk the end of a genetic lineage. Both males and females are more aggressive than the average species. They extend this mindset to their world as well. They consider themselves the highest form of life, uniquely suited towards mastery of life and death. The vast majority of them are addicted to the grim catharsis of slaughter and the sadistic euphoria of draining a helpless victim. Any functional Enyo societies provide some form of outlet for these emotions, giving them a focus for their violent and vindictive whims.
But more pressing than any other concern is a need to be forever on the move. For on Anaplekte, the coming of dawn makes a pressing change, the passing of the water’s boiling point. And on a world that completes a rotation once every four Earth years, there is ample time for this scorching warmth to roast alive any caught for long in the sun’s blazing beams. The idea of a permanent settlement for any Enyo beyond the polar coasts is ludicrous- yet in the most complex of their civilisations, the idea is not entirely unthinkable. It is, however, akin to escaping an apocalypse. The night, in contrast, is chilling to an Enyo, albeit survivable is caution is taken. Nonetheless, the species is nominally crepuscular.
The nature of Enyo reproduction and diet has driven a form of nightmarish agriculture, in which animals have been bred for the purpose of being constantly drained to keep their masters sanguinated, only to be finished off by larvae devouring them from within. The essential nature of blood to the Enyo only contributes to their belief that they are supreme, that all other life provides for them by the natural order. Yet it is undeniable that, as macabre as it may appear, Enyo culture does exist, as do various societies of their kind.
In terms of emotion, Enyo can appear fickle.Often they are found in self-assured arrogance, but when their supremacy is threatened they can lash out in bursts of controlled violence. They are naturally inclined towards sadism, taking pleasure in the art of draining a victim without leaving it dead. In reality, they have considerable control over their actions even when overwhelmed with emotion, making split-second choices based upon logical reasoning- albeit a reasoning twisted by their psyche. They become docile when miserable, confident when happy, and violent when spited. The one emotion they struggle to experience most is fear- to them it manifests as profound hesitation, not chilling dread, and this fact only further compounds their typically considerable pride.
Compared to many, Enyos are more practical than abstract. Their imaginations are limited, but present. They struggle to process the idea of abstract ideas at all, anchoring each concept and through to an existing sensation or memory. They justify everything, yet their justifications are often flimsy. They do not care. Better to have a false justification to them, than to have none at all. This mentality has long limited their development, as has their body plan, which renders many basic tasks a difficulty. Even basic tools can be a struggle for them. However, the Enyos excel at intuition, at maintaining their thoughts even under stress, and their learned reflex is exceptional. They are often able to perform complex tasks on mental autopilot as a result of this psychology- the benefit they receive at the cost of critical thinking and abstract philosophy.
Anaplekte and its moon Stygere
