Anatomy

## Biology

The Manjamaso are a primal specie of biped reptiles that was supposed to be extinct before the arrival of the Hole.

#### Basic informations

Reptiles

The average height of one adult individual is 7 feet.

The average weight of one adult  individual is 100 kg.

Primal, on their way to intelligence.

Live in humid, hot places

The average life span is 12 cycles.

#### Body

The Manjamasos have originally evolved from the sea, by replacing fins for arms and legs making them suited for life on the ground, where they were more agile and faster than underwater, making them less easy preys.

Their body is composed of one torso, to which is connected a head, 2 arms with hands and 3 fingers with claws to each, 2 legs with feet including 3 fingers and claws to each foot, and a tail.

On their flat and elongated head, there are 2 eyes and a mouth.

Manjamasos have 2 eyes located on the side of their heads. Their vision doesn’t allow them to see in the dark but at light they can perceive a wide range of colors, making their sight very precise especially during the day.

Inside their mouth, the Manjamaso has multiple rows of little teeth, from their jaw to their palate, used to reduce their food into small pieces that are more easy to swallow, or to bite any being that would harm them. Also this specie possess a tongue that they use to taste and smell. They usually use it to smell food from a distance or smell another Manjamaso when they want to reproduce, also to taste if the food is or not poisonous.

They hear sounds by opening their mouth ; the sound produced around them will resonate inside their throat and be analysed and will help them be aware of predators or other dangers around them, or distinguish mating calls.

Therefore, Manjamasos have complete perception of their surroundings when they have their eyes and mouth open, with their tongue stuck out.

During their life the Manjamaso grows up and the different parts of their body and organs get bigger and more efficient at adulthood. At this state, they will no longer grow and all the functionalities of their body will gradually decay to the point that it can no longer provide the individual with the energical resources it needs to live : the Manjamaso dies.

The Manjamaso is considered young between 1 and 4 cycles, adult at 7-8 cycles and dies when they reach approximately 12 cycles.

#### Skin

The Manjamaso’s body is covered with scales that can rotate to let air inside their body. Depending on the energy needed for the individual’s body to operate, not all scales will be rotated as it leaves the Manjamaso exposed if attacked.

The skin of the Manjamaso can be of different color depending on the environment. Temperature, sun exposure, color of the surroundings, all those criterias determine the different colors on the body of this specie. The skin can have multiple colors creating shapes on the skin randomly. The more a Manjamso has travelled, the more colorful he will get. The color of the skin has a role to play in the reproduction.

#### Energy related mechanisms

The Manjamaso produce energy thanks to the food they eat and thanks to the air they breath through through the pores behind their scales.

Manjamaso eat insects and plants. After being swallowed, the food they eat goes into their digestive system where all the nutrients necessary for their development are extracted, then distributed to the rest of their body. For the elements in their food that were not assimilated, it will either get rid of through defection or compose the saliva of this specie, used as a defense mechanism.

As for them breathing system, it is unidirectional and only goes in one way. As the entire body of the Manjamaso is covered with scales, the individual will have to use them all to reach the amount of energy they need.

Depending on the food available or the environment, the Manjamaso can alternate breathing and eating to keep getting the elements it needs to stay alive and operate. If for instance the Manjamaso has not enough food to survive, he will have to compensate by using more of their scales to breathe and get them what they need to survive.

However, food brings elements that are essentials to their body that can’t find in the air. If a Manjamaso don’t eat they will die of hunger. They can also die from asphyxia if their breathing system doesn’t work anymore.

The Manjamasos also need to rest regularly to regulate their efforts. As the Manjamasos have always been somewhat in danger, they have the ability to sleep while being totally aware of their surroundings, in case of attacks from predators or any kind of danger. In case of cool temperatures, the Manjamso can enter in hibernation until they it gets warmer enough for them to live.

#### Insides

All the important organs are located down the spine of the Manjamaso.

The digestive system, connected to the mouth and anus, through which they defect.

The pulmonary system connected to all the pores on all members of their body.

The nervous system, connected to the the parts of their body that they move. For it is underdeveloped, the Manjamaso can easily get rid of members if needed by autotomy.

The brain, that isn’t very developed. Compared to other intelligent species, the Manjamaso are at the state of a child when it comes to intellect. Therefore they can’t really develop advanced thinking, technology or complicated societal system.

All parts are connected with a circulatory system that conveys the different elements created by the organs or the messages of the brain and nervous system.

#### Defense mechanisms

There are different moments when the Manjamaso is vulnerable. When they breathe, their scales exposes them to direct attacks or even when they eat they cannot hear or smell.

The Manjamaso have different mechanisms to protect them from different attacks, that adds to their agility and great speed. They also regenerate really fast from injuries and can grow out missing parts when hurt or dismembered, but not too many times in a row.

To protect them from pathogens, all problematic elements are directly sent to the salivary gland that will become a poisonous venom when the Manjamaso bites an enemy.

The claws they possess are also allows them to cut the skin of those who attack them.

#### Reproduction

All Manjamaso possess the same genitalia. They are located under their tail and can impregnate and be impregnated. Therefore, any Majamaso who has matured enough to reproduce can do so with any other individual of their specie.

When the first comet of a cycle has shown, the season of reproduction begins. The Manjamasos will either make mating calls or follow the sound and scent of another’s. When two Manjamasos encounter at this period, multiple criterias will determine if the reproduction will happen. The color of the skin for instance plays an important role. A colorful skin shows that the individual has travelled a lot and therefore can give birth to a strong progeny, capable of surviving. Once the appearance of the other is accepted, the two Manjamsos will proceed to show different movements, proofs of their strength and agility in a dance. If the two individuals are coordinated in this dance, they will consider being both equals and will mate before parting away, never to see the other again.

The individual that has been impregnated will seek a safe place exposed to the light of the comets to lay their eggs before going away, leaving the eggs cracking by themselves and become independent Manjamasos. It is vital for the eggs to evolve in a warm place which is why the Manjamasos reproduce as soon as a comet shows because it is at this time that the temperature are the warmest.

#### Environment

The Manjamaso lives in humid (50-70%) and warm places.

As cold blooded animals with no way to regulate their body temperature by themselves, they will tend to live by large sources of water, caves and other places they can hide, in which they can hide and cool down if they are too hot.

They will example find home under big plants or in caves that they bury on the ground. They like to find little places to hide, as the Manjamasos are shy and fearful creatures.

The Manjamaso have never been fully adapted to their environment, that’s one of the main reason they always have to struggle to survive. They can’t stand cool temperatures and staying in the light of the comets for too long exposes the back of their scales to burns. They are more adapted to dark environment and yet, can’t stay too far away from the comets or else they’ll freeze.

When the comets started to be more distant, creating a glacial era, the Manjamasos were forced to enter hibernation and were supposed to go extinct. With the arrival of the Hole and the comets coming back giving immortality progressively to living beings, the Manjamasos became able to survive.

#### Changes after the hole

Manjamasos were still in hibernation when the Hole appeared and when the immortality was forced upon beings. Therefore they were fully immortal when they woke up.

They underwent many changes. The main one is that all body stopped growing up, adults remained adults, children remained children, and so on. This also applies to the ones that were ill as they stay ill and do not heal anymore.

They can still feel pain but regenerate quickly enough to not keep open wounds and therefore are only harmed for a very limited period of time. If a part of their body is dismembered, it quickly grows back. If a great wound/dismemberment/harm is inflicted to the Manjamaso, they will enter a stasis until everything regenerates and goes back to normal.

The Manjamaso, thanks to this immortality, cannot die from anything : hunger, wounds, thirst, asphyxia, illness or any other causes of death.

The other main change is that reproduction cannot happen anymore and therefore, no Manjamaso can give birth or be born after they woke up.