Tenebris

**Tenebris** is a continental agglomerate under the Latin naming convention, though is more of a combination of two continents, **Auth** and **Virtu** of the Salty naming convention (also known as **Brahma** and **Ea** respectively under the Godly convention), which are temporarily connected by sea ice during southern winters. **Luci** are a collection of islands west of Auth & **Phael** is the remnants of a land bridge between Virtu and Occidentis.

## Faunal and floral composition of Virtu

Virtu has a very tied history with Occidentis. Until very recently, landmasses belonging to the Virtu continent were connected to Occidentis through a land bridge that eventually broke off into what we know as the Phael archipelago in the Recensgene. Over the last million years however, Virtu has been engolfed and now approaches the regions of the poles. Although never receiving fully drastic glaciations as with Terra Septentrionis, Virtu is currently mostly a cold continent, with only the northern most portion being temperate. The rest is either ice, or cold plains and forests. The unique habitat however allowed creatures to adopt a staying. The result is a world filled with the limited opportunities not stopping the proliferation of creatures in this continent.

### **Gomphiobia**

For the diversity of gomphiobians in Virtu, this continent still shows signs of dominance. But in the end the diversity of gomphiobians in Virtu is comparatively reduced to those of other continents. A large amount of the cold-adapted gomphiobians were heavily affected by the Compsogene-Recensgene extinction event, and the species that were not very adapted for cold environments eventually did not had a lasting influence in the antarctic continent. However, this continent is notorious for being a birthplace for brand new species of land-dwelling creatures, either it be for the lack of intense competition, or due to simple luck. Gomphiobians, such as other creatures, have evolved terrestriality here, independently. The cephaplodraco is a terrestrial omnivore directly descended from an aquatic gomphiobian very recently. This creature is usually used as a reference for how early dispeculates went onto land, and how easy many different groups managed to go on land independently and prosper therefore. Among the main terrestrial lineages of gomphiobians, however, Virtu holds a limited diversity. Doryplosaurs are absent here, due to the extreme effects of the Compsogene-Recensgene extinction event, leaving one of the largest gomphiobian predators to be amplectendans. The so called cave bear reaches a maximum length of 3,6 meters in males, and live in tha huge mountainous plateaus of the southern continent, where subterranean galleries can be built and found where these predators live gregariously. The much smaller Trirhynchoatus is much more adapted for the freezing regions, and it is also a formidable hunter. Related to doryplosaurs, the speculobestians are only represented by a small sanguivore gliding arboreal creature, the glass wingdrifter, that is predominant in the temperate and cold forests of Virtu. Entomogracilians are common as formidable terrestrial creatures in Occidentis, with only one lineage of fantastic carnivores ruling in Media Insula alongside other gomphiobians. However here in Virtu, they were hit hard by the diversity gap of the general Tenebris continent and the only species present are the small flying viditdontians. They are more tolerant to the cold environments than other entomogracilians, however, they still try to avoid the very cold regions, where flying xenopedans and panoplovitans take refuge to avoid competition. Flying ichthyowestonians are present in the form of the forest-dwelling predatory dracolodontidians and the coast-dwelling scissor beaks. Praedoreginans also exist here. The basalmost spoiler queen, whose males are smaller formidable gliding fliers and the females are gigantic six meter long flightless carnivores. More derived, fully flightless praedoreginans exist in the form of Simialiena dulcemamma, an herbivorous arboreal primate-like creature. In the cold coasts, the marine ostrigonian female Diabolus crawl to lay their eggs in the shore.

### **Panoplovita**

In competition with Media Insula, Virtu holds a large amount of diversity of terrestrial panoplovitans, one could say the biggest diversity. This holds truth due to the isolated climatic nature of Virtu, diminishing a heated competition and allowing for their unique diversity. Clavus deambulatino membratum is a species that has developed terrestrial habits completely independent to the main lineage of terrestrial panoplovitans. There's only one species of that lineage, and they exist here walking with their 2,8 meter long body, in search of vegetation to feast upon. This is also the only place where flying panoplovitans coexist with fully terrestrial ones. The mouthed scooper is the largest flying panoplovitan, with a maximum wingspan of 1,95 meters, it is an aquatic predatory creature that breathes both in and out of the water. It glides and flies over the water and even over land hunting flying creatures, as well as subaquatic when underwater. It is incapable of terrestrial locomotion, and if it falls on land, it might have problems in taking off again. The sky nymphus is a distant relative of the common nymphus of Terra Septentrionis, a relic of when these sanguivore moth-like panoplovitans were spread across the entirety of the world, now only residing on colder continents, to avoid the competition provided by gomphiobian viditdontians. As for true terrestrial panoplovitans, there's the absolute largest terrestrial panoplovitan of all, the basalmost of the main terrestrial lineage as well as the largest terrestrial dispeculate of the Virtu continent. Wallace's silvaton is a gigantic 13 meter long herbivore, covered in sticky hair, that forms the perfect environment for the growth of polyspeculates, creating a micro ecosystem, where even various species of small dispeculates inhabit. Ossifragacorn is a small rhino-like omnivore, very armored and very aggressive, ramming against polyspeculates to feast on them, and sometimes killing dispeculates, either by confusion, or because of their sheer temper. The swamp-dwelling marsh walker is part of a whole long lost lineage of jawed panoplovitans. Very tall, with a maximum height of 4,66 meters tall, and an authentic herbivore. They are the closest extant relatives of the Media Insulan flumencuniculians.

### **Celernantida**

Celernantids are famous for being somewhat intolerant to the cold regions of the globe. They are not completely intollerant though, some land-dwelling members of this clade are found, albeit with less relevance. Semi-aquatic consuvocucumian phalangesdontids still roam the freshwater courses and the unique living fossil Oculis magnis celernantis is the only surviving oculian, a celernantid that once lived on land but eventually returned to the water and now lives a crab-like life in the cold waters of the continent. As for fully terrestrial ones, only a few thrived. The weird dunatibians are represented by a hairy small grazer the Aspirantulus. Venenumaximans are mostly represented across the entire planet, but the cold regions of Virtu were only merciful for Venenunguis, a small insect-like creature that lives under a polyspeculate that produces webs, where small bugs fall there and are then eaten by the Venenunguis. The most notorious and largest species of terrestrial celernantids are the altosaurs, basal manicasaurs. They are part of the second wave of terrestrial celernantids which, unlike the first wave, seem to be more adapted to the cold. Altosaurs seem to have thrived in relative isolation here with the abundance of polar vegetation that here exists. Flying septevolans are rare. Only Volanmaris often fly in the northernmost tip that isn't too cold for them.

### **Ambulospeculida**

Again, ambulospeculids found a way to rule this continent. A lot of species here are derived from nearby landmasses such as Auth and Occidentis. The Epestrepseapotithalassa is the basalmost cetathalassan, that seems to have become secondarily terrestrial and now wanders around the forests and swamps satisfying its omnivorous appetite. The isolation of Virtu proved benefitial for the preservation of early basal species, also evidenced by the basal and ancient clade of celestipleures, the Dorsostomata, that walks upside down, with its belly turned up. Maiadorsans seem to be absent in Virtu, most likely because of the cold habitats they seem to have trouble enduring, in comparison to alcyoneuvermians. Alcyoneuvermians are here represented by Cubiculum and Duonasus adipemrostrum. The widely distributed Xenotitan eolania is a large beach dwelling silvoid that seemingly reached the beaches of Virtu too. The cold climate prevents mostly aquatic edurusconchoideans from reaching these coasts, but land-dwelling ones found a way. The 4,5 meter long ground-dwelling spiral hopper seems to be a vicious predator that evolved pretty recently and endured the colder conditions of the continent. Currently, it is one of the largest predators of the continent, with the lack of traditional carnivorous monsters found in other continents. Cosmopolitan ascenderinsects are also common, as evidenced by Ascenderespeculida. Xenopedans also find this continent their home. The basal Antepedea reached here from Occidentis through the old land bridge. Equitembestians and xenoarachnians are also present as flightless xenopedans. Octoculus bocamanus is an example of an endemic flier, often falling prey to the celernantid venenunguis. Octoculus is a relic of a small flying xenopedan, surviving on the cold regions of Virtu to avoid competition from the gomphiobian viditdontians. The cold regions are mostly uninhabitable for main flying dispeculates, namely septevolans and caedifuremians that only visit the warmest northern tip. Therefore the southern shiver bird, a feathered aerotherian, proliferates in the cold regions where it feeds on meat coming from varied sources. As said before, flying caedifuremians only visit the northermost edge, as evidenced by the paper hawks. Land-dwelling caedifuremians are another story. Fabacursorids are obviously present in the plains, but the 7 meter long Nupeus is the largest caedifuremian of all, and benefits from the desolate plains of Virtu to feed on their precious low lying vegetation, in the absence of less cold-adapted giant herbivores. The only adriaeanatian present is the small aquatic and jawed Loricatorum salamandra, that lives in the southern freshwater courses and hunts like a crocodile. It is part of a Recensgene originated clade, known as Cristosalamndroidea that seems to be exclusive from the Tenebris continental agglomerate. The cold climate proved to be a barrier against the diversification of some polyraptorians. Seemingly the only polyraptorians present are giant mesothermic herbivores, such as the osteoraptorids, that reach sizes of up to 8 meters in length, making these the largest terrestrial ambulospeculids of the continent. The connections with Media Insula to Auth, allowed some basal oromollabians to reach the lush cold plains of Virtu. The six meter long herbivorous plain mower eventually evolved there.

## Faunal and floral composition of Auth

Auth has been, for many millions of years, been part of the Tenebris continent, alongside Virtu. It only truly separated itself from Virtu in the late Recensgene, but on its own, it already has a radically different faunal assemblage. Indeed the Tenebris landmass has been separate from other continents for quite sometime, though not very isolated. Most of the times, it made connections with Occidentis and, because of that, the creatures that inhabited Tenebris are mostly derived from that continent. However, connections between the opposite Media Insula were also made, and that caused faunal interchanges to occur and influence the continent's life. Glaciations occured from the migration of Tenebris to the south pole of Wallace II eventually purged some of the native creatures, though not in a too drastic manner. The modern result is a weird isolated continent that is blocked by ice and water from Virtu and from Media Insula by more temperate and tropical ocean. The creatures that here inhabit are both remnants of a long past and survivors of the derived creatures that rule other continents.

### **Gomphiobia**

Auth, as a continent, is much more simillar in terms of diversity to that of Media Insula. The continent is a perfect hybrid, in terms of diversity, to the diversity gaps that occured in Occidentis and Virtu, and the original diversity that existed in Media Insula. Starting with amplectendans, the diversity here is strange, with the giant 10 meter long herbivorous and basal Amplectendo sphenodyptis inhabiting the continent and the 2 meter long jawed and predatory Discutio bufo terrorizing the areas where they can still hunt. With many predatory gaps forming, the Acucephal evolved, a speculobestian that hunts in groups like wolves, having descended from smaller bug like carnivores. The diversity of these and many other new predators (gomphiobians or not) in Auth was followed by the extinction of super predatory doryplosaurs and fully terrestrial entomogracilians. Currently the only native doryplosaurs are a lineage of related yet relatively small predators, that slowly started to conquer a part of their ancient success. Those are Aliepardus loccisoria and Scuamea convolvens lupus, which do not surpass 2,4 meters in length. Tridentigerivenator rex, at six meters in length, is, however, a doryplosaur that managed to reach Media Insula, by floating the ocean southwards to Auth. Their exoskeleton allows it to gain an unusual buoyancy and this allowed them to conquer and reach the southern continent, not too different from the herbivorous ambulospeculid Gitanonychus. The arrival of Tridentigerivenator is, however, very recent, and has no influence to any diversity issues that the Tenebris continental complex has suffered. The other main lineage of terrestrial gomphiobians are represented by tegroimpetans and entomogracilians in Auth. Tegroimpetus magna is the basalmost tegroimpetan, a gigantic 10 meter tall herbivore, a relic of long lost times. The absence of terrestrial entomogracilians was caused by the diversity gap that was accompanied by the Compsogene-Recensgene extinction event, that caused severe cold periods in Tenebris, causing the extinction of the terrestrial entomogracilians there, but creating warmer conditions in Occidentis, which allowed the proliferation of entomogracilians there, but caused the extinction of most leorhynchoatans there. In Auth, the only entomogracilians present are the flying viditdontians, that benefited from the gap to proliferate and prevent the presence of flying panoplovitans and flying xenopedans. The main lineage of flying gomphiobians include the ornithosmilids and ichthyowestonians like the predatory dracolodontidians and the coast-dwelling scissor beaks. Due to the proximity of Media Insula (a point of diversity for giraffapiscatorians), there is a good diversity of those in Auth. Procerus titanus exists as well as the more derived jawed Ursasuchus, a semi-aquatic vicious predator, that hunts both on land and on water. The cold beaches of Auth are often visited by the Diabolus females that come there to lay their eggs.

### **Panoplovita**

Despite the proximity between Virtu and Media Insula, both terrestrial panoplovitan hotspots, Auth has proven to have been a complicated continent for them to diversify nowadays. It seems they were not really very affected by the Compsogene-Recensgene extinction event, so their current lack of diversity seems to have been a gradual replacement and competition caused by the new clades of terrestrial dispeculates that conquered the continent throughout the Recensgene. The only extant terrestrial panoplovitan in Auth is Squillabellus, an eusocial desert-dweller, with no more than half a meter long.

### **Celernantida**

The extreme isolation of Auth is odd, at best. Celernantids, unlike in other continents, seem to have either suffered extreme competition here, or didn't had the chance of reaching this portion of the planet and prosper here. There are terrestrial celernantids here, and we know from fossil records they were around, but seemingly, Auth has the least diversity of terrestrial celernantids in all other five continents. It is believed that this was caused by the extreme drops in temperature that occured in Tenebris with the aftermath of the Compsogene-Recensgene extinction event. Among the inhabitants seems to be the only non-Occidentian sporafiliian, the Silvaafilii, a forest dweller with less than 18 cm long. This is likely a relic from a time where sporafiliians were the dominant group of terrestrial celernantids in Occidentis and Tenebris, until the latter fell into the cold regions and led to the extinction of most. The only other terrestrial celernantid, and subsequently the largest, is the cosmopolitan venenumaximan Celernantida maxima, that reached there through rafting. As for other semi-terrestrial celernantid inhabitants, we have the amphibious consuvocucumian phalangesdontids, which inhabit the freshwater regions. Also present is the flying septevolan Vermis sanguis volans.

### **Ambulospeculida**

Again, ambulospeculids dominate this continent. The main fauna composition is derived from native Tenebrian fauna that took refuge in the areas that weren't too suffered from glaciation, and given Tenebrian life is mostly derived from Occidentis, creatures like maiadorsans and polyraptorians proliferate here with some abundance. Maiadorsans are notorious for keeping their dominance as they do in Occidentis. Cauda apidem bovis is a large herbivore inhabiting the local deserts. Ignavus gigas is a small arboreal herbivore, relative of the highly diverse maiapeltids, that range in sizes from 50 cm to 7 meters in length, and have variable habits, both in terms of diet and guild they occupy. The bullet shrew is a small predator related to the giant Occidentian Letitrabus. Alcyoneuvermians are present here, including the Altumbarba, a filter feeder related to the virtuan cubiculum and duonasus, indicating a preference of this particular alcyoneuvermian clade, the duobarbaoideans, for the Tenebrian continental agglomerate. Crinitusavem, a native Media Insulan alcyoneuvermian, has migrated to Auth through swimming, and a species is now known to inhabit the continent. Auth is also a refuge for ancient creatures. Giant bug-like celestipleures once tried to conquer the world by developing new forms of growing big. The multi-legged Rimatergi is a relic from this past and benefits from the new varied climates displayed by the continent to continue to grow in places where it would receive competition. Rimatergians range from 50 cm to 20 meters in length, and are herbivores. Silvoideans, due to Auth's proximity to Media Insula, managed to reach here. The Xenotitan eolania reached Auth from Media Insula, and from Auth it managed to reach Virtu. Its close ties to the beachy areas of the world might be responsible for this wide distribution. A relative is the unusual cursorial and fully terrestrial Terebrodente, that seems to have benefited from the tall forests of the continent to occupy a place in the ecosystem, otherwise open. Terebrodentes are 6,6 meter tall herbivores. Land-dwelling edurusconchoideans are also found here in the temperate and warmer regions, like the Ictus, a recently evolved and derived clade of terrestrial edurusconchoideans that diverged from their typical arthropod-like nature to become one of the most influental and largest terrestrial predators of the continent, by developing a tetrapod-like morphology, all in less than 50 million years, after the niches left open in the Recensgene. The basalmost edurusconchoidean, Edurusconchia insectumcaptor, that glows its shell to attract small flying creatures it can hunt on. Close to Media Insula, altufonsians also made the transition to Auth, namely the small tide springers. Ascenderinsects are represented by the cosmopolitan ascenderespeculids. Xenopedan diversity is slightly more diminished than in other continents, though the presence of Equitembestia and Xenoarachnia is guaranteed. The cold regions of Auth create a unique environment for volant dispeculates however. Despite the relative scarcity of flying septevolans and caedifuremians, the aerotherians found a place to prosper, namely the basalmost members of the clade. Aervenator is naturally a flier there, often passing to these lands, from its native environment in Media Insula. Others are more basal and are not found anywhere else, such as the aerial ganger and the pteroagapithecini, with new and unique methods of aerial locomotion, that have otherwise been abandoned by more derived aerotherians. Pseudocampians are represented by jumpers that rafted from Media Insula to the Auth continent. Flying caedifuremians here, are only represented by the paper hawks. Land-dwelling caedifuremians are only represented by the cosmopolitan fabacursorids. Interestingly, the largest ambulospeculid in Auth, and also the apex predator of the region, is the adriaeanatian Cristoceragnath ruptus. This creature is a relative of the aquatic Loricatorum salamandra, and it seems the Auth's changes in climate allowed the niche of apex predator to remain open, so large aquatic carnivorous adriaeanatians ruled over and became apex predators in the wake of the Recensgene. This titanic monster is so derived that it resembles terrestrial predatory gomphiobians, though it is clearly an ambulonantid. Early phylogenetic analysis found unique processes in the Cristoceragnath anatomy, that seemed unusually convergent to that of some terrestrial panoplovitans, and led some to consider it a panoplovitan, but now the classification as an ambulospeculid seems decently clear. Typical of the Occidentian proximity, Auth retains polyraptorians. Terrarus is a carnivorous mountain and rocky plain dweller with a weird limb configuration. Armagnus ossea and Culumstansbestia both belong to the Armagna clade, that is exclusive to Auth, and is composed of large bulky herbivores. Oromollabians from Media Insula also reached here. The basalmost split, typically known from easily reaching the southern continents, is characterized here by the unusually diverse and predatory Arthropanthera, and the 5,5 meter long herbivorous trunked golianth of the coldest and southernmost parts of the continent. The most diverse split, that became dominant in Media Insula, includes the Gitanonychus, which managed to reach to Auth through floating in the water, as they are unusually buoyant creatures. Gitanonychus is a large herbivore that dwells in deserts.

## List of Environments

### Auth

* Auth Subtropical
* Auth Temperate Oceanic
* Auth Humid Continental
* Auth Sub Arctic
* Auth Tundra
* Auth Mountain
* Auth Cold Desert
* Auth Cold Semi-Arid
* Auth Mediterranean

### Luci

* Luci Temperate Oceanic
* Luci Temperate Rainforest
* Luci Sub Arctic
* Luci Tundra

### Virtu

* Virtu Temperate Oceanic
* Virtu Humid Continental
* Virtu Sub Arctic
* Virtu Tundra
* Virtu Ice Cap & Mountain

### Phael

* Phael Subtropical
* Phael Temperate Oceanic
* Phael Humid Continental
* Phael Mediterranean
* Phael Hot Semi-Arid

## List of native terrestrial and freshwater organisms of Virtu

* Bouncers\*
* Cartilage BushesVenenumaximaC*anthoonsuvocucumiazoon*
* Keratodermata\* : Antleria\*; damini\*, axisae

### **Canon**

#### **Gomphiobia**

Latapiscia

* Cephaplodraco

Cetaflumenia

* Caelusaccelestivata

Amplectenda

* Cave bear
* Trirhynchoatus

Speculobestia

* Glass wingdrifter

Entomogracilia

* Viditdon sanguinem lactantem\*

Ichthyowestonia

* Dracolodontidia\*
* Scissor beak\*

Praedoregina

* Simialiena dulcemamma
* Spoiler queen

Electrapistrida

* Insidiis dente

Ostrigonia

* Diabolus\*

#### **Panoplovita**

Comederemembrata

* Clavus deambulatino membratum

Molasimilia

* Spadenosed wumbus\*

Oralexcava

* Mouthed scooper

Curapraeda

* Curabiturcetus

Communicetacea

* Sky nymphus

Silvatonia

* Wallace's silvaton

Ossifragaconia

* Ossifragacorn

Paludiruptia

* Marsh walker

#### **Celernantida**

Dunatibia

* Aspirantulus

Oculia

* Oculis magnis celernantis

Venenumaxima

* Venenunguis

Ostofortosproboskidoidea

* Ostofortosproboskida\*

Consuvocucumia

* Bristled beakfish\*
* Phalangesdontidae\*

Manicasauria

* Short-necked altosaur

Septevola

* Volanmaris\*

#### **Ambulospeculida**

Cetathalassa

* Epestrepseapotithalassa
* Ventuscibum\*

Alcyoneuvermia

* Cubiculum
* Duonasus adipemrostrum

Celestipleura

* Dorsostomata

Silvoidea

* Xenotitan eolania\*

Edurusconchoidea

* Spiral hopper

Ascenderinsecta

* Ascenderespeculida\*

Xenopeda

* Antepedea\*
* Equitembestia\*
* Octoculus bocamanus
* Xenoarachnia\*

Aerotheria

* Southern Shiver Bird

Caedifuremia

* Fabacursor amicus\*
* Nupeus ciqurun
* Paper Hawk\*

Adriaeanatia

* Loricatorum salamandra

Polyraptoria

* Osteoraptor\*

Oromollabia

* Plain mower

*\*The lineage is not exlusive to the continent*

## List of native terrestrial and freshwater organisms of Auth

### **Canon**

#### **Gomphiobia**

Panzercaria

* Panzercaris\*

Amplectenda

* Amplectendo sphenodyptis
* Discutio bufo

Speculobestia

* Acucephal

Doryplosauria

* Aliepardus loccisoria
* Scuamea convolvens lupus
* Tridentigerivenator rex\*

Candentisia

* Algamimus flossetis\*

Tegroimpeta

* Tegroimpetus magna

Entomogracilia

* Viditdon sanguinem lactantem\*

Ornithosmilia

* Ornithosmilidae\*

Ichthyowestonia

* Dracolodontidia\*
* Scissor beak\*

Giraffapiscatoria

* Procerus titanus
* Ursasuchus

Ostrigonia

* Diabolus\*

#### **Panoplovita**

Molasimilia

* Spadenosed wumbus\*

Squillabellia

* Squillabellus

#### **Celernantida**

Sporafiliia

* Silvaafilii

Venenumaxima

* Celernantida maxima\*

Autovenaria

* Autovenari potamos
* Sac grazer\*

Ostofortosproboskidoidea

* Ostofortosproboskida\*

Consuvocucumia

* Bristled beakfish\*
* Phalangesdontidae\*

Septevola

* Vermis sanguis volans\*

#### **Ambulospeculida**

Cetathalassa

* Ventuscibum\*

Maiadorsa

* Cauda apidem bovis
* Ignavus gigas
* Maiapeltidae
* The bullet shrew

Alcyoneuvermia

* Altumbarba
* Crinitusavem\*

Celestipleura

* Rimatergi

Silvoidea

* Terebrodente
* Xenotitan eolania\*

Edurusconchoidea

* Edurusconchia insectumcaptor
* Ictus

Altufonsia

* Tide Springers\*

Ascenderinsecta

* Ascenderespeculida\*

Xenopeda

* Equitembestia\*
* Xenoarachnia\*

Aerotheria

* Aerial ganger
* Aervenator\*
* Pteroagapithecini

Pseudocampia

* Jumpers\*

Caedifuremia

* Fabacursor amicus\*
* Paper Hawk\*

Adriaeanatia

* Cristoceragnath ruptus

Polyraptoria

* Armagnus
* Culumstansbestia
* Terrarus

Oromollabia

* Arthropanthera
* Gitanonychus\*
* Trunked golianth