Neomwa

Neomwa
General Information
Universe	Kyklos Mythos Amalgam Universe
Classification	Neomwa regularis
Species Type	Pteropteryx
Homeworld	Vuunega
Environment	Catapult Forest, Deep Mangrove
Intelligence	Non-sapient
Biochemistry	Carbon-based lifeform
Biological Information
Lifespan	1 year
Reproduction	Sexual; lays eggs
Average Length	10" (254mm)
Locomotion	Powered flight
Feeding Behavior	Carnivorous
Prey	Aurix
Predators	Spinster
Skin Color	Yellow with glowing blue rings and stripes
Lineage Information
Ancestor(s)	Zocax, Neouii, Neomva, Neomxa
Descendant(s)	Neopatra
Related Species	Grappra
Cultural Information
Alignment	True Neutral
Personality	Violent and voracious
Organization	Swarms
Affiliation(s)	Gargantua Wray
Sociocultral characteristics
Members	N/A
Scientific Taxonomy
Planet	Vuunega
Domain	Monocentralis (Single-Nucleus Complex Organisms)
Kingdom	Neomalia "New Soul" (Neomalians — Aurosian Eon's Fauna Life)
Superphylum	Padellizoa "Paddle Life" (Organisms who produce paddled larvae)
Phylum	Mollisia "Flexible" (Mollisians — Flexible organisms utilizing a hydrostatic skeleton)
Class	Cephalopoides "Like Cephalopod" (Cephalopoids)
Subclass	Elasmomorpha "Elastic Shape" (Unarmored Cephalopoids)
Superorder	Etapoda "Eight Foot" (Etapods — Eight-armed Cephalopoids)
Order	Bitentacleida (Two Tentacled Cephalopoids — 2 of the 8 arms are tentacles)
Family	Pteropteryxidae "Wing Fin" (Flying Squids)
Subfamily	Placobrachiusinae "Flat Arm" (Flat Armed Gliding Squids — 2 arms are flattened)
Genus	Neomwa (Neomwa and nearest relatives)
Species	regularis "Regular" (Catapult Tree Forest-dwelling Neomwa)
Race	Neomwa regularis
Other Information
Status	Least Concern
Creator	Somarinoa
Last Sighting	Current (3420s)

“The Neomwa were the only other split from the original Zocax species, with the other being the Aurix themselves. Vicious swarmers, they have hunted their distant relatives for millions of years. They have a symbiotic relationship with the Gargantua Wrays.”

—Vacotor Database, Terran translation

The Neomwa are a species of diminuitive, swarming, highly dangerous predators indigenous to the Catapult Tree forest and Deep Mangrove on the continent of Zeeon of the planet Vuunega. Despite being only 10" (254mm) across they are a primary predator of the planet's sapient species, the Aurix.

Information

Statistics

Paper artwork drawn of a Neomwa, circa 2011.

• Species Type: Cold-blooded aerial cephalopoid
• Lifestyle: Social swarm predator
• Hunt/Forage Success Rate: 100% Hunt (20% success rate)
• Armor: Neomwa have nothing that could be considered armor; their skin is soft and weak, and easily penetrated — much like a squid's. However, this is surpassed by the Neomwa's ability to breed quickly and in large numbers, allowing them to easily hunt in vicious swarms.
• Defenses: Neomwa lack any effective defenses, and they therefore rely on a much larger species, the Gargantua Wrays, to protect them with its intimidating appearance and camouflaged design. They have a symbiotic relationship with this species where both gain equal improvement from the other's existence.
• Weapons: Neomwa only possess one offensive weapon; however, it is so deadly that it can take down foes many times its own size. This is made up of a singular mandible system. Normally, this is protected by the gnathobranchia, but when in use, they are opened up, allowing the razor-sharp tips to be extended past the muscular limbs. These are dragged across the skin of opponents, causing small but successful wounds. They are jagged on a near-microscopic level, and are built to cause maximum bleeding from the wounds they cause. With so many frenzied Neomwa swarming around, they will eventually cause enough wounds to weaken their opponent until it collapses.
• Tools: Although Neomwa possess no less than four pairs of arms, one of these pairs has been turned into gnathobranchia, a type of "mouth arm", in order to make the body more streamlined, while another pair is squid-like capture tentacles. This leaves the Neomwa with two pairs of tentacle-arms, capable of simple manipulation of objects, or for wrapping around prey. Neither of these possess any adaptations to allow for further manipulation. The capture tentacles are used more for tasting the air and possible prey items with the feathery barbells along their tips, although they can still be used for catching prey. The gnathobranchia holds the rest of the tentacles inside of itself during flight, to minimize drag and thereby increase airspeed.
• Method of Eating: Unspecified
• Reproductive Rate: Sexual maturity is reached after 2.5 months. They reproduce only during the windy season of the Deep Mangrove.
• Gestation: 15 days then lays eggs — eggs are attached to the dorsal side of the swarm's Gargantua Wray. During this time, the Gargantua Wray will not feed; however, the Neomwa will, as they have a fast metabolism and would starve to death before the eggs hatched without it.
• Offspring Incubation: 8 days until eggs hatch after being laid.
• Number of Offspring: 10-50 hatchlings per litter
• Offspring Survival Rate (before age of maturity): 20% — Thanks to their small size and violent lifestyle, life is rough on young Neomwa, and it doesn't get much easier for them. The only known predator of their species, the Spinster, builds huge nets that span between trees, and are nearly invisible to the Neomwan eye. Many adults and young alike can get caught in these when they go off to hunt each day, and so many young will perish before finally reaching adulthood. However, they are protected most of the time by their hosts, and therefore this is really the only major opportunity for them to perish.
• Singular/Plural/Possessive: Neomwa/Neomwa/Neomwan

Food Chain

“Neomwa — Swift, voracious, flying swarm hunters that are known predators of the Aurix. Another offshoot of the Zocax.”

—Original SporeWiki userpage description

Prey

Neomwa are extremely specialized predators, built to hunt only a single prey item. Without this species, they would very quickly fall into extinction.

• Aurix

Predators

Neomwa are mysterious creatures, spending much of their time in the company of the Gargantua Wrays, and are not known to possess more than a solitary predator species, which exists along the shore of the Deep Mangrove.

• Spinster

Symbiotes

Neomwa are also a very clever species given their brain size, and they have adopted a mutualistic, symbiotic relationship with another former denizen of the deep. Although neither species absolutely requires the other for survival, they are almost always found in tandem with one another.

• Gargantua Wray

Evolutionary History

Dorsal view

Side view

The Neomwa were the earliest branch-off of the original protista strain. Originally known as the Neo-Protista, these creatures have evolved into speedy cephalopoids, which have succeeded in stirring chaos through the ranks of the Aurixan colonies for millennia. Eventually, the Neomwa evolved a thin fold between one of their pairs of tentacle-arms, which they used to glide for a very brief period of time above the waves, which set them on the path to follow the Aurix to shore. Since then, they have grew two long fins and their original gliding tentacles have receded into their mouth-like gnathobranchium, which is formed from an shortened, thickened, and flattened pair of tentacles. This gnathobranchium is used in the Neomwa species as a means to accomplish a more streamlined body to allow for faster flight speeds. The Neomwa have been entirely capable of eradicating the Aurix and their ancestors on more than one occasion, but chose to flee instead. Are the Neomwa smarter than previously thought? One can only make assumptions.

The Tidal Pool: Before the Diversification

A Zocax, an early ancestor of the Neomwa and all their relatives.

The known history of the Neowma starts with a small protista known as Paramecium euvaris; however, it is a well-understood fact that this was not the original strain the species originated from, as it already possessed the necessary traits to have survived the great catastrophe of the Zommian Era — this should mean there was at least two species to have been euvaris' ancestor.

Life for the euvaris and the rest of their species began and ended within a significantly large tidal pool, located nearly smack-dab in the middle of their continent, Zeeon. This location was a veritable hot-spot for life to emerge, and because of this it was rife with microscopic predators, ready, willing, and entirely capable of ending the lives of those who were not considered fit enough to survive.

While a menagerie of different species scooted, floated, paddled, or wriggled along in the warm, calm waters, several stuck out; these are listed below.

• Dessiles: The Dessiles were superficially similar to diatoms, due to the fact that they led similar lifestyles. Dessiles were at the bottom of the food chain, and were prey to most predatory species.
• Zocax: The Zocax and their kin would eventually lead to the Aurix and their kin.
• Amebozoans: Ameboid in nature, the amorphs were . While the Amebozoa are extinct, they have led to a few more prominent groups that exist in modern times.
• Vorms: A number of worm-like species called Vorms evolved during this time, with the most infamous ones being those who turned into the apex predators. The Vorms dominated the waters, and although only three groups are known to have survived into modern times, only two of these are known to be the ancestors of prominent groups.

The Tidal Pool: The Neouii

• [UNDER CONSTRUCTION]

Going With The Flow: From Neouii to Neomva

A rare celestial event would begin the next chapter of the lives of many of the residents of the tide pools. A large asteroid passed overhead - a near-miss in astronomical terms. However, its proximity to Vuunega was close enough to affect its weather and tides through gravity, and during its pass, large storms erupted all over the surface of the planet. Of these storms, one erupted only a few miles off the southern coast of Zeeon. Reefs were battered, underwater floral forests were torn asunder, and the beaches on the coast itself were ravaged. Water was pulled out to sea thanks to the rough seas crashing into the shore; nowhere was safe, not even the tidal pool. Microscopic organisms were small enough to have survived these tides, but large quantities were dragged out to sea. When the storms died down a few days later, many of the organisms would begin life anew in these new depths.

The next few million years went as clockwork for many of these organisms, and the Neouii were no exception. Little evolution occurred in them other than growth, and they would eventually become a macroscopic swimming organism very similar to its microscopic predecessor.

The Ocean: The Neomva

• [UNDER CONSTRUCTION]

The Neomxa: Appearance of the Gliding Squids

During this time, several predatory species evolved to feed on the bustling Neomwa population, taking chunks out of their numbers and making the surviving swarms less effective at hunting. Becoming a threatened species forced their genes to kick in, and they soon evolved a very useful escape tactic - they learned to glide.

Utilizing their water propulsion jet, they could shoot themselves out of the water when close to the surface, at which time they spread a pair of tentacle-arms that had adapted thin membranes to help keep them aloft. Early pteropteryx, alternatively known by their non-scientific name "gliding squids", could only stay aloft for a few feet, and used this ability as a way to escape predators' jaws a split second before they were bit down upon, and then would glide a few feet down to splash back into the water to continue their escape. However, the later and certainly far more advanced pteropteryx species adapted to glide up to a mile before falling back into the water, assuming wind was on their side.

The Neomxa clade were the most prominent of all pteropteryx, and when the Quadrix, their main food supply, escaped their tidal pools to travel onto the local beaches, the Neomxa tried to follow them. Having yet to evolve a system for breathing air not diffused within water and knowing nothing of the terrestrial world, they took to the air in chase, and soon rained down upon their prey. Few made their marks, and only one Quadrix was known to have perished in the process. While their kill was soon feasted upon, their victory was fleeting, and soon they realized they were asphyxiating, flopping about desperately and trying to crawl back to the water's relative safety before they perished, although few made it there, leaving most to dry out and lay lifeless on the sand, where they were soon devoured by local Featherheads.

Take To The Skies: The Neomwa

An entourage of Neomwa crawl around their Gargantua Wray host, as both species watch the scene unfolding below.

The surviving Neomxa would bide their time, and quickly (and perhaps miraculously) began to adapt a pair of breathing lungs. At the same time, they started a symbiotic relationship with the descendants of a former predator of theirs, the Gargantua Wrays. These wrays were already equipped for life out of the sea, and were able to utilize full-powered flight. This ability instigated powered flight in the Neomxa to keep them capable of keeping up with their host-species, leading to the Neomwa. Within a relatively low number of generations in terms of evolution, both species took to the skies around Zeeon's beach, and became residents of the surrounding tropical forest.

One of the species major adaptations was the switch from using their gliding tentacles to two pairs of long fins that helped them achieve their powered flight. These were beat in a fashion similar to a dragonfly, giving them incredible maneuverability, although they did not often hover when hunting, as they required momentum to utilize their razor-sharp mandibles properly. Their most noticeable alteration however was their gnathobranchium, formed from a single pair of shortened, thickened, and flattened tentacle-arms. These gnathobranchia were used as a means to accomplish a more streamlined body to allow for faster flight speeds, by covering up the mandibles and the other tentacles to significantly reduce drag.

As a whole, the species are regularly found swarming around their host Gargantua Wrays as they rest curled around large branches of tropical trees. They continue to hunt the descendants of their ancient prey, the Aurix, and do so in a particularly malicious fashion, by using their host as a distraction while the entire swarm carves into the victim's flesh with their mandibles. With their prey dead, they will gorge themselves on its warm meat, before fleeing along with their host, although when full, they have difficulty flying and are noted for "looking like a drunken bee".

Media appearances

The neomwa appear in a large number of Lunatic Entertainment media, starting in 2006.

The Vuunega Chronicles (2006)

Their first appearance, as they were created specifically for this game-novel. The neomwa were a recurring predator species for the main protagonist species, the Aurix, throughout the storyline. They pursued the Aurix and they or their ancestors were in every chapter from Chapter 1 onwards. Although the story was stopped abruptly with the quality of the SPoRE concept it was based around, they were intended to appear in every chapter of the story.

Intergalactic Bounty Hunter (2006)

In their first video game appearance is in this Mega Man clone. The neomwa are an enemy hazard featured in certain levels where they emerge periodically and nonstop out of bottomless pits. They player can kill them with a single attack but a new one will still spawn a couple seconds later. They can thus be farmed for power-ups. Getting hit by one when jumping over a pit can be dangerous and may knock the player into the pit, killing them and sacrificing a life.

The Vuunega Chronicles: The Story of the Aurix (2007)

In this top-down action title, the ancestors of the Neomwa appear as hazardous foes in every chapter.

SPoRE (2008)

As the original fanfiction was built around the game SPoRE, the Neomwa were created in a working game of SPoRE.

Master of Survival: Slipaway (2009)

Neomwa appear as a hazard during the Jungle Planet stage in the ridiculous shoot 'em up sequel to Master of Survival.

Battle Royale (2010)

In this battle royale game featuring a large number of Lunatic Entertainment characters, three characters can be used that utilize neomwa in one fashion or another:

1. Glossk can toss down neomwa bombs to cover his tracks, making it hard to see him like a smoke bomb but also injuring players choosing to walk through the swarm it creates before it eventually dissipates.
2. Kresh-Ra has an ability that lets him summon a swarm of neomwa to surround him, lowering accuracy of players trying to hit him, minimizing damage dealt to him (as the attacks go through the neomwas first and thus lowers velocity and impact), as well as damaging players over time who are within close range. While more useful than Glossk's ability it has a longer cooldown period.
3. Corrupt King Zomm can summon a small pack of neomwa to fly around him with a cooldown of 1 minute per summon up to 5 neomwas. These will do minimal damage to nearby players when encountering the Zomm but are otherwise difficult to kill (though a skilled player can shoot down one of these neomwa.) Corrupt King Zomm can use his ultimate ability Neogenetics to immediately transform his minions into Mutants making them significantly more formidable.

Amalgam Online (2010)

Neomwa appear as a hostile enemy on the planet Vuunega where they appear in large numbers in the Catapult Tree Forest and Deep Mangrove zones. They can also be viewed in the Galactic Zoo, the player can obtain one as a vanity pet or battle pet, and a small starfighter's design is based on a neomwa. Following the Zomm questline also will lead the player to have to battle against Mutant Neomwas.

Xrosroads (2011)

In this MMORPG, neomwa appear as small enemies in tropical forests and mangrove forest environments which can summon more of their kind to a fight. Their small size can make them hard to see when moving through making it more difficult to avoid them, and a high agility stat make them harder to hit though once hit they die immediately. They deal minimal damage but the sheer numbers that can appear can become problematic. They are also summoned by gargantua wrays during combat.

The player can also purchase neomwa bombs to allow them to escape from opponents. They are useful during PVP and PVE, attacking whoever is targeting the player so that they can run away similar to a smoke bomb, only it deals damage. They are not usable in PVP battle arenas but are usable in normal contested territories.

Monster Space (2013)

Neomwa appear in this 2D open world platformer. Here they can randomly spawn in tropical environments with a focus on tropical forests (though not jungles or rainforests) and mangrove swamps. When one is spawned into an area the game automatically spawns in 20 more. They move swiftly and perform hit-and-run tactics on foes but can be taken down with most first attacks that connect. If an Aurix also spawns in the area, the Neomwa will ignore the player(s) in preference for the Aurix instead. Gargantua wrays can also be encountered, which will summon 5 neomwa as a battle entourage when aggroed.

Operation Mollusca (2013)

Neomwa appear as a stage hazard in this 2D platformer where every character and species are mollusk-based.

Dangerous Wilds (2014)

Neomwa work in the same manner as they did in Monster Space, but due to the sheer increase in potential enemy spawns they are more rare now. One of the possible settlement defense events a player may encounter in tropical settlements is the Ravenous Neomwa Swarm. This is unlike other defenses and the player must get the inhabitants inside before the swarm flies through the town. Anyone not secured will be severely wounded and likely killed. Certain town structures makes these events much easier such as an alarm to send all NPCs inside and other structures can be built to capture neomwas during this event that can then be used in crafting, such as crafting food or producing neomwa bombs or a battle pet for the player.

Long Story (2015)

In Long Story, the neomwa appear as a planetary hazard in Chapter 15. The party find themselves crash-landed on the planet Vuunega and must survive for a time while their vessel is repaired so they can escape again. In their regular state they are not fought but prevent the player from going in certain directions. However they are summoned every other round while in combat with a gargantua wray, up to a total of 5 times before the ability is exhausted. This means a battle with a single gargantua wray can also include having to fight 25 neomwa, as well.

Grown (2016)

Neomwa appear as oft-encountered enemies in Chapters 23—25, and then spawn much more rarely during Chapters 26—28 and 29—32. They also appear in the DLC Chapters 36 and 38.

Junker: Slow Orbit (2016)

When encountering the Aurum slaver Glossk, he may toss out "neomwa bombs" that will release the species in the area. They can kill Marjorie Groon quickly and he will need to be on his toes if Glossk brings the creatures into play. Glossk will regularly use them to escape if in particular danger.

Kid Spuid (2019)

Neomwa is a major antagonist in this 3D platformer collectathon. He is a henchman of the game's primary antagonist, the Corrupt King Zomm. He is able to clone himself to make it harder to harm him during mid-boss battles. He sometimes rides around on a gargantua wray during combat as a war mount. During the last few levels in the game, Neomwa is punished for his repeated failure to stop Kid Spuid by being transformed into a giant monster and treated as a serious boss fight.

Tower of Vuul (2021)

Neomwa are an enemy type that can appear randomly within the tower, associated with the Yolthus Independency. They are weak but fast-moving and hard to hit due to their natural agility and small size.