BY LETTER
Carnivorous Rianths
 Image from Bernd Helfert |
In many cases rianths have little or no actual genetic material derived from the animal they are emulating, but instead use neogenetic modifications to achieve the same results.
 Image from Steve Bowers | |
| Karoo Bishop Ring | |
The Rianths of Sadalmelik
In distant orbit around the bright, relatively stable star Sadalmelik in MPA space are the five Bishop ring habitats of Burning Hunger. The animal-headed transapient overseer known as Karoo encourages and supports the carnivorous rianth clades which inhabit the spacious reconstructed African biome (in total five times the original size of the original continent).Popular Rianth bodytypes include human-leopard, human/cheetah and human/tiger carnivores, who hunt and kill the baseline springbok, steenbok, impala and duiker that have been lazurogened and introduced. These rianth types are generally bipedal, but have human-like bodies modified for speed and strength.
Also present on these ring-habitats are many fully sophont herbivores, including rianths, splices and provolves which are often very difficult to tell apart from non-sophont herbivores. Naturally the carnivorous rianths often kill, and eat sophont herbivores, most of which take advantage of backup technology and can be retrieved quite easily. The carnivorous rianths on Burning Hunger are forbidden to eat or damage the brain of any of their prey animals, to make recovery more straightforward.
Homicideophiles (both killers and victims) come to the Burning Hunger habitats for recreational purposes. Since 9134 such thrill-seeking tourists have been able to adopt temporary rianth or animal bodies, but they reportedly find predation a wildly different experience from murder. Hunting parties have become a popular extreme contest in recent centuries, where visiting sophonts take the part of predator or prey.
Some visitors choose to be hunted without any backup technology, using the carnivores to assist their voluntary termination (suicide) (one of many methods that are legal in the Terragen Sphere). Burning Hunger also supports non-sophont carnivores of many kinds, and citizens who choose voluntary termination on these worlds may be eaten by baseline predators, native rianths or tourists in temporary bodies.
 Image from Steve Bowers | |
| The Nargonn, a Tiger Rianth ship from Sadalmelik | |
"Okay, citizen,where's the stiff?" said Doyel.HEAD OF THE HERD
Lefty Muligan had been here before. The wallowing grounds of the Headbull, the boss of the Mbuto herd. A grove of mahogany trees surrounding a muddy pool, now almost empty of water. A dozen gang members, mostly minotaurs and water buffalo, standing around in attitudes of dejection or uncertainty.
"A little decorum, please, Doyel," his cyber-half said, addressing his colleague. "Someone has died here."
"The half-vec is correct, human," boomed the 'taur. "Our chief has been murdered in the most horrific circumstances imaginable, and you insult his memory. This will not be forgotten."
Muligan twisted round, so that his metal side faced the bull-man.
"Last time we met, you didn't give your name. My recognition apps come up blank as well; perhaps you could enlighten them, and me....."
Related Articles
Appears in Topics
Development Notes
Text by Steve Bowers
Initially published on 31 December 2007.
Initially published on 31 December 2007.
