Aeternapes

"I’ve been in the field for decades now, and not once have I come across an enigma like the Aeternapes."

— Anonymous zoologist

The Aeternapes, better known as Lux Monkeys, are a non-sapient species of apes found all across Cosmoria. This is largely due to their highly nomadic nature, as the species migrate to different worlds seemingly at random. However, instead of being intentionally introduced to said worlds or smuggling themselves aboard ships, the Aeternapes travel by shifting through the Lux Aeterna itself.

Characteristics

Appearance

The Aeternapes are a simian species, standing as tall as an adolescent human. Their bodies are covered in dark fur, though it becomes brightly-colored as they become charged with Aeternal Energy. They possess blunted claws on their toes and fingertips, which helps them with climbing on many different surfaces. Their upper and lower canine teeth protrude slightly out of their mouths, with males having bigger teeth than females. They have three eyes, with their central eye seemingly glazed over. However, they are capable of seeing from this eye, except that the only thing that this eye sees is sources of Aeternal Energy, particularly the energy that Magi give off.

Biology

Aeternapes possess a special organ in their brains that is connected to their third eye. This organ, a semi-crystalline structure located near the frontal lobe, is known as the “thaumic sensor”. The thaumic sensor picks up traces of Aeternal Energy in the environment, which allows Aeternapes to track it down easily. When they get close enough to the source, the Aeternape goes into a frenzy, much like a shark that smells blood in the water. It will then proceed to attack the source, seeking to consume its Aeternal Energy. In their frenzied state, an Aeternape’s fur will begin to glow brightly, growing in intensity as more of their kind enter the frenzy.

Aeternapes are omnivores, but their preferred food is the flesh of thaumically-sensitive beings such as Magi. They primarily use group tactics to try and lure prey into a corner, pouncing on it and viciously beating it to death. Once they have consumed all the Aeternal Energy of their prey, they revert back to their calm state, going about their business like nothing had even happened.

Behavior

Aeternapes live in groups of up to several dozen individuals, known as a “troop” led by the largest one among them. The troop travels across whatever planet they land on, searching for any source of food. Aeternapes in civilized areas can often be seen raiding farms and storehouses, leading to many across Cosmoria seeing them as little more than pests. It is not uncommon to see farmers hiring people to shoot any Lux Monkeys that intrude on their property.

Should there be no food left in their current environment, the troop will gather in a large circle around the alpha. They will start to wildly scream into the air, building up more and more Aeternal Energy in their bodies. When the energy reaches a critical point, the entire troop vanishes, disappearing in a massive flash. The troop will then reappear on another planet, but they have no control over what world they will end up on. It could range from anything from a lush jungle paradise to a hellish volcanic planet.

History

Origins

No one in Cosmoria is sure where the Aeternapes even came from. Some say that they evolved naturally, gaining their teleportation powers in response to threats in their environment. Others claim that the species was artificially created, or, in some circles, taken from their original homeworld and experimented on. Regardless of how they came to be, the first known sighting of the Aeternapes was made by the Triumvirate Civilization. They encountered the species while exploring a forested world they found suitable for colonization.

They largely ignored the Aeternapes at first, documenting them as just another new species for their databanks. They would soon come to realize their true nature when a group of Triumvirate biologists studying a troop of Aeternapes witnessed one of their teleporting events. When the troop rematerialized back into the material plane, they found themselves right in the middle of a Triumvirate city, and right in front of a pair of traveling Magi at that. Upon sensing the large amount of Aeternal Energy that the pair gave off, the entire troop entered their frenzied state, lunging at the surprised Magi. The pair was quickly torn apart, with the troop being killed by law enforcement shortly afterwards.

Stopping The Spread

While initially believed to be little more than a one-off incident, Aeternape troops began popping up on more Triumvirate worlds, with some even being seen in Sedrua. The Triumvirate government quickly scrambled their science teams, capturing many specimens to see just what made these creatures tick. Despite their best containment efforts, they weren’t able to stop the troops they captured from teleporting away. It was even worse for the science teams that had Magi in their ranks, as they had to deal with dozens of raging Aeternapes constantly bashing on the walls of their cells.

As the scientists slowly increased their understanding of the creatures, the Triumvirate government proceeded to issue a shoot-on-sight order for any Aeternapes found, offering substantial payments for each one killed. This attracted many hunters eager for a payday, leading to a mass culling of the species across Triumvirate space. Sedrua soon followed suit with this policy, driving the Aeternapes into near-extinction.

The Return of the Aeternapes

With the mass culling of the Aeternapes, the Triumvirate and Sedruan governments rejoiced as they thought they had eliminated what had been a pesky invasive species. However, the Aeternapes had not been wiped out. Some survivors remained, hiding on far-flung worlds not yet encountered by any starfaring civilization. From these planets, there was more than enough food for them to not have to teleport anywhere for many millennia, slowly rebuilding their numbers as time went on.

Several thousand years later, as the Triumvirate Civilization crumbled and Sedrua shrank in size, as new powers took their place, they began to encounter the Aeternapes once again. While nowhere near as widespread as they once were in ancient times, the Aeternapes are still regarded as one of the more dangerous invasive species, with people constantly reminded to remain on high alert for any sign of them.