Part 5 - Part 6A Here - Part 6B(Reblog) - Part 6C (Double Reblog) - Part 7

Part 5 - Part 6A Here - Part 6B (Reblog) - Part 6C (Double Reblog) - Part 7

Gallery.

Apparently this will have Several Parts Then

~Mostly Mollusk~

Part 2 - Part 3 Here - Part 4

Species

World

-Species

--Coastal

Many species of bug, marine, terrestrial or in-between, make their homes in or simply visit the Cities, some only seasonally.

---Clams

Now is the time for that random trivia bit you know about sand or shell, because clams (and oysters, and mussels, though these are found more below the water's surface) are all ears (don't take that literally--who knows if they have ears at all). Trade in your fact, trinket, or other means of providing information to get a bit of knowledge in return, or even a story if you're lucky, because after living so many seasons, and encountering so many explorers like you, these species are chalk full of facts one might call nerdy (call them that though, and you'll earn a painful chomp). While they can be found almost anywhere, many tend to coalesce in the Archives, sitting amongst tablets on its shelves.

---Crabs 

The most diverse group of species in Taranoake and not all that rare in Citadell, you might see these CRABBY creatures skittering sideways in and out of sand dunes and under rocks throughout town, but don’t fear their pincers. Most won’t hurt you unprovoked, and in fact, they might be some of the kindest neighbors you could have.

Mole Crabs

These crustaceans are shyer than most, preferring to burrow in the soft sand of the bays rather than interact with others. Be careful not to step on one of their many tunnels if you don’t want your ankle bitten. Despite their initial appearance these creatures aren’t hateful, they just need a bit of time to warm up to strangers and are easily startled, they’re actually fairly social once you get to know them.

Ghost Crabs

These adorable creatures are enjoyable to be around, but you’ll have to get used to them appearing out of nowhere due to their uncanny ability to camouflage and change color to match their surroundings, which you’ll see in action if they ever get startled. This gift has also earned them an unsettling amount of admiration from the Citadell scientists...

Mite Crabs

These species are actually named only for their appearance and ferocity, as they are so small their actuality is hard to determine and they largely resemble crabs. ...Or mites. They make great fighters for the Colosseum despite their size, and while you may figure it's because they skirmish in groups, you'd be wrong. They are normally so aggressive, they'd start attacking their own species rather than the larger prey depending on who’s closer!

They’re not well-known in Citadell though.

---Lobsters

Despite being closely related to crabs, these creatures are rarely seen in either of the Cities being mostly sea-dwelling, the Arbiter a main exception. They're mostly friendly, rather chill and unperturbed.

---Ladybugs

Among other beetles, ladybugs are the most commonly found in Taranoake, especially in the marketplace. While they rarely fight in the Colosseum, contrasting their larger kin, they're known to drive a hard bargain over their goods and as such make great (or terrible, depending on how you look at it) vendors.

---Wasps

These bugs drive home the "militaristic" aspect of the Fort, and while they're not without compassion, you may regret making yourself one's neighbor. They often live socially even outside of the Bay-City, though their methods of communication can be a bit rough. They are not commonly seen in coastal cities unless with larvae--they require sugars the salty Bay can't offer. They often visit most during the colder seasons.

---Ants

While these critters may already have a strong sense of community, they’re still always welcome in the Fort despite their general preference to live in their own ant hills. You may spot them marching in rows fixing deteriorating buildings, or transporting food and supplies to and from the market. Alike their bee-kin, ants are generally upbeat about their hard work.

---Jellyfish

These creatures for which Jellyfish Bay earned its name can be found floating lazily in pretty much any body of water around town. They aren’t great for conversation, but will give a friendly tentacle wave as you pass by. Just don’t get too attached around festival time…

The mood is quite flipped in Citadell however, where they are often revered as fascinating creatures and related to their God.

---Sea Slugs

Despite being confined to the water, sea slugs maintain a friendly and jolly demeanor and are always willing to chat, so don’t forget to stop by Jellyfish Bay and say hello. The majority of crops grown in the underwater farms were tended to and harvested by these kind creatures. 

Sacoglossans

Some known as lettuce slugs, some commonly found hiding in the seaweed avoiding their responsibilities, these no go away go away no don’t take what’s going on go away stop it still typing creatures often think they cannot be seen because they look similar to the crops they are supposed to be growing. However, they are rather conspicuous due to their bright purple, blue, orange and often green coloring not at all matching the dull reds and greens of the specific seaweed species grown in the bay. Maybe elsewhere they'd have better chances.

(Elsewhere not including the basins-city, where they are forced to actually work or be kicked out.)

---Scorpions

It is unknown exactly how any scorpions were able to travel all the way to Taranoake, as surely the descent from sanded deserts to the windy shore took more than a few generations of arachnid. Their lack of antennae makes it harder to communicate, and this paired with their fearsome stinger and claws do earn them a reputation for being a bit hostile.

---Isopods

These crustaceans, due to the nature of their gills, are almost never seen in dry Taranoake and yet all too common in Citadell. Like their kin, they’re known mainly for being kind and mellow.

---Mosquitoes

These flies aren’t...regarded very highly. Despite both needing the matter of living creatures to sustain their brood, most carnivores use the entirety of a bug while egg-producing mosquitoes only sap the hemolymph, which is entirely unsettling for a living being to experience, and wasteful to kill for the blood alone. This is why many suck the life-fluids out of the corpses of the ill, for no other bug is willing and the dipterans are immune to most illness, adding another facet to their (mostly unjustified) dislike.

---Desert Rain Frogs

Only one of these creatures has been spotted in our lifetimes, but they used to be a fairly common sight, in the dunes where Taranoake and Citadell now rest, forever ago. Nowadays, most don't even know these adorable creatures ever existed--none who haven't visited their barren town that is.

---Spiders

The largest grouping of arachnids. Like the apids, they’re rarely seen in the Cities and much more commonly inland, though a few have been spotted preying on passersby in the anarchy that is Renin.

--Marine

---Sea Slugs

In recent times, these species have moved upwards closer to the shores, and are a guaranteed (and pleasant) encounter anytime you head underwater--coalescing in towns of their own creation, though sightings near the shallow bays constituting the Cities are rare. Like jellyfish, most sea slugs tend to use neutral pronouns.

---Jellyfish

Nomadic creatures, rarely taking rest in the undersea cities. They don’t seem to be as advanced as other invertebrates, though still considered sentient.

How does the correlation between Bug Fables players and Hollow Knight players continue to surprise me

~Mostly Mollusk~

Part 4 - Part 5 Here - Part 6

Characters. (Mortals anyway.)

-Known Characters

A list of notable travelling parties, vendors, and fighters.

Travellers move between settlements, Path-dwellers are constantly travelling but don't actually enter towns, as opposed to Outsiders who take up residence in a specific place outside of settlements instead of travelling, and Explorers travel often and sometimes enter towns but are mostly focused on finding new places. a 

---Kritto

She/her

Coenagrion puella (color/gender difference intentional)

Citadell Citizen/Explorer, Aerial/Terrestrial

A blue dragonfly cartographer who enjoys mapping the world around her free of cost, her excellent vision adding an eye for detail and near-perfect recreations of the surrounding views.

Service: Map (Kritto's Stall, Citadell)

---Lidii, Gorge, and Rantan

She/her, he/him but it's whatever really, he/they

Myrmecocystus mexicanus, ??????, Strategus aloeus

Traveller(s), Terrestrial

An explorer trio, the ox beetle Rantan carries Gorge, the clam archivist, to see the sights (or not--Gorge doesn't have eyes) while upbeat ant fighter Lidii wanders ahead. Lidii enjoys beating Gorge at Rainbow Shell while the latter wonders why she always wins, and Rantan exasperatedly goes along with their antics. 

Lidii- *trying to get Rantan's attention* Rantan- "What were you saying? I'm busy trying to pretend I'm literally anywhere else."

Lidii has definitely attempted to name the group. The others haven’t actually accepted this moniker, but whenever needed she uses “Team Taranoake”.

She has also made the trio friendship bracelets out of bits of shell. 

Service: None? Introductions? Travel?

---Bidibi 

They/them

Mortal form is a horned Dynastes tityus

Path-Dweller, Terrestrial

A large rhinoceros beetle who carries a pack of supplies twice their size on their back to trade while on the road (that, somehow, doesn't seem to burden them at all), appearing wherever needed. Secretly the god of the Path, though their reverence is much more informal than that of a patron god like Ven, for their truth as a God is little-known. Their large backpack contains the anchors of several other gods and they function as a sort of bridge between the mortal realm and more fantastical beings.

Service: ???

---Pard

They/them 

Polydrusus impressifrons

Outsider, Terrestrial 

An arrogant, self-proclaimed noble, who only survived for the fact they were a grub when the rest were exiled and killed. Oof.

Service: Lore

---Arbiter Len

All pronouns

Homarus americanus

Taranoake Citizen, Aquatic/Terrestrial

The figurehead of Taranoake, friendly and well-known among its citizens. See "Current Leaders''.

Service: (Facilitating discussions and resolving disputes between residents, a figurehead of the town. Unknown what their service to the player would be.)

---Drop

They/them

Pleurobrachia pileus

Taranoake Citizen, Aquatic

A sea gooseberry who frequents the Bay. Take care when around them, especially if you're any sort of tiny, delicious crustacean. (Laws don't apply to them obviously.) 

Service: None

---Cranton

He/they

Heterocarpus ensifer

Outsider, Aquatic

Not confined to a town, Cranton is a shrimp and excellent chef living close to the shore.

Service: Food (Cranton's Shed)

---Ceras

They/them 

Babakina festiva

Explorer/Traveller (former Outsider), Aquatic/Terrestrial 

An aeolid nudibranch with an older sibling Fess, who became stranded away from them after being caught in a rip current and washing up on Taranoake's shore. Unlike other sea slugs, they have the ability to survive on land, for unknown and currently-being-explored reasons

Service: They don't have a service they're the player character

---Tan

They/it

Cordyceps militaris (hosted by Felis catus, a vertebrate)

Outsider, Aquatic/Terrestrial

A strange, almost cheerful fungus inhabiting the body of the only intact towering, black-furred, long-dead organism they could find.

Service: Lore?, Mycelium translator (if they can get over their mutual hatred for the rest of their literal kingdom)

---Claws

She/her

Coccinella septempunctata

Taranoake Citizen, Terrestrial

A retired fighter ladybug who sells weapons at the Agora, some much larger than she is. If you start up a conversation with her, just be ready to stay and listen until dusk sets. Oh, and you ARE going home with a lighter glass-pouch…

Service: Weapons (The Agora, Taranoake)

---Azent, Monti, and Kee

He/him, she/her, ???

Sphecius convallis, Parides montezuma, Sphecius convallis

Taranoake Citizens, Aerial/Terrestrial

Azent the wasp, his child Kee, and butterfly partner Monti. Monti's brood didn't live long enough to truly see the world, so she raises Kee as her own (alongside the larva's actual father). Azent is missing an antenna, which does provide benefit in tolerating the oversaturated salt-smell of the sea.

Service: None (?)

---Machula

She/her

Vespula maculifrons 

Taranoake Citizen/Traveller, Aerial/Terrestrial 

An exile from her hive for attempting to overthrow her mother, who's taken up residence in Taranoake due to the fact that they were the only city who'd have her. Has a sort of rivalry with Azent.

Service: None

---Ghost

They/them (plural)

Danaus plexippus

Taranoake Citizen, Aerial/Terrestrial 

A pale and rather antisocial monarch who speaks rarely, but always using plural pronouns for themselves.

Service: None

---Nell

She/her

Acheta domesticus

Taranoake Citizen, Terrestrial

A cricket nymph, who may not be well-known among most of the adult citizens, but is renowned by her fellow children in being the only to reach the Acorn (the only wingless, that is).

Service: None

---Quinn

He/they

Smerinthus cerisyi

Taranoake Citizen, Terrestrial

An older moth missing an eye. While he was once a traveller, now he's settled in Taranoake as a storyteller.

Service: Lore

---Carmine and Kalanchoe

She/her, she/they

Tachypompilus ferrugineus, Cotinis mutabilis

Taranoake Citizens, Aerial/Terrestrial

A bright spider wasp with a love for cooking (and her partner Kalanchoe), and the latter coleopteran target of affection. Both insects have a color mutation to their wings, in which Carmine's are a more fiery blue and Kalanchoe's hindwings are pink.

Service: Food (The Agora, Taranoake)

---Blue-Gills

They/he

Porcellio hoffmannseggi

Citadell Citizen, Terrestrial

A sowbug cuisineur.

Service: Food (Noctiluca Cafe, Citadell)

---Tawny-Buzzard

She/her

Apis mellifera

Citadell Citizen, Terrestrial

A honeybee scientist appreciating the more experimental side of her city's God. Wingless for, ahem, completely unrelated reasons and is on thin ice to be banished.

Service: ???? (H.C. Labs, Citadell)

---Dune

He/they

Centruroides vittatus

Taranoake Citizen, Terrestrial

A scorpion diligently guarding Taranoake from any perceived threats, despite not being asked to. They almost always let others go, though.

Service: None?

---Allibel

They/she 

Magicicada septendecim

Taranoake Citizen/Traveller, Terrestrial

A travelling musician who wields a free-reed instrument made from a full, delicate pill-millipede corpse. It's unknown how exactly she acquired it.

She's actually a 17-year nymph, who emerged with a mutation that either delayed her maturity or stopped it entirely, and found a love of music--and a way to make the most of her time without wings.

Service: The Vibes™ (Anywhere)

---Tenaram, Amarmallus, and Magtauran

He/him, they/he, they/them

Menippe mercenaria, Sphodromantis viridis, Scolopendra cingulata

Taranoake Citizens, Aquatic/Terrestrial, Terrestrial x2

Champions of the Colosseum! An imposing stone crab, who's actually pretty boastful, loud and charismatic, much to the annoyance of everyone else in the Barracks. A quiet and cold mantis who is quick to anger and avoids any non-fight interaction with anyone. An almost downright terrifying centipede that doesn't really seem to care much about anything.

Service: Entertainment (Colosseum of Ven, Taranoake)

---Flicken

They/she

Phausis reticulata

Taranoake Citizen, Aerial/Terrestrial 

A small, energetic and stealthy firefly with a tendency to appear out of shadows at random times and startle those around them. Friend to many of the ghost crabs but best friend to Bem.

Service: ...Jump scares

---Grek

He/him

Breviceps macrops

Renin Citizen, Terrestrial

An old, grouchy desert rain frog with a missing eye and a tendency to scream at the top of his lungs at the slightest inconvenience. The sole survivor of whatever wiped out all the frogs. He has been living in solitude for 10 years waiting for rain to tell him it's time to leave.

Service: Lore (...?)

---Bem 

They/them

Ocypode quadrata

Taranoake Citizen, Aquatic/Terrestrial

A joyful ghost crab child with a dream to fight in the Colosseum. They were born with two missing legs and use prosthetics fashioned from driftwood and seaweed, which help them walk but aren’t very fast or mobile, so they settled on helping Claws make and sell weapons. Best friends with Flicken.

Service: Quest (to get a Citadell scientist for better prosthetics)

---Cren and Terret

She/her x2

Camponotus pennsylvanicus, Reticulitermes flavipes

Citadell Citizens, Terrestrial and Aerial/Terrestrial

A carpenter ant and termite alate (and of course, their 27 aphids, per Cren’s obsession). While the former is something of an artist, and very much a carpenter as her species dictates, Terret is a wood-eating scientist who keeps completely to herself, besides living with her partner.

Service: ? (Woodworker’s Association, Citadell) (possibly fulfilling Copi's and/or Bem's quest, as well as one of their own) (I no longer remember what those last seven words meant)

---Sepinti

She/her

Magicicada septendecim

Traveller, Aerial/Terrestrial

A cicada singer, Allibel's sister--though she's not any older, makes fun of her for her immaturity mutation, while keeping herself in the spotlight. Only competitive, though, not a complete jerk.

Service: The Vibes™ (in set areas)

---Lumi

They/them

Goniobranchus kuniei

Kelsik Citizen, Aquatic

The sea slug merchant of Kelsik, a bit mischievously enthusiastic about their goods.

Service: ...Sells Things? Food maybe?

---Copi

She/they

Xylocopa virginica

Explorer, Aerial/Terrestrial 

A young carpenter bee who lost her nest and is yearning for any feeling of community. (Has already been kicked out of several Andrena and Colletes burrows, for lack of knowing they're actually solitary.)

Service: Quest (read above. may become adopted by Cren)

---Eken

He/she

???

Outsider, Aquatic

An extremely confused vendor eel who only works in trades, he’s well known for his vast array of strange items and for having no idea how to price anything. Her main logic is “if it looks cool it's probably a fair trade” and especially favors shiny things.

Service: Strange things and stranger prices.

---Genni

???

Chroicocephalus philadelphia

???, Aerial/Terrestrial

A strange sky-creature. It shows no sign of intelligence, and speaks in loud squawks, though Ceras has chosen to imprint on and name it.

Service: Quest (A Meal Of Great Elegance)

---Beowi 

They/them

Dytiscidae species

Explorer, Terrestrial (technically not aquatic as they only skim the surface)

A “ship” captain and self proclaimed pirate, this diving beetle has a fierce love of the water and an even fiercer hate of actually being in it, so they constructed a floatation device of sorts cobbled out of driftwood, seaweed, and countless strange buoyant objects. 

Service: Quest (Track Down the Beast)

Wait I did plan to post pre-Tumblr art, and this wouldn't require much explanation (much less specifically relating to worldbuilding) so here we are:

(here are a few of my Art Fight attacks from this year--particularly the ones I like the most)

Isla! (If you've been on the WoF Fanon wiki in the past year, there's a great chance you've seen her)

Hydrophiinae (named after the sea snake subfamily! cool :>)

(ah yes... Lexi, the sona of the person who is my Art Rival (self-proclaimed))

Winterberry! (revenge for the awesome drawing someone did of one of my own sonas)

Well they all happen to be dragons which is not unexpected of me

Ok I borrowed a computer and got Chapter 2 :> All is well again except I can't get past the First Alleyway