On a distant planet not too dissimilar to Earth, there thrived many different lineages of animals. One of these lineages was a group of herbivores that included creatures such as Longibrachius giganteus – more commonly known as the krolithon. This was a particularly large member with a lifestyle similar to that of a gorilla, using its long arms to pick fruits off of trees and large size to intimidate rivals as well as any would-be predators. Krolithons are very social critters, living in family units comprised of a dominant male, several females, and their young and it is the male’s job to protect them from any danger.
As for the creature’s evolutionary history, it might be hard to believe at first but the krolithon and its many relatives are the descendants of a once thriving and advanced civilization, not unlike humanity. But that begs the question: what happened to this civilization? How did the once sophont species end up as these mere animals?
The truth is that this civilization was greatly technologically advanced, so advanced that they started to rely completely on their machines to do everything for them, from complex tasks to just basic ones. They were so dependent on their machines that they pretty much began cognitively degrading and you would be forgiven for thinking they were just pets to their machines. Unfortunately, this technological utopia would not last, as the planet was hit with an especially strong solar flare that caused most of the machines to malfunction and break down. Panic would soon stir as individuals didn’t know what to do on their own and started fighting over the remaining functional machines in brutal conflicts that, ironically, would end up destroying the last few machines they were fighting so mercilessly over.
Having to fend for itself once more, this once powerful and thriving civilization was reduced first back to a sort of stone age and then to an even more primitive state. Over time, the pressures of evolution produced many lineages abandoning sapience altogether and leading to the creatures we know today.
Depicted is a young, male krolithon. Before it is a skeleton unearthed by a recent storm; it looks familiar to him so he goes to inspect it.
This entry was made by Shattered Reality.