Ferryknoll
“A servile companion, the ferry’s make; sentient or no, their Formican captains impose multitudes of personality upon them.”
The stalwart "ferryknoll" is one of Dandoleon's most industrious species, as some Formican agriculture practically revolves around their reproductive cycle. This aquatic, and questionably sentient, plant species shares an ancestral origin with the carnivorous pitcher plants of competitive jungle biomes. While the ferryknoll dwarves their terrestrial cousins in both scale and complexity, the homology is apparent; in fact, it's not uncommon for their antlike captains to manage pests by staking pitcher lamps1 across the matted backs of their ferryknoll.
Physiology
"A leathery underside and matted top ensure perfect meandering travel. Ornate ferns of some species catch the wind and drift without aim. They catch prey by chance, or perhaps the prey are attracted to wander where they shouldn't."Ferryknoll display several features of their pitcher plant cousins while adapting analogous structures to their aquatic neighbors. The leaf over its "mouth" has thickened and developed a waxy coat, protecting the interior digestive fluids from dilution by surrounding water. Their slick underside protects against parasites and other forms of predation while reducing water resistance. Simultaneously, it dons a ray-finned structure for balance and a "lateral line," which is receptive to erratic movements in the water, signaling that prey is nearby; these receptors also line the protective cap on the mouth, causing it to open once prey crosses its path.
Digestion
Once the mouth, or operculum, opens, the vacant "stomach" creates a vaccum, sucking prey into the primary cavity. The subsequent buildup of pressure prompts the chamber to compress, seeping water back to the environment while keeping its victims contained. With the mouth closed and the primary chamber free of water, the secondary chamber opens, releasing digestive fluids that work for hours or days, eventually reabsorbing back into the interior walls and nourishing the ferryknoll. This process eventually repeats, and when the primary mouth opens, the secondary chamber seals itself once more.Reproduction
The ferryknoll has an alternation of generations: both a sexual and asexual reproductive cycle, while also spreading through their root-like rhizome in dire circumstances. Asexual reproduction tends to occur during transit, seeding generations through the waters a ferry travels. It isn't until a ferryknoll beaches that sexual reproduction begins; elaborate red and yellow flowers erupt from its back, emitting a putrid smell that repels all mammal life but lures insects and predatory birds. When these opportunistic critters leave the site, they promote pollination, allowing the ferry to spread its lineage regardless of limited maneuverability.Symbiosis
Agricultural
Formican societies have long cultivated ferryknoll, using them as rowboats, cultivating flowers for perfume, and using their digestive fluids as biological weapons. The ferries are not without their benefits, however, as captains often groom and prune them to improve balance and speed. Every fishing haul is split between ferry and captain, allowing for exorbitant energy intake unseen in wild species.
At Summer's end, Formica dock their ferries in vast batches of stagnant water, causing them to secure to one another through rhizome, assiting in survival over hibernation. It's common to place a signature stake before leaving your ferry in this state, so you can find the same one when you return the following Summer.
Natural
Ferryknoll have evolved alongside select species of grass and ferns, creating an obligate symbiosis between the two: the ferryknoll keeps these plants in the open sun and hydrated while its soil-bound passengers help catch the wind and provide an energy surplus during long stretches without food, as the 'pitcher' itself has lost all photosynthetic capability.
Saltwater species tend to harbor ferns due to the low-flow environment of oceans, while river species tend to support colonies of grass, maximizing surface area for photosynthesis.
The City on the Ferry
"Oh, of my people's appreciable achievements, our ferries are the greatest. I have borne witness to children's rafts and ships so large they cast nets that drag thousands of quarry to the water's surface. My own, I recall, was bequeathed by Sister Accolade when I rose from child to Eclosiant. I cared for my ferry, a shoe's size at the time, in a quaint pond, filled only by rain. She was neglected in such a space, though I fed her personally, knowing few alternative means of containment; the nearest lake was miles west of our colony, and I scarcely knew how Sister Accolade had recovered the specimen. I was overtaken with remorse as I fed it scraps by force; an evil act, to keep such a creature contained as it was. With no voice or means, it yearned to return home. As its humble countenance withered, I saw fit to bring it west, outside the border of the colony, and to the great lake beyond. I carried it by means of a pack, feeding it all the way and leaving it ponds as I camped by watersides. The ferry remained furtive in my travels, but no less than any of its silent kind. I could feel, however, demoralized melancholy radiating from it. Five weeks passed before reaching the great lake, and my travelling companion had withered and shrunk, overtaken by dark green pigments and a powerful smell which compelled me to keep its pack sealed. When I released it to the water, it sat in stagnation. I pushed it meekly, but the shriveled thing merely drifted without intent. I prayed with revile regard of Sister Accolade for acquiring such a thing and bringing it to its doom. I prayed with revile for myself, unable to rectify the mistake. No means of faith sufficed to save the creature, now bloating with water. It was all I could do to graft it to the shore, knowing tales of their growth when beached. I returned home, my resentment growing at first, but soon exhaustion distracted me and tempered my thoughts. I made no mention of my journey's purpose to my sisters. Years along, the Birdtowers signaled Winter's arrival. We gathered in haste, collapsed our homes upon our backs, and began migrating westward to avoid the cold wrath. Little time had been spared to us due to the late signal: we feared succumbing to Winter once we reached the great lake, with no options for the colony to travel wholesale, we would have to go around. Upon arrival, all fears were resolved: a robust island, greater than the size of a hill, appeared as a stepping stone across. It was akin to a green mountain that drifted beyond the lake's edge. A frantic swim and inspection revealed a Ferryknoll beyond the myths our queen had shared. It was indominable: a stolid thing with no likeness to any we'd ever encountered. We set camp and began our pruning. We crafted sails to catch the wind and continued our journey westward. The city on the ferry became the means of our survival. Even as we reached the end of the lake, we elected to retreat inward, burrowing within its dense contents. Our city grew, and upon Winter's encroachment, we were protected to the colony's natural conclusion, and succumbed to peaceful means."
1. The ubiquitous "pitcher lamp" is constructed from wooden staves and batches of pitcher plants: their nectar attracts fireflies, among other luminous pests, protecting both ferry and captain.
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