Týk

The Týk is the foot of the Ibrófeneð. It is attached to the legs, or Vëtiš, whose muscles act also as the main locomotive means for the foot itself. It can exist as and transform between two different modes: the Týk-Fögaro (Claw form) and Týk-Fömatapëž (Suction Cup form).

Anatomy and Physiology

The Týk consists of the part of the Vëtiš below the Žup-Vëtiš-Ŋüžtú, that is, the ring responsible for securing the leg and foot muscles. This part is thus a cylindrically-shaped portion around 3-5 cm in length. Its interior is not exactly solid but rather a cavity, delineated by extesions of the Vëtiš-Húrobü, in which the gel used for adhering to surfaces is stored. The bottom edge of this cavity is made of a dual layer of skin and gelatin. The same material that the skin on the legs, that is, the Ýyr-Vëtiš, is made of. This thickness allows it to withstand the roughness of outside surfaces. The layer of gelatin allows it to retain its shape despite large pressures both inside and outside it. Although both layers (skin and gelatin) contribute equally to the stability of the foot, only the gelatin, the inner layer, is attached to the Vëtiš-Húrobü, while the skin ends where the claws and suctions attach to the foot.

The sole of the foot has a central hole around 1-2 cm in width. This is the hole through which the gel is secreted. The gelatin also takes a form much more complicated. It is not a single layer but slightly hourglass-shaped, with the top part enclosing the cavity and the bottom splaying out through the gap between the claws and the skin. This is the suction cup and measures 5-6 cm in radius. Both the muscles for the claws and suction cups move around the outside edge of the Vëtiš-Húrobü, thus not affecting the gel or the cavity it is stored inside.

Muscular System

The Týk's major components are all connected to the Žup-Vëtiš-Ŋüžtú, the lower ring to which the leg muscles are hooked. This ring acts as the junction between the leg muscles and foot muscles, and transfers the forces from one to another if the muscles are angled just right.

The leg muscles consist of two distinct sets, which are secured via the rings known as Žup-Vëtiš-Ŋüžtú (lower ring) and Žup-Vëtiš-Ëtavú (upper ring), which delineate the leg's boundaries with the Foot (Týk) and the Súro (Main body). The hook points on the rings alternate one after the other. In either mode of the foot, one set is straight up and down along the length of the leg, which corresponds to a direct movement of the foot. The other is slanted, as its muscles are hooked to points shifted away along the ring. This slanted set controls the leg itself, which allows for more complex movement and accounts of the twisting motion that is characteristic of leg movement. The straight and slanted configurations are called Šýapar and Húrobü, which mean 'unmoving' and 'broad', respectively.

For these muscle sets, one set is always outside the other. The inside is called the Mëta-Matapëž, and if in the Šýapar configuration, it activates and controls the Týk-Fömatapëž, or suction cup. The outside is called the Mëta-Garo, and if in the Šýapar configuration, it activates and controls the Týk-Fögaro, or claw.

Týk-Fögaro

The Týk-Fögaro is the claw form and consists of 8 black claws, each of which is made of the same material, namely crushed silicon, that makes up the bulk of the Üpal. However, given the importance of the legs in locomotion, the mechanism of toxin disposal found in the Üpal is not replicabled in the claws.

In addition to repeating anatomical symmetry with the rest of the body (8 legs, 8 eyes, 16 ears), the number of claws is also due to the fact that the muscles on the ring are spread out to only have eight individual muscle strands, each of which can move independently of the other. The main movement of these claws is a simple levering action that brings the claw towards/away from the center of the foot.

Each claw is shaped like a curved teardrop, with the bulbous base being the point to which the muscular system attaches. If all claws are in the closed position, the sharp tips come towards to completely enclose the foot in a shell-like case. If all claws are open, the foot and leg rest on the wide area of the bulbous base, whose tough interior allows it to withstand high pressures.

In the claw form, the suction cup is retracted into the chamber between the foot base and the Vëtiš-Húrobü, where it acts as a seal that prevents the gel from leaking out.

Týk-Fömatapëž

The Týk-Fömatapëž is the suction cup form of the foot. It consists of a thick, rubbery gelatin in a conical shape that is attached to the gelatin layer of the foot sole. In this mode, the gelatin is splayed out in a circular radius of around 5-6 cm. The splaying out also allows the opening up of specific holes within the gelatin, through which nerves can enter the cavity and control the muscles inside. These muscles contract and thus push out the gel though the hole at the center of the sole. This gel is most often secreted when the suction cup needs to adhere to a surface of some kind.

The gel in the foot is primarily made of silicon microparticles suspended in medium. When secreted, the silicon particles exposed to the air react and create a thin layer of silicon oxide, which acts as a film to keep the structural integrity of the gel. Within the context of the foot, the gel does two other purposes: it plugs holes between the suction cup and the uneven surface, thus enabling proper adhesion, and the consistency of the gel itself further binds the two surfaces together.

To detach from a surface, the Ibrófeneð twists the leg itself, which separates the suction cup from the surface.