Dominant Species (move)

The move Dominant Species was introduced on 19 July 2020 17:53 UTC and recorded to the Canon on 22 July 2020 03:48 UTC.

Text

Rikogyugin, as illustrated by Sabiki

Sabiki introduced the move with the following text:

Move 6: Dominant species

The main planet of this game is populated by a plethora of colorful, plentiful families and orders of living beings. However, there are 5 species of intelligent life forms, fully distinct from one another, with variated configurations and designs, that solve relatively the same problems in largely different ways, that largely dominate the world and shape it to their will. I'm get here to explore and introduce you to the least advanced of all five.

The first species, which I will placeholder-ly call Rikogyujin (Meaning lizard people), is a hexapodal, long and heavily furred life form that inhabitates the extreme south of the known lands. The rikogyujin are currently capable of employing tools and are capable of basic exploitation of mineral resources. Their form of communication is largely chemical, and its primary communication organ is a series of powerful glands located to both sides of their mouth-like organ, another aligned to their first pair of arms, and another around the center of their backs. These glands excrate complex chemical compositions that can be intercepted by organs located around the head and interpretated by the brains of said species.

They are considered to be a largely warrior species, with extemely high developed battle instincts and a thick skin, which largely protects the body from the extreme cold of the rikogyujin's homeland.

(I kinda tried to draw what I envisioned. I'm not a drawing but hey, there you go (?)

On 19 July 2020 19:39 UTC, the text was edited, so that "a drawing" now said "an illustrator", and so the following text was added:

• Disclaimer: "largely warrior species" is baed on tendencies and a simplification based on global biologicla configurations. It does **not **describe all individuals equally and should not be taken as such.*

On 21 July 2020 19:41 UTC, the word "several" was changed to "5", and the following text was added:

• Edits: 5 species→several species.*

On 21 July 2020 19:46 UTC, the words "all five" were edited to "them".

Stephen ultimately recorded the move to the Canon with the following text:

Move 6: Dominant species

The main planet of this game is populated by a plethora of colorful, plentiful families and orders of living beings. However, there are several species of intelligent life forms, fully distinct from one another, with variated configurations and designs, that solve relatively the same problems in largely different ways, that largely dominate the world and shape it to their will. I'm get here to explore and introduce you to the least advanced of them.

The first species, which I will placeholder-ly call Rikogyujin (Meaning lizard people), is a hexapodal, long and heavily furred life form that inhabitates the extreme south of the known lands. The rikogyujin are currently capable of employing tools and are capable of basic exploitation of mineral resources. Their form of communication is largely chemical, and its primary communication organ is a series of powerful glands located to both sides of their mouth-like organ, another aligned to their first pair of arms, and another around the center of their backs. These glands excrete complex chemical compositions that can be intercepted by organs located around the head and interpretated by the brains of said species.

They are considered to be a largely warrior species, with extremely high developed battle instincts and a thick skin, which largely protects the body from the extreme cold of the rikogyujin's homeland.

(I kinda tried to draw what I envisioned. I'm not an illustrator but hey, there you go (?)

Disclaimer: ""largely warrior species"" is based on tendencies and a simplification based on global biological configurations. It does not describe all individuals equally and should not be taken as such.

Edits: 5 species→several species.

Sabiki included an image with the original text. Unfortunately, the Canon submission form does not allow a way to upload images.

Trivia

• Dominant Species was the seventh move in the Greater Game. It was misnumbered "Move 6" and recorded in the Canon with the misnumbering. The move on Facebook was later edited on 5 November 2020 03:20 UTC to say "Move 7".
• This move was introduced by Sabiki and managed by Stephen during Round 2.
• During this move, Stephen recommended that a future move should introduce a species that is "human or basically humanoid". In a future move, Dominick would introduce Humons, fulfilling this recommendation.
• This move prompted some discussion about whether introducing a species and limiting the number of dominant species to 5 was considered One Thing.

• RavShimon suggested there were four possibilities: "1) to describe a species and say it's the only intelligent one, or 2) to describe a single species without specifying a number, or 3) to specify a number and give brief descriptions of each. 4) to describe a species and say there are no others."
• Ultimately, Sabiki decided to change "5" to "several", in line with the second possibility given by RavShimon.

• During this move, Dominick requested that Sabiki place a disclaimer on that the term "warrior species" was "an overly simplified description" so as to acknowledge "the more pacifist rikogyujin". Sabiki obliged with this request.
• During this move, it was discussed whether or not the Rikogyujin have auní, but that question was ultimately left unanswered.
• The unusual mode of communication of the Rikogyujin was also discussed. Dominick said, "I am imagining that the rikogyujin mouths have a mechanism that allows them to eject chemicals forcefully at their target. However, this would mean longer distance communication would be difficult. I'm wondering if they also have auditory elements to their language as well." RavShimon added, "It would also affect telecommunications. Kind of hard to use a telephone by smell. Unless someone invented a smellephone.... Before the smellephone was invented, of course, they used to send smellegrams." It has not yet been confirmed whether either of these devices exist.