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Back with another - HEEEELP! HEELP MEEEEE Anyway funny ammonite Name - Crioceratites Lux Period - Early Cretaceous Diet - Carnivore Temperament - Neutral DOSSIER WILD Hidden within the bioluminescent chambers of the broken Ark, Crioceratities Lux, despite being a recognizable species from prehistoric times, has mutated and evolved to such a bizarre and extreme extent that it seems right at home with the many colossal monsters lining this Ark's deepest depths. Roughly around the size of the giant crabs it shares its habitat with, Crioceratites is uniquely adapted to both life in bioluminescent environments and life within water, but is also surprisingly capable on solid ground, able to filter oxygen and breathe, but not able to survive for long unless properly hydrated. What most immediately notice about Crioceratites is the large, spiral shell it houses its otherwise soft, squishy body in, large enough to house its entire body, tentacles included. The outside is lined with large protruding spikes, which can be used as both defense, and, surprisingly, allow Crioceratites to move when terrestrial, rolling around like a giant spiked wheel, although its speed is rather negligible when compared to the likes of the Roll Rat. This shell, as well as its true body, are lined with a unique bioluminescent chemical that allows them to produce charge, just like the Microluminus family. The ability to control and flash the lights allows them to intimidate would-be predators, and the charge scares away the otherwise fearsome Nameless. DOMESTICATED Taming Crioceratites is no easy task, but should one pull it off, you have yourself a handy mount for entering the depths of the broken Ark thanks to their tough, spiky shell and the ability to produce charge passively. They're rather lacking in pure offense, however, and instead are best used as a disruptive support mount to accompany your large powerhouses. Their tentacles, which are able to flash just as its shell can, are able to outright release powerful charge lasers akin to the charge lantern, stunning aggressors in their tracks or weakening the likes of Nameless and Reapers. When in a pinch, Crioceratites can retract into their shell and roll away, though, due to this unique habit of theirs, the saddle is uniquely placed to ensure lack of dizziness and safety while rolling, so you'll also have to deal with the sticky insides of their shell until you've stopped. MECHANICS Standing at a size rivaling the Karkinos, held aloft by large tentacles, the Crio is a colossal ammonite. Like the crab as well, it's a rather slow walker and sprinter, having poor stamina and struggling with steep terrain, but this is however made up for with its unique ability to curl up into its shell. When doing so, the Crio gains the ability to roll using said shell, allowing for improved movement speed using less stamina, but the Crio will both be unable to attack when curled up, and will struggle with sharp turns, instead having a large turn radius to make up for the increased speed. Though, smaller creatures will get trampled beneath the Crio's spiky shell if they're not careful. Like the Spino and Shadowmane, Crioceratites can gain the hydrated buff, lasting for 30 seconds outside of the water, and boosting their damage, speed, and regeneration. In the wild, they're passive unless approached, in which case they'll assault their aggressor with lashing tentacles and attempting to stun them with their use of charge. TAMING The taming method is simple, but complicated. One simply has to exhaust them of their charge, and in doing so, this will cause the Crio to curl up into its shell. When curled up, one must either shoot it with a charge lantern or throw Plant Species Z fruits at it, gaining its trust and taming it with the promise of constant charge. When tamed, they can use their natural supply of charge to light your way through the depths, as well as having a natural immunity to radiation. They're best used as a long-term adventuring mount, taken out for long treks in dangerous areas due to their high defensive capabilities and solid speed when curled up. When tamed and standing, if not in use for more than 5 minutes, they will retract into their shell as to preserve their moisture. When the ride prompt appears, they must exit their shell before the player can ride. However, it is best not to rely on the Crioceratites in a fight to the death, as while their damage is not negligible, compared to the many other beasts of Aberration, they lack the powerful offense to truly be considered a powerhouse, and instead are best used to repel attackers rather than kill or pursue. CONTROLS When riding a Crio, the rider sits atop their head rather than the shell, being taken inside said shell when tucked in to roll. Its walk speed is quite slow, comparable to the Karkinos, and its sprint speed is only somewhat decent, comparable to a tamed Rex. When rolling, it gains a significant speed boost at the cost of poor turning, comparable to a tamed Raptor, though it gains a speed boost on land when Hydrated. Its swimming speed is comparable to a tamed Basilosaurus. Like various creatures, the Crio will turn to face the direction of the player's camera, rather than remaining in one direction when the player looks to their side. Though, unlike other creatures, they can walk and sprint omnidirectionally, and this can be decently useful for warding off aggressors. This ability, however, is lost when swimming, instead having to turn when both moving and attacking like the Tusoteuthis. Left Click / Primary Attack A simple tentacle lash, using either of the two large tentacles not supporting itself. While not doing much damage, they possess solid knockback, and can be used to ward off attackers and allow for allies to follow-up. When facing forward or down, it will do a strong slam with both tentacles, which has stronger knockback than either left or right tentacle on their own. This can also be used while moving, in both a walk and a sprint. When in the water, the attack switches, causing the Crio to turn to face the target. The tentacle lash remains the same, having negligible damage, but gaining the ability to be used in succession while moving backwards. Right Click / Secondary Attack Using charge, right click will release a charge light from each of its tentacles, not unlike the charge lantern. When an enemy or wild creature enters the lights' vicinity, light will shoot out like a charge lantern, stunning the creature in its tracks for a couple of seconds, allowing the player to either attack, retreat, or recover. This cannot be used underwater. Instead, it is replaced with a large flash of light, which briefly stuns the target and gives the Crio a boost in speed, like the Tusoteuthis's ink spray. C / Tertiary Attack This will activate the Crio's charge passively, giving the same effects as a Lamprey or light pet without the use of either, and allowing the rider to venture into the Blue and Red Zones and ward off Nameless, as well as weakening Reapers. Space / Jump Using the jump input, the Crio will tuck itself, and its rider, into its shell. While inside of the shell, the rider becomes immune to damage, and the Crio gains both a 50% damage reduction, and a damage-reflect, causing any attack to partially harm the attacker, though neither of these apply to ranged attacks. Guns will pierce the Crio's shell without much effort, and elemental attack like a wyvern's breath are still just as effective. Though, when tucked into its shell, it also gains the ability to roll, gaining a significant boost in speed and the ability to trample small creatures and players, at the cost of poor turning. This does give the ability to gain momentum when rolling down an angle or slope, but will also cause the Crio to slow down when rolling up a slope. The Crio can also tuck into its shell underwater, though this makes it completely unable to move, running the risk of serious danger unless the aggressor is deterred from the shell's durability and spikes. UTILITY PVE In PVE, the Crio functions as a unique, all-terrain exploration mount with unique capabilities for solo players, as well as a premier support mount for tribes, working perfectly with a larger carnivore that is able to act as a proper combatant and target for wild creatures. Its ability to tuck into its shell and roll away is useful in just about any situation, though one should be mindful of its somewhat lackluster speed. Like the light pets, its ability to produce charge is invaluable in the deeper zones of Aberration, as is its immunity to radiation, though it does struggle with Seekers. PVP Most of its uses in PVE translate to PVP, acting as a valuable support mount from a distance, and being able to tank a serious amount of damage and run from fights it may end up struggling with. Its charge also makes it a more accessible and conventional option to deal with tamed Reaper Kings. WEAKNESSES While a worthwhile tame in many regards, the Crio is not without its fair share of downfalls. As mentioned, its ability to output damage is overall poor, the tentacle lash being good for knockback, but not doing much raw damage. Beyond its rolling, it's rather slow, easily outpaced by things both larger and smaller than it, and even when rolling, it's still unable to outrun the speedier creatures of the Arks, especially in regards to sharp turns. Even its attacking is comparatively rather slow, taking more time to execute a single slam than a Karkino's claw slam and for less damage. Like the Spino and Shadowmane, taking the Crio anywhere without water always puts them at a disadvantage due to its inability to acquire the Hydrated buff, and this is especially detrimental for the Crio due to its poor attack capabilities. Unless going for long voyages in hostile, but open areas, it's recommended to never bring a Crio anywhere on their own, and always have some kind of a stronger creature as a bodyguard, while they can attack as a support and a disruptor for the enemy. Lastly, unless tucked in, the Crio's tentacles and head lack any damage resistance, and the player is completely vulnerable when outside of the shell, and comparatively rather easy to see than some other saddles, making the rider an easy target for other players with ranged weapons.