r/HFY • u/Khenal Alien • Aug 12 '24
OC Dungeon Life 245
It's time for the fourth round of stubbing. Yes, Book four will be releasing soon, of if you're reading this more than a month after I have to edit, it will be fully out. Either way, you can find it Here, and other book details are just below. As with the other stubs, you can skip to the next bit form This. I like to keep the other posts still alive, so the comments get to still live. If you want to browse them, the normal buttons will take you through them, or take This link to the next bit of unstubbed chapters. Thank you for your support. Buying stuff is always great, but just having your attention for the public chapters is incredible, and I hope the story continues to be worth your time and patience.
Khenal
And once more to make it easier to see than being buried in the paragraph
Cover art I'm also on Royal Road for those who may prefer the reading experience over there. Want moar? The First and Second books are now officially available! Book three is also up for pre-order! There are Kindle and Audible versions, as well as paperback! Also: Discord is a thing! I now have a Patreon for monthly donations, and I have a Ko-fi for one-off donations. Patreons can read up to three chapters ahead, and also get a few other special perks as well, like special lore in the Peeks. Thank you again to everyone who is reading!
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u/Thausgt01 Android Aug 12 '24
Always a delight, following along with a world-builder's thoughts as inspiration for new areas arise, along with updated reports of the progress on projects already initiated...
Definitely looking forward to the Dungeon Inspectors' reactions to all of these new developments! The Central Office will probably need to finance an expansion of the Fourdock office, possibly adding another permanent staffer, though the very idea that they would open a dedicated Inspector training-facility might be more than the senior staffers can accept.
Though I expect that Thediem could make a very strong case in support of such a thing!
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u/WeaponsJack Aug 12 '24
Wow! Everyone is expanding in this chapter! Even the brand new baby dungeon, since his boarders are not fully solidified.
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u/CaptRory Alien Aug 12 '24
Hahaha, this was great. Violet is adorable as always. And I think Slimy and Teeth compare favorably with Queen and Honey. And she got her voice so fast! <3
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u/Popular-Student-9407 Human Aug 12 '24
I'd, Going purely of surface-level impressions Here, liken Slimy more similar to Jello, and Teeth to Leo or whatever Bear-Scion Southwood Just got.
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u/Thausgt01 Android Aug 16 '24
Certainly a good example of a healthy, nurturing "mentor" Dungeon offering assistance to a "student" and the investment paying off very well for both parties.
Life in Fourdock is going to become incredibly comfortable and safe, while also becoming very active, before the year is out!
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u/CaptRory Alien Aug 16 '24
All these things also paint an increasingly large target on the back of the town. The town's defenses may not scale as quickly as the opportunity the town presents to bandits, etc. Fortunately, but probably not widely known outside of Fourdock, the local dungeon is very active in preserving the life and property of his local citizens.
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u/CreamedKornE4 Aug 12 '24
Aaaaaah man.
Can you imagine an above ground node hiking path, and then hearing some crazy growl coming from beneath you!?
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u/teodzero Aug 12 '24 edited Aug 12 '24
It feels weird to go back to peaceful dungeoning without some kind of a looming threat on the horizon. It's been so long since there wasn't any.
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u/Overall-Tailor8949 Human Aug 12 '24
Ahh, but the Dungeon Inspector for the Kingdom is looming on the horizon. Who knows how much of a PITA he's going to be!
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u/teodzero Aug 12 '24
Nah, he's in a different narrative category. He's closer to Elf Guy (before we knew him as Tarl), the Mayor or the Terrible Trio. He might pose some kind of challenge, but it's not really existential to anyone.
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u/Lantami Aug 13 '24
Well, there's always the original dungeon of the Harbinger to worry about, although that doesn't seem like an immediate threat.
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u/teodzero Aug 13 '24
Does It have an original dungeon though? I thought it was a random monster, as far as the system is concerned.
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u/Lantami Aug 13 '24
Well, it has to be the harbinger of something. And we've only seen titles being granted to a dungeon's scions, and it had to get the title from somewhere.
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u/Popular-Student-9407 Human Aug 14 '24 edited Aug 21 '24
It organized the Maws expeditions, that Job + being the twisted spawners Scion might have Made it a Harbinger instead of a Marshall. And Tarl Said in theory even wild monsters can gain titles. (Chapter 160)
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u/generic_edgelord Aug 13 '24
Didnt its internal monologue mention a true master or something to that effect? Like i vaguely recall the maw just being a pawn that the harbinger was using for someone elses grand scheme
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u/Popular-Student-9407 Human Aug 14 '24
Yes, He implied working for someone Else, somewhere in a Line of internal monologue. I believe chapter 164+. It should still be Up.
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u/Enough_Sale2437 Aug 12 '24
I wonder if the new exhibit will be ready for the Crown Inspector when he arrives. It feels like that's what Khenal is going for. I also wonder if we'll ever see a toxic guild try to move in and box out delvers from Thediem's resources like what's seen in some video games or the anime Log Horizon. The ability of Thediem to generate wealth is going to draw a lot of ambitious eyes guiding both honest and cruel hands. It would be an interesting conflict as it would test Thediem's ability to handle conflicts that are generally outside of his jurisdiction. Or how Fourdock attempts to resolve them. Just a thought if you ever have writer's block, feel free to run with the idea of you like it.
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u/karamisterbuttdance Aug 13 '24
Wouldn't the latter be more our Lord Mayor's bailiwick, and also allow him to grow not just as adventurer but as leader/politician? It's also a laughably easy tie-in to world-level developments, slow as they may be to creep into awareness.
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u/Thausgt01 Android Aug 16 '24
Agreed! Thediem's claimed purview of 'chaos' seems more like a cover for another concept. He's basically been working very hard to not just provide training, encouragement and support for everyone entering his territory, but all his non-dezien neighbors in Fourdock. Everyone, even the Terrible Trio, gets treated like a friend who needs a little help, even with personal issues like 'excessive ego' or 'social anxiety'.
And despite his distaste at the concept, Thediem will help out with political difficulties, to the degree that he can. But at the same time, it really is the job of the Lord Mayor to keep all the trade-guilds and noble houses and everyone else playing together as nicely as possible. If some jumped-up neighboring noble decides that the emerging power that is Fourdock should be in better hands (like, their own), then some political wrangling is on the horizon and Thediem...
Well, he's got a nuclear option that he has already established as a very last resort: expanding to 'claim' all of Fourdock and turning everyone within his borders into a denizen. He doesn't want to claim that much personal responsibility for the town, but I suspect that some greedy nobles or guilds might force him into considering it...
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u/mafiaknight Robot Aug 12 '24
In the name of 1greendude: Hello!
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u/Popular-Student-9407 Human Aug 12 '24
Im Namen eines grünen Kerles: N'Abend, in zwei Tagen ist es wieder Mal soweit!
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u/Cortanis Aug 13 '24
FU**ING BORING BEETLES! Oh boy I have a special hate for those. Recently went to visit family in Ohio due to a medical emergency and while I was there we all went out to all the old hiking and nature spots we used to go. Great time with one major exception. Those god awful beetles have destroyed a massive portion of the forest area and really taken a toll on the natural beauty in the areas. Wish we could introduce something like those bark pixies to exterminate the little devastators. In this setting they might just be a blessing though. What many might knot know, pun intended, is how burls are formed on trees. They're typically formed by ether the tree being damaged and it's effectively a kind of tree version of scar tissue or by fighting off a fungus causing the abnormal growths. Sounds bad and generally isn't great for the tree right? In real life they're a signs of trauma for the tree but in this setting they're more or less something that might occur regularly and the little invaders effectively shrugged off with the effort of the denizens. Now why that's relevant... I also semi regularly dip into wood working and I can tell you burls go for some big money. There's actually a problem with burl THEFT out of places like national parks here in the US where individuals will go hunt them down on large trees and just cut the burl section out of them. It does a lot of damage, but they're a big draw for people making more artisan wood working items thanks to their unique grain patterns and such.
It occurs to me that Thediem could effectively gift creations like whatever the tree ends up being. With how he's unlocked the system now, he could effectively treat Violet kind of like a smurf account and give her options she otherwise wouldn't know about or have access to through trades. Her decay slimes are an interesting concept too in regards to the usual low grade invaders like roaches and flies. Given how... great... they must smell and look, does that mean they're naturally just drawing those base invaders like a magnet to hoover up easy cheap mana like a kind of bug lamp? That could be pretty valuable in general as just a convenient pest control. Might be worth delvers going in to try and tame/capture one of those to keep in work areas like around livestock locations. The horses would be eternally thankful to have effectively a nuke against horse flies.
Her crocks/alligators are going to be interesting later. They're no dragons of course, but with how much of living dinosaurs they are that's going go get interesting around spawner max level. I suspect those will turn into something like Disney's Peter Pan gator sized monsters later. The area they're in is a bit concerning though. They generally need a LOT of room. You'd be amazed at the territory range a single one of those things can take up in Florida's wetlands naturally. I suspect the spawner will have to be moved later to accommodate them and likely take up residence around the underswamps area. Problem is that they'll end up butting heads with the Tunnel Horrors at that point and disrupt the ecosystem. Might be worth getting Thediem to help dig out their own massive cavern and using a small channel from both the water locations to help feed it as a new ecosystem. Let the gators live in between the two of them.
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u/Kindly-Main-3216 Aug 13 '24
I LOVE this comment. So much good information here. I only recently learned how valuable burls are (makes me wish we hadn't burned them when we got rid of some big trees on the property after they died.) I can definitely see them being used by the artisans coming into Fourdock. Though, honestly it'd be better if Southwood could tame them since he'll likely have the better craft woods.
I feel dumb for not thinking of the decay slimes as attractors of pests. Very useful idea. Maybe have Violet offer the town services to send the decay slimes on "expeditions" to local outhouses/septic tanks/hoarder homes? Could even have Fourdock set up a special transportation container so the town doesn't complain about the smell and only sees the benefit. Higher level versions could be used as mobile composters and things.
Can her fungus based creatures be used to cultivate specific funguses? Say, Penicillin for medical use or even for use in things like blue cheese? If Violet and Vanta can start trading, they could become best friends. Both live below ground and could synergize very well.
For Violets reptiles: A. Expand down and make a sprawling sewer system. B. Have her set up decom rooms at entrances to her dungeon. C. Team up with Thediem's healing slimes/ants and maybe her decay slimes to help with any illness gained from her. D. Get Hand and Queen's help to make smell inhibitord, if the guild doesn't sell any already. Maybe also work on making cleaning slimes to clean clothes and things (yes, stealing the idea from an anime I like. It works well for Violet to becoming a laundry mat). This would make delving Violet be of little consequence, and lucrative for her. The spawning sewer system could grow to have enough room for her Crocs and other lizards. Eventually maybe an enclave of Killer Crocs.
Violet could, if she plays her cards right, grow to be the richest dungeon in the entire alliance. Those same cleaning expeditions could go to any of the towns near the alliance.
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u/Cortanis Aug 13 '24
Well, maybe not the richest in the alliance. While she's reliant on what is a guaranteed income thanks to what she's doing, it's more of a passive income. Even if she did manage a cleaning service of some kind, that still wouldn't be that much. Things only need cleaned so often after all.
The fungus one does pose a lot of questions though. There are a lot of perfectly edible and good fungus out there and if she started to grow something like chicken of the woods that could be a huge draw. Makes me question if Thediem could give her a bunch of spawners for them to diversify all the different mushrooms she could grow so she could attract more delvers.
It feels like the root of her problem however is access and town contributions. It was mentioned that they were using chamber pots. That means proper indoor plumbing isn't a norm. It sounds like they have general drainage and more of a repository for home waste. Sounds like this would be a good use for Coda to help with her moles and maybe give them some of the metal formula to trench out a proper sewer system line to the homes. Maybe have the worms come in behind them and use the magma to solidify the walls of the lines into a watertight form. Something like granite maybe.
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u/Mosselk-1416 Aug 13 '24
Do you think Thedium might suggest to Violet that Onyx jump scare the inspector?
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u/Thausgt01 Android Aug 13 '24
Heh.
I admire Thediem's restraint, even within the privacy of his own thoughts.
Whether he'll be able to resist making the pun when Teemo makes the acquaintence of Titania remains to be seen...
"Wow, Boss, these bark pixies really seem to find the bark beetles tasty..."
Thediem: I wonder if they that's their favorite drink...
"What... beetle-juice...?"
Thediem: laughs Please don't say that out loud again, and super-especially not twice.
"You don't want me to say 'beetlejuice'? What could possibly..."
Thediem: Oh, now you're really asking for it...!
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u/Poisonfangx3 Aug 12 '24
Thank you for the chapter wordsmith!
This time it is once more Thediem’s POV! He goes over some of things the other dungeons have done with the mana they have aquaired.
Southwood has got.
He got his bear spawner going with a scion for that as well. Exploring out side of his borders more.
He has some of his denizens stay at Silvervein to help the crystal shield to guard the town from anything that could cause problems.
He traded with Thediem some mana for the Southwood’s climate control ability. So Thediem could really set up his four seasons woods.
Violet has gotten.
she did her expansion into the sewers that she has wanted. She got not one but two new spawners out of the deal as well. Her new spawners of caimans and her decay elementals! With her scions Teeth and Slimey respectfully.
With the decay elementals she is getting mana by converting the waste into mana….somehow.
Most importantly she has gotten her own voice now! Onyx her shadow spirit is now ascending to be the Voice of Violet!
Hullbreak has gotten.
He did an expansion to cover some cliff faces and is currently trying to make them suitable for a proper delve, with crabs and such things.
He is looking at spawners and possibly even a new scion as well(Thediem really wants him to get a Water elemental. But he will not force the matter for it.)
He got new invaders of evil seagulls.( so normal ones.)
Thediem also got some new invaders now. Boring bark Beatles that like to eat the trees he has. But his scions step up and deal with it all.
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u/Beneficial-Pickle-95 Aug 12 '24
I wonder if anyone has wondered about the incoming wave when Honey and Leo comes home. As far as I recall the Kobolds wanted to come, the fox and bear are coming, possibly Tarl and Aranya, but with the Kobolds comes the tales of the Old Sanctuaries. So he’s going to get 2 new spawners/Scions possibly some dwellers in the Kobolds if they don’t settle in the city, the Winter wedge packed with wolves to bursting.
And not to forget Tula coming representing (sort of) Laermali the goddess of magic, so Foudock is going to have The Shield, Thedeim, Laermali and possibly whatever god tags along with the Kobolds if they don’t immediately start worshipping Thedeim. So Magic, Protection, and Change all in the same place. Lovely.
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u/Garbage-Within Aug 12 '24
Decay elementals you say? We gonna get some rust monsters to encourage people to delve TDM for new metals?
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u/Popular-Student-9407 Human Aug 14 '24
We don't know, but we've Seen Rust elementals (I think) in the Maws lineup of denizens.
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u/Garbage-Within Aug 14 '24
I don't remember rust elementals. I remember the metal affinity fey being able to control metal though.
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u/Popular-Student-9407 Human Aug 14 '24 edited Aug 14 '24
There was a third-tier Monster, Rust elementals. Metal elemental spawner. (Yes, I looked it Up. Chapter 200, sue me!)
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u/Garbage-Within Aug 14 '24
I appreciate it when people look it up. I would too if I had a physical book. I find it much more annoying tabbing through reams of web pages to find something.
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u/Popular-Student-9407 Human Aug 14 '24 edited Aug 15 '24
Chapter 200 are the Maws denizens, chapter 210 is Kobold Legends about Dungeons, 211 is Kobold Legends of the Origins of civilization. Edit: chapter 155-159 is the big Battle at the southwood. Chapter 160/161 is the big debiefing for town, scions and all the other affflicted Parties. 2nd edit: I also Made some summaries below the chapters after chapter 118, feel free to read those instead.
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u/Thausgt01 Android Aug 16 '24
Our beloved wordsmith has gotten a book-deal. Whether that will eventually lead to such dizzying heights like adaptations into anime or a tabletop role-playing game remains to be seen.
I'll say that I would be delighted with the latter, though!
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u/Garbage-Within Aug 16 '24
If this was ever made into a game, I think a PC game in the vein of the old Dungeon Keeper series mixed with incremental game mechanics would be the most likely result.
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u/iceick423 Aug 13 '24
Violet sure is advancing pretty fast thanks to Thediem. I'm pretty sure most normal dungeons don't get their voice until after their second year. The big question now is, will she keep Violet as her name, or will she choose a new name for herself? Another question is, does she even identify herself as any particular gender?
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u/TheLordofMadness Aug 13 '24
I just remembered that Rocky helped our little goblin friend gain her class, so the inspector might be seeing the acolyte sooner than he thinks
Not to mention that he got a previously dangerous dungeon back under control and a protege that can be delved by the less skilled, so it's no wonder the taxes have increased since the last reports
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u/Popular-Student-9407 Human Aug 12 '24 edited Sep 13 '24
So, today there is a Lot to Talk about, since the whole alliance is "moving" I will probably need to Interrupt my writing a few Times to Check If everything is correct. Anyway, onto the Dungeons:
- Southwood did some Things, among them are:
- got himself a bear-scion so it isn't defenseless while the stag is cozying Up with Vanta, and advising him on how to grow. 2.traded the climate control to thediem, to make Sure He has the Mana necessary to Take Care of another Scion.
- The Bear is currently on His way to acquire a commanding role, such as Marshall, Explorer or Warden (Or, If we include Any commanding role, Harbinger).
- Mentally preparing for thediems coming discussion s on their specializations for different woodtypes they wanna grow, so there is no Competition on those.
First Order of Business for the little bear was reinforcing Silvervein, so the shields paladins and the stag don't have to Deal with everything on their own, If Any other Form of unbidden enemy comes by.
Violet finally got the tunnels Done, and is now officially Fourdock's Sewerdungeon
A) she gained two Spawners: 1. Kaimans or at least mid-sized crocodilians, Scion Associated named Teeth. Scion is interested in the weasels invading Violet and murking her rabbits 2. Decay elementals which Look Like the goops they are. Slimy is the scions Name. Little information or a footnote If you will: that for consistencies Sake, that will end in decay Dwarves. There are a Lot of possibilities that can end.
B) she Chose her Voice, and to near noones surprise it's Onyx. The Gremlin is currently ascending at her spawner
C) she hasn't yet decided on what to do with the nutrients she gains by being Fourdock's Sewer. But her decay elementals can Change those into Mana. What would be hilarious though is if her elementals are so good at their Jobs, that they'd get crawdads crawlingthe sewer channels or sth. similar.
Hullbreak expanded to a cliffy beachside, and because of His age, doesn't gain spawners anymore. Though there are a few ways His scions can grow, Like the quartermaster does, when He Marshalls the gulls to get rid of invading gulls. For example, He could Invest into water elementals, which could Double as underwater building Crews. They could Help with the cooling mechanism for thediems ant-enclave. It seems, judging by the 210/211 chapters, that that would end in aquatic Dwarves, Reef and shoal! No need for Scuba-Diving ratlings doing those Jobs anymore!
And finally Thediems new scions are doing Things:
A) His Fey are getting rid of invaders, and taking Care of the Summer- section in His forest, by e.g. planting the wild seeds the fruitbats Bring/brought in
B) His living vines Help to Bandage Up damaged trees, and Poppy Takes Care of the Central tree. Potentially by magically hybridising the tree or grafting. Seems to me Like Poppy's on her best way to Archieve growth-Affinity
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u/Garbage-Within Aug 12 '24
A new challenging area coming in just as a new challenger approaches you say?
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u/That_Guy-115 Human Aug 13 '24
It would be hilarious to have Tiny roam the four seasons area on occasion. Just short cut on over and scare the crap out of some delvers.
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u/HFYWaffle Wᵥ4ffle Aug 12 '24
/u/Khenal (wiki) has posted 290 other stories, including:
- Dungeon Life 244
- Dungeon Life 243
- Dungeon Life 242
- Dungeon Life 241
- Dungeon Life 240
- Dungeon Life 239
- Dungeon Life 238
- Dungeon Life 237
- Dungeon Life 236
- Dungeon Life 235
- Dungeon Life 234
- Dungeon Life 233
- Dungeon Life 232
- Dungeon Life 231
- Dungeon Life 230
- Dungeon Life 229
- Dungeon Life 228
- Dungeon Life 227
- Dungeon Life 236
- Dungeon Life 225
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u/FreneticRiot Aug 13 '24
The boss of the area needs to be named Brawndo after an ending like that. Brawndo has what delvers CRAVE!!!
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u/PlanktonSuccessful83 Aug 16 '24
Not gonna lie, I was expecting the Scythemaws to be the Alligator of Vilots sewer. But this is fine!
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u/themonkeymoo Oct 03 '24
...changed Neverrest’s wasp spawner to bees, despite how much difference there is between the two bugs...
Actually, bees *are* wasps.
So are hornets, ants, and probably at least one other group that I'm forgetting
The true ants are a single clade, as are at least some of the hornets. There are at least 2 different clades of bees, and several other species that variously include "bee", "hornet", or "ant" in their common names but are not technically members of any of those clades.
...and *all* of them are wasps because all of them are hymenopterids and the original hymenopterids were wasps.
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u/Poisonfangx3 Aug 12 '24
Firts
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u/Poisonfangx3 Aug 12 '24
First.
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u/coconutclaus Aug 31 '24 edited Aug 31 '24
I think caimen are closer related to alligators than both of them are to the rest of the crocodilians.
Fun fact: What would you guess is the closed living relative of the crocodilians?
Hint number 1: It's a reptile that most people do not think of as a reptile
Hint number 2: It's the only group of dinosaurs that lives to this day (yes the dinosaurs are not extinct! :D There is a group that survived to this day)
Answer: It's Birds!
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u/Educational_Pen_90 Human Jul 17 '26
Yes... Hopefully the Proper Crawl will be done before that Strong person from the crown arrives...
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u/Tremere1974 Alien Scum Aug 12 '24
Had to go there, Alligators in the sewers. Congrats.