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Description

It seems even in the early days, the Rubberado had a rough deal. It is certainly odd to think that when you see them bounce across the land while letting out a giggling call, making it seem like they were blissfully ignorant to all the troubles of the world. Against other beasts of the land, sure, they had little to worry about. Their bodies were coated in rubbery scales, that were impossible to penetrate with tooth and claw. To further defend themselves, they would curl themselves up into a ball, and merely wait for predators to take a swing at them. When the foe tried to strike a crippling blow, it would only send the Rubberado bouncing away, laughing the entire time. Predators could be seen fruitlessly chasing after these tumbling critters, only to attack again and cause it to fly even further away. Not to mention the humiliating times a Rubberado would bounce against a tree or rock and careen right into a carnivore's face. To top it all off, even if the attacker succeeded in cracking this impenetrable defense, their reward would be inedible meat, as the Rubberado's flesh is quite poisonous. So with all this, the Rubberado was living quite happily in the wild. Any trouble life threw at them would bounce off them like it was nothing. They lived by the whole "I am rubber, you are glue" thing, and it worked rather well. Unfortunately, this species would eventually run into a predator they could not fool, one that had no interest in their meat, but rather their greatest trick...

Natives that lived around Rubberado populations did not hunt these creatures for meat, but rather for their rubbery scales. Eating Rubberado flesh would cause gas to build up in the abdomen, swelling like a balloon. The toxins also messed with the brain, causing folks to hallucinate and lose themselves in some mindless bliss. They would laugh and bounce just like the Rubberado, except the human stomach is not meant to be used like this. The resulting mess of a failed "bounce" was always quite horrific. So instead, the meat was thrown out and the scales were kept. These materials were used in clothing, to make a rubbery armor against arrows and knives. Some were affixed to the ends of arrows, to make harmless projectiles that the children could play and practice with. They also learned a way to process these unique scales and melt them down into a latex that could be shaped and molded. It worked great with sealing and waterproofing, and it also created stretching ropes and bands. Sometimes these scales were turned into balls, which were used in play and sports, which gave the Rubberados a little bit of a break. Before the rubber processing was discovered, natives used whole Rubberados, live or dead, as a ball in their games. It was believed that the laughter that came from the beast each time it was kicked showed that it was having fun. Now that we know it is merely a vocalization they make that sounds like giggling, there is a question of how much these past Rubberados really enjoyed such treatment. Thankfully, the creation of rubber balls gave them a reprieve, though these didn't fully save them from children who enjoyed giving a wild Rubberado a playful punt from time to time.

When the settlers came over, they too found uses in the Rubberado, and this continued on for many decades. What at first was a fun toy was now becoming a popular material, and the Rubberado were suffering for it. This was a creature that provided a steady source of rubber and latex to America, and the citizens were quite proud of it. While other countries had to go through South America to get their latex and rubber tree seeds, the United States could puff its chest and claim it had no need for "foreign plant rubber." They could make so many things from their precious Rubberados, like waterproof containers, bike tires, gloves and belts. Each product fashioned from real genuine Rubberado rubber was another proud creation of America, and they were touted as being far better than any tree could produce. As the need for their scales escalated, the wild populations took a nose dive. It was only then that someone at last noticed that this species was not bottomless (which took a surprisingly long time to realize) and that America's source of rubber was in danger. The fix to this was Rubberado farms, where they were raised in cages and frequently "plucked" to hopefully create a sustainable rubber source. With how high the demand of rubber was, being a Rubberado farmer seemed like an easy way to get rich. Unfortunately, while this did provide good business, there was some unseen dangers of raising these things in enclosed environments. Having multiple Rubberados in a big pen together is a recipe for a devastating bouncing chain reaction. A farmer going in to fetch a critter for "plucking" may accidentally bump into another one, who would bounce away and run into another one who would then bounce away and...well, you get the idea. In the early days of Rubberado farming, there were numerous reports of dead rookie farmers being found in the Rubberado pens, their bodies pulverized to a paste by an unending storm of bouncing beasts.

With Rubberados now being harvested from farms, the wild ones could take a breather and slowly recover. These farms would provide all the rubber America would need, and the Rubberado train wouldn't stop! This mention of trains, however, is quite fitting, as the enemy of the locomotive also dug the grave for the Rubberado industry. The dawn of the automobile was at first heralded as the next Rubberado boom, as car tires needed rubber as well. Rubberado farms now had a buyer for every single scale they harvested, and the cash was a flowing. However, this demand was still growing, as the automobile increased in popularity and scale.What was at first a steady source of income was now draining these farms dry, as they simply could not keep up with the demand. The sustainable practice was simply too slow, to the point where many farmers butchered their entire stock of Rubberados to make one final sale of scales to the ceaseless maw of the automobile. Wild ones were suddenly back on the menu, as trappers could get quite the sum for these highly demanded scales. However, even depleting the native populations wasn't enough, and the final blow was delivered to the Rubberado industry when the auto companies announced they would switch to plant rubber. They couldn't wait around for the farms to restock or the dwindling wild populations to regrow, they needed rubber now. The announcement was blasphemous to many Americans, who saw this as a betrayal. They cried out about foreign markets stealing their jobs and money, and how the companies were turning to an inferior product to make a quick buck. These moans, however, grew quiet when the price of the automobile and its tires started to drop, as there was now a more consistent rubber supply. As they became more affordable, people started to overlook the lack of Rubberado rubber. At least the cars were still being made in America!

Once the automobile switched from the Rubberado to rubber trees, the rest of the country did as well. The other companies saw that the public forgave the car industry, so they would surely be fine with plant rubber in their other products. The Rubberado went from a symbol of pride to an outdated, expensive material. What Rubberado farms survived the auto industry's hunger now found themselves with the exact opposite problem: no one wanted their goods. Eventually, the Rubberado returned to the wild, no longer useful as livestock. This allowed the species to once again slowly regain their numbers, but returning to their original size was now impossible. Habitat loss and fragmentation meant that there simply wasn't enough land for them. Small populations still flourished, but they are now a shadow of what they once were. There were attempts to domesticate them as pets, but such bouncing beasts are a nightmare when its comes to enclosed spaces and property damage. Though they have fallen far as a whole, there still remains a lingering pride for these critters and their product. Many historical villages still boast the image of the Rubberado on many signs and businesses. Old preserved Rubberado farms and processing plants use this species as a mascot, and no reenactment village is complete without a demonstration of how Rubberado rubber was collected and processed. Rubberado products can even be bought from their gift shops, often sold in key chains, toys or fun stamps. Some sports still use Rubberado materials in their balls and equipment, claiming that they are still superior. Folks like professional racquetball or squash players demand Rubberado rubber to be used in their games, as it is tradition. Even antique dealers and collectors retain a love for this material, as anything that has genuine Rubberado rubber fetches a higher price on the market. A highwheel (also known as a penny-farthing) or Model-T is already a valuable antique, but getting one with real Rubberado rubber is what collectors truly want. Testing these rubber tires is a common practice to those who collect these wares, using an old Rubberado scale and rubbing it against the material in question. If the two rubbers rubbing together makes a squealing giggly sound, then you know that you have that real Rubberado goodness. Perhaps the species would be happy to know that they still hold a place in many hearts and communities, though they would also probably appreciate if the love of their rubber scales doesn't come back in full swing...

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Going to admit, I got nothing for Kaijune so far. Forgot about it and didn't prepare anything ahead of time. Maybe I can pull something off for the end of the month, but it ain't looking good. Here is a fearsome critter instead for now!

Description

It seems even in the early days, the Rubberado had a rough deal. It is certainly odd to think that when you see them bounce across the land while letting out a giggling call, making it seem like they were blissfully ignorant to all the troubles of the world. Against other beasts of the land, sure, they had little to worry about. Their bodies were coated in rubbery scales, that were impossible to penetrate with tooth and claw. To further defend themselves, they would curl themselves up into a ball, and merely wait for predators to take a swing at them. When the foe tried to strike a crippling blow, it would only send the Rubberado bouncing away, laughing the entire time. Predators could be seen fruitlessly chasing after these tumbling critters, only to attack again and cause it to fly even further away. Not to mention the humiliating times a Rubberado would bounce against a tree or rock and careen right into a carnivore's face. To top it all off, even if the attacker succeeded in cracking this impenetrable defense, their reward would be inedible meat, as the Rubberado's flesh is quite poisonous. So with all this, the Rubberado was living quite happily in the wild. Any trouble life threw at them would bounce off them like it was nothing. They lived by the whole "I am rubber, you are glue" thing, and it worked rather well. Unfortunately, this species would eventually run into a predator they could not fool, one that had no interest in their meat, but rather their greatest trick...

Natives that lived around Rubberado populations did not hunt these creatures for meat, but rather for their rubbery scales. Eating Rubberado flesh would cause gas to build up in the abdomen, swelling like a balloon. The toxins also messed with the brain, causing folks to hallucinate and lose themselves in some mindless bliss. They would laugh and bounce just like the Rubberado, except the human stomach is not meant to be used like this. The resulting mess of a failed "bounce" was always quite horrific. So instead, the meat was thrown out and the scales were kept. These materials were used in clothing, to make a rubbery armor against arrows and knives. Some were affixed to the ends of arrows, to make harmless projectiles that the children could play and practice with. They also learned a way to process these unique scales and melt them down into a latex that could be shaped and molded. It worked great with sealing and waterproofing, and it also created stretching ropes and bands. Sometimes these scales were turned into balls, which were used in play and sports, which gave the Rubberados a little bit of a break. Before the rubber processing was discovered, natives used whole Rubberados, live or dead, as a ball in their games. It was believed that the laughter that came from the beast each time it was kicked showed that it was having fun. Now that we know it is merely a vocalization they make that sounds like giggling, there is a question of how much these past Rubberados really enjoyed such treatment. Thankfully, the creation of rubber balls gave them a reprieve, though these didn't fully save them from children who enjoyed giving a wild Rubberado a playful punt from time to time.

When the settlers came over, they too found uses in the Rubberado, and this continued on for many decades. What at first was a fun toy was now becoming a popular material, and the Rubberado were suffering for it. This was a creature that provided a steady source of rubber and latex to America, and the citizens were quite proud of it. While other countries had to go through South America to get their latex and rubber tree seeds, the United States could puff its chest and claim it had no need for "foreign plant rubber." They could make so many things from their precious Rubberados, like waterproof containers, bike tires, gloves and belts. Each product fashioned from real genuine Rubberado rubber was another proud creation of America, and they were touted as being far better than any tree could produce. As the need for their scales escalated, the wild populations took a nose dive. It was only then that someone at last noticed that this species was not bottomless (which took a surprisingly long time to realize) and that America's source of rubber was in danger. The fix to this was Rubberado farms, where they were raised in cages and frequently "plucked" to hopefully create a sustainable rubber source. With how high the demand of rubber was, being a Rubberado farmer seemed like an easy way to get rich. Unfortunately, while this did provide good business, there was some unseen dangers of raising these things in enclosed environments. Having multiple Rubberados in a big pen together is a recipe for a devastating bouncing chain reaction. A farmer going in to fetch a critter for "plucking" may accidentally bump into another one, who would bounce away and run into another one who would then bounce away and...well, you get the idea. In the early days of Rubberado farming, there were numerous reports of dead rookie farmers being found in the Rubberado pens, their bodies pulverized to a paste by an unending storm of bouncing beasts.

With Rubberados now being harvested from farms, the wild ones could take a breather and slowly recover. These farms would provide all the rubber America would need, and the Rubberado train wouldn't stop! This mention of trains, however, is quite fitting, as the enemy of the locomotive also dug the grave for the Rubberado industry. The dawn of the automobile was at first heralded as the next Rubberado boom, as car tires needed rubber as well. Rubberado farms now had a buyer for every single scale they harvested, and the cash was a flowing. However, this demand was still growing, as the automobile increased in popularity and scale.What was at first a steady source of income was now draining these farms dry, as they simply could not keep up with the demand. The sustainable practice was simply too slow, to the point where many farmers butchered their entire stock of Rubberados to make one final sale of scales to the ceaseless maw of the automobile. Wild ones were suddenly back on the menu, as trappers could get quite the sum for these highly demanded scales. However, even depleting the native populations wasn't enough, and the final blow was delivered to the Rubberado industry when the auto companies announced they would switch to plant rubber. They couldn't wait around for the farms to restock or the dwindling wild populations to regrow, they needed rubber now. The announcement was blasphemous to many Americans, who saw this as a betrayal. They cried out about foreign markets stealing their jobs and money, and how the companies were turning to an inferior product to make a quick buck. These moans, however, grew quiet when the price of the automobile and its tires started to drop, as there was now a more consistent rubber supply. As they became more affordable, people started to overlook the lack of Rubberado rubber. At least the cars were still being made in America!

Once the automobile switched from the Rubberado to rubber trees, the rest of the country did as well. The other companies saw that the public forgave the car industry, so they would surely be fine with plant rubber in their other products. The Rubberado went from a symbol of pride to an outdated, expensive material. What Rubberado farms survived the auto industry's hunger now found themselves with the exact opposite problem: no one wanted their goods. Eventually, the Rubberado returned to the wild, no longer useful as livestock. This allowed the species to once again slowly regain their numbers, but returning to their original size was now impossible. Habitat loss and fragmentation meant that there simply wasn't enough land for them. Small populations still flourished, but they are now a shadow of what they once were. There were attempts to domesticate them as pets, but such bouncing beasts are a nightmare when its comes to enclosed spaces and property damage. Though they have fallen far as a whole, there still remains a lingering pride for these critters and their product. Many historical villages still boast the image of the Rubberado on many signs and businesses. Old preserved Rubberado farms and processing plants use this species as a mascot, and no reenactment village is complete without a demonstration of how Rubberado rubber was collected and processed. Rubberado products can even be bought from their gift shops, often sold in key chains, toys or fun stamps. Some sports still use Rubberado materials in their balls and equipment, claiming that they are still superior. Folks like professional racquetball or squash players demand Rubberado rubber to be used in their games, as it is tradition. Even antique dealers and collectors retain a love for this material, as anything that has genuine Rubberado rubber fetches a higher price on the market. A highwheel (also known as a penny-farthing) or Model-T is already a valuable antique, but getting one with real Rubberado rubber is what collectors truly want. Testing these rubber tires is a common practice to those who collect these wares, using an old Rubberado scale and rubbing it against the material in question. If the two rubbers rubbing together makes a squealing giggly sound, then you know that you have that real Rubberado goodness. Perhaps the species would be happy to know that they still hold a place in many hearts and communities, though they would also probably appreciate if the love of their rubber scales doesn't come back in full swing...

----------------------------------------------

Going to admit, I got nothing for Kaijune so far. Forgot about it and didn't prepare anything ahead of time. Maybe I can pull something off for the end of the month, but it ain't looking good. Here is a fearsome critter instead for now!