Loading...........

Assessing.........

Downloading...........

Research log, May 5

Speices: Shai-Hulud Gigantus wormus (Common term: Al Raqian Sandworm)

The Sandworm is a native life-form of the planet AL Raqis. It lives in the vast deserts and sand dunes that stretched across the surface of the planet.

Sandworms live beneath the sand. Attracted to rhythmic vibrations on the surface, they will breach in pursuit of the origin of such vibrations. This is an effort to defend their territory, of which they are highly protective. Thus to see a worm, and live to tell about it, is extremely rare, save for the mysterious fremen, who have achieved some kind of mastery over the beast.

Size

By anyone's standards, Sandworms could grow to an enormous size. The size ranges from around 30m and is rumoured to go as far as 2km. The average size of a worm is around 450 meter. 

Age

Due to the difficulty of studying these creatures, not much is originally known about the wild Sandworms. The longevity of the Sandworm is supposedly extreme, estimated in the thousands of years. We still have to study the subject of age. The only ones who really can tell us about the age of the worms are the Fremen.

Appearance

Their skin is thick, rough, and orange colored. It serves the simple function of armor and seems to be comprised of many scales, each a few feet in size. These scales overlapped and interlocked to form the armor that protected it against internal sand invasion.

Sandworms are animals similar in appearance to colossal terrestrial annelids and in other ways to the sea lamprey. They are cylindrical creatures with no significant appendages, equipped with a fearsome array of crystalline teeth, used primarily for rasping rocks and sand, and more than capable of eating anything imaginable.

Image of a Sandworm:

 

This is the theoretical internal view of the Worm. We still have to research into it and expand out knowledge of the Sandworm, but we manage to collect a lot of data already. Still, we can not confirm a connection between the Sandworms and the Spice at this date.

Lightning

The approach of a sandworm towards its breach-point is often indicated by the dry lightning that frequently occurres in the area; a result of static electricity being discharged into positively-charged air.

We have registered a lot of changes in th EM fields which we are sure are created by the Worms. We have to investigate it further so we can actually create a warning system that let us know in advanced where a worm will show up.

Diet

The main component of the Sandworm's diet seems to be sand, and other inorganic and dry components of the Al Raqian crust. We also think they sifted the sand-plankton for nourishment.

Birth

We are currently not sure hoe the procedure of conception and birth is happening with the Wroms, we have to investigate this problem further.

Cultural Impact of the Sandworm

To the planet's Fremen population, the creature is a spiritual symbol of their faith and see them as physical embodiments of the One God of their original Zensunni religion. Within Fremen culture the Sandworm has several additional names, notably The Maker and Shai-Hulud, which variously mean Old Man of the Desert, Old Father Eternity, or Grandfather of the Desert

Young Sandworms seem to be used by the Fremen for special ceremonies. Inducting a new Sayyadinas or reverend mothers is a prime example of the Sandworms essential cultural role.

We still have to learn a lot about these creatures and how they are tied into the network of life here on Al Raqis. Further investigation is necessary to uncover all the mysteries and secrets this creature surrounds.