EYELAND - TIMELINE #76522902

(Timeline Tuesday #94)

Eyelands are enormous aquatic creatures, closely related to the fungal growths of our timeline. These entities can range greatly in size, but adult eyelands typically range between one to ten miles in circumference. That said, the largest eyeland ever reported was found at the center of the Pacific Ocean. Named Beholder, this growth held a circumference of ninety-eight miles. This is slightly larger than the island of Hawaii.

Once discovered, Beholder was quarantined in a specific section of the ocean and is now patrolled by an alliance of nearby countries. The food intake of this particular creature is closely monitored and limited, which keeps the body mass from getting any larger. This could cause any number of ecological problems for our timeline. While it is not known for certain, there are theories that an eyeland of this size that is left unchecked could eventually grow to cover the entirety of our planet’s ocean.

Despite all of this, eyelands are peaceful creatures. These massive, semi-fungal forms are green in coloration, floating along the surface of water-bodies and using simple food consumption—as well as photosynthesis—to remain healthy. The underside of an eyeland is covered in fine combs, similar to the baleen of whales, which they use to collect plankton and other small creatures. Meanwhile, the top of their relatively flat bodies appears to feature lush flora, from grass to shrubs and trees. While close inspection reveals that these features all belong to the same organism, animals of lower intelligence do not seem to mind, and can make their homes on certain large eyelands.

Eyelands also feature a handful of strange growths that protrude from their bodies in random stalks. Eventually, giant eyes will emerge at the tip. These eyes are slow moving for an animal, but incredibly fast for a fungus. The purpose of the eyes is unknown, and although eyeland often uses them to observe their surroundings, they will typically point them upright to stare off into the sky.