Entity 46 - Narco Jellyfish

ENTITY NO. 46

THREAT LEVEL
1

Habitat:
Deep, low-light, freshwater environments.

Aggression: 0/5
Non-aggressive

Intellect: 0/5
No control over own actions

Danger: 4/5
Life-threatening

Description

Figure 1
Microscopic image of
Nematoidal Proboscides
on a C. paralytica tentacle

Narco Jellyfish, designated as Entity 46 and scientifically known as Cephalonarcos paralytica is an aquatic Cnidaria akin to jellyfish as known from The Frontrooms. Though similar in appearance to that of certain Cnidaria, C. paralytica have attributes that make them unique from their Frontrooms cousins. Visually, Narco Jellyfish have a nearly transparent bell with venom packed oral arms underneath. These animals usually live in swarms, or blooms of several hundred individuals. They mostly reside near the surface of deep, dark, fresh water.

Due to the potential deadly nature of Narco Jellyfish, it is advised to avoid handling these animals and reporting all findings to appropriate groups with backrooms database access. If you find yourself in a level with potential blooms of C. paralytica, exercise extreme caution when entering any water source. If you find yourself in water with a C. paralytica bloom, swiftly exit the water or face potential paralysis and drowning.

Anatomy

C. paralytica, or Narco Jellyfish share a similar shape and general anatomy with Frontrooms Jellyfish, but with a few key differences. Their bells are transparent and irregular in shape, roughly similar to that of a Portuguese man o’ war. (Note that Narco Jellyfish are not colonial organisms like the Portuguese man o’ war.) Adults can grow up to 30cm in length, with a diameter of roughly half of its length. Their tentacles can reach lengths of 60cm to 100cm.

Internally, Narco Jellyfish have several organs key to their survival including a stomach pouch, gonads, hormone and chemical glands, and an orifice that acts as both a mouth and an anus. Unique to C. paralytica, these organisms have a central neural organ, similar to a brain, despite having no notable sensory organs. It is presumed that these neural organs primarily function to regulate hormones and other primagens used in reproduction.

C. paralytica tend to have 8 to 12 tentacles on average that can grow anywhere from 60cm to 100cm in adult individuals. Similar to cnidocytes in typical jellyfish, each tentacle holds thousands of microscopic, venom packed organs called Nematoidal Proboscis (See Figure 1). Nematoidal proboscides are like touch-activated harpoon needles that can rapidly penetrate skin while injecting a soup of predatory chemicals.

Though the method of delivering venom is similar between C. paralytica and their Frontrooms counterparts, the chemicals contained in their venom are vastly different. Instead of delivering painful, burning stings, Narco Jellyfish, as their common name suggests, deliver a payload of numbing, paralyzing compounds. Though it is currently unknown the exact chemical makeup of this unique cocktail, researchers have been able to isolate certain chemical groups, using various techniques from the analytical laboratory of Level 181, in which they were able to hypothesize a few key compounds responsible for various effects from the C. paralytica venom.

• N-(2,6-dimethylphenyl)-2-(diethylamino)acetamide, a compound similar to a common chemical called lidocaine (See Figure 2.1). This chemical will block sodium channels in nerves, numbing them in the process. This mechanism prevents pain signals, originating at the injection site, from reaching brain. This allows Narco Jellyfish stings to occur completely unnoticed.

• N-[2-(4-chlorophenyl)ethyl]thiourea, a compound similar to capsazepine (See Figure 2.2), additionally blocks heat and pain transmission signals by inhibiting TRPV1 receptors. Due to the combination of capsazepine and the lidocaine like chemicals, combined with these animals’ transparent bodies and dark habitations, a victim of Narco Jellyfish may be completely unaware that they are entangled in a mess of venomous tentacles.

• A third chemical, (Z)-7-[3-hydroxy-4-(hydroxyethyl)cyclopentyl]hept-5-enoic acid, a prostacyclin analog similar to iloprost (See Figure 2.3), expands blood vessels, allowing a deep and rapid absorption of the Narco Jellyfish’s venom into the tissue from the injection site. It is important to keep in mind that each tentacle holds thousands of these nematoidal proboscides, potentially delivering an undetectable venomous payload to large portions of the body at once.

• The fourth isolated compound hypothesized by researchers is a calcium channel blocker known as 2-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-5-[2-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)ethylamino]-2-isopropylpentanenitrile or verapamil (See Figure 2.4). This chemical inhibits voltage-gated calcium channels, which weakens or suppresses muscle function. This can lead to hypotonia, which slows muscle contraction to the point of a total loss in functionality. High doses of this chemical can also lead to cardiac suppression which weakens the heart’s ability to pump efficiently.

In summary, these four chemicals, alongside a few acidic compounds and digestive proteins, are sneaky and incredibly dangerous. Stings are undetectable, as the venom cocktail prevents the body from feeling the injections or any pain associated with the injection sites. Due to blood vessel expansion, the venom quickly penetrates deep into tissue, causing a severe loss of muscle functionality. Victims that become ensnared in a bloom of Narco Jellyfish will lose the ability to move their bodies. While they remain fully conscious, these individuals become trapped, submerged in dark depths as their bodies are drained of oxygen and lifeforce, all the while their bodies are slowly and painlessly digested by these unknowing and unsuspecting organisms.

• Figure 2.1
• Figure 2.2
• Figure 2.3
• Figure 2.4

Figure 2.1

Figure 2.2

Figure 2.3

Figure 2.4

Behavior and Reproduction

Figure 3
C. paralytica polyps on a rock substrate.

C. paralytica, or Narco Jellyfish live in blooms, or swarms of several hundred individuals. They are freshwater organisms and thrive in deep waters, typically greater than 20 meters in depth. They are primarily found in lowlight environments such as caves, caverns, crevices, or deep forests. Given that these animals lack any sort of sensory organs, it is speculated that Narco Jellyfish use chemical signals to reproduce, coordinate, and live in their colonies.

Narco Jellyfish do not display evidence of typical cognitive behaviors, despite having a centralized neural organ, though they do seem to be able to retain basic memory based on touch, given that an individual will show ability to avoid colliding with others or obstacles in the water such as rocks or other inorganic structures. They do not, however, display any sort of emotion, aggression, ability to hunt, chase, or flee when presented with threats or prey, rather they seem to rely on their camouflage in their dark environments, alongside their chemical venom to trap and feed on prey.

If prey fall into their grasps, alongside their paralyzing abilities, the Narco Jellyfish also release digestive proteins and enzymes to help breakdown organic matter in which they can feed. Once a certain threshold of nutrient availability is achieved, alongside a stage of sexual maturity, C. paralytica will activate hormone glands, located near their orifices. Though a thorough analysis has yet to be conducted on the chemical makeup of these hormones, it is speculated that a mature adult will release a type of "primagen", something similar to Maturation Inducing Hormones (MIH), which are found in ordinary Jellyfish. When these hormones are released, they help stimulate other mature adults in which they will also begin releasing these primagens. These hormones, at a high enough concentration, will stimulate reproductive receptors of all surrounding mature Narco Jellyfish in which they will all collectively and simultaneously release a cloud of sperm and eggs, respective to their genders.

This cloud of genetic material will engulf and obfuscate the entire water column surrounding the bloom of Narco Jellyfish. The sperm and eggs will combine and pair off, in which they will develop into free-swimming planulae, a sort of mobile zygote form of C. paralytica. These microscopic organisms will drift in the water column for a time, but they will eventually settle on the floor of the water column.

The planula larvae of the C. paralytica that make their way onto solid substrates such as a rock or other hard surface with develop into polyps, small sessile organisms that are anchored in place (See Figure 3). These polyps will use their tiny tentacles to grab micronutrients and organic matter from the water and feed. As these polyps grow, they will bud off medusa clones, or tiny Narco Jellyfish juveniles, that will grow and pod up into blooms just as their previous generations did before. Since these polyps all develop at the same time, they form a new bloom or swarm of Narco Jellyfish, continuing the life cycle.

History

Narco Jellyfish were officially documented on the 28th of August 2022 by a wanderer named Nick T. Nick T. and his friend, Kenny B. were contracted out by the M.E.G. in Level 102 where they collected a specimen in their travels. Later, Michael B., a M.E.G. researcher would officially document the entity known as Cephalonarcos paralytica, and officially add it to the Backrooms database. C. paralytica would subsequently be found in numerous levels across the backrooms, providing plausible explanations for numerous mysterious disappearances of several wanderers within their respective waters.

Open Orated Entry - B is for Bathophobia

Close Orated Entry

An account from Nick T. about his initial discovery of Narco Jellyfish.

Despite how long ago it was, I remember it like it was yesterday. I was with a buddy, Kenny; we had just made it to the Outpost Lacuna the day before after drudging through the polluted poolrooms for about a week, you know, what was it, 37.9? As Level 102 was notably safe, being a class one level and all, we decided to do a little contract work for the Meggies in exchange for some supplies.

They gave us a map to a new alcove that they were mapping out, and they wanted us to go and scope out some of the deeper pools of water they had found. Maybe check the bottoms of the pools for supplies and anomalies if we could reach them. In contrast to the filth that we had to swim through in 37.9, the water on 102 was pure; apparently anything that wasn’t supposed to be in the water would just sink to the bottom. Pollution, trash, that sort of thing.

So, they gave us some diver lights and a net in case we found anything big, and we went out. Like I said earlier, it was about a day’s travel. We camped on a thin ledge for the night… well you know, no days or nights in a big underground water storage system thingy, anyway. The next day we pushed our way through the alcove, and it was really dark. I mean, this place was unusually dark.

Well, I searched the perimeter for clumps while Kenny threw on some flippers. He jumps in, dives under and after a bit comes back up. He said the water was way deeper than expected, but he didn’t see anything with his lights, so we didn’t bother to toss a net or anything.

Next area was my dive. We repeated our procedure in reverse; Kenny checked the perimeter; I put on the flippers. Then before he even made it back to the edge of the drop off, we exchanged a quick thumbs up and I jumped in. Now mind you, I checked the water before just jumping in, I swear it to this day, we checked! There was nothing in there! When I dived in, and shined my light, I saw what looked like to be like plastic bags or something, floating around. It was strange since trash was supposed to fall to the bottom. I don’t know, but I did my flashlight check towards the bottom and there was some sort of small sediments, looked like popcorn on the floor.

Like before, it was way too deep to actually try and swim down to see what they were. So, I go to kick my legs to swim back up, but they didn’t want to move. I pull with my arms, and they didn’t move either. I had only been down there maybe half a minute, and I was already running out of breath.

I could barely see; it was so dark. I couldn’t move my arms to lift up my light either. My arms and legs were just dead. I was panicking! My body was slowly drifting downward, my lungs were on empty, and I was sure I was going to die. If it weren’t for Kenny… Thank whichever devil rules over the backrooms that he was quick witted enough to throw in the net instead of diving in after me.

Kenny pulled me up out of the deep, along about 10 or so lopsided looking jellyfish, their tentacles all stuck to my body and arms and legs. I never felt a thing. Even with fresh air, I couldn’t catch my breath. It was like I wasn’t getting enough oxygen. He tried pulling all of those damned things off of me, but his fingers went numb after a few seconds. He had to pry them little demons off with a knife. It took me the rest of the day before I got enough feeling in my legs to where I could walk again.

We bagged up a jellyfish and went back to camp. They told us that it was a new entity; that it was undocumented. They compensated us well for our troubles and findings, but I was never the same after that. I don’t know… any sort of deep water or even empty dark crevices, whether it had water or not would paralyze me with fear. If I can’t see the bottom, I freeze in terror.

One of the strangest places I got this terror was at the top of a canyon in Level 200. I was with a group… no Kenny was back in Level 4 with the BAS. Anyway, we were perched on the top, enjoying the ethereal sounds and fresh air, watching the sun set. It’s an entity free, perfectly safe level, you know? Well, it was twilight, we were all in good vibes and I happened to look down.

Now, I’ve never been scared of heights, never. But something about how the sun no longer illuminated the bottom put me in a panic. I started sweating, hyperventilating. I think I went into shock; even threw up on the ground. They could not calm me down, no matter what. Logically, I knew I was safe, but again, ever since I nearly died from those invisible jellyfish, just seeing something like that made my brain assume I was dying all over again.

Medicinal Uses

Despite the aforementioned dangers involving the chemical soup found in the nematoidal proboscides of a Narco Jellyfish tentacle, wanderers have found some uses for their potent venom. The venom is an effective painkiller, especially in localized areas of the body. Wanderers have found that due to the penetrative nature of the venom, even pain from bone fractures can be subdued.

Clever wanderers have even managed to use the venom to temporarily paralyze individuals, either through weaponry such as tipped arrows for hunting, or utilized for surgical purposes to deactivate different muscle tissue in the body. Research continues today in hopes of finding new applications of the Narco Jellyfish venom.

Please note that overdosing a patient using this venom can induce hypotonia, causing cardiac suppression, weakening the heart’s ability to efficiently pump blood, often resulting in oxygen deficiency. Long term effect of the venom is also not understood, but some experts suggest potential muscle deterioration, heart issues, or even carcinogenic effect over extended usage. Caution is urged when using these chemicals.

Do's and Don'ts

Do

• Utilize the "buddy system" when exploring new aquatic, freshwater environments. Particularly those in low-light conditions. Check the waters thoroughly.
• Wear puncture resistant PPE when handling these animals.
• Immediately egress out of any water if Narco Jellyfish are found present. You may only have moments if you are tangled in their tentacles.
• Document findings of Narco Jellyfish blooms.

Don't

• Jump into dark, freshwater environments without knowing what's below.
• Attempt to handle these animals without proper PPE.
• Utilize the venom for medical uses without proper medical training unless under dire circumstances.
• Cook the tentacles for food. Remove them first before cooking the bells. The bells are safe to eat when cooked and prepared properly.

Footnotes

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Author: TheDadams
Photos:
Main Image, Nematoidal Proboscis, and Polyp Photo - Created by author combining and editing several photos and animals from various sources.
Chemical structures created using molview.org
Story Images from the Orated Entry - taken from their respective levels.
GIF background: Free from https://gifer.com - Waves ambient design GIF on GIFER - by Shalith