| "They harvest their food without fully depleting it and having to continually move on. And whenever they mine, they even refill the shafts. They put it all back, because they have respect for the Earth." |
| — Drake's thoughts about the Coprolites in Deeper |
| Coprolites | |
|---|---|
|
Headquarters/Habitat |
The Deeps |
|
Conservation Status |
Common |
|
Diet |
Herbivorous |
|
Goals |
Survive |
|
Allies |
Anyone who will help them |
|
Enemies |
None |
Coprolites are a strange species of humanoids that inhabit the Deeps.
History[]
It is unknown how long they have been living in the Deeps, although it is presumed to have been a very long time. Hundreds of years prior to the present day, theStyx used them as slaves and bred them in the Bunker like animals. The Styx would use them for mining the minerals that they needed and kept them in cities in the Deeps, such as the late Crevice Town and breeding them in the Bunker. However, this was soon stopped for unknown reasons, and the two groups now trade with each other (although this hasn't stopped the Styx from killing the Coprolites when they please to keep their numbers in check). It's also been known that renegades, such as Drake and Elliott, have been trading supplies such as food and light orbs with them for a long time.
Tunnels:[]
The Coprolites make a minor appearance in Tunnels. When Will is returning from work in the Colony, he sees one of these creatures trading with Colonists for fruit, while Will looks on, startled by it's appearance.
Deeper:[]
Will, Chester, and Cal stumble upon a tomb of thousands of mummified Coprolites, showing that these people bury whole tombs of their dead (similar to Native Americans).
During Dr. Burrow's underground expedition, some Coprolite children rescued him before he could die of thirst or starvation. They brought him back to their community, where he lived with them for a couple months. He even got his own Coprolite suit :). He continued to record them in his journal, all the while taking part in their day-to-day activities. At one point, while on a Coprolite barge, he passed by Will, Chester, and Cal, although the two parties didn't recognize each other. The doctor soon had to leave, however, due to the Coprolites abandoning the settlement. It's unknown what became of this group, although it is believed that they were killed by the Styx Limiters, as not long after, Will and Chester witnessed a Coprolite execution. Another reason for them leaving was because they could have sensed the incoming danger, as the Styx were beginning to blow up the Coprolite settlements.
The Styx also began hanging the corpses of the Coprolites up on stakes, as a warning of what will happen to them if they help the renegades. Despite this, they are still seen trading food and supplies with Drake and Elliott.
Freefall:[]
During the beginning of Freefall, Drake finds a group of Coprolite miners and, after knocking out the lone Styx Division guard, commandeers one fo the Coprolite mining vehicles in an effort to reach the Bunker. Surprisingly, four of the creatures actually decided to help him to pilot the vehicle (unusual because of their placid nature) and destroy the Bunker.
Spiral:[]
The Coprolites do not appear again until Spiral, where it is revealed that the Styx forced another group to dig a tunnel all the way down to the inner world, so they could bring the New Germanians and their armies up to the Colony. Drake's group took out the Styx guards and took one of the giant mining vehicles, in order to quickly reach the inner world and stop the Phase.
Appearance/Behavior[]
Coprolites are described as looking humanoid in appearance, with two arms and legs, but wear what appears to be a bloated diving suit (more than likely used to protect themselves from the radiation of the Deeps). The suits are a dull grey color, the same shade as mushroom or bone. The face is featureless, minus two massive eye holes that glow in the dark, due to the tiny light orbs embedded around the eyes.
Generally placid in nature, Coprolites have almost never been known to cause trouble. They don't seem to respond when witnessing death; even if it's their own people, they just stand there motionless. However, this changes when a group of Coprolites actually helps Drake bulldoze the Bunker in Freefall.
According to Drake, they have a great respect for the Earth and take care of it to the best of their abilities. Whenever they mine, they make sure to eventually fill the excavated space back in.
Equipment[]
Coprolites have been known to use a wide range of mining tools, from basic shovels to giant mining machines. They use barges to carry their excavated materials via canals.
They are known to be very dependant on light orbs.
Additional Notes[]
- The name "Coprolite" comes from the term mean "fossilized dinosaur manure". The Colonists had given them this name because of their lowlife status.