Effelai

The **Effelai** is an enormous plant spanning much of the northern half of South Aelantir, reaching as far as the entirety of Soruin (although it is newer and therefore less powerful there). Speculated to be a Precursor experiment that got free when the city of Affelai crashed, the plant then expanded into the hive-mind jungle known today. The jungle, occupied mostly by the native Ruinborn, is incredibly dangerous due to its ability to constantly expand, such as by taking over plants through its extending roots, yet is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful places on Halann due to its biodiversity.

## Physiology

Appearing as a dense jungle, the Effelai is in truth one living organism, with an evidenced nervous system running to the individual parts of it. Believed to originate somewhere in the region of Effelai Proper, biologists theorize that the plant has a heart located in the crash site of Affelai but this has never been confirmed.

Much of the jungle contains fauna and flora that is impossible to find anywhere else on Halann, such as the... More often dangerous than not, parts of the Effelai, such as the region surrounding Affelai itself as written by Teagan Cottersea, have been described as jewels.

*"At first we'd thought the whole city was made of jewels, emerald buildings encrusted with jewels of every colour shimmering in the sunlight - gods, we hadn't seen the sun in so long - we must've stood there for an eternity, staring at it, all thoughts of the monster outside banished. Our wonder was not diminished when we moved closer and realized these ruins were not constructed of jewels; what we had thought to be emerald we realized were strange plants, not like those in the rest of the jungle, and the other jewels were flowers that had sprung up amongst the plantlife."*
―Teagan Cottersea, Chronicler and Explorer
The most dangerous ability integral to the Effelai is its capability to invade one's mind, creating creatures known as Seedthralls. Inflicted with a "zombie-like" state, victims seem to lose all sense of self and reasoning, becoming "servants" to the hive-mind, connected to it through its neural network. Even without taking over one's mind, the jungle is addictive, with many who enter it becoming unwilling to leave such as Teagan Cottersea. For these reasons and its deadly inhabitants, the region is known as one of the deadliest on Halann.

Despite the recent mass extinction event of the Day of Ashen Skies, it is theorized in Habil's *Theory of Speciation* that magical radiation actually caused mass speciation events for all forms of life and not just ruinborn. It is further believed that the Effelai organism itself has been a major catalyst for evolution of other organisms whether to resist its influence or live in symbiosis. Such creatures include those that sing to resist the Effelai's effect (as will be explored later), the mushroom forest, and more.

Despite its ever growing size, the jungle itself is not invincible. The most effective weapon against it has proven to be fire, it is possible to burn out the roots of the jungle and drive it back through these means, though this comes at the cost of the ecosystem and greatly "angers" the system as seen by the Orwa'ii.

### Song

Music's effect on the neural network of the jungle is likely one of the most intriguing quirks when it comes to the jungle. In fact, the jungle itself, when exposed to air, resonates and "sings". When animals, humanoids included, are turned into Seedthralls they are known to sway to the rhythm with the noise of the jungle. Singing, however, can also soothe and resist the Effelai. When sung to, it is known to "calm" down and creatures can even resist its influence like many of the animals in the jungle.

## Expeditions

Becoming a hotspot for expeditions in the 19th century, despite the dangers of the region it became a location of immense interest to Cannorian powers and even local nations. A variety of reasons drew adventurers to the jungle. Rumors of biological and magical effects that could be harnessed from the uniqueness of the jungle brought about these powers in droves. The massive reserve of living wealth in the Effelai is said to have created the largest surge of adventurer activity since the Greentide, spearheaded by the Foolfoot Expedition. These adventurers would trudge through the jungle, under threat from fauna and flora alike, in search of rare flowers or organisms said to have the power to change the fortunes of a nation. Mages, Artificers, and merchants have all sought to get their hands on the Effelai's various exotic plants and animals,

While some nations took advantage of the knowledge that native ruinborn had, others fought against the local inhabitants who would then use the jungle against them. With the exposing of the Cottersea Expedition, few expeditions found success.

## Native Inhabitants

The local inhabitants of the Effelai include the Ruinborn known as the Effe'i and the Lai'i. These, who dwell in more Effelai-influenced regions, are known for their thick, matted hair covering the entire body, and many sweet-smelling perfumes. Their ears are also abnormally large for ruinborn.

Those on the fringe, the Parura, the Thamvoi, and previously the Oronoi (as they have since gone extinct), have thick, well-groomed hair covering most of the body, and ritualistic use of dyes. These ruinborn have rounded ears in contrast with the Effei'i and the Lai'i.

A variety of different Effelai Jungle Worships have sprung out from the local cultures, with a variety of beliefs and cultures surrounding the unique ecosystem.