Kivath Jungle

The Kivath Jungle can be found to the southwest of Osirian. Like many jungles in Oustomia, it holds hidden treasures, and many dangers, waiting for the eager adventure to discover them.

## History

The island of Kivath is most notably home to the city of **Osirian**. Besides that, the large desert takes up most of the island. Often overlooked by locals and travelers alike, the jungles of Kivath are home to many strange and rare things. Countless dangerous, exotic plants and animals have made traversing the jungles hazardous to even the most experienced explorers. Very little of the of the jungle has been mapped. There are a few villages inhabited by humanoids near the edges closest to the desert, mostly mostly home to rare crossbreeds or those seeking isolation from the world.

Another thing this jungle has in common with other jungles in Oustomia is the ruins scattered throughout, hinting at an ancient civilization that once existed there, and is now lost to the foliage. The current natives are descendents of this ancient civilization, and consider entering their ruins a taboo. Some go so far as to fanatically guard their heritage, killing any trespassers who dare to enter their sacred grounds. One of the most famous sites, and only sites known to most outsiders, include a city comprised of giant blocks of stone piled seemingly at random atop one another. The towers are not stable, and often fall over if there is a harsh wind. Eerily enough, the next day the tower will have been rebuilt, although not always in the same pattern as before. Anyone who spends the night sleeping within the City of Risen Towers is found dead the next morning, crushed flat by whatever mysterious force continues to rebuild the abandoned city. Another is a pristine lake, full of clean and cool water. It is surrounded by abandoned ruins, untouched by the ravages of the jungle. People flock to the shores of the lake for the fresh water and easy transportation of goods and materials. Those people are never heard from again. Every hundred years or so, another group settles by the lake to repeat the process. Walking along the lakeside is like taking a tour through history.

Throughout its history, the jungle has been overrun by demon worshippers of all sorts. The dark and hidden clearings deep amongst the trees provide excellent places for cultists and maniacs to perform their rituals undisturbed by the forces of good. Many of the ancient ruins are used as shelters for these evil groups, while some of the ruins have inspired their own corrupted worshippers, housing artifacts of terrible malignant power.

## Geography

The terrain of the Kivath Jungles is primarily rain forest, however there are also small mountains along the south eastern edge. Must of the ground is covered in dense moss. Much of the earth is swampland, soft and muddy. Lightning mud is a very real threat to the denizens of the Kivath Jungle. There are crags and underground caverns throughout the jungles, remnants of some long forgotten upheaval, as if some great force struck the center, leaving great holes around it and raising the edges. A massive freshwater lake rests at the northern edge of the jungles.

## Ecology

It would be nearly impossible to record every single species of flaura and fauna present in the jungles. Needless to say, they are as varied as they are threatening.

### Plants

Bullhorn Acacia Trees - Relatively short for trees, the threat comes from the massive thorns that cover the entire length of the trunk. Just a few of these trees side by side can easily prevent travelers from passing by. Even more insidious than the thorns, a species of aggressive ant makes their nests inside the trees. Any person foolish enough to touch one will soon have a swarm of the voracious little insects covering their body.

Spider Vines - A close relative of the assassin vine, spider vines are less mobile than their tracking cousins. Spider Vines appear like normal vines covered in leaves and a few thorns. When something brushes against the leaves, the vine will immediately wrap around the victim, and the thorn will inject a necrotoxin. As the poison starts to dissolve the flesh of the hapless creature, small tendrils will grow directly into their body and absorb the nutrients.

Monkey Trees - Relatively harmless, and excellent for climbing, monkey trees grow tall into the canopy. They are covered from bottom to top in wide curving branches, almost begging to be used as a ladder. While the tree itself is harmless, the bark exudes an oil that causes a strong fragrant reaction when contact is made with bare skin or leather. Many predators in the area know to follow the scent because it means something unfamiliar with the jungle is present, and is likely easy prey.

### Animals

Angazhani - Some of the most evil wildlife to be found anywhere that isn't a direct link to the infernal plane, these great apes have gained sentience, and serve the demon lord Angazhan with killer intellect. They are larger than the average girallons, using their powerful six arms to wield crude weaponry and infernal fetishes. They are quite fond of capturing passersby, dragging them back to their villages to be tortured and eaten alive.

Giant Botflies - Capable of directly injecting their eggs into a host, these massive insects are truly repulsive. If not treated quickly, any wound inflicted by a Giant Botfly will start to produce their larvae, and overflow with flesh eating worms. Exterminate with extreme prejudice, and treat injuries with fire.

Tobongo - A cross between animals and plants, the Tobongo are the Kivath equivalent of treants. Disguised as jungle trees, they attack any who seem to threaten the forests with vines and crushing strength. Any poor soul grabbed by a Tobongo is injected with a horrifying disease that slowly turns the victim into a tree by forcing their skin to produce bark-like protrusions. Constant pruning can keep the effect from crippling the victim, but if the disease is not cured, they will inevitably grow roots and lose their intelligence.