Vendris Forest

The Vendris Forest is an expansive dense rainforest located between the furthest territories of Thelron and the elven Noble Houses of Tanzia. Due to the numerous crystals located within the soil of the Vendris forest, the soil is unnaturally rich leading to rapid growth. It is also speculated by some scholars that there exists a field around Vendris the increases the rate of mutations, causing the ecosystem to change rapidly, although this is difficult to ascertain due to the hazards and fruitlessness of conducting research in Vendris. Regardless, the Forest is known for its bizarre, energy intensive ecosystem, dense canopy and unique flora.

## Flora

Outside supernaturally fast growing vegetation of all kinds, there are a number of plants and fungi that have drawn attention to themselves for their beneficial properties.

### Mako Fungus

A light grey mushroom that grows alongside large trees that shelter it. Requires damp and fertile conditions and more nutrients than is able to be produced by any reasonable commercial farm. Its curious mycelia creates new and stronger synapse and connections in people's brains, creating uncannily smart creatures and allowing for less mental strain. However long term it creates a dependence, and absence from it causes shock, nausea and suffer from clouded vision as the sensory tissue in the brain begins to degrade. It takes an incredibly long time to adapt from an addiction to it since it fundamentally alters the brain. Refined product is often known as simply Mako, and is used extensively by Tanzian nobles who import it from the local Gert.

### T’jell havi Mushrooms

A small yellowish mushroom found in the forests of Vendris, known for its hallucinogenic and psychic properties. Most of the T’jell havi is dangerous to ingest, causing vivid and often prophetic visions (although they are nigh impossible to interpret). However, the flesh around the seeds are refined, and provide a limited form of precognition.

It is theorised that initially, the psychic properties of the plant were only developed as an incentive to have its seeds carried further, but in order to avoid predation, stronger strains of the psychically active chemical were produced that inhibits a creature from defending itself and creates a thoroughly unpleasant experience. The symbiotic “Rattle Birds” consume the seeds and flesh around it in order to gain the precognition used to avoid danger. For a long time it was thought the birds themselves were psychic, rather than the food they consume.

The flesh around the seed can be harvested and refined to create a potent drug known as “impulse” or “seers spice”. This clouded grey liquid can be ingested to provide limited precognition. The response to events takes place subconsciously and as such the drug is associated with impulsive and violent responses to events that are yet to take place. It is theorised that the General Luchree’s killing of the Dwarvish General Haxbrush 657 years from present was caused by his consumption of Impulse, however most scholars dismiss this as an attempt to find a third answer to the question of which of the generals attacked first. Unlike Mako, Impulse is only as addictive as coffee, the problem is that prolonged exposure causes a shift in mental activity towards the subconcious leading to brash decision making.

### Guardian Grafter

An unusual sentinal found at the heart of the Vendris forest. Initally suspended in a larger structure formed of nearby trees, it rose to defend something in its sanctury from intruders and lost its life in the process. Possessed of the ability to draw nearby plants within itself and draw strength from them, this construct was surely designed for something important.

## Fauna

Alongside the plantlife, Vendris is perhaps most well known for its myriad of deadly creatures.

### Kikoyanki

Kikoyanki are panther-like creatures with hooked claws that allow for the rapid climbing of trees. They have 3 large muscular tails, each of which has a hooked claw at the end. To hunt, they lie in ambush in trees and swing their hooked tails down into their prey below them, ensnaring them and tearing deep into their flesh. The long time it takes for them to kill and then haul their prey to a suitable nest means that they are often intercepted by scavengers. This has led to a communal approach to hunting, where several Kikoyanki will support each other by lying in wait to combat scavengers. Due to the abundance of prey in Vendris it is more beneficial for the weaker members to eat first, ensuring they can pull their weight in future hunts.

### Haldier Galryx

Haldier Galryx are a subspecies of the Greater Galryx. They are ambush predators that conceal themselves in a mass of foliage obscuring their thin frame. It attacks by dashing by prey and cutting them with its long talons, before retreating further into the foliage. Despite being covered in grasses, it is able to traverse forested areas remarkably easily.

### Greater Galryx

What the Greater Galryx lacks in subtly it makes up for with pure muscle. Able to move at a top land speed of 80km/hr for sustained periods of time and rend flesh to ribbins in a heartbeat there is little wonder why this creature captured many a scholars heart. The incredible amount of energy required to do this means they solely hunt incredibly large prey and are otherwise docile. This has led to a small number of Greater Galryx to be captured and trained, although none have been able to supply the amounts of food and exercise to keep them in peak condition and captive Galryx to either become emaciated or lethargic.

### Organised Raptor

Unusually for a reptile, the Organised Raptors exist within a hivemind. Pheromones are emmited and detected through scent. The ability to detect minute changes in chemical composition making them exceptional scavengers when detecting blood. However they are often confused by other pheromone inducing creatures.

### Slithering Sniper

Slithering Snipers are collosal snakes that coil themselves around the largest trees in the Vendris Forest. When they spot arerial prey they rapidly uncoil to deliver a lunging bite. While their scales are incredibly tough and their flesh venemous, the Slithering Sniper is unable to deal with parasites and leeches. It is thought this is why the Gert report decreasing numbers.

### Mirage Pteradon

Transparent flying reptiles, that use their clear hide to blend in with the sky in order to avoid predators. They posses little ability to defend themselves are therefore vulnerable to predation. They consume insects and very small birds from the upper canopy of the forest.

### Croco-rex

A reptilian predator found within the Vendris forest, it is unclear if they are a actually native to Vendris or an experiment of the mage that formed the grove that held Amelia's Truth. They have the physicality of a giant crocodile, with the maw of a t-rex. There are numerous other differences that suggest they may be an evolved species such as the claws, second layer of teeth within the t-rex mouth for grappling and other small adaptations. However, only one has ever been encountered proving it may have been a unique creature.

### Venu Elgris

Thought to be Drakes that mutated and evolved in the Vendris forest, these cunning wyverns use their ability to create high temperature sparks to create large forest fires. Once creatures fleeing the wildfire weaken, the Venu Elgris finishes of the creature, and hoards food in its nest. Wildfires created tend to be widespread and damage between 10-15% of the forest each hunt. Each Venu Elgris tends to only hunt once, at most twice in their lifetime, before mating and leaving their eggs to gestate. Venu Elgris eggs take between 50-65 years to fully gestate as the Venu Elgris emerges almost fully grown. The peridoric destruction caused by this species is known by the Gert as the "Elgris Cycle". All other subspecies of Elgris are thought to be extinct due to Gertan hunting efforts.

## Culture

While the Vendris Forest remains unclaimed by any nation, and isn't a nation itself, this does not mean it isn't inhabited by sapient life, complete with their own rich cultures. The gert are an intelligent race who evolved from the forest, and most still make it their home. They live in nomadic tribes, and have deep oral histories.

The name Vendris means "Growth" in elven.