Proxima-B Flora and Fauna

**Proxima-B Flora:**

* Leaves from plant life is the medicine, fuel is from the ground (minerals)
	+ Soil is also Nitrogen rich
	+ All life stems from a dormant god like being at the core of the planet
* Life on the planet is sentient flora/plant life
	+ Their planet is running out of soil from overpopulation, desires decomposable resources to continue survival
	+ Planet would be safe for human life, sentient plants cover the entire surface.
* Can specifically choose where to bloom and able to change its presentation type - chameleon like plant
* Flora based plants are large with sentient characteristics allowing the base roots to connect them psychically as individual plants, fungal spores provide sentience (chemical reaction) also acts as a defense system and in exchange receives nutrients from the plants.

**Human interaction with Flora:**

* There are helium deposits stored in bioluminescent pod plants which may be wanted by human colonizers to ship back to Earth
* Company rationing to the humans
* The ecosystem is semi sentient, humanity is not yet sure in what ways, but it is all connected.
* Flora resources encourage human contact and migration (aware of condition on Earth)
	+ Leads to eventual death of human migrators for soil to live off of.

**Proxima B Fauna:**

* Fauna tends to be semiaquatic in some form or other. High volume of insectoids and flying creatures. There are flying slugs that sleep in tree pockets, mini otters of varying colors to blend into the colorful flora. Reptiles are thriving and enjoy the heat rich environment
* It has been found that some species on the planet have evolved to use sentient flora hardware to create an additional immune system. As certain plant life is consumed, it is not simply medicinal properties that abound, but the creation of this secondary immune system that is allowing quick healing. There is some speculation that the fungal spores that give some of the flora sentience is the cause of this fascinating adaptation. Species that usually live in a symbiotic relationship with flora can survive without the secondary system but are more susceptible to influx of human pathogens. Theoretically, human consumption might allow this secondary system to develop, however testing has not commenced as there are distinct traces of toxins. It is unknown how much of the plants must be consumed or what the UL of the fungal spore might be. Presence of Funguy suggest that the fungal presences on the planet may be more widespread and varied than previously expected.
* **Chromodendrons:** A stunning blossom cluster similar to Earth's Rhododendrons. Unlike their Earth counterparts, they are the size of a small child, ranging from 3-4 feet at its largest. Their petals pulse with varying colors depending on the temperature. They are useful tools as weather indicators as they will curl closed when rain is nearby. Their nectar is sweet, almost like condensed milk in both flavor and consistency. It's been helpful for stomach maladies so far, and seems to also help with the common cold. The petals themselves have almost a lemongrass flavor, but lettuce-like texture. Safe for consumption. Unfortunately (or fortunately?), if consumed too often or in too large of quantities, its color properties can be transferred to your skin. Remedy for this side effect is to flush out with more water consumption and reduction of consumption. (Notes: Lieutenant Croftsman is no longer allowed to eat anymore for at least 3 weeks. The whites of her eyes have begun to tinge and she's started displaying some curious characteristics. Svold has sworn he caught her photosynthesizing and "talking" to the Faeries).
* **Turuk Trees:** Their white trunks are laced with silver slivers while their phloem consist of silver rivers presumably drawn from the soil. The silver deposits can be harvested and restored after some measure of resting time. However, harvesting can be a tricky issue. The outer bark, while beautiful, is also covered in thorns that grow increasingly larger into the crown branches. There, the thorns can range between scimitar and knife length, with equivalent hardness and sharpness. They also are capable of shifting/moving, though they tend to keep to a certain range and pattern of movement. Their fruit hangs in dark purple globules, as if someone filled a hundred or so balloons with sticky jam and flung them into the branches. It is delicious and unlike any Earth equivalent. Some have described them as what soft star light ought to taste like, while others have noted it is bitter and dark. There is some speculation that the flavor changes depending on psychological state, but the veracity of this is somewhat suspect. Likely it depends on when and how the fruit is harvested. Faeries tend to nest in their branches, so caution is needed when harvesting.
* **Shardmites:** Originally thought to be crystalline growths on trunk trees are in fact mites that have grown calcium and magnesium shells coated in mucuna pruriens. The effect when one is dropped down one's shirt is the equivalent of a spoonful of itching powder dumped directly onto the skin that then skitters with unnervingly sharp feet up and out. If the shardmite is pregnant, the shell can burst and your only escape is to find some chromodendron sap to lure them away and off of you. Another option, as Lieutenant Gladwell discovered, is to strip buck naked, run screaming into the medunit, and promptly douse them with alcohol then accidentally lighting oneself on fire on the mag lamps. While likely bracing and detrimental to bodily health, it is one of the more effective means seen thus far.
* The vast biodiversity of this world has generated far more than just a handful of intelligent races. Numerous contenders, could-have-beens, and the like litter the planet. Some live in simple communities similar to our planet's great apes, and some are little more than particularly bright foodstuffs. None, however, can be said to have any real control over the whole planet.
	+ One group of insectoid pollinators, colloquially known as "faeries" is among these. While clearly more intelligent than average arthropods, and living in semi-organized groups, their small size combined with their lack of any appreciable tool use or coherent organizational system keeps them from being little more than an amusing and sometimes annoying feature of botanical gardens everywhere.

Commentary:

On the nature of Faeries: "Yeah, I'm familiar with them. One time when I was out surveying the chromedendrons, a whole flitter of them came out and were attacking my face and hands. One of the little bastards stabbed me with a thorn from one of the trunk trees. Turned out they had a nest in there that they were guarding and my intrusion on their larvae was not appreciated. On the bright side, while territorial, they do keep local pest numbers down.

Poisonous? No, not at all. Well, usually. It depends on what they live near. If it's something like a poisonous plant, then yes, because they'll roll in it or bring a leaf/thorn with them dripping in the stuff. Their skin is an exoskeleton and the oils can't soak through it, so they're fine. Not so much the guy who tries to grab one. (Poor, Danny. RIP). They can be vengeful too, so if the one you grabbed gets away, you can expect it to come back with a bunch of poisonous wax leaf fronds and drop them down your back. They're not quite intelligent the way you and I are, but they're not exactly dumb animals either.

Works in reverse too. Some of the local sentients have "trained" them by leaving out sweet things that both they and the pests like to eat. After a few days of competing for the treats, they learn to hunt down the pests and keep their gardens clean. However, the ones you want to watch out for are the variants called Seeders. No one knows exactly how it works yet, but if a Seeder plants something - it grows FAST. I have a theory that it's also working with the Spores. Anyways, piss a Seeder off and a tree grows in the middle of your dwelling by lunchtime. On the other hand, if you're friendly with them, they might help get a whole harvest up in a week or so (much to the botanists' delight).

The giggling noise they make is actually their lower wing parts rubbing together on their thorax. It seems to be part mating call, part territorial announcement, and part threat display. When one is giggling while it's trying to drop a shardmite in your hair, it isn't fun. It's terrified of the giant and trying to scare you into leaving. The noise is just a coincidence. Now, if it starts humming or singing, either get an offering or get under cover. Their Queen is nearby and they tend to be more temperamental than the workers. A worker might prick you with a thorn, but a Queen will try to pluck your eyes out and they're fast enough to usually succeed.

Havroids have trained them to be messengers, but are also not averse to snacking on them if they try to get out of hand. If a faerie's shell is sturdy, a Havroid's is near impenetrable, which is why we've left them well alone. If you do end up with an infestation, you can ask a Havroid to come and tend to the issue, but remember we're novelties and the only coin a Havroid takes is something new to learn. Be well not to miscommunicate what you're offering as you might offer them a ring to study, but they might accidentally take the whole damn hand."