Caltria, Jungle of the South

As you drift closer to the shore, the horizon becomes clearer. The dense foliage that was visible from a mile out shows its full grandeur now that you’re within arm’s reach of the sand. Your brow dampens and your temples ache as countless animals announce their presence to you and each other with hoots, howls, screams, caws, and squawks. The beach is a coarse, dark brown that seems almost gravelly more than sand. It’s impossible to see more than ten feet in any direction past the tree line, and the heat at sea only seems to have compounded now that you’re under the canopies of these massive trees. It’s somehow more humid among the dense underbrush. As you hack your way through the bushes and vines, you quickly lose sight of the beach, and the once-blinding sun is now completely smothered by innumerable layers of leaves, vines, and bark.

Geography

A sprawling jungle that encapsulates a well-known intermediary village; the village houses travelers as its main income, as many have to travel through the jungle. The more privileged can afford regular maritime travel to avoid the hassle of the verdant region, however.

Fauna & Flora

The first thing one notices are grand trees, hundreds of feet tall on several instances. However, these are few and far-between; they’re just big. A far more common plant species is the Creepvine, capable of burrowing through soil, gravel, bark, and, if needed, stone, given enough time. Rare instances of carnivorous vines have been recorded, using their sturdy burrowing tips to beat or simply ensare prey. However, those vines are believed to be spawned and controlled more than born and grown.
Besides that, prickler fungi are highly infectious; they look like fruit in many cases, hanging in huge bundles from low-hanging boughs. When grabbed, the ‘fruit’ reveals its true nature; a balloon. The buildup of gas causes the ‘fruit’ to swell, and countless tiny ‘spikes’ dot its exterior like seeds on a strawberry. The gas quickly expands outwards through the pores, shooting spikes of spores like microshrapnel when disturbed. The afflicted creature must make a DC9 CON save; on a failure, they take no damage but after 1d4 hours gain a ‘mysterious’ point of exhaustion. If untreated (cure minor wounds and equivalent), sleeping won’t remove it. Each full day, another point of exhaustion stacks and it can’t be removed by long rests; only by treatment for poisons.

Natural Resources

The creepvines have tips that harden quickly when severed from the main body; with a bit of work, natives fashion these into arrows.
Prickler fungi fruit, if handled carefully, has a valuable gas that can be harnessed akin to natural gas is today.
The jungle also houses exotic animals and long-lost civilizations, whose very existence has been relegated to nothing more than rumor and hearsay.

Type

Jungle