Great Oyudanyi Jungle

The Great Oyudanyi is a land dominated by uncharted wilds. Few dare venture into the terrifyingly beautiful jungle landscape where dense foliage and shadowy canopy hide a history lost after the Great Sacrifice. Those who do rarely return or tell frightening tales of fantastic creatures that grow to monstrous proportions within the sweltering heat.

Dominated by Oyudanyi’s Shield, an enormous mountain range that encircles the region, the Oyudanyi Jungle stands alone from the outside world. Within its natural borders, the unforgiving jungle swallows the unprepared but provides a bountiful land full of wonder and endless exploration.
Like any true rainforest, rainfall is frequent and the area is filled with an extensive river system, the largest of which runs almost the entirety of the jungle and empties into the Crescent Bay. Isolated from outside influences and capable of supporting a rich ecosystem, the rivers and lakes conceal their own dangers. Traveling by boat from Crescent Bay into the jungle’s largest lake, The Cauldron, is the most direct travel to the Tia’kal Empires capital city Tzec Tulum. Unfortunately, it is almost as dangerous as making the trek by land.

Life and Society

The Oyudanyi is home to dozens of small Osloru tribal villages scattered across the jungle landscape. Connecting all Osloru together in the Oyudanyi is the Tia’kal Empire, a ruling collection of multiple tribes. Each of the united tribes is led by an elder who represents the tribe as a member of the Mishala Council. As a culture highly distrusting of wealth and an abundance of power, each tribe, no matter its size, has an equal say in decision making and day to day operations.
Since their early beginnings, the Tia’kal prefer to remain isolated from other nations, relying on their wits and the abundance of resources provided by the environment. They have remained this way for hundreds of years and show no signs of wanting to join trade agreements, or even meet with leaders from other Erenel nations.

Geography

Eagles Reach

Deep in the Northern Oyudanyi Jungle, Eagles Reach rises nearly 400 feet above the jungle floor. Believed to have been a burial sight for an extinct intelligent species of flying eagles, Eagles Reach is a jagged plateau protected by its difficulty to ascend. Spiritual leaders of the Tia’kal Empire believe the reach is contaminated and have placed the area in quarantine.
This idea seems to have merit. While explorers cannot approach because of the empire’s tribal warriors, the adjacent area appears emotionally drained. Wildlife that refuse to leave seem mentally warped as if stricken with grief.

On rare occurrences, the wildlife even assumes humanlike mannerisms, attempting to speak in shrill howls or screeches. A small collective of shamans hopes to free the lands of this torment, working under the guidance of the empire.

Purification Pools

Originally believed to be hot springs by early explorers, the Purification Pools are anything but. Species sensitive to the Bond will feel radiating magical energy from the bubbling waters. Take heed of the shaman and witch doctors who warn of otherworldly rifts, which open above these pools and deposit beings from other planes, whom fall into the pools to be “purified.” While the water is warm and doesn’t harm the locals, otherworldly creatures face a violent death.

River of the Dawn Warrior

A foreboding sight at first visit, the river appears blood red. In reality, iron-rich clay lining the river banks stains the water causing the red hue. This natural phenomenon is not understood by the local tribes who fear the area believing supernatural warriors protect the riverway. Tribes often find flakes of gold downriver and believe their reward is a gift from the Dawn Warrior for leaving him in peace. Inspiring miners have a different view but must face the perils of a zealously guarded blood river to claim their riches.

Walking Trading Posts

The robust but docile Calliocanthus are a larger breed of brontosaurus genetically modified by Osloru Shaman to serve as mobile trading posts. Trained merchant riders wander the dense jungles and snaking rivers from village to village, bringing both news of current events and valuable trade goods.
If you happen upon a Calliocanthus Trading Post on the road, one of which it typically makes on its own accord, merchant riders are always happy to sell their wares if coin or trade is made readily available.

Type

Jungle

Related Ethnicities

• Osloru

Inhabiting Species

• Calliocanthus
• Landwyrm
• Ri'kin
• Wular

by Dean Spencer

Natural Hazards

Most explorers who journey to the Oyundayi fear the great beasts, dinosaurs or hostile tribes. They forget the environment itself is every bit as dangerous.
While resources are abundant across the Oyudanyi Jungles, competition to claim the resources are just as fierce. The density of life is high in a region, and although almost all living organisms present a hazard, it comes not from malice but out of necessity. Plants that battle one another for the sun’s rays have advantageously evolved in the harsh climate, acquiring strange traits to defend themselves.
Beware of the following traits when dealing with plants.

Oil secretion that covers flesh in a pungent odor. This odor is highly addictive to blood-sucking rodents.

Long hollow spines under thick leaves. Many plants have learned to coexist with insect colonies, providing shelter for tiny poisonous ants who defend their home at the highest cost.

Leafy knee-high bushes surrounded by green mist. After a heavy rain, certain bushes trap water causing a mist to emerge during evaporation that renders a creature unconscious. An easy meal.

Thick hanging vines with hooks or spines. Known as spider or assassin vines by the Wular, these hanging vines strike quickly, jabbing the flesh with a paralyzing poison.

Diseases

Capillary Drip

A disease easy to diagnose, those stricken with capillary drip begin to bleed heavily from their cuticles. 48 hours after bleeding occurs, the hands and feet swell and rot. Once fingers and toenails blacken and fall off, an infected has less than 72 hours to find a cure or lose their extremities.

Larva Brain

A disease caused by tiny parasites found in tainted water sources, Larva Brain is an infestation that starts as a dulling of the senses. As the larva reproduces, the brain is consumed and replaced, causing the infected to die and become a zombie-like husk controlled by the hive mind.

Umbra Haze

A purple mold that grows under the eyelids, Umbra Haze slowly causes a creature to go insane as if they were stricken by Umbra Malady. Initially, the infected can only see their surroundings in a purple hue. As the condition worsens, the infected go blind, and their subconscious mind begins to speak.