The Blooming Grotto
The Blooming Grotto, or The Lost Grotto, is a section of jungle within The Pinchot Crater on the northern penisula of Gora that has been lost to time. Hundreds of years ago, people with unnatural issues, talents, and magics would seek out the guardians that lived there to take part in training, protection, or purification. At the start of the invasion of Gora 350 or so years ago, the grotto became inaccessible when invading forces drew near to its boarders, and A mysterious fog rolled out of the Jungle, seeming to force anyone who walkes into it, to come out of the fog right where they came in from. After many years of cultural and historical sabotage on the clans within Gora by The Gilded Crown, the Grotto faded into myth, and song. Some say however, that its waking up from its long slumber, as groups of loggers and soldiers are disappearing near where its boarders once were. The only things remaining where these people disappear is their equipment covered in vibrant flowers and fungus.
As you push past the once foggy and distorted section of jungle that was once inaccessible, your vision crystallizes on the beautiful and active jungle. Dancing lights, like fireflies, float and dance in the air as you brush up against the vibrant and plentiful flowers and fungus that carpet every surface. Vibrant pinks, blues purples, and reds instantly overload your vision forcing you to ether blink away the shock, or to gaze upon it, mouth agape. Assessing your surroundings for possible danger, you find animals staring at you, as if they had never seen a mortal before. Vibrant tropical birds hang from fungus that grows up trees in a slow and beautiful choking death, however, the trees seem more healthy and green than the ones outside the grotto. Flowers big and small cover the ground forcing you to look for places to step at every moment, and animals dart about the Grotto seeking better angles to see you from. Lizards dart past your feet seeming to not worry about your presence at all, and several birds slowly hop along the ground toward your feet, keeping about a 10 foot distance. Beams of light from above light up small sections of ground and trunk, as the foliage above sways slowly with the breeze. Looking past the deep and plentiful brush you can barley make out something white galloping past the trees, but as soon as you look for it in the distance, it is no longer there.
As you push past the once foggy and distorted section of jungle that was once inaccessible, your vision crystallizes on the beautiful and active jungle. Dancing lights, like fireflies, float and dance in the air as you brush up against the vibrant and plentiful flowers and fungus that carpet every surface. Vibrant pinks, blues purples, and reds instantly overload your vision forcing you to ether blink away the shock, or to gaze upon it, mouth agape. Assessing your surroundings for possible danger, you find animals staring at you, as if they had never seen a mortal before. Vibrant tropical birds hang from fungus that grows up trees in a slow and beautiful choking death, however, the trees seem more healthy and green than the ones outside the grotto. Flowers big and small cover the ground forcing you to look for places to step at every moment, and animals dart about the Grotto seeking better angles to see you from. Lizards dart past your feet seeming to not worry about your presence at all, and several birds slowly hop along the ground toward your feet, keeping about a 10 foot distance. Beams of light from above light up small sections of ground and trunk, as the foliage above sways slowly with the breeze. Looking past the deep and plentiful brush you can barley make out something white galloping past the trees, but as soon as you look for it in the distance, it is no longer there.
Geography
Nestled in the bottom of the Jungle blanketed Pinchot Crater, rests a darker, more dense section of jungle. Traveling along the northern side of the massive and glistening lake resting at the bottom of this crater, through the lush canopy, a high, and thick fog rolls out from between the gnarled, and ancient trees bordering the grotto. This fog has stopped almost everyone from entering sense it was originally closed, however, legend speaks of rolling hills, broken, and shaped by twisted tree roots, streams of water carving small groves in the ground to funnel toward Lake Pinchot. Flowers and fungus covering seemingly everything, and thick, and dangerous sections of jungle where panther like beasts, and huge spiders call home. To the north, legend speaks of one of the guardians of the jungle, a white furred creature, with a single twisted horn at the top of its head and its equally mysterious layer. The jungle in this section is said to be twisted and contorted, every tree, and plant, are said to be extremely healthy, but grow in strange, unnatural, and contorted ways.
Fauna & Flora
Creatures Present
- Xak'Suthan - Unicorn in the northern section of the Grotto
- Displacer Beasts - The Emerald Conclave tamed some, and now there are feral, and tamed beasts depending where you are in the Grotto
- Dryads
- Faerie Dragons
- Druid / Ranger Lizard folk, and Dragonborn - these people prodominently make up the Conclave
- Some humans and elves - These are desendents of people who came to the Grotto long ago, seeking aid from the Conclave
- Pixies
- Sprites
- Blink Dogs
- Baboon
- Crocodile
- Flying Snake
- Venomous snake
- Frog
- Giant centipede
- Giant Crocodile
- Giant Frog
- Giant Lizard
- Giant Poisonous Snake
- Spiders
- Wasps
- Bees
- Beatles
- Panthers
- Quippers
- Phase Spiders
- Tigers
- Swarm of Quippers
- Druids
Short story
From the edge of The Pinchot Crater Tython wasn't able to tell the difference between the Grotto, and the Jungle he had been passing through for days now. "Head west, past the emerald tree, on the northern side within the crater." he recited for what felt like the hundredth time. Carbin had never lied to him before, But... Why send him deep into the jungle, to a place of myth? Tython wandered to himself again. "Where is this "Emerald Tree" he spoke of?" Tython's eyes squinted, trying to spot even the most subtle difference in the tree line before him, to no avail. He looked down at his scaled hands, Worn, cracked, and still sparking with energy he didn't even know he had. Tython looked back up, balling his right hand in a fist. "If anyone is to help you learn, it is the golden one of the crater. You must head south of here, to the Pinchot Crater. Once there, head to the north side of the crater, and find the Emerald Tree. Once there head west, past the emerald tree, on the northern side within the crater." The High Priests words ran though his thoughts one last time, and with determination, Tython began to scale down The Pinchot Crater's cliff face, ready to learn to control his abilities.
From the edge of The Pinchot Crater Tython wasn't able to tell the difference between the Grotto, and the Jungle he had been passing through for days now. "Head west, past the emerald tree, on the northern side within the crater." he recited for what felt like the hundredth time. Carbin had never lied to him before, But... Why send him deep into the jungle, to a place of myth? Tython wandered to himself again. "Where is this "Emerald Tree" he spoke of?" Tython's eyes squinted, trying to spot even the most subtle difference in the tree line before him, to no avail. He looked down at his scaled hands, Worn, cracked, and still sparking with energy he didn't even know he had. Tython looked back up, balling his right hand in a fist. "If anyone is to help you learn, it is the golden one of the crater. You must head south of here, to the Pinchot Crater. Once there, head to the north side of the crater, and find the Emerald Tree. Once there head west, past the emerald tree, on the northern side within the crater." The High Priests words ran though his thoughts one last time, and with determination, Tython began to scale down The Pinchot Crater's cliff face, ready to learn to control his abilities.
Type
Forest, Jungle (Tropical)
Location under
Included Locations
Included Organizations
Owner/Ruler
Owning Organization
Related Tradition (Primary)
