The piplan grows much like a giant grape vine. It’s close cousin the veratine is similar in taste but covered in a fluffy coating that is often peeled off before eating, but doesn’t have to be. The two fruits are similar enough that when one attempts to grow veratines, the plant may end up producing piplan instead. It’s a small gamble.
72% of the Aturan native flora is poisonous. We’ll leave you with that tidbit while you’re packing for your camping trip.
Though often classified as Mythical, sky dragons are very real creatures who inhabit the sky. Because they are translucent, they can only be seen if you’re in the sky. So they’re really only known to people who inhabit the mountainous region of Atur and, more specifically, the sky sailors.
Incredibly friendly, these creatures loll about through the sky, riding the wind. Unfortunately, due to their size, they bring the same dangers as whales do to sea sailors. They love getting close to airships, bringing the risk of tipping them over.
“Every four winters the Supreme Consulate invites dignitaries from around the world to a special dinner. The dinner: The Tricon Rugara.”
There are a handful of loach species off the coast of this area. This sketch, taken from a travel journal, depicts one of the mid-sized loaches that hides among the sea weeds and grasses.
The prayer scrolls tied on their antlers are obvious signs that there must be human attendants present within or around their grotto.
There are two distinct mountain regions: The warmer, drier coastal mountains and the frigid mountains to the Northeast. There is much shared flora and fauna, but the cushion bush is typically found near the base of the warmer mountain range to the South.
“…Spring was here. And it had never felt so menacing. I feared for my life, but I could also hear the guttural roar of a beast behind me. Was it the same one from before? The Phoenix Tree spoke in a way I could never describe, and I knew the choice if offered was either the hard place, or the rock.”
~Excerpt from A Traveler’s Journey
The mok is an interesting creature. I liken them to yaks, but they seem to be predatory. They’re semi-aquatic and when in water my brain likens them to seals! They are gentle unless threatened, and there was even one story of a mok being taken as a pet. Mok’s milk is said to be very nutritious.
Kelp – Standard variety
I haven’t dug into the undersea agriculture of this region yet. In my limited imaginings, I’d assume that it consists of many varieties of kelp and some sea melons. There is the Corrungus Forest, but respect for nature and the tardigrades would surely prevent the cutting down of any of the fungi there.