Syllva Cirros, The Frozen Jungle (Sill-vah Sear-os)

On the farthest side of the planet of Venus, in a place where no sunlight has reached for millennia, lies Syllva Cirros, best known as The Frozen Jungle. Before the planet stopped turning, the jungle was still unusual compared to the other wooded areas on Venus. The mineral deposits of the waters that flowed through and under the water glowed with an ultraviolet light, meaning that even in the long nights the trees and plants could continue to grow. Luckily, the heat produced underground by the nearby volcano also keeps the river from freezing over.
Most of the plant life in the jungle has a distinctive blue hue to it, which is even further apparent when examined in the lavender light of the river. Whether it is in due part or despite the lack of the sun and freezing temperatures, the jungle hosts a variety of plants throughout it. The trees are one of the more homogenous types of flora in the jungle, the majority being simple nut-bearing and vine filled trees that are spread throughout the entire area. However, on the floor of the jungle there is a variety of life, from carnivorous pitcher and snap traps to plants that ferment and produce strange pheromones and toxins. Every plant has its uses, if you know how to use them, you just need to be cautious.
Though the light of the river makes traversal easier in certain parts of the jungle, as you travel further into the jungle you will only be met by an overbearing darkness. A torch is a relatively safe tool for illumination in the jungle as the plants seem resistant to flame for an unknown reason. However, the light of a torch, lantern, or anything similar will only draw the attention of nearby predators, none of whom will be dependent on the light source in combat.
Despite the frozen aspect of it all the jungle itself would not be geographically out of place on Earth. The jungle is filled with underbrush and can be difficult to traverse. The canopies high in the air are brimming with life. The largest thing that stands out of the jungle is the large volcano that stands on one side. This ash-cylinder volcano hasn’t erupted in millennia, but it still remains active and helps warm the surrounding landscape through its hot springs.

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Inhabitants
The main inhabitants of the jungle are the creatures that live there, but that is not entirely the case. Many animals and other beasts live and hunt in the treetops, the canopy, the floor, or even the waters. There is also a settlement near the volcano which takes advantage of the hot springs and the fertile soil. While it was a true destination in the eons past, the village has only grown and built up its defenses since it was fixed on the farthest reaches of the planet. None of this is yet to mention the native sentient species of the jungle, which have grown to desperate measures as time goes on.
The biological diversity of the jungle is greater than perhaps any non-aquatic region of the planet. Individual valleys can have unique and niche filled biomes that are wholly unique to just a few square kilometers. While these animals have their own roles to play in the jungle, they can also be useful to anyone traveling or living there. The furs of heavier animals can be used to keep people warm, while the scales of others can be used to help defend them from both weapons and vicious predators. Of course the trophies and other parts of jungle fauna can find practical uses, especially to those who have the coin.
The residents of Umbra, the settlement built at the foot of the jungle’s volcano, are a varied and diverse people. While in year’s past, the settlement was used mostly as a trade hub and rest stop for weary travelers, one the planet stopped, the majority of the visitors in Umbra were forced to stay or else venture into the jungles. These merchants and travelers became the ancestors to the same townsfolk that populate Umbra today, and as such they come in many different races, shapes and sizes.
Peppered through the jungle, inexperienced travelers may happen upon looming hills that stretch upwards of twenty or so feet and have gradual slopes along the sides. The accomplished adventurer knows to stay cautious around these areas, but for those who aren’t careful, they could easily run into the myrtiks of the frozen jungle. Unlike most myrtiks that live on Venus, the sparse resources and generally hostile conditions of living in an arctic landscape have led the myrtiks into a more aggressive and brutal lifestyle.
The interactions between Umbra and the myrtiks were peaceful in days past, but as they had to start to compete for food and other resources, trading stopped and conflict began. Attempts of communicating have broken down as the myrtiks regressed further into a tribal state. Deep in the jungle, the tell-tale clicking of the myrtik can be heard as they have given up any sort of common tongue. Perhaps worst of all is when a lost traveler or inebriated citizen of Umbra stumbles into their nest, only to be dragged deeper by the desperate myrtiks, never to be seen again.

Type

Jungle

Inhabiting Species

• Graap
• Orffaristo Lily
• Tharban

Character Knowledge

• Characters just now arriving on Venus - It's as cold as the arctic and as dangerous as the Amazon. I don’t know why anyone would go there.

• Characters not from Venus, who have spent some time there - The frozen jungle? I hear that place is crawling with predators. I know some good myrtiks, but the ones I hear about up there just sound like monsters.

• Characters from Venus - You have to be both jealous and envious of the villagers in the jungle. Sure they’re isolated and surrounded by beasts, but they’ve got hot springs and Ra doesn’t seem to notice them. Tough call.

• Characters from Venus who have been to the frozen jungle - I don’t give a damn about the cold or the animals, just whatever you do, stay away from the gigantic body parts.