Sandibari Forests

As north as trees can thrive on Mudewei, they do. Most of the most northern trees are evergreens, which are particularly adapted to colder weather and the leaf litter of which create ideal soil conditions for them. However, farther south where seasons are more dramatic, deciduous trees begin to predominate. The leaves here are famous for their transition into blues, purples, and related hues, which is thought by Stenza scientists to be the result of ancient bacteria trading genetic material and adapting to one another (events thought to take place after larger organisms had begun emerging from the Ice Flats, carrying their pathogens with them).
The forests are home to a host of insects, fungi, birds, bacteria, and plant life, and has generated one intelligent species (for metrics many other species use to define "intelligence"): the Sandibari, from which the term "Sandibari Forests" derives. The Sandibari themselves insist on treating this less as a form of possession and more an expression of homeland, no matter how far afield, but with Stenza enforcement they insist upon the same land rights that the Stenza maintain (such as "no mining the forest for resources unless you also live on that planet").
During the early phases of their relationship this has led to some tensions. Notably, the Stenza have accidentally started two forest fires during their discovery of the element, experiences which terrified them enough to confine fire to its own tier of education and expertise, resulting in metalsmiths and other people who work with fire to be treated as liminal individuals. (In fact, Fire was added to the lineup of Snow Pups very early on after the discovery of fire, and it is suspected the use of yellow as a hazard marker derives from these incidents as well.)

Type

Forest, Temperate (Seasonal)

Location under

Mudewei

Inhabiting Species

• Iradae's Flower
• Retha

Related Myths

• Urban Legend