ዕድገት
It did not merely devour our people. To fall in battle and be eaten for one's strength is not an insult. No, what these things did was much darker. More insidious. It latched onto their minds, made them simple and weak, open to commands from something too cowardly to fight in the open. We were not defeated... we were enslaved.
Legends in all three Arren species tell of the unnatural growth that nearly doomed their species. An odd, hollow vine of some description extended into their cavernous homes, bearing songs and mimicry of their voices. They welcomed it in, allowing it to take root in the walls of their common areas, their courtyards, anywhere that it's music might bring entertainment and serenity. When blue, glowing pods appeared within their twisted fibers, they were observed with fascination and delight. When at last the tubes began to speak, it was already too late.
Another species, spoken of only as 'Those We Failed' were apparently lost to the growth, overtaken by roots that penetrated their bodies and corrupted their minds. Some even say it managed to excise their souls, entirely supplanting the people they were and leaving only abominations in their place.
For those beyond southern Sur'Dhanza's dense jungles who still know the tales of the fall of the unified Arren society, it is an object lesson on caution and the occasional virtue of distrust. For the Mekelarren, who remain encamped around the ruins of their once-great civilization even to this day, it was a lesson they will not forget. The growth remains, or so they say. Should it ever raise its head again - or the head of one of their taken brethren - they will be ready.
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Average Intelligence
Smarter than it should be, that's for certain. The legends describe the growth as some sort of vine or collection of vines. Given its subterranean appearance, modern scientists speculate that it might be some form of fungus. Whatever the case, it's certainly far more intelligent than anyone gave it credit for. It is apparently capable of not only mimicking speech, but learning the language of others, and the stories say that those who were taken by the vines were not mindless beasts, but servile slaves. This suggests either an uncannily precise ability to rewire minds into slaves geared towards serving a very specific master... or a sapient and malign will perfectly capable of supplanting the minds of others.
Cover Icon Contribution: Lorc
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