Carrion's Breath
Survivability | Arduous | Basic materials are extremely rare to find. Lack of stable food and water makes death by starvation/dehydration and sickness common |
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Weather Conditions | Near Extreme | Frostbite and snow blindness are common in the ever-harsh conditions, snowstorms and blizzards often result in death |
Environment | Hostile | Deadly spores, carnivorous trees, and freezing temperatures are just some of the dangers one must expect when exploring Carrion's Breath |
Stability | Relatively Stable | Few anomalous properties are present, most are subtle but prominent |
Habitability Indications | Uninhabitable | Any chances of comfortable living in the landscape are near impossible and should not be attempted |
Foreward
If we can compare our world to the Imaginary Tree of Yggdrasil, then the trunk of the tree is Heartwood, the branches are the pathways connecting landscapes, the leaves are the biomes we call home, and Carrion's Breath is the decaying roots at the bottom of it all
Description
Carrion's Breath is an underground and cold desert stricken with a never-ending barrage of freezing winds. The harsh plains prove too unsustainable for regular entities, so instead, the pattern of emptiness is broken only by the occasional flora unique to the Landscape, having adapted to survive the cold, using geothermal energy from deep underground to stay rejuvenated and warm.1 The landspace is dotted with snowy plains, rocky mountains, and meat forests—each area providing unique challenges, but things such as weather patterns, day/night cycle, and enviornmental dangers often do not stray far from terrain to terrain, making some survival tips more crucial than others.
Snow Plains
Known for their lack of remarkable or discernable features, The Snow Plains are the most common terrain to encounter (theorized to take up 70% of Carrion's Breath) and have the highest fatality rates due to the harsh conditions negatively affecting those who are unprepared. Bad weather (such as hailstorms and blizzards) means that the only way to safely keep warm and/or safe in the snow plains is to retreat underground. The weather in Carrion's Breath encourages large amounts of snowfall, and as a result, entire areas can be found filled with fresh snow. Therefore, one can dig an underground bunker or compact the ice to make an igloo to stave away hypothermia. Since traveling in the Snow Plains is inevitable, it is recommended to mark your path and keep track of your footprints so that you do not end up walking in giant circles.2
Despite being located underground, Carrion's Breath's sky elevates higher than where the ceiling of the cavern should theoretically be. Unfortunately, any electrical components cease functioning at elevation higher than about 7 miles and soon disappear. Weather patterns don't consistently match cloud patterns or the night-day cycle of the sky (e.g: a blizzard happening despite there being no clouds in the sky or the environment is pitch black despite the sun being out.)3, and is most notable when in the Snow Plains. The unpredictability of the weather is the main reason why fatility rates are so high in this biome.
The Mountains
Like the many stereotypical cliffs and peaks in Arborescent, the mountains in Carrion's Breath are consistent with their high elevation, rocky environment, and mysterious properties that counterintuitively make the biome warmer than on the ground4. Along with the abnormal temperatures, mountain terrains are known for their patches of highly unstable rock, sparsely scattered around. Although they can be easily avoided if you know the signs, the high elevation makes falling to one's death a persistent threat—due to this, it is heavily recommended to bring climbing gear to safely traverse through the colossal peaks and gaping chasms.
Inside the giant tunnels at the mountain peaks is a complex tunnel system which we have named "Entombed Heart" (from a carving near the entranceway that was discovered). Entombed Heart is sparsely lit with dim torches and abandoned lanterns, and explorations have revealed that multiple areas have been partially or completely collapsed—making entire sections impossible to enter until the rubble is cleared. Abandoned "stations" have also been found with various scientific equipment and unknown machinery. At certain areas of Entombed Heart, an ominous voice can be heard speaking various sentences, with audio recording equipment being able to catch the following lines:
Hell
This is my grave
(gibberish) you here
Left…behind
I see you (unintelligible)
So…cold
Here, my dust shall remain…
I can't (incoherent) head off
Void
(Note: these are only a couple of the many sentences that the cave has reportedly said)
Any attempts to access the origin of this voice have been proven futile due to the blockades and chasms preventing further exploration. Since there is no indication who or what the voice is, it is reccomended to ignore it for the time being, as nothing much happens if you reply back to it, and there are no indications that listening to it will lead you anywhere. However, the cave system can serve as a temporary shelter from the cold and some exits lead back to ground floor before disappearing once no longer observed.
Corpse Forests
The Corpse Forests are a major reason why Carrion's Breath is classified as a dead zone. They are the second most abundant biome and by far the deadliest. Common characteristics include the smell of soap/cleaning products, fungi, dead organisms melted and twisted into abominable and deformed structures, and a unique species of flora. The freezing temperatures are not a major problem in this biome, (due to the aforementioned theorized geothermal vents), and as a result, they are the only source of life.God, the smell is so terrible here! Talk about a way to lose your appetite, no wonder people feel so nauseous after they return from here (short chuckle). Those trees are ripped straight out of an 80's slasher movie. –unknown audio recording
One quick glance shows that the trees growing here are not regular flora, but are made of the remains of once-living organisms. They are hostile yet patient predators, often waiting until their victim is weakened or killed from either sickness or starvation before using their roots to pick up the corpse and is best described as assimlating into their body. On rare occasions, they use these surface-level small roots to latch onto victims. Due to the geothermal heat they retrieve from deep underground, touching the main parts of the tree5 (trunk, branches, and leaves) can cause 3rd-degree burns and mutilate limbs. Cover burns in the cold to prevent further damage, keep a safe distance from the trees, and bring a sharp object to cut roots in case they attempt to grab onto you. Since their movement is very slow, you should have more than enough time to cut free or rip yourself out. Random and sometimes onimous structures can also be seen, built by the same fleshy matter as the tree. Some of these structures are carved with strange symbols, maps, or written messages—however the stench often wards off any unwanted visitors that get curious.
Corpse Forests work like an invasive species, slowly but surely expanding to other areas of Carrion's Breath, and in a worse case scenario they can exit their home and infect other landscapes. Meat trees are fire-resistant which means that starting forest fires to get rid of them is not a viable option, and attempting to use acids have yeilded a similar result. However, the trees are unable to tolerate cleaning products such as soaps, detergents, or rubbing alcohol (to an extent) and will avoid it if possible or be damaged if in contact with it. For that reason, people often use "Soap Bombs" comprised of a glass exterior filled with different soaps and a small amount of gunpowder to distribute the solution once ignited or detonated from a safe distance.6 While they hinder expansion, soap bombs are temporary, and the forests soon continue growing after a couple days. The process can be repeated as many times as needed, but the rate of which the forests expand means that they will likely take over the entirety of Carrion's Breath in a matter of decades.
A unique fungi known as Hygeia's Curse grows and works in a symbiotic relationship with the meat trees. The fungus works like a fast-acting poison, damaging important organ systems and functions such as the immune system, cognitive ability, musculoskeletal mobility, and the respiratory system.7
Symptoms are as follows:
Immediately after infection | The victim experiences a mild cough |
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30 minutes after infection | Coughing fits become more frequent and muscles start to feel weak |
45 minutes – 1 hour after infection | Tremors start appearing, numbness and fatigue are felt in the legs, and the immune system is weakened. |
1 – 2 hours after infection | Cognitive abilities start to decline, breathing becomes more difficult, and movement becomes rigid and janky. |
4 – 6 hours after infection | Movement becomes limited, immune system is completely compromised, tremors become significantly worse, and the eyes start to blur. |
9 – 12 hours after infection | Cognitive abilities are akin to delirium, with dehydration and fatigue plaquing the victim. The symptoms start to slowly become permanent if a cure is not administered. |
12+ hours after infection | Symptoms become irreversible and cured patients are left with neurological or physical disabilities/illnesses. Uncured patients enter a vegetative state and soon die afterwards. |
Meat Trees
Because of the risk of burns from studying the meat trees, not much is known about them. However, they have been found to leak an oily black blood-like substance when damaged8, and a giant nerve-like structure can be seen inside. Although this nerve structure is in the innermost part of the tree, it is not the source of heat and, paradoxically, is cold to touch. They extend into the ground, and it is unknown what their purpose is or what they are connected to. The blood of the trees, on the other hand, has been found to be immune to the effects of the fungi, and can be administered as a cure for those infected with Hygeia's Curse (This should be done as quickly as possible to reverse the effects of the disease)
When doing tests on the flesh bark matter of meat trees, there has been rare cases where they can be used to identify the bodies of missing wanderers who had been exploring Carrion's Breath. However, most of the time, the flesh and organs of the trees of an unknown specimen that is unable to be identified. One popular theory suggests that the mysterious flesh originated from different species that used to roam Carrion's Breath before they were killed by the meat trees and the cold. However, this theory fails to explain why newly born meat trees have the same mysterious flesh as the older trees, nor does it explain how the forests are able to continue growing if there is scarcity of other living organisms. There has also been no evidence to suggest that Carrion's Breath has ever sustained life. For now, the origin of this grotesque matter is unknown.
ENTRANCES & EXITS
Editors note: Due to reports of increased casualities from various people entering Carrion's Breath and dying on the spot, we have been forced to withold this information so that you guys stop doing suicidal explorations of this place. If you are worried about accidently entering, our advice is to be cautious around any unusual or enigmatic caverns.
The only way to exit Carrion's Breath is to find and climb up stone ladders into a "hole" in the sky. These stone ladders appear as floating rocks that often spawn in areas with higher environmental dangers (most often in the mountainous areas), and have been known to disappear if they are left out of sight for too long. Because of these factors, it is recommended to cautiously take the first exit you see out of here. The longer you stay in Carrion's Breath, the more likely you will become trapped here.