Hiraeth Creature #1185 - Tultopu“A myriad of visions come to mind when one is speaking of a fo

Hiraeth Creature #1185 - Tultopu“A myriad of visions come to mind when one is speaking of a forest— with near innumerable species of tree and the vast variety of environments they thrive in, the forests of Hiraeth are vibrant with something to offer all kinds of explorers. One kind of grove many overlook are those of the Great Betwixt, where trees form only in small orchards, and the real forests are made up of fungi. Towering mushrooms that interrupt the horizon of other lands signal that one is close to an entrance the massive ravine. While many of the characteristics of the Betwixt call back to Tethys, with great bushels of swaying kelp, sandy fields, and hills of coral, the Earthen Maiden also had a crucial role in the Betwixt’s creation. Fungi grow rampant in her realm’s forests, but in the Betwixt they have no competition. So fertile are these grounds, some of the mushrooms sprout to life and begin to walk.Blending into the fungal glades perfectly until they start moving, the Tultopu are enigmatic creatures. Many have found them somewhat uncanny as they stroll and murmur together in a manner reminiscent to common folk on a leisurely day. They speak in a hushed, incomprehensible tone as they slowly stride, peering at the world around them with a glum expression in their eyes, giving many the impression that they are a melancholy creature. Adventurers in the Betwixt will often be met with the vacant stare of Tultopu processions and scamper off, unnerved, but these fungi are actually quite accommodating. If one understands their speech or not, a Tultopu can be asked directions to resources such as water, reagents, or minerals, and they will immediately begin leading the way unless they are already busy. They release a harmless purple spore to make a trail for their new companion to follow in case they get lost, as Tultopu tend to leap and spin over Betwixt hills when given a task, maneuvering with the fluid movements of a dancer. Spirits also go to them for aid, leading large ballets of Tultopu across the Betwixt. Though normally both gentle and methodical in manners and movement, Tultopu can be angered by aggressors or those who try to pluck certain mushrooms out of the forests. They coat themselves in combustable spores and ignite them with a twirl of their body and a stomp of their foot, dressing themselves in a regalia of purple flame. Once alight, their normally whimsical dance becomes a passionate and deadly assault. There hasn’t been record of a Tultopu doing this without good reason, so as the Tultopu treat outsiders respectfully, it would be wise to treat them in kind.” -- source link

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