Esterm, said to be one of the first worlds to develop upon the Arbvar, has seen better days in its time. Although seemingly recovered, it still remains scarred from the Shadow Sweep ages, notably in areas most devoid. Apart from its apparently -almost- purged Hyjinxes, Esterm is a vibrant and exotic world full of unique creatures and beings.
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Grande Grove -
A blight of rainbow in the day and a softly glowing blanket of flora at night, Grande Grove represents what beauty sprouts when a land is left in the tender care of Mother Nature. The rainforest grows upon a wide spread of mountain and roots deep into chasms, grottos and pastures. Almost all Herbs and medicines find their origin to this signature landscape and are harvested only by its native inhabitants, the Aestrians. Although breathtaking and wild, the appearance of the rainforest masks its invisible danger, an ever present fog of toxic spores. Adapted and accustomed to the poisons, the Aestrians remain immune due to their specially adapted eye membranes and their specialised immune systems and so are undoubtedly the best choice for harvesting the bounty upon the trees… as well as evading the crafty arboreal predators that stalk the canopies.
Rich in species of exotic plants and animals, the rainforest of Grande Grove is consistently coated in a warm and moist climate. It is one of the most prized biomes of Esterm, and is unparalleled in its biodiversity. The broad leafed forests of Grande Grove consistently spend around 80% of its time in frequent and often daily rains. The canopies of Grande Grove act much like a blanket, trapping heat and leaving the forest in an almost permanent summer state. As such, the rainforest rarely experience the cold, as the inhabitants are sheltered from its elements inside the foliage. When Grande Grove does experience a winter -it undergoes a stark and radical transformation. In the wet season of winter months, the constant heavy rains freezes over in the clashing exposure of trapped humidity and bitter cold. The cascading rain literally becomes still - encasing the forest in a shell of ice and snow making it appear as if all had turned to sparkling Magos. When the rain continues uninterrupted, the valleys and forests are continually layered with ice. Animals of the forest find themselves trapped within the walls of ice layered trees, some of which are forced to hibernate in tree hollows. This event is referred to as the ‘Cold Snap’ by the Aestrian Inhabitants, who grow a winter coat at the trigger of temperature shift. However, even with this coat, Aestrians can still succumb to the cold and so instinctively conserve their energy by sleeping more through ‘Torpor’, a state of temporary hibernation. As such when a Cold Snap does occur in Grande Grove, it becomes shut off from the world - and the world shut off from it, until it thaws in the spring.
Civilisations -
Chaparen[Cha-paren] -
Titles/Alias’s – “Aestrians Abode” – “Canopy crossroads”
Chaparen, one of the core pinnacles of Aestrian communities, is a town situated upon several islands of soil surrounded by one of the Grove’s thriving lagoons. It has three layers to it, with a part of its town submerged beneath the soil, even breaching into the waters of the lagoon, another third situated on the soil, and the last third within the towering trees above. Chaperen is the connector to the Aestrian communities, known as the ‘Canopy Crossroads’ it houses a complex series of bridges which lead to other islands and communities within Grande Grove. Water is Chapreon’s natural barrier against the predators of Grande Grove and the notorious Hyjinxes. Chaperon is a vibrant home abuzz with Aestrian activity.
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Important Areas Of Grande Grove -
Honey Hollow -
A sweetly smelling spot of Grande Grove, Honey Hollow boasts sticky and shiny foliage centred around a bowl of sinking earth. Hanging above this earthly funnel hangs the humming hive of the Apoids. Honey Hollow was formed through the efforts of Apoids and Radix’s co existing together.
Apoids, branched from the same family as bees, operate daily in a buzz of pollinating activities. With an abundance of flowers and their precious pollen, their production of honey happened at such a large rate, that it had caused erosion, similar to water breaking a river’s banks, and effectively flooded a segment of the rainforest in a river of honey through flooding from the hive. Drawn to the scent, Radix’s, Grande Grove’s root moles, became attracted to this source of sugar and tunnelled a funnel to lead into a series of caverns and complex’s. These tunnels had a radical transformation effect and formed the now present Honey Hollow through draining the leakage into their nests. Both species sustain each other in a controlling sense of equilibrium.
Radix Labyrinth -
This labyrinth was forged by the Radix’s, the root moles of Grande Grove, as both their home and a drainage system for the leaking river of honey from an Apoid’s hive. Beneath the soil lies their many tunnels which branch out all across Grande Grove. Housing a large populace, the Radix’s home is complicated and on par with the similar behavior of ants. Although confusing at a glance, there is a pattern of placement to the rooms of the Radix’s such as the locations of their nurseries or larder chambers. The funnel entrances to their labyrinth are strategically placed such as the holes beneath the hives which are intended to collect the deposit of trickling honey and channel it to locations ideal for consumption. The convenience of these tunnels and the sharing of a mutual relationship to the Aestrians has led to them being used to export goods outside of Grande Grove, a route much safer than topsoil methods.
Titan’s Tarry -
Titan’s Tarry, a string of coves besides one of the main fast flowing rivers of Grande Grove, Angues, is a guaranteed spot in finding pods of Titan Pillars. These gigantic, omnivorous, honey-yellow caterpillars are indeed one of the most consuming creatures native to the rainforest as they are easily capable of stripping trees clean in a matter of hours. A main nesting site of the Titan Pillars, pods of the creatures cluster here to breed and raise their young and so the location is hard to miss with the colossal caterpillars dotted around. Generally lax around outsiders, the caterpillars are quite passive about other species, presumably due to their sheer size and bulk, that they need not fear most residents of the foliage. However, although apparently large, slow and bloated, if provoked, Titan Pillar’s can suddenly become alert and rampart on the unfortunate stressor, moving startlingly quick. As if being chased by an organic freight train wasn't enough, they are known to hound their prey down until they are crushed, extinguished or the Titan Pillar dies first. In other words, don’t tick them off.
Flight deck -
Nicknamed the “Flight Deck” by the Aestrians of the Grove, these plateaus of green radiate with the seeds of the large flora here. This area of land is all that borders between the boundaries of Aestas field and the receding forest of the Grove. The seeds of the large flora, are reminiscent to those of the Dandelion kind with their umbrella heads and light quality and are often used as a short cut out of the forest. A common past time is for an Aestrian to pluck a seed and then take flight from the ‘deck’, to descend softly into the pillow of pollen that is Aestas field, carried only by the wind.
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