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Triperian — Description

The deep woods hides many terrible beasts, strange plants and bizarre encounters. It is a place that has been sheltered from the expansion of man and the Church due to its remote nature and the protection from its people. There have certainly been a number of explorers and hunters that have dove into this great expanse of trees, but quite a few don't make it back out. Thus, much info surrounding the deep woods is mired in rumors, scary stories and hyperbole. You never know what is truly within it and what was concocted by someone's imagination that heard a story from a guy that heard it from some other guy who heard it in the tavern by someone else. The fact that it is the last bastion of the Rhizakardi people also adds to this mess, as the decades of slander, contempt and paranoia has resulted in their image being one of eeriness and savagery. Despicable traitors, skulking in the darkness of the wilds. Them and their bizarre creations creating countless tales by those who survived to tell them.
One such story that was common long ago was about an encounter with a talking plant. Not a dryad, but a strange bloom. Depictions of this "talking plant" revealed something quite alien and strange, a many legged bulb that held a myriad of stems and sprouts. Vibrant flowers, wriggling vines and even sharpened blades. It would have been just another bizarre plant species in the deep wood, except that the stories claim it spoke to the intruder. Its words demanded they leave, to run as fast as they could before they were consumed by the heart of the forest. A terrifying tale, yet one has to wonder if such words were actually spoken. It seems a bit much, another flight of fancy by scared travelers. But time would eventually reveal the truth of this plant, but the answer was no less strange.
This thing that was first encountered long ago was not a natural species, or even a lone specimen. It is one of the many creations of the Rhizakardi, who weave Amber and plant life to suit their needs. These would come to be known as a "Triperian," a mobile plant specially grown to help the people of these woods, and give body to those who sleep in the Amber.
What needs to be know about the Rhizakardi people is their ties to Amber, the fluid of plants. They revere it as much as others worship the Four Humors. A time long ago, the Rhizakardi held it alongside the Humors, but when they fled the gold into the depths of the forests, they clung to Amber even more. It was the most plentiful fluid around, and it was the only one that hadn't betrayed them. Their weaving prowess of Amber is unbeaten by other men, and they use it in much of their life and faith. One of the big things that sets them apart from the Church and other sects is the sealing of their dead or dying within Amber. When the end of life comes, the Rhizakardi believe in preserving such lives in order to keep their wisdom and skill. Depending on their role or what they wish to contribute, the person may be sealed whole in Amber, or have only parts of them preserved while the rest is returned to the great cycle. This sounds horrific to many others, seeing it as being kept from the cycle and being robbed of rebirth. Indeed, those entirely sealed away in Amber do not return as long as they are preserved, their essence held within. However, this is no different from the Church's preservation of saints or their eintykara hives. The only real difference is that this act is done by people they don't like, and thus it is a wicked thing.
Many know that beings sealed away in Amber are put into a form of stasis, their minds held in a dream-like state. However, it appears that the Rhizakardi hold a secret technique or Amber strain that allows those preserved to be more "awake." It is not true consciousness, they do not act exactly as they did in life, but it feels that their minds are sharper, their knowledge clearer and their actions more precise. This is required, as the Rhizakardi keep these people and parts preserved in order to tap into the knowledge and skills of generations past. Wise elders who would have been dead and buried decades ago are still around, held within an Amber sleep. They continue to advise and guide their people, ensuring that ancient traditions are not forgotten. Those who are sealed within Amber and given this strange form of life are called the "Rhizin." And with these pieces, they can serve as sage, teacher, helper and warrior for their people.
Of course, when your body is sealed in Amber, or you only have your head preserved, moving around and interacting with the world is a bit tough. This is where the specially grown plants come in. The Triperian is one such creation, made specifically to house the head of a Rhizin inside. The bulbous body has an opening that welcomes the dreaming Amber, and many roots are quick to hold it tight. These tap into the mind held within and allow it to connect to the living plant. This gives them a body, and the green growths on top grant them even more. This strange bouquet that sways atop the bulb is actually an array of specialized flowers and parts that give the Rhizin tools and senses. Every Triperian has a central flower holding an eye-like cluster inside, as this helps give them clearer vision. Another bloom is more tube-shaped and has something that looks like lips, and it is through this that they speak. Extra limbs may be granted that give better hearing, touch or smell, all depending upon the task of the Triperian. Rhizin do have some senses when they are just an Amber cocoon, it is just that these specialized growths help them solidify into something less ethereal.
The purpose of those within the Triperian bodies is quite broad, as they serve as general helpers and aids. Tending to the many gardens, teaching to the children or rookies, working with the Amber, serving as sentries or just giving a Rhizin the chance to "stretch their legs" and feel the world of the living once more. Their jobs may seem mundane, their purpose vague, but they are crucial to the Rhizakardi. Their numbers are so few compared to the many others of the land, and thus any helping hand gives relief. The Rhizin serve to help preserve the past and secure the future for their people. It has meant much to their kind, yet the war drawing closer to their home may threaten to dash that all away.
To the outside world, the Triperian are alien and creepy, which applies to quite a few Rhizakardi creations. This isn't helped by the fact that folks typically encounter the ones acting as sentries, and thus their interaction with it is being driven away. Their "voices" also add to the eerie nature, as it has a buzzy quality to it, for it is spoken through vibrating petals and forced air. Those that play as guards are given growths that act as weapons. A hardened spadix for stabbing, a bloom filled with poisonous pollen and even thorn throwing vines, all to keep invaders away from their home. It certainly gives the Triperian a hostile image for outsiders, but the Rhizakardi believe it necessary for their kind to survive. The Rhizin are not slaves or simple drones, they are generations of their people preserved and given life. They are elders and guardians, who do what needs to be done so that their people may survive. Protectors may need weapons to do their job, but they are more than a tool. Maybe this fact was lost on him, seeing only a living weapon. Or maybe he truly knew their worth and their purpose, and this is how he excused his actions. This terrible path, all to preserve. All to protect. Yet they could not stomach it.