Kaitoyami
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Kaitoyami is a species of fungi which was selectively bred and altered by Valor Caerme’onn through a combined use of herblore and the thulean way. He manipulated a fungi’s natural ability parasitically leech of a host in order to produce spores which are carried over the wind to a host. These spores were altered heavily over many breeding cycles to produce a group of mycotoxins which react with descendant mentality.
If inhaled in large quantities, the mycotoxins in the spores will travel through the nasal canal and through to the brain. Here, it will latch onto sections of the brain causing the patient to faint. Naturally, due to the way Kaitoyami has been bred, it will inherently cause the patient to fall into a nightmare which last roughly 24 hours.
Through control, Kaitoyami can be requested through communion in order to effect the outcome of spores on the brain. Although the caster doesn’t implicitly have a say on what they see exactly, they can cause nightmares of multiple degrees or even rehabilitating dreams. A druid is only capable of passing on a vague understanding of the degree of dreamstate that the patient will undergo. The power of communion simply lacks the strength to carry complex images, etc.
Appearance
Kaitoyami takes a vibrant red colour in a twirled petal like berry formation. It could easily be mistook for a flower before it bloomed. However, in its early stages Kaitoyami blooms from a light green pea shape to it's shown appearance.
Since Kaitoyami is completely dependant on a parasitic relationship to a host, it is often seen on many different types of plants, the fungus’ preferred host are smaller flowers or crops due to the optimization of expansion and spore distribution.
Kaitoyami appears in a thorn like pattern, however more sparingly across the stem or vines if its host. Kaitoyami sprouts in mass relative to its host, it's understood that Kaitoyami sprouts sparringly as to ensure it's host survives.
In certain circumstances some plants do not produce enough glucose in order to keep it and Kaitoyami alive, this is something that the fungus cannot detect. If the fauna begins to wilt the fungus will begin to die, taking a deep black shade and its petal-like formation opening up and shriveling.
Effects
Standard effects
Ingested
Kaitoyami has a very acidic and iron-rich taste to it. However most animal life consider it revolting. If spat out it may cause the user to vomit, they may suffer from mild dizziness and vertigo however this would last roughly 5 minutes.
If ingested, the person will begin to vomit heavily. They are highly at risk of feinting, if they do it will cause the person to fall into a night terror which will pass after a few hours. If they manage to stay conscious; they will suffer from dizziness, vertigo, mild tinnitus and are very likely to have mild hallucinations of a terror inspired nature.
If ingested in mass, depending on the amount the person can either fall into a coma or even cause the heart to shut down and die.
Inhaled
Although inhaling is the most effective way of maximizing the effects of the mycotoxins, in a open environment Kaitoyami does not produce enough spores to have any effect on those in close proximity. This is due to much of the spores being lost in the breeze.
Herbology
If used in poisons, it can be worked with other herbs to enhance some of the effects. Depending on what its worked with some of its additional side effects can can be used to enhance or be enhanced.
Effects:
Dizziness Vertigo Feinting Amnesia Comatose Tinnitus Hallucinations Night terrors
If cultivated in the right conditions, such as a small ecosystem in a jar, Kaitoyami can have its spores harvested into a small vial of gas. It was specifically bred for the spores long life as well as its effects.
Once a vial is filled it has a shelf life of roughly a month before they die. If this vial is inhaled directly, the person will bypass most of its traditional side effects and simply pass out immediately.
Once in a dream state, instead of facing traditional night terrors, the person will undergo roughly 24 hours of nightmares on a different magnitude. Those who activate the loop-break within the nightmare retain recollection of the events and it can be described as a sentence worse than death.
Passive
Nightmares
“This is more than a simple nightmare, I can see escape is futile.”
[x]
The nightmares all share similar settings, they're set in the realm to realistic detail. However, the sky is shaded a crimson colour while structures like trees and most notably the moon have a deep black appearance.
Valor documented the experience as feeling like a thousand years of torture. The nightmare starts with the person in control, they are fully aware that they are in a nightmare state. However they are incapable of making themselves wake up.
He describes a looming presence, of someone greater than himself in his own mind. Eventually, the user will begin to suffer through a myriad of events. Many typical nightmare problems such as not being able to move, slowness. However, Valor documents greater events, things should be impossible for a mind to manifest like the detail of demons.
The worst part, as Valor documents; if you break the loop and retain memory. You regain complete recollection of the events, you remember the pain you felt for what feels like an eternity. This can potentially cause lifelong trauma to a weaker mind.
“Aspects, protect me.”
[x]
Druid enhancements
Dreams
If utilized with skill, a Druid could use communion to pass on requests for calm dreams. Although Kaitoyami naturally occurs nightmares, it's capable of producing blissful dreams which can be used as therapy for those suffering mentally.
Given the Druid knows what the patient wants to see they could request certain events to unfold. They cannot request details as the communion between fungi and Druid is not capable. However they can have an influence in what may occur.
Those who fall into dreams due to Kaitoyami will always remember their dreams, this can be a release for those with a troubled mind. However, for this same reason it can become very addictive.
Nightmares
With Druidic Communion similarly to dreams Kaitoyami can be used to inspire certain types of nightmares. Have good influence on what the user will see, this can be used for practices such as test of commitment, faith or integrity. As well as what is seen a Druid has a good control on the intensity of the nightmare.
If Kaitoyami is used as an ingredient in herblore any of its given side effects can be moved to a higher magnitude relative.
Loop-break
The loop-break is the most curious part of the Kaitoyamis effects, it was previously understood that those who fall into a nightmare will never keep recollection which would classify it as a night terror.
However as Valor discovered whilst trapped in his night terror, given certain circumstances are met in the nightmare, the victim can cause themselves to forcefully wake up prematurely. However at the cost of retaining all the trauma they faced in the nightmare. Valor describes having phantom pains for weeks after losing a limb in a nightmare.
Using communion, a Druid can actually install their own loop-breaks. Things they believe need to be met to allow the victim to come out of the dream prematurely. They may know what they are or not, however in the nightmare state lies can't be told.
This tactic can be used in interrogation torture to get information, however used regularly it is more likely to cause long term damage like comatose, insanity, schizophrenia and PTSD. Which makes the practice inhumane as well as unreliable.
Thulean effects
[x]
When it comes to thulean enhancement, Kaitoyami has only two results. A nightmare or death.
Despite Kaitoyami being developed with the aid of thulean herblore, it still reacts as regular fauna does to thuleanism. All of its side effects are magnified, however Valor made the mistake of falling into a thulean enhanced nightmare once.
As his testing showed, animals who fell into a thulean enhanced nightmare would die after 24 hours if they didn't wake up. Their heart would simply stop. This piqued his interest, what was the nightmare like.
Although Valor recollects the events he cannot describe them beside a single feature. Eyes. Blood stained, but not his. He claims that since he feel into this nightmare he has never thought the same. Those who make it out are sure to suffer long term mental damage as he did.
[x]
Thulean Kaitoyami is diagnosed by those who have passed out having their eyes wide open and a bloodshot pure red. Despite sleeping, their eyes remain like this until they awake often crying blood. Unless the eyes are kept moistened long term ocular damage is likely.
