Naarshra'am

The Naarshra'am, also known as Narshies colloquially, are an amorphous colony organism found primarily in the equatorial band of Lor's eastern hemisphere. Variable in form Naarshra'am are recognizable by their luminous eye spots and the ubiquitous red fog that their bodies produce as a byproduct of their physiology.

Though appearing as a single cohesive animal, the Naarshra'am is actually composed of thousands or millions of specialized animals working together as a single cohesive colonial form. Specialized individuals handle everything from ingestion, digestion, and metabolic processing, to locomotion, defence, and structural development. Adult examples of the Naarshra'am range from as little as 3 centimetres in diameter to some extreme examples growing to sizes spanning up to 30 meters, giving the species a wide range of sizes as well as physiological compositions.

Common features of the species are a glossy gel-like general appearance dotted irregularly with bio-luminous eye spots. Additionally a common observation is an inherent capacity for 'tool use' in which naarshra'am will acquire solid materials such as stones, branches, bones, and in rare cases processed materials and use them to provide their body with an artificial skeleton providing structure that their typically amorphous form naturally lacks. Use of these acquired materials extends beyond simple structural augmentation as they have been observed using broken branches as makeshift spears, flat rocks as armour plating, and at times even co-opting the skulls of deceased animals to provide an bite. Despite the wide range of phenotypes that this adaptation allows naarshra'am to assume, they are typically fairly homogeneous in shape for a given region determined by their environment and the resources present in a location.

Perhaps the most noteworthy aspect of the species is the clinging red mist that is exuded from the flesh of the animal which is used both to deter would-be predators as well as debilitate potential prey. This mist typically clinging to the body of the naarshra'am has been observed to be a highly potent poison with a startlingly wide array of effects, many of which are magical in nature. While the effects of the mist when exposed to most living creatures is highly unpleasant, its most troubling aspect is that it has been reported as being extremely pleasant in aroma by the few who have survived direct exposure, often leading to increased exposure as individuals find themselves compelled to breathe deeply to enjoy the curiously pleasant floral scent. Though highly dangerous, the mist is thankfully unstable when exposed to UV radiation and dissipates readily during daylight hours even in locations where large quantities of the creatures are gathered.

Study upon helashio test subjects and a few trials upon condemned criminals has provided an exhaustive list of the potential effects of the mist upon humanoid life, with confirmed overlap among the majority of exposed cloned animal life. The effects observed are as follows:

• The simplest byproduct of the extremely unusual cellular respiration cycle consists of a binary chemical which wafts off of the surface of the animal in rapid cycles with the convection process mixing droplets of the compounds, activating a exothermic reaction effectively catalyzing the binary chemical interaction which yields the final toxic product produced through this specialized function. This product as it emanates from the body mixes with compounds produced by dermal-zooid colonies resulting in enhanced volatility as the thick, moist, and toxic mist gathers around the animal. In the chemical mixture which is produced by the biological process executed in the compound secretion, occurrences of several phenethylamine compounds are observed, in conjunction with phosphonic esters. Phenthylamine compounds produced in this reaction are central nervous system stimulants. From this compound, a physiological impact is presented upon the cognitive and perceptive capacity of most vertebrates exposed. Speech, cognition, attentiveness, impulse control, and reflexes are dulled while also inducing severe hallucinations and dissociation. Accompanying the phenthylamine compounds produced, phosphonic esters are the more malignant of the compounds produced by the internal reaction. This organophosphorus class compound is a nerve agent compound which binds to nerve receptors, blocking normal calcium, sodium, and potassium channel behaviour. This organically derived nerve agent induces involuntary, painful, often damaging muscle contractions, voluntary nerve behaviours being interfered with, autonomic nervous system functions being impaired or outright suppressed, and cardio-pulmonary arrest when exposed to the aerosol form of the compound.
• Exotic magical compounds have been recorded as a result of the cellular process of the narrshra'am, binding with living tissues resulting in the gradual and with sufficient exposure, complete petrification of the exposed organism. This process is thought of as an unintended consequence of the unusual biological processes of the narshraa'am as it is unable to consume stone-like materials, however individuals have been observed utilizing petrified creatures as components for their own physical form.
• The compounds present in the mist have been observed to reduce or remove tolerance, resistance, or at times even cause typically harmless substances to interact in aggressive manners with affected physiology. Confirmed side-effects of this process have been observed as dissipation of built up chemical tolerances, increased potency of psychoactive substance exposure, and in one case acute cellular death caused by an unusual interaction with atmospheric nitrogen.
• One of least commonly observed effects has been the partial reanimation of a deceased helashio individual who had previously succumbed to the nerve-agent portion of the mist. Despite having incurred extensive torn muscle tissue and a visible open fracture of two bones during the panic and seizures that lead to its death, the corpse was able to assume a standing position and displayed mild aggression toward other helashio when introduced to the test area. While the reanimation of the dead flesh was an unusual result, the lack of discernible intelligence present in the individual, transmission of the condition, or enhancement of the reanimated flesh proves the result little more than a novelty.
• One of the most drastic effects observed from interaction with the magical compounds produced in the narrshra'am's mist is the spontaneous reduction in scale of those affected. The result of this uncommon interaction with a living organism has been noted several times with roughly similar results reducing the afflicted to a size roughly a twelfth to a thirteenth of their normal stature. Recovered test subjects have demonstrated within reasonable doubt a continuity of self, with minimal evidence suggesting that the change, while drastic imposes any cognitive impediment upon the afflicted, aside from any horror and trauma potentially incurred by the sudden change in stature.
• The most unusual, and initially most vexing result of exposure to the mist recorded to date has been the sudden spontaneous change of form from one species to another. Careful study and several trials eventually revealed that an unusual interaction between contaminating genetic material from another species when exposed to the flesh of the subject afflicted by the mist can result in a conversion of the individual to match the genetic template of the contaminating genetic material. Testing circumstances most often resulted in afflicted helashio turning into small amphibians and rodents that they had interacted with prior to exposure, however instances of livestock, human, phenotype, and even lorath transmogrification has been observed in subjects.

Primarily found in equatorial coastal regions of Lor's moonfall scarred eastern hemisphere, Naarshra'am in smaller numbers can be found in smaller numbers across most of the eastern hemisphere typically existing on the edges of more established ecosystems.

Due to the highly toxic nature of the Naarshra'am and their hazardous byproducts they are typically removed or exterminated before they can enter settled locations to prevent exposure to residents as well as potentially violent encounters with hungry or threatened individuals.

An opportunistic omnivore the Naarshra'am subsists on vegetable or animal matter as available content to scavenge from corpses, graze on plant life, or hunt when possible. Though able to consume a wide variety of Lor-native vegetable and animal matter, they tend to prefer softer materials as they are more easily metabolized by the organism.

Initially thought to be mindless entities that roam the landscape searching for food, recent observations have noted a capacity for complex social behaviours in larger individuals. Observed behaviours include impressive memory retention for a species with no discernible central nervous system, recognition of individuals, varying 'opinions' in relation to individuals, reciprocation of kindness, and the capacity to attempt repayment for perceived acts of kindness.

Though largely anecdotal in observation, these behaviours have called into question the mental capacity of wild naarshra'am with some scholars proposing that they may even be capable of attaining levels of intelligence approaching helashio. Though this opinion is contested.

Narshraa'am propagate through a variety of specialized spores. These spores are produced and released in response to environmental factors such as an abundance of food or a scarcity there of. These spores are then scattered into the environment to settle in bodies of water, soil, or rarely in the bark of some varieties of tree. When environmental conditions are right for the spores to germinate they will begin to spread in a manner loosely analogous to a slime mould seeking out compatible growths which then germinate into an 'egg' stage commonly referred to as a 'blister.'

These 'blisters' use pseudopods to collect nearby material and grow over a period of 3-6 weeks to an average size of about 1 centimetre before becoming mobile and beginning the process of seeking more food in order to fuel the process of maturing to adulthood at around a year after development.

Due to the hazards inherent in naarshra'am physiology, no large scale domestication attempts have been made, though a few have found their way into captivity for research, as novelties, or in rare cases to be used in culinary attempts.

* Give any notable history surrounding the animal, such as legends, notable interactions, etc.

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