Aelu Trees



Aelu trees are commonly referred to as Flickerwoods due to the effects it has on its environment and those within. The flickering glow of the Flickerwood trees couple well with their silver bark and bio-luminescent leaves which glow purple. The trees hover anywhere from 10-20 feet from the ground. Their roots dangle like tendrils beneath them as they slowly drift from one place to another.



The leaves are perfectly circular and the fruit which grows on its roots are pyramid shaped. The fruit is the same purple hue with silver specks littered across the skin.

When eaten, the fruit is sweet, refreshing, and highly nutritious. One could live their entire life eating just this fruit without suffering any nutritional deficiencies. The juices, however, are highly addictive when consumed over long periods of time. The Aelu trees feed on living organisms. They can break down the whole body given time, but they prefer muscle tissue and bone.



Something that shocked Expedition Meili when they arrived at the colony was just how severe the loss of muscle and bone was among the members of Expedition Venus. Some possessed no bones at all, floating in long slender waves of flesh like flags among the roots as the trees begin to eat away at the heart, causing a quick death. The worst part is that the addiction can cause lethal withdrawals if any attempt to quit is made once addicted. The trees can feed on something in this way only if it has become addicted to its fruit. A chemical in its juice works its way through the organism's body, transferring nutrients in some arcane form to the tree that bore the fruit.

Flicker



Flicker is a weightlessness that comes from nearing an Aelu tree or eating its fruit. It causes strange fluctuations in gravity, allowing one to jump higher and further, carry more weight, and move quicker than normally possible.



This effect lasts as long as the exposure continues or for an hour after eating the fruit outside of a Flickerwood's influence. Over months of exposure, those affected will suffer rapid bone and muscle loss due to low gravity and the trees feeding on their victims.