The transformed jungle covering most of Phyr Island's western and central territory. What was once ordinary tropical forest is now something far more dangerous.
The trees themselves have changed. Their bark has crystallized into glass-like spines—sharp, brittle, and everywhere. Walking through the Jungle of Spines means constant small cuts unless you move with extreme care. These wounds would be merely painful in any normal jungle. Here, they can be fatal.
Spine Sickness: Wounds from the crystalline spines carry traces of the petrification curse. Left untreated, the flesh around the wound begins to harden over the following days. The process is slow—a week or more before it becomes dangerous—but inexorable. The hardening spreads from the wound site, eventually reaching vital organs. Death comes when the heart turns to stone.
The people of Attla know remedies: poultices made from certain eastern plants, rituals involving salt water and moonlight, careful excision of affected tissue. These treatments work if applied early. Visitors to Phyr Island are advised to either avoid the Jungle of Spines entirely or travel with someone who knows the cures.
The jungle's wildlife has adapted in various ways. Some creatures have developed immunity to the spine sickness. Others have become carriers—their bites or scratches transmit the curse more efficiently than the spines themselves. A few have evolved partial petrification as a defense mechanism, their hides studded with stone growths that turn aside predators' teeth.