Taranys

Taranys (ta-rah-NEES) is a small island off the coast of Gilramshyre, nestled in the Westwater. It is a heathland and covered almost completely in a particular flowering plant called gwiatara (gwee-a-TA-rah), or colloquially called "lightning rod." It is a short shrubby evergreen plant with whorling flowers along its stem that bloom a vibrant yellow, blue, or white. The Gilramites have tried many times to seed it on their lands, but gwiatara will not grow anywhere else. The gwiatara generates lightning storms above the island, such that it is nearly always under cloud cover. Lightning strikes the ground often, and this energy is absorbed by the plants rather than damaging them or setting fires. After a lightning storm, the flowers will glow and crackle with electricity and are extremely dangerous to handle. However, harvested while in this state the flowers will retain some of this energy which has a multitude of uses.   The constant lightning storms around the island make it very dangerous for ships to pass by, and they take a wide berth. Gwiatara harvesters, however, must take special precautions as they approach to ensure they are not hit. The job of harvesting is not just dangerous because of the lightning and electricity, but because of the creatures that also inhabit the island. Beasts that appear half unicorn and half bull with bright manes sparking with lightning graze on the lightning rod plants and can call lightning to themselves when threatened. The near-constant thunderstorm over Taranys weakens the barrier between Aedelor and the Elemental Plane of Air. The planar influence can seep through and cause births in the surrounding area to be planetouched.