The Bloom

The bloom is a fist-sized parasitic jellyfish that attaches itself to larger sea creatures, such as sharks, dolphins, or whales. They bore their small tendrils into these creatures, pump neurotoxins into them, so that the host creature won’t feel the presence of the bloom, and start to suck out all their lifeforce. Usually, 4-5 blooms attach themselves to a creature and can cling to it for a long time. Especially, if it is a whale. These blooms are very colorful. This serves two purposes. Those sea creatures that recognize the bloom avoid it, and they avoid not just the bloom, but also the host creature, so the bloom won’t face a situation where another animal hunts down their host.

One bloom or a few of them aren’t dangerous. Host creatures can live for decades with a few blooms. However, if there are many of them close together, they can connect, and their gestalt ability activates. This is some psionic, hive mind ability, which they can use to take control over all the sea creatures around them. Quite often, in this state, they can devour the host creatures within days.

Luckily, not in many places, although they are slowly spreading. First, they were seen on the western shores of the Muaclun continent, but recently, calamor found them west of the Gibora continent as well, which is located north of Muaclun. Nobody knows the situation with them south of Muaclun, but they haven’t been seen on the eastern shores yet.

Typically, male and female jellyfish release their eggs and sperm into the water, leaving it to chance whether the sperm will fertilize the eggs or not. However, when Tacillia is near Abundance, their behavior changes significantly. Both female and male bloom release their eggs and sperm into the host creature. Fertilization of the eggs is almost entirely ensured, and when the small jellyfish are born, they have the necessary nourishment around them to grow quickly and safely. During their growth spurt, they bore their way out of the host creature. It is a fascinating sight, and it looks like when a dry patch of soil receives water, the flowers start to blossom. This is how they received their name. Unfortunately, although it is a fascinating sight, the host creature rarely survives the experience.

The scholars don’t know why this change in their reproduction cycle happens. They think it is some psionic interference, because a thin sheet of dimming net can prevent it altogether.