Somnus Slough

Beneath an alluring scent of citrus and damp soil lies a treacherous danger; this highly toxic material, found primarily on the planet Hyp and its moons in the territory of The Exon Authority, is the decomposed remains of multiple plants unique to its native environment in the dark and lush jungles of Hyp. Its dangerous exhalations are an insidious narcotic, dulling the senses and coaxing victims into sleep. While extended exposure can result in coma or death, a more common fate is suffocation within the bog-like depths of the material itself, which often acts as a deadly sinkhole.   Somnus Slough has a dangerous reputation amongst natives and frequent visitors to Hyp, as its unique smell, a mixture of citrus oil and fresh soil, is an immediate indicator of danger. Oftentimes, once you have smelled the pleasant aroma of the slough, you have likely already found yourself within its territory. The slough can be as small as a puddle or as large as a pond, and can sink to depths of several dozen feet.   If one is not quick to act, and even faster to escape the muddy zone of the Somnus Slough, they may find themselves weakening rapidly. Their senses dampening, their feeling numbing, and their actions slowing. If one is lucky, they will pass out onto a dry patch of land, which may or may not reside between pits of Solumnus Slough. If they are not lucky, a much more common fate is passing out into the muddy stickiness of the slough. Often, victims fall face-first and drown on chunks of decomposing plant material. If they are lucky enough to fall sideways or upon their back, they are still in extreme danger, as they must be retrieved before they inhale a deadly dose of the fumes.   As such, anyone who is travelling the jungles of Hyp is advised to travel wearing filtration masks. Or to at least plug their noses to stem or slow the inhalation of the Somnus Slough fumes. Though this latter approach is imperfect, as inhalation through the mouth will still quickly affect the body, though in a pinch, it may slow the effects just enough for a potential victim to escape.

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Growing Danger

Hyp itself is a dangerous planet, one in which few live full-time, much of whose landmasses are covered in thick, humid jungle. Few cultures live in these jungles, and those that do are far and few between. These cultures live in a near-constant state of fight or flight as they are in constant danger from a variety of jungle creatures and hazards. Of course, Somnus Slough is one of the primary hazards locals and visitors face and over time, the danger has only become more and more prevalent.   In the past, long droughts would dry out the dozens of scattered small to medium-sized Somnus Slough pits, rendering them inert. Then, heavy rainfall helps speed along the natural decay of the plant material that forms Somnus Slough into new pits. This cycle both allowed for the creation of Somnus Slough pits, but thanks to the droughts or dry period, it would restrict the size of pits that formed. With the largest forming into the size of a pond, and in these circumstances, the ponds would only be effective for a few days or a week at most before drying up.   However, in recent years, this cycle has been disrupted. Extended rainfall and lack of a significant dry period have allowed the Somnus Slough to accumulate unenpeded. Which means what was once small puddles and ponds of Somnus Slough is quickly turning into lakes and bogs of the dangerous and citrusy smelling material. In some extreme cases, several kilometres of jungle have been overrun with Somnus Slough, creating vast swamps with the potential deadly aroma.   This has forced jungle communities to abandon their homes in some cases, as the smell has become so powerful that a strong breeze can carry it from its sources many kilometres further away to harass those that are already trying to flee from it.   Several researchers both from the area, and from abroad, are actively researching how to abate the Somnus Slough without the need for an extended dry period. In the hopes that the solution, whether temporary or permanent can allow for some relief from the active dangers of the growing Somnus Slough pits.