"Alright, here's the next one." Weiss said as she started the second video.
Welcome to the Ecology of Aqua Laguna, today we talk about one of the many enviroments spread along the land.
"So we're still not talking about the creatures?" Yang asked, "We wouldn't be able to talk about them without talking about where they live first." Blake explained.
The biome we'll talk about today is the elusive Forest of Tajna. (Nora: It sounds like some kind of spice./ Ruby: It actually does!/ Yang: Ruby-/ Ruby: No I'm not going to say it...) The Forest of Tajna is easily recognizable thanks the many different colored leaves, ranging from the usual green, to bright pink.
Ren and Weiss made a double take at that, "Did he say pink?" Weiss asked, "Bright pink, yes." Phyrra confirmed, "How exactly?" Weiss questioned further, "There are cherry blossoms, but there shouldn't be trees that have different colored leaves..." Ren thought outloud, "It probably has something to do with the magic." Phyrra hypothesised.
You might be wandering why this is called the forest of Tajna, (Jaune: Not really?) it's because of the great amount of Tajna plants that grow in this forest. (Nora: Oh! Tajna then is a spice!/ Ren: It could be poisonous for all we know.) A Tajna plant is extremely rare, in fact the only place where you'll see two of these next to each other is in the forest.
"You can't find TWO next to each other!?" Jaune exclaimed, "So these things are almost impossible to find?" Yang asked, "There has to be some kind of catch, there's a forest filled with them!" Nora exclaimed.
A Tajna plant is so rare not because they're going extinct or anything like that, it's because the planthas very specific growing conditions, (Weiss: Oh, alright then, they only grow in a specific soil.) these plants only release seed into a species of worm, then when the worm dies, another plant grows. (Weiss: And now I hate these things.../ Blake: Mushrooms grow on ants sometimes, this isn't that gross in comparison./ Yang: It's still very gross really.) The reason that the Forest of Tajna is full of these plants, is that the worms that carry the seeds feed on the sap that the multicolored trees have.
"Sap... Delicious..." Nora sarcastically said, "Maybe the seed tastes good? Take it out of the worm and eat it?" Ruby suggested, "And then it has a worm blood aftertaste? No thank you!" Weiss refused, "That brings a question actually, why are they focusing so much on this plant?" Ren asked, "Now that you mention it, yeah, they should be focusing on the whole forest..." Jaune agreed.
Let's move on onto the rest of the forest now, while the Tajna plants are one of the main things that define this place, the second is the abundant amount of fruit that grow on the trees. (Ruby: If this forest is so exotic the fruit must be amazing!/ Nora: Make them into a pie?/ Ruby: If we find it, yes!) A shot of the trees is shown, revealing the Tajna plants and the many curious looking tree along with the fruit on their twisting and turning branches. While these fruits may look normal, keep in mind that some of them aren't fruits, they're carnivorous plants (Ruby: I think I'll pass on the pie now.../ Nora: Meh, I'll still try it.) You'll be able to tell apart the carnivorous plants from the fruit thanks to the fact that the stem is shaped like the pistil of the Tajna plant.
"Oh good! It would be a problem if the animals couldn't tell the difference." Blake stated, "Monkey actually drink from pitcher plants, so who knows." Ren informed.
The carnivorous plant and Tajna plants have a similar shape due to the fact that once in a while the Tajna plants releases spores, these spores feed on the tree until they're fully grown, but by feedin on the tree, they also absorb some of their DNA, gaining the shape of it's fruits. (Jaune: So it's a parasite.) Here's what a Tajna plant looks from the top. A shot of a Tajna plant is shown, the most obvious detail being the hair covered in drops of something. What you see on the hair of the plant isn't nectar or juice, it's actually a sticky substance composed of an enzime that behaves like stomach acids, (Blake: The fact that they chose to use stomach acids to describe it...) While harmful to insect and smaller creatures, this liquid is very nutritious, so the larger creatures that live in the forest developed a resistance to it's corrosive effect.
"So it's not complete nightmare fuel." Yang sighed in relief, "I wonder how it absorbs nutrients from it's prey." Ren wondered, "Probably through osmosis." Blake theorized, "What's that?" Ruby asked, "Think a sponge for food." Blake simplified and Ruby let out a hum in understanding.
A clip of a Tajna plant being licked by a monkey like creature was shown. (Phyrra: Oh my God... It's adorable!/ Rbuy: Yang please can we get one?/ Yang: If the next videos say that it's not dangerous.) Now the plant isn't capable of removing the remains of the prey by itself, that is done by the animals drinking from it, (Jaune: And they drink bug water./ Ren: Just like monkeys with pitcher plants.) A thing to note is that the reason that the trees have leaves of many different colors is that when a Tajna plant dies, it drops it's "fruit", then the nutrients get absorbed through the roots and the large quantity of them causes the trees to grow so healthy that they become nothing short of a divine plant, they can still die of course.
"The whole ecosystem of this forest depends solely on this plant, naming it after it seems only appropriate now." Weiss noted, "The creatrures from this place must be living the life." Jaune stated.
The nutritional value of the Tajna plant is also found in the mutated fruit that grow from it's spores, which can actually be picked and eaten like any other fruit, the regular plant is though and tastes like concrete, the fruit is just like the fruit from which it takes it's appearence, (Jaune: He did not just say concrete./ Ruby: He did.) When the plant dies it turns mushy, but it still tastes awful. (Blake: OHhhh... It's a defense mechanism./ Yang: Kind of extreme honestly.) A clip of a humanoid creature that's incredibly tall and has hand like wings with no webbing is shown taking a bite out of a Tajna plant.
Everyone was surprised at the sight, "How did it do that!? He just said they're as though as concrete!" Weiss lamented, "Must be adapted to do that... Somehow..." Blake thought.
Due to the large amount of these plants in this forest, it also makes the perfect living spot for one of the Title Holder races, (Ruby: Oh my God! That was a Title Holder!/ Yang: And it looked just like Takama!) the presence of the Title Holders causes many dangerous creatures to steer clear, aside from some that eat meat, but otherwise don't cause trouble. Another clip of a different humanoid creature that has a cloak of feathers and is absolutely huge was shown leaping down from a tree and crushing a scorpion like thing under it's clawed fingers. (Jaune: Have you seen that thing!?/ Blake: It must be one of the larger Humanoid Class races!) Some population control is required of course since the forest is essentialy a massive gathering hub for hungry creatures.
"Population control isn't exactly the first thing I'd think about..." Phyrra admitted, "But it is important." Ren defended, "Well, that's the end of the video anyways." Weiss said, "So next we'll be seeing the creatures that live in the fores, and one of them is a Title Holder!" Ruby exclaimed excitedly.
Then there was another knock on the door, "I'm seeing a pattern." Weiss muttered as she went to open the door, revealing Winter, Penny, Emerald and Cinder, "Have you guys come to see the videos with us?" Nora asked from inside the room, "Yeah, it would be better to see them in company and exchange opinions." Winter explained, "Didn't you say you just wanted to visi-" Emerald was about to say, but Winter shut her up with a glare, "Nervermind.", "Either way... Come in?" Weiss said a little confused at the exchange.