¨¨¨,,,,/†¤                                          ¤†/,,,,¨¨¨
¨,«/†¤¤@##                                          ##@¤¤†/«,¨
,«/†¤¤@###                                          ###@¤¤†/«,
¨,«««//¤¤¤                                          ¤¤¤//«««,¨
¨,«/†¤¤@##                                          ##@¤¤†/«,¨
¨,«/†¤¤@##                «««««««««««               ##@¤¤†/«,¨
¨,/†¤¤@###             ††           ††              ###@¤¤†/,¨
¨¨¨¨«††¤¤¤             /   BLUE FIRE   /            ¤¤¤††«¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,««†¤#             ††           ††              #¤†««,¨¨¨¨
¨,,«««/¤@@                «««««««««««               @@¤/«««,,¨
¨¨¨«//¤¤@@                                          @@¤¤//«¨¨¨
¨,«/†¤¤@##  THE ¨BLUE FIRE¨ IS A CARNIVOROUS PLANT  ##@¤¤†/«,¨
¨¨¨«/†¤¤@# LIVING MOSTLY AT THE WESTERN ALVAR (BUT  #@¤¤†/«¨¨¨
¨,«/†¤¤@##   IT HAS SPREAD TO A FEW OTHER PLACES,   ##@¤¤†/«,¨
¨,«/†¤¤@##          MOSTLY ROCKY COASTS).           ##@¤¤†/«,¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,«†¤                                          ¤†«,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,//††¤@     THE PLANT IS A DENSE NETWORK OF      @¤††//,¨¨¨
¨,«/†¤¤@##  GREEN-BROWN TENTACLE-LIKE ROOTS, WHICH  ##@¤¤†/«,¨
¨,«/†¤¤@##   IS OFTEN CALLED "RAT'S TAIL" BEFORE    ##@¤¤†/«,¨
¨,«/†¤¤@##    BLOOMING. IN LATE JUNE, IT QUICKLY    ##@¤¤†/«,¨
¨,«/†¤¤¤@@      SPROUTS FEELERS, TEN TO THIRTY      @@¤¤¤†/«,¨
¨,«/†¤¤¤@#   CENTIMETERS HIGH, FILLED WITH PURPLE   #@¤¤¤†/«,¨
¨,«/†¤¤@##    HAIRS - THIS IS THE BLUE FIRE. THIS   ##@¤¤†/«,¨
¨,«/†¤@###     STAGE LASTS FOR ONE OR TWO WEEKS,    ###@¤†/«,¨
¨¨¨¨¨,/¤¤#     DEPENDING ON FOOD ACCESS, WATER,     #¤¤/,¨¨¨¨¨
¨,«/†¤¤@##                 CLIMATE.                 ##@¤¤†/«,¨
¨,«/†¤¤@##                                          ##@¤¤†/«,¨
¨,«/†¤¤@##  OFTEN IT'S NOT CLEAR HOW FAR THE PLANT  ##@¤¤†/«,¨
,«/†¤¤@###     HAS SPREAD UNLESS ITS IN THE FIRE    ###@¤¤†/«,
¨¨¨¨¨,,/†¤ STAGE. SUDDENLY, AS IF OVERNIGHT, WHOLE  ¤†/,,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,«†††¤@  FIELDS CAN BE TURNED ABLAZE (WITH THE   @¤†††«,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨«//¤¤¤ SAME INDIVIDUAL PLANT, AS WELL)! IN THE  ¤¤¤//«¨¨¨¨
¨,«/†¤@### BLOOMING PEAK, IT'S NOT UNUSUAL FOR THE  ###@¤†/«,¨
¨¨¨¨¨«/†¤@ WHOLE ALVAR TO BE CONNECTED NORTH-SOUTH. @¤†/«¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,/†††¤¤                                          ¤¤†††/,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,/†¤¤               /††«««««††/                ¤¤†/,¨¨¨¨¨
¨«/†¤¤@###                                          ###@¤¤†/«¨
¨,«/†¤¤@##   FIFTY WEEKS OF THE YEAR, WHILE IN RAT  ##@¤¤†/«,¨
¨,«/†¤¤@##  STAGE, THE BLUE FIRE FEEDS ON THE STONE ##@¤¤†/«,¨
¨¨¨,«†††¤¤  ITSELF VIA A SLOW CHEMICAL ATTRITION.   ¤¤†††«,¨¨¨
¨,«/†¤¤@## THIS IS ENOUGH TO KEEP THE ROOTS ALIVE,  ##@¤¤†/«,¨
¨,«/†¤¤@##    BUT ALL GROWTH AND PROCREATION MUST   ##@¤¤†/«,¨
¨,«/†¤¤@##   HAPPEN DURING THE TWO WEEKS IN JUNE.   ##@¤¤†/«,¨
¨,«/†¤¤@##                                          ##@¤¤†/«,¨
¨¨¨,,/†¤@@     NOW THE PLANT FEEDS ON BIRDS; THE    @@¤†/,,¨¨¨
¨,«/††††¤@ SEMISTIFF UPRIGHT FEELERS LOOKS LIKE AN  @¤††††/«,¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨«†¤    EXTENSION OF THE SEA, AND BIRDS ARE   ¤†«¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,«/¤¤@ TRICKED INTO LANDING OR DIVING INTO IT.  @¤¤/«,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨««†¤¤@    THEY ARE QUICKLY PARALYZED BY THE     @¤¤†««¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨«««†¤#     POISON ON THE PURPLE HAIRS, AND      #¤†«««¨¨¨¨
¨,«/†¤@###     DEVOURED OVER A PERIOD OF HOURS.     ###@¤†/«,¨
¨¨¨¨,/†¤¤@                                          @¤¤†/,¨¨¨¨
¨,«/†¤@###    PROCREATION CAN HAPPEN SEXUALLY VIA   ###@¤†/«,¨
¨,«/†¤¤@##  SPORES (CRYPTOGAMIA) OR ASEXUALLY WHEN  ##@¤¤†/«,¨
¨¨,«««//¤¤      THE ROOTS ARE CUT, DIVIDING AN      ¤¤//«««,¨¨
¨,«/†¤¤@##           INDIVIDUAL INTO TWO.           ##@¤¤†/«,¨
¨,«/†¤¤@@@                                          @@@¤¤†/«,¨
¨,«/†¤¤@##                                          ##@¤¤†/«,¨
¨¨¨¨¨«††¤#                                          #¤††«¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨«//¤¤¤                                          ¤¤¤//«¨¨¨¨
¨,«/†¤¤@##                                          ##@¤¤†/«,¨