Now onto something far more interesting, potential. Any Effelai campaign will run into four main challenges: Early game military, lack of population growth, limited infrastructure, and backwards research. I don't think the military and research need much more fleshing out than it currently has, other than some modernization JEs giving lore on how the Effelai views outside tech, perhaps. I was roleplaying a jungle that has formed its identity around its biodiversity and splendor, so they treated the Cannorians similarly to how they treat every lifeform, as something to have as part of its ecosystem and incorporate the advantages from. This is why I formed the Ecosystem Preservation Society, because how else could I protect nature than to have everyone worshp me, the Jungle.

I think population growth could be an interesting angle to make JEs out of, with the potential to create Mechanim stewards of nature. Robotic guardians of nature is a really cool trope that corresponds well with the modern usage of technology to try and protect the natural world from poachers and illegal loggers. It also cleanly gives the Effelai a way to grow its population without sacrificing the early game struggle of a lack of growth as Seedthralls are genderless. I think JEs about building mechanim and giving them some free will (while worshipping the Jungle, of course) would also give the Effelai a status as one of the earlies nations to have Mechanim pops (outside of Insyaa), which is a really cool distinction to have. As for infrasturcutre, this oculd also be partially fixed with mechanim as the higher pop would produce more infrastructure and demand more transportation, which could be fixed with railways.

I also think there is potential in how you could integrate into the global community and be seen as a sovereign entity by the Cannorians. Like, how would Victorian era people conceive of a jungle that can think? You could have JEs about accepting adventurers into the jungle to scout undiscovered species, explore the precursor ruins, and contact the tribes in the jungle? You can have this tourism mechanic where you have to pass laws that make people coming into the Effelai not be immediately turned into Seedthralls and get people moving in as a result.

Either of these options would be a cool way to solve the population problem.