• Lore • [Rharne] Flora

[Oracle]

The Mauraders

Name: The Marauders

Appearance: The Marauders are not exactly easily described. Their height, weight, and entire appearance is dependant on the body that is being controlled. But one thing is for certain -- all Marauders will have moss, plants, and sometimes insects living on them, as if they were part of the forest. Logs and other Marauders that do not naturally have limbs will regrow them in the form of wood, and fungi will encompass parts of their body, usually around the chest or head area.

Description: Those who enter the Ywyngyll Forest and never return are expected to have been swallowed up alive by the living forest, but a fate far worse encompasses them. If someone were to stray within it's woods with any intention other than pure, the lush and violent forest will attempt to not only push away or kill the intruder, but to take their body and infuse it within itself. The nature found in the forest is far more vicious and brutal than most, and the Unabor that connects everything intends to keep it that way by setting up intense predators along it's borders. Should someone enter the wood, they would find beings - simple logs or trees, dead animals, or sometimes even other humanoid races completely devoid of emotion, or thoughts, with fungi growing out along their body. The fungi, referred to as The Marauders by the hearts, are another precaution of the forest. Along the border, these moving, dead creatures are almost completely invisible to the naked eye, camouflaging as simple logs or animals. Once someone falls deeper within the wood, and strays near a heart, The Marauders track and follow their prey, believing that they might turn back, or perhaps be friendly to the forest. Should someone aggravate them, by attacking the creatures there, going near a heart, cutting down too much wood from it's trees - The Marauders will lash out.

These creatures purely aim to kill, and although completely docile before they are activated, they should be approached cautiously. Should someone cut themselves on the defensive fungi found later in the forest, The Marauders are part of the creatures that will attempt to secure and kidnap the person and bring them towards the hearts, but this doesn't always happen, and The Marauders sometimes kill their target. They do this in any way necessary, logs will simply ram their target, animals will use claws and teeth, and humans will attempt to wrestle and beat their opponent. A single Marauder is not lethal usually to any competent person, but they are extremely dangerous in numbers, as dozens can overwhelm a single foe.

Should one of these creatures be captured, they will wilt and immediately die upon being taken out of the forest. A necromancer will not be able to revive it in any way, for The Marauder is not an entity, but a part of the forest, and an invasive fungi that attaches and redirects plants and animals to defend the forest. It has no purpose beyond this, and does not need food or water to survive, as it is not truly living.

Frequency: Uncommon (only in Ywyngyll Forest)

Level of Danger: Medium

Special Properties: The Marauder that attaches itself is able to control and pivot the body or tree to work in favor of the forest.

Additional Information: None

Credit: Ministry

[Oracle]

Gasping Orchid

Name: Gasping Orchid
Appearance: The Gasping Orchid is roughly 6" in height, but as most parasitic orchids are wont to do, will wrap around tree trunks with scarlet tendrils in order to fight for a place in the sun. Their leaves are small, roughly the length of a man's thumb. Though green in hue they are veined in the same blood-red color as the vine itself. The leaves grow in bunches, with foot-long bare intervals where they are few if any leaves at all. What makes this plant most striking is it's flower. Larger than an ithecal's fist, blood-red, and sticky, they bring to mind a red mouth opening to consume some poor creature. When not open, these flowers seal themselves up in fleshy, veiny 'pods' that are nearly impossible to cut through. These flowers are crepuscular, and bloom at early morning and sunset. All other times they are sealed.

Description: Gasping Orchids are native to the swamps of Rharne. They exist by winding up trees, sinking their roots deep into the flesh of the tree. Their aim is not to kill their victim, though the trees infected with Gasping Orchids often fail to thrive and wither away within a few arcs, leaving the orchid to capitalize on the corpse. Gasping Orchids reproduce in a strange way. A pair of white swellings at the rear of the "throat" of the flower will become monstrously huge in late Ymiden. By early Saun the swellings have grown to a point where the flower can no longer shut itself. When the pressure becomes too immense, the flower will explode. A hail of wet, sticky seeds each the size of a flea will fly through the air and (hopefully) stick to a nearby tree.

Beware; though these bursts are relatively harmless unless you happen to be a tree, Gasping Orchid seeds are designed to stick and hook onto a warm, viable host. Once they find one, be it the surface of a man's skin or the sun-warmed trunk of a tree, they immediately send a root down. This root is tipped in barbs. The longer the itchy seed stays on a man's skin, the deeper the root goes. The root will eventually mistake muscle tissue or bone for a tree, and will start to sprout. Once a man has been affected with this level of Gasping Orchid, it is too late. No matter how hard he tugs on the plant, or attempts to cut it out, the roots will allow it to leech energy from a man's flesh and regrow itself. Gasping Orchid infections can last for decades and decades. Skeletons of the afflicted look like swiss cheese where the roots have bored holes in and out of the bones to more securely anchor itself. Death is slow, and agonizing, and takes dozens of arcs. A man will shamble along until he is no longer recognizable, with flowers sprouting out of his back or arms, and vines consuming his features. If the roots manage to bore into the brain, a more severe symptom occurs; madness.

The plant will burrow deep into the brain and begin to drill holes into it for nutrients. Seizures, hallucinations both complex and simple, swelling in the brain, and eventual death are all symptoms of a poor mortal afflicted with a Gasping Orchid that has made its way to the brain. These individuals can be unspeakably violent, and will often attack friends and family members. The afflicted are known as Gaspers. Gaspers will shamble through the swamps of Rharne and stand in sunny spots to allow their vines to soak up the sun. They live a meager, horrific existence, until someone comes along to either cure them, or end their suffering.

The treatment for Gasping Orchid is currently unknown.

Frequency: Uncommon

Level of Danger: Extremely High

Special Properties: Psychotoxins; the Gasping Orchid seems to have the power to convince its mammalian victims that it is somehow beneficial, to prevent them from removing it. This is derived from the roots of the plant, and can be ground up and added to food to temporarily make an individual highly suggestible. However, due to the instability of the compound, the difficulty in harvesting the orchids without oneself becoming infected, and the relative rarity of the plants, only a master alchemist or chemist would have the skills to produce such a serum. Alchemists lower than Master will find that their serums only aid in suggestibility of a varying to lower degree, and run the risk of the serum backfiring and infecting the intended target with Gasping Orchid seeds.

Additional Information: Hi, I love you, this is for the contest.

Credit: Jon/Braker

[Oracle]

Knight Bloom

Name: Knight Bloom
Appearance: Blossoming plants, standing between 2 and 3 inches tall. Their white trumpet-like bloom is usually a pretty white but the plants glow in a comforting light when in the presence of someone marked by, or born of Ilaren. In the presence of the Immortal herself, they glow twice as brightly.

Description: These beautiful flowers are known to have originated in the Mistal Woods where they used to light the way for the Lightning Knights who had entered the forest to help others - hence their name. There, they literally have been known to light up a path for those who are lost or who seek to help innocents. In recent arcs they have become a more common sight around Rharne and some make beautiful displays in gardens around the Cathedral.

During the night, or throughout all of Cylus where no sun lights the sky, these beautiful blossoms give off a comforting glow in when someone who bears the mark of Ilaren is nearby. They also, whilst in the glowing state, emit a beautiful fragrance which is said to boost the powers and abilities of Ilaren's chosen, while harming those who would seek to do them harm. Thus, rather than being used as a detection system, those who would wish harm to Ilaren's faithful tend to avoid these. The more devout the follower - either in terms of the level of their mark or their role in Ilaren's factions in Rharne, the more powerful the effects of the bloom.

Frequency: Uncommon. Requires Expert Gardening to care for due to their extremely fragile nature.

Level of Danger: Depends on who you are. Potentially high.

Special Properties: For Ilaren's marked being in proximity of these blooms adds a single level bonus to combat skills (eg: Competent becomes Expert). The light does this. For those seeking to harm Ilaren's marked, the reverse is true, and they will lose a single level of skill in one skill, usually the one they are using to attack. This only works at night.

Additional Information: There are rumours about what these flowers do in the presence of one of Ilaren's children or the Immortal herself. These are, as yet, undiscovered.

Credit: Faith

[Pig Boy]

Knight Bloom

Name: Icenip
Appearance:
This small flower is roughly the same size as a daisy - the petals are larger, though, and seem to be made of wafer-thin ice. The center of the flower is bright green. At night, the petals emit a soft glow.
Description:
Found on the shores of Lake Lovalus in Cylus, this plant doesn't appear anywhere else or at any other time. Attempting to cultivate it requires at least Master Gardening.
Frequency:
Extremely Rare
Level of Danger:
Non-Existent
Special Properties:
The Icenip is a beautiful plant with a number of properties:

• Glowing Petals The petals glow in the dark - whether attached to the flower or not, they glow.
• Edible The plant is edible - the leaves have the taste of sugar and the stem tastes like mint. However, it's very fragile and will spoil easily. Expert Cooking required.
• Birds & Bees The birds and the bees love this plant and it will attract all manner of birds and insects.

Additional Information: I'm going to make a small series of threads about finding this and then studying it. I'd like to add some properties as I go, if that's ok?
Credit: Faith