Most plants are quite innocent and harmless, going about their business of turning sun, water, and nutrients into more cells. A few have developed means of protecting themselves from possible “predators” through thorns or irritating poisons. Others, through magic or science, have gone a step further and begun attacking any animals or people around them. This section deals with those that don’t grow much larger than their original plant size.
Bloodthorns are one type of evil plants infused with the weakest of corrupt souls. The seeds are about five centimeters in diameter, blood red in color.
As the planes develop, they at first appear similar to immature rose bushes but grow terribly fast. As they get bigger, their blood hunger increases and they begin to consume small animals, and later, people. Eventually they reach a height of about two meters. They appear as thorny vines, but a sickly white in color, and very thin, as if they were dying. After feeding they turn pink and bloated. They feed by draining blood through their hollow thorns. As soon as someone approaches this curious-looking plant, the vines lash out and attack.
If they go longer than two weeks without feeding, they seem to go into dormancy, producing two seeds two weeks after that. After the seeds are finished developing, the plane dies.
The reaper’s blossom is a gorgeous multichromatic flower, with dozens of petals and designs. It has a very sweet fragrance. However, when an unsuspecting person leans forward to sniff the sweet fragrance, the reaper’s blossom strikes. It shoots a toxic cloud of spores into the victim’s face, sending her into a coughing fit and allergic reaction. If the victim fails to expel the spores by the coughing, they are ingested. Within 72 hours of ingestion, the spores begin to grow.
Painful parasitic growths then begin to sprout from the victim’s face and chest, burrowing through flesh and bone, feeding off of the body it now infests. From that time on, each day the victim lives, she suffers as the infection spreads through the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, lacing the skeleton and finally piercing the heart. When the victim’s body finally dies, the remaining cadaver is now fully manipulated by the plane itself, which guides it back to the main Rower. The plant may use the body to attack or defend itself. The host body is often forced to bury itself, from which a new plane will grow.
A reaper’s blossom host body is a sickly pale white in pallor, gradually turning grey. Rapid weight and hair loss is also symptomatic
The only known way to counter the effects of the reaper’s blossom spore is to be blessed by a priest and drink holy water. This systematically destroys the spores’ presence in the infested body, and a slow recuperation is now possible.
Typical Bloodthorns
Reflexes 4D: brawling 6D+2
Coordination 1D
Physique 40+1
Knowledge 1D
Perception 2D+1
Presence 3D: intimidation 9D, willpower 5D
Strength Damage: 20
Move: 0
Fate Points: 0
Character Points: 0
Body Points: 23
Wound levels: 3
Natural Abilities: fibrous body (Armor Value +2D); thorns (damage +1D); multiple vines (attack up to 4 times without penalty)
Typical Reaper’s Blossom Host Body
Reflexes 3D: brawling 3D+2, dodge 3D+1, melee combat 3D+1, sneak 3D+2
Coordination 1D+2
Physique 3D+1
Knowledge 2D
Perception 3D: search 3D+1, cracking 3D+1
Presence 1D: intimidation 3D, willpower 3D+1
Strength Damage: 2D
Move: 10
Fate Points: 0
Character Points: 0
Body Points: 2
Wound levels: 3
Natural Abilities: fibrous body (Armor Value +1D)
Note: The plant ejects spores at its victim, who must make a Physique or stamina roll of 24 or more to expel the spores. Failing to do so means that the victim is infected. She gets one Wound or loses 6 Body Points per day, which cannot be recovered. If she drinks holy water before dying, the infecting plant is killed and she may begin recovery.