Spine-saw Vines
Admist the brambles and vines within the unexplored and wild valleys tucked away in some of the most dangerous regions of Valerick is where one will find such dangerous flora. These vines do not earn this name for nothing, for these plants feed off their crippled victims. One should always be wary of unknown patches of brambles and vines in less explored regions of the world, particularly in the most far flung valleys of Valerick's many mountain ranges. They are rare, they are dangerous, they are also heretical. Whilst not truly tainted or touched by the Void, they are a foul mutation of carpet vines, a strange cousin of that and bramble families, growing in harsher regions, capable of surviving and thriving by feeding off any person or animal fool enough to wander into reach or worse still directly into the vines and brambles.
The danger of Spine-saw vines is that they generally look so mundane, so normal, unless one is very perceptive to notice the slight twitching and motion, or the freshly churned earth under the mat of vegetation within which it hides its victims. This plant does not feed from the soil, nor does it use water to grow. Instead it uses water and compounds it absorbs from the soil to create a paralytic and a very strong acid. The brambles themselves, unless one is very close, look quite normal, seeming dark greens and browns and shades in between. Nothing easily marks the danger. However the most perceptive of creatures will likely notice the very small, pointed needle like thorns all along its length. These thorns are the paralytic, and the vines launch them if they are disturbed, and at a surprising and terrifying speed. Once a victim has been paralyzed within the vine patch, the Spine-saw vines immediately begin their work to acquire the nutrition they so desperately seek. Bone marrow.
The vines will creep up, and a special vine, with a set of unique, robust, and serrated 'thorns', will emerge from the carpet of vines and brambles. This special vine, called the Tapper Vine will utilize one of these acid soaked thorns, carefully piercing the flesh, muscle and bone of the creature's lower back. Once this is done, that vine will begin to grow quite rapidly, all whilst pumping a very specific acidic compound through the victim's body, weakening exterior bone structure and resistance, as other vines with 'feeder needles' begin to wrap around the victim, all whilst pulling the victim slowly into a shallow bed where the soil has been shifted, before burying it. This process can take almost a full twenty hours, however it is quite effective as a victim the size of a human can provide almost a month of nutrition to most patches of any notable size, thought that would merely be enough to subsist upon, not enough for growth. It is unknown if the victims can feel what is happening to them over this time, if they are aware of it or not. Most like to assume not, as the implications otherwise are...nightmarish to say the least. This is of course undertandable, if not a objectively a strong reason, especially when one considers that keeping the victim alive for longer does insure a larger marrow harvest from them, as their body continues to produce some for a time.
However it is a sought after plant as well. This is because of one simple reason. The sap within the vines themselves can treat broken bones. When brewed correctly with the right reagants, it can be used to near instantly heal broken bones. As one might imagine however, acquiring said sap is a dangerous gambit to say the least.
The vines will creep up, and a special vine, with a set of unique, robust, and serrated 'thorns', will emerge from the carpet of vines and brambles. This special vine, called the Tapper Vine will utilize one of these acid soaked thorns, carefully piercing the flesh, muscle and bone of the creature's lower back. Once this is done, that vine will begin to grow quite rapidly, all whilst pumping a very specific acidic compound through the victim's body, weakening exterior bone structure and resistance, as other vines with 'feeder needles' begin to wrap around the victim, all whilst pulling the victim slowly into a shallow bed where the soil has been shifted, before burying it. This process can take almost a full twenty hours, however it is quite effective as a victim the size of a human can provide almost a month of nutrition to most patches of any notable size, thought that would merely be enough to subsist upon, not enough for growth. It is unknown if the victims can feel what is happening to them over this time, if they are aware of it or not. Most like to assume not, as the implications otherwise are...nightmarish to say the least. This is of course undertandable, if not a objectively a strong reason, especially when one considers that keeping the victim alive for longer does insure a larger marrow harvest from them, as their body continues to produce some for a time.
However it is a sought after plant as well. This is because of one simple reason. The sap within the vines themselves can treat broken bones. When brewed correctly with the right reagants, it can be used to near instantly heal broken bones. As one might imagine however, acquiring said sap is a dangerous gambit to say the least.
What a cool and dangerous plant.