Ojikan Lily (oh-JEE-kahn li-lee)
This particularly beautiful and deadly lily variety thrives primarily in the thick [Tokihana forest] of Idola. It grows in a vine-like pattern up the sides of trees and at its fullest size can occupy an area up to seven feet. Each occurrence of the plant will sprout a handful of these beautiful, bell-shaped lilies.
The story behind these lilies goes as thus: When walking in earshot of this flower on a breezy day, you and anyone with you that also hears the flower, into a one hour time loop. It is impossible to know whether or not you've been captured.... until the reset of course. Upon the time loop resetting, the flower will put you at the very moment in time just after you've heard the flower's chime, without moving you; very easy to get lost and lose track of where you started that way. To break this loop, you must first find the flower. Once you've found the flower, pick one, then shake it until the flower's bell-like ringing dies upon the wind. This will end the loop and pull you and your party into the current date and time.
The best time to travel in this forest would be during the winter time, when the lilies are dead, or at the very least, at night-as the plant gives off just the most subtle light white glow.
It is unfortunate, but many ignore this advice, thinking that the forest is haunted and will be at its worst during those times. Perhaps they're just hearing the trapped, screaming for help...
Groups trapped in the forest are in separate loops by instance. Once trapped, you have one hour interacting with the world at the present day and time, but at the reset, your body will dissolve into an ethereal spectre, and you can no longer interact with the outside world until you break the loop. To those outside, you simply disappear until the loop is broken.
If a member of the party is deaf, wearing ear protection, or otherwise unable to hear the lily's ringing, they will not be taken into the initial time loop, but they may interact for the first hour.
Only those inside the loop may break it.
Outside the loop, time passes as normal--given those who've escaped aren't taken up by another lily's ring and stuck on their own.
Surrounding the lily's habitat are several signs boasting the current year, originally meant to be helpful, someone has come along afterwards and nailed a second- 'Stay a while, and listen...'
Basic Information
Anatomy
Thick, hairy green vine supports the main plant, with branching, fragile leaves every six inches approximately. At maturity, long seed pods will cluster in groups of four to six along the vine. This flower starts blooming in early spring, and flowers survive until late fall. Each flower will bloom to the shape of a bell, approximately 3 inches long with an opening of 1.5 inches. The inside may have some spots, but few have gotten a close enough look and recorded it to know for certain.
Genetics and Reproduction
Budding; could also survive vegetative propogation.
Growth Rate & Stages
The young stages of this plant start as a bud that falls off the parent plant and grows anew. It will take root and not emerge from beneath the ground until it has found a suitable host tree. This means that Otojikan lilies can stretch far underground away from their root system, and makes them very difficult to kill.
Once they have found a suitable host, the lily's vine will creep up the trunk, growing up as well as into the tree. It uses its hairy vines to cling to the inner workings of bark layers for support. The lily does not start sprouting leaves until it has reached approximately 1 ft. in length. After this it grows to maturity-or 3 feet-before it starts blooming and will grow up to seven before its growth levels off.
Ecology and Habitats
Optimal environment is partial sun/shade, and it has odd tastes for host trees--they love pine trees for their sap, or sprawling branches associated with some tree species native to Idola.
Biological Cycle
When the flowers die off in late fall when the ground starts to freeze, the main plant will dry and suck into the bark layers of its host for protection. Leaves will fall and the plant will subsist on what little sunlight it can get, and the health of the host until the next spring.
Additional Information
Uses, Products & Exploitation
This plant can be used to gain 'immortality' or eternal youth; but it comes with a price. You may gain this end result, but from that day forward you can clearly hear and see those stuck within the plant's effects in the forest as well as appear to them as a spectre. You cannot interact beyond visual aids.
Eternal youth does not mean you can't be killed, the user can still be offed by physical or magical means.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
These lilies can almost only be found in the Tokihana forest. If they're found outside of Idola's borders at all, it will most likely be in some research greenhouse.
Symbiotic and Parasitic organisms
You could call this plant parasitic, but truly it only feeds from its host in the winter time, and otherwise provides protection from those that would hurt the host plant.
Civilization and Culture
Major Organizations
There might be a faction related to the creation of this plant or its exploitation in time repeating, but I haven't thought of it yet.
Scientific Name
Lilium Anovo
Lifespan
Unknown; Indefinite
Average Length
5-7'
Geographic Distribution
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