Üso Ko‘i (/ˈuso ˈkoʔi/)

Üso Ko‘i (Lavoda: Revenge from the Water) is an aquatic plant which forms a symbiotic relationship with the lost soul of a murdered woman in order to lure unsuspecting passersby to their doom. The species is native to the ponds, rivers, and streams of Eden, but eventually migrated out of this purgatorial paradise and into the larger Clarkwoods Literary Universe. In Eastern Europe, it gave rise to the legend of the rusalka.

The Look

When it isn’t actively hunting, the üso ko‘i plant presents as a mundane underwater grass bed—albeit with blades on the taller side. It is only when a living sapient being draws close that the plant calls forth its symbiotic partner from their not-so-eternal rest in the Undercurrent.

At that point, the ghost of the plant’s symbiotic partner emerges and attempts to lure the passerby into the water. If she succeeds in her seduction, the plant does the rest.

The Attack

Once the plant’s prey is in the water, it is nearly impossible to escape. The blades of grass wrap themselves around the victim’s legs, cutting into the flesh as they pull and squeeze. Then, once they’ve brought the victim to its knees, they go for the waist. Then the torso, the arms, and finally the neck and head.

The really horrifying thing is that the victim doesn’t even realize what’s happening. They think they’re making out with a beautiful woman the whole time, even as the üso ko‘i pulls them under the water and drowns them.

The Reward

The üso ko‘i gets a body it can feast upon for weeks on end, even as it decays. But what does its partner get?

Well, after helping the üso ko‘i to feed, the ghostly woman is offered a second chance at life if she wants it. Some take the offer immediately and run off to the nearest village to start over. But some women, drunk on the power the plant has given them, stay for years. And some never leave at all, obsessed with the possibility that one day the person who did them wrong will wander by and they will finally have their revenge.

Scientific Name

Caedes viriditas

Conservation Status

Least Concern