Protective Rose

A carnivorous plant that can paralyse it's victims. It is named for it's use in creating barriers in gardens or below windows that would otherwise allow entry.

Basic Information

Dietary Needs and Habits

This rose grows best in amongst the decaying corpses of it's victims, with it's roots and tendrils wrapping around and piercing through the bodies. If the plant does not get enough blood and meat it will whither away within a month or two. Attempts made to create a compost or a supplement for the soil that replicates the substances in a body do not appear to work.
The plant lures in victims by creating a scent that they will find tempting. This scent could be that of a favoured prey, or a cooked meal. The plant is trying to get creatures to close enought to injure themselves on it's thorns. These thorns have a powerful paralytic poison that takes effect in moments. The poison is deadly to small rodents and renders larger creatures immobile. Once a creature collapses the plant's tendrils will move in to wrap around it and begin removing nutrients.

Additional Information

Uses, Products & Exploitation

Despite having an attractive flower with various shades of pink this plant is not grown for decorative purposes. In lands where it is not outright banned this rose is grown as part of a subtle defence or cultivated for it's poison. Great care needs to be taken when growing these roses to prevent them spreading and to avoid any deadly accidents.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

The rose was once common in the area claimed by the Empire of Trem but as the population expanded the danger it posed to people and livestock led to an effort to exterminate it during the first age. However, the plant survived in hard to reach places and in the gardens of a few eccentric collectors.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

While not truly aware, this plant can pick up vibrations in the air and on the ground through hairs on it it's tendrils. Large vibrations trigger the tendrils to shift in that direction though this is little more than may be observed in other plants shifting to face the sun.
The plants more unusual sense appears to be supernatural in origin as it has the ability to detect what scent a nearby creature would be tempted by. This ability has led some to believe that the plant has a fey origin.

This was written for Spooktober 2022 for the Thorn prompt. Other Spooktober articles can be found in the Tremanac Spooktober 2022 page.

The rose is best lnown as part of the story about how the son of a lord of Filishar was put into a eternal sleep. In that story the yourng noble was sent one of these roses and fell into a slumber that could only be broken by using a rare herb from the Savage Lands. This being Filishar this naturally led to a knightly quest.
As the rose isn't well known most weren't aware that the rose's poison is fatal, and in reality the lord's son died within a couple of days.