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Message: <blockquote data-quote="GrandArchon" data-source="post: 3590723" data-attributes="member: 52895">Thaumaturgical Flora: An adventure's guide on what to eat- What not to eat- And how not to be eaten.And now for my own contributions:The Pit Lily: A distant relative to the carnivorous Pitcher Plant, the Pit Lily is believed to be the brain-child of a particularly unpleasant and xenophobic Druid. The most visible portion of the plant resembles a small, woody and leafless tree, bearing a single, hard, glowing golden fruit. The fruit causes the 'tree' to lean slightly, the position of the fruit marks the centre of the plant's more dangerous aspect- a pit. Once the Lily has reached maturity, the pit tends to be as deep as twice the height of an ordinary man (around 12 feet), though older plants can be deeper. The inside of the pit is lined with downward pointing thorns, and at its bottom a pool of powerful base collects.The mechanism by which the plant collects its nutrition is both complex and devious- The 'fruit' bears a minor 'Suggestion' enchantment (as cast by a 6th level wizard or sorcerer) which bids those within its radius of effect to come and pluck it from the 'tree'. If they succumb to the urges of the Lily, and step up to the fruit, they trigger a weight-sensitive (medium size) sphincter to open up, dropping them into the pool of base below. The base slowly dissolves its victim over time (1d4 of acid damage per round). Attempts to climb or pull a victim out can be equally lethal, as the thorns lining the walls of the pit, while harmless to objects in descent, can rip at the flesh of the captive (1d4 lethal damage on a successful climb check, with a -2 penalty to such checks) as it tries to escape. As the Lily completes the process of breaking its victim down into nutrients, the sphincter closes and becomes camouflaged with fallen leaves and dirt.On a curious note, as the Lily can not digest metals or strong minerals, things such as coins, armor and weapons, gem stones and jewelry are regurgitated over time; particularly old Pit Lilies can amass large piles of treasure at their bases, making them all the more alluring. Pit Lilies grow only in environments with soft, deep soil and highly basic ground-water.Lash Root: The name of this dangerous plant is something of a misnomer, the visible aspect of the plant for which it was named is not, in fact, the root. It does appear that way however, as they resemble nothing so much as a tangle of long, tough, woody roots covered in large, vicious thorns.The plant in question obtains its nutrients by lashing its foes to death, hence the first part of its name. The plant first detects the presence of potential prey using fine hairs to measure changes in carbon-dioxide levels that correspond with the presence of small-sized or larger animals. This triggers muscle-like fibers within the vines to twitch rapidly, which in turn results in the lashing motion of the plant which then lacerates the flesh of any creature near it (causing 1d6 damage per round) possibly even ensnaring its prey. Once the creature is dead and no longer exhaling air to trigger the plant, the actual roots then begin to absorb the nutrients of the body as it slowly decomposes.Lash root tends to grow in hot, arid climates, though it has been cultivated in temperate zones as well. It prefers to grow amongst rocks, or very rocky soil. In particular, it prefers to grow on vertical surfaces, such as sinkholes, canyons and ravines, or upside-down, typically from the undersides of low-hanging ledges and natural bridges. It has also been known to grow in caverns, though this is rare. It does not grow by itself, but in large colonies, typically lining both sides of whole ravines or canyons. Hardy and tough, it does well when cultivated and grows quickly and multiplies plentifully, but as it grows from its sapling state to maturity it eventually becomes nigh-impossible to remove except by the application of strong herbicides or intense flame.</blockquote>

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