An Exhibit in The_Gallery
Time for me:
First Stage: Seed and pre-ambulatory developement.
The term "Corpseweed" doesn't actually refer to a particular species, rather, it is a collective term for what is best described as a larval stage to most advanced, semi-humanoid floral species. A seed or spore is somehow placed or otherwise enters the body of a suitable host, usually humanoid or any roughly human-sized animal or bigger, and acts as a parasite until finally growing itsway out of the host's body, usually to lethal effect.
More of a flowering vine than it is a weed, The plant bursts from the main body cavity after entwining around major organs and growing roots into them. At this point the Corpseweed will continue to absorb what nutrients and minerals it can from the body of the victem while the stalk behaves more like a creeping vine, spreading out over the ground as bulbs begin to emerge. These buds eventually blossom into crimson flowers, each with a glowing infant's face in the center instead of stamen and pistol. These blossoms can actually grow quite large depending of the species of the parent. The faces in the blossoms will continue to glow and keep their eyes closed until the blossom has reached full size.
As the blossom continues to grow, tendrils will sprout from its base until they've reached a suitable number, length and thickness. These tendrils will become increasingly animate as the blossom gets closer and closer to reaching full size. Once the blossom and tendrils have grown to full size, dependant on parent species, the blossom's face stops glowing and their eyes open.
Second Stage: Ambulatory developement until final transformation
Once their eyes open, the corpseweed blossoms take some time getting used to their tendrils and excersizing them for several hours before detaching themselves from the main vine. From that point on, rather than relying on the nutrients and water they got from the main vines growing out of the corpse, these newly seperated infant-faced blossoms will walk and catch small animals and insects as prey, using their tendrils for both mobility and a means of capturing food. With advanced instincts, these blossoms are already effective and intelligent hunters on par with lone wolves. They will stalk and chase after any insects, small animals, and micros that they find, even feeding on carrion and the corpses of much larger creatures that have fallen before their arrival. As they consume other small creatures, a thick stalk begins growing from the base of the blossom. The baby-faced flowers are voracious and aggressive predators not unlike tasmanian devils, crocodiles, and piranah. Generally seeking to spread out and get away from the others, they won't let the presence of their siblings get in the way of themselves enjoy an available feast.
As they continue to feed on whatever they can manage to catch or find, the stalk continues to grow and eventually starts dragging behind them as they continue to hunt and move about. Depending on the parent species, and the availability of suitable prey and food sources, along with water the Corpseweed blossoms will continue to hunt and feed until their newly grown stalk has reached a particular thickness and length. The stalks true purpose is as a means of storing calories and energy for what is to come.
After having consumed enough to make their stalk grow to the desired dimensions, the Blossom will stop hunting and instead look for a safe place to root themselves to the ground. Having found a suitable location, roots will grow from the end of the stalk into the ground and pull the entire plant upright. Over the next several hours, the blossom's petals will close, to conceal and protect the infantile face while the roots dig deeper into the ground and the stalk retracts until just the folded up blossom remains at the surface.
Third Stage: Final transformation and emergence.
With its stalk buried underground, the blossom's petals fold up and cover its infant face. These petals turn a mottled grey and harden to stone, resembling a granite sculpture and being just as durable. The plant goes into a state of hibernation for a long period of time as the stalk below slowly transforms into a new main body and root system. Depending on parent species the process can take anywhere from three to fifteen years of growth and transformation until plant cracks opened the hardend shell of it's former petals and emerges from the soil in it's final form resembling that of its parent plant species. From this point on, it will live out its days like any other specimen of its species, be they an alraune, fleshpitcher, or even a dryad.
OOC Notes:
This can actually be down a few different ways. As predators, it can be played as one blossom tracking and hunting down a micro or small animal. They can also be played similar to a swarm as a collection of blossom recently just free of their corpse bound vines and looking for their first meal. Like a school of pirahna taking down taking down a jungle cat that fell out of a tree. Contrary wise they can be prey in much the same way. Either singularly for any herbavores looking for something to top their salad with, or as a swarm prey all skittering about and trying to escape whatever may be gobbling them up with relative ease.
Bear in mind that these are essentially infants, no matter how dangerous and have only animal level intelligence. They are sentient but are far more concerned with eating then they are with learning the finer points of language so don't expect any dialogue from them, nor for them to bother trying to understand anything you might happen to say. As fare as these infantile hunters are concerned, you are either something to eat, or something to run away and hide from. As long as you're okay with that, you're more than welcome to request an RP with this alt.
STOP: The picture below has elements of guro and underaged. Please don't scroll down any further if this kind of image offends you. If however you are curious as to what this plant looks like, then proceed.
