Hemalilia, "Bloody Nettle"

(Legacy Content)

In all my years of travel and documentation, never have I happened across something so grotesquely gorgeous. A strange plant that grows from the corpses of its virus-inflicted victims - how horrid! How exciting! I wonder what else may be just around the corner...

— Dr. Lukail Partome

The Hemalilia plant, commonly known as and referred to as "Bloody Nettle," is a strange, red and white colored thorn-shrub with an exceptionally unique reproductive cycle. By some unknown means, the plant has become capable of "piggy-backing" its own DNA onto the DNA of an equally unique type of virus that it produces, allowing it to bloom from the corpses of its victims.
This process alone has generated horror stories and folk-lore from cultures all around the world, everything from it actually being a sentient demon come to avenge the death of Balraious-Kaneig, to a creation of Byalijhoar, The Wild One, sent to cull the civilized lands. Whatever the case may be, should you come into contact with one of these plants, seek immediate medical attention, as without it you are likely to perish within forty-eight hours.

Basic Information

Anatomy

The Hemalilia plant appears as a sickly white colored thorny bush, with deep crimson red colorations throughout its stem and branches. Its branches are typically widest toward the base of the stem, then tapering to become much thinner towards the top.  The red color comes from the viral solution the plant produces as part of its reproductive cycle. As such, this material coats the outside of its thorns, prepared to suffuse any creature unlucky enough to scrape across the plant - or worse, attempt to eat it.

Genetics and Reproduction

The reproductive cycle of Hemalilia is perhaps one of the most horrifying things I have been unfortunate enough to witness. What it does to an individual's form is nightmarish - a parasite perfectly made to kill any form of blooded-animal...

— Dr. Margrave, on the processes of Bloody Nettle

Perhaps the most frightening aspect of the plant is its unique manner of reproduction, thanks to the bizarre symbiotic relationship between the plant and its virus. When a victim is infected with the virus, either by contact with a living specimen of Bloody Nettle or through other infected material, the virus immediately seeks out and targets blood cells in hemoglobin-based blood. Once there, it spreads both its DNA and the Hemalilia DNA into the target, which begins a standard viral producing practice but with some notable differences. The virus is produced in mass quantities of course, but it also forces the cell to create parts of Hemalilia cells, which divert the immune system's response away from the virus. This allows the virus to continue nearly unabated in all but the strongest of immune system cases, often causing death by overheating several areas of the body at once - this is the reasoning for the name of the condition it causes: Blood Fever. 

Once the virus has run its course and slain its victim, the remaining Hemalilia cells begin to spread through the now stagnant blood vessels, eventually growing into a full specimen of Bloody Nettle atop the now desiccated corpse.

Ecology and Habitats

Bloody Nettle can exist in nearly any location on Alore, though it is most commonly found in areas were animal life flourishes, such as forests, plains, and jungles. The highest concentration of Hemalilia is as such theorized to be present within the boughs of the Misted-Hollow in Gjalvalore, due to its high concentration of animal life, but also perhaps due to the influence of Byalijhoar, The Wild One, though theories on this matter are scarce at best.
Whether its in the forests of Ysrailore, the deserts of Tyrralore, or the tundras of Saeralore, so long as any form animal life exists in a location, Hemalilia can crop up.

Additional Information

Uses, Products & Exploitation

Bloody Nettle - since its discovery by the late Dr. Lukail Partome - has been used by the more nature-savvy cultures of Alore as a form of passive defense for their villages. In effect, these societies - mostly Arbo-kin or denizens of The Misted-Hollow - would dig ditches in certain locations around their homes and villages, and toss down an infected creature into them. This allows the Hemalilia to form in said ditch, which would then be covered by a thin layer of thatch, leaves, branches, and the like to mask its presence among the forest floors.
However, this manner of trap does eventually create a horrible smell of rot once enough creatures fall victim to it. To counteract this, the traps are placed far enough from the town for the smell to not become bothersome. In locations were this distance tactic is unable to be suitably preformed, the use of pungent smelling plant materials will typically be used to mask the smell of rot and decay. Eventually, the pits would be cleaned out with fire of some kind, then replanted to ensure the efficacy of the traps.

Cultural Perception

For many of the world's cultures, Bloody Nettle serves as a warning against nature, and as reasoning and justification for the necessity of society and civilization. Other cultures or individuals simply view it as a tool provided by nature to be used in some way, whether it be in the defense of one's village and homestead, or as a potential treatment of an incurable condition. But perhaps those who view it most importantly are those of faith - specifically, the faith of the Wild one - who view it in the light of natural teachings. Or more precisely, that it is a gift from their lord that is emblematic of nature itself: it grows, well adapted to its unique method of reproduction, it sustains itself from the world around it - mostly the foolish who pay it little mind - then it dies to make way for other lives.

Scientific Name

Hemalilia

Lifespan

Bloody Nettle clusters are typically rather short-lived, as the material used to create the accompanying virus is quite taxing to the plant as a whole. As such, they only tend to last at most one year.

Average Height

7' 3" (2.2 m)

Average Weight

32 lbs (14.5 kg)

Geographic Distribution

• The Planet of Alore

The effects of the Hemalilia plant when applied in this manner can only be described as wholeheartedly gruesome. But, I am convinced that the unique interactions between this virus and hemoglobin could be the key to creating fake blood that can actually sustain Vampires of any breed. No matter the cost, this treatment will ultimately save more lives than my experiments can ever claim. Besides, no one will miss a few bandits or vagabonds.

— Journal Excerpt of Dr. Margrave

Additional Details: Research of Dr. Margrave

Dr. Margrave, an equally well-respected and hated figure of the Ysrailorean town of Heartspire, has dedicated her life to the study of these plants for the purpose - she claims - of creating a form of treatment for Vampirism. Though her means may be morally questionable, she has managed to garner a surprising amount of information regarding the plant and the effects of its accompanying disease.

• Firstly, due to the plant's unique interaction with blood, Vampires and similarly afflicted creatures appear to be immune to the effects of Blood Fever.
• Second, the exsanguinated blood from the victims of Bloody Nettle carries a large enough amount of viral material to be just as hazardous as the plant itself
• And thirdly, while her research has thus far been inconclusive in this regard, she remains confident that Bloody Nettle can be used as a sort-of plant based "fake blood" that is suitable enough for Vampires to subsist on sustainably.