Shatterberries

You and your ally creep through the thorny, shadowy underbrush that surrounds the guardhouse. Having staked it out for hours, your stomach threatens to betray your position with its growing hunger. Feeling safely out of sight, your attention swings to the thorny shrubs around you. One nearby one seems to be growing clusters of blackberries, or something similar. Hoping it's edible, you pluck one from it, moving slow enough to prevent unnecessary rustling. However, as soon as the stem snaps from the berry, the blackberry's pods start to sizzle. Instinctively, you throw the berry, opting to throw them away from the guards and as far into the woods as you can.
However, about the time you expect them to land, you hear loud snapping. Popping. Shattering! What were those, firecrackers?
Your confusion turns to horror as you hear rushing, clanking armor. The guards are coming, and your ally grabs you by the hood as you now are rushed/dragged away!
Shatterberries are often used by low-budget thieves, scoundrels, and kids. They make for fantastic pranks and distractions, but a seasoned guard will recognize their sound and be more alert to the shadows, rather than the area of effect.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Blackberries tend to be diploid, and as such shatterberries follow that trend. They have plenty of branches, and berries grow following blooming season. Blooming occurs in late fall, and shatterberries themselves have an outer shell with the strength of a bird's egg. The interior is a collection of seeds and fluid that eventually shoot the seeds out far from the bushes. This makes the species hard to control.

Genetics and Reproduction

The bushes bloom in late fall; their fiery red-orange flowers with tapering petals make the bushes easy to spot and remove. The blooms fade around mid-November, and berries sprout. Around December, countless elderly people skip a heart beat when the forests around them sound like a modern warzone; thankfully, minimal damage actually occurs, but very few are ever ready for the first falls of the season.

Growth Rate & Stages

Berries contain 1-3 seeds per berry pod. Most of these hardy seeds can survive the impact, explosion, and subsequent high-velocity launch. When they hit fertile(-enough) ground, their roots will sprout the following spring, giving a peculiar hibernation cycle for the seeds. After a few years of growth, the shrub becomes thorny and will have its first blooms. Most shrubs can live around 5 decades before becoming too large to sustain itself.

Ecology and Habitats

Does best in semi-shady regions, like forests and valleys. Can survive mildly arid conditions, but not desert.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Think of small-scale woodland; these conditions are best for the shrubs. Often, they circle plains, and hapless trailblazers in the wrong time of year will set off a surprise racket.

Biological Cycle

Leaves don't grow, and thorns are present on shrubs 1-3 years old. Shrubs grow most rapidly during summer.

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Blackberry (Rubus)

Scientific Name

Rubis Punica Volatumin

Origin/Ancestry

Myrean

Conservation Status

This plant is actively trimmed to prevent noisy firecracker-type noises at night.