VlaPlunuv Batni "The Bloody Ribbon"

On Katja Edrid, a plant grows in remote parts of the forest where a Death Seed dies. The resulting organic mass is seeded with a specific seed that is produced at the end of it's life cycle. The Death Seed's body will feed this plant for next several years. The plant is known locally as VlaPlunuv Batni which roughly translates to the bloody ribbon.
The plant is a vine that either creeps out along the ground and grows out, or it can climb trees or other structures. The vine is black in color and direct contact with skin causes irritation and burning. The oils on the vine are toxic and acidic, making the harvest of the bloody ribbon a lucrative opportunity because the produced flowers are worth their weight in gold to the local inn's, taverns and perfume manufactures.
The flowers grow along other vines that branch off of the main vine. These petals are a deep crimson color and grow abundantly and when harvested only take about a week to regrow.
After the vine has used it's food source it will begin to die. During this process the flower releases a scent that cannot be imitated or reproduced without the flower. Perfumers will pay top dollar for the petals of a dying bloody ribbon.
This flower is not domesticated due to the fact the only way to domesticate it would be to kill a Death Seed and avoid contamination with it's deadly spore.
The healthy petals are typically sold to make a special liquor consumed by the people of Skao.

Basic Information

Anatomy

The Bloody Ribbon grows from an inital stalk. The stalk will grow up to ten feet before it begins to offshoot more arms. The stalk looks slimy and black. The branched arms begin to sprout about three to five flowers about every four inches. The petals are coiled up and red like party ribbons. The petals are sturdy like thick leaves and covered in the same viscous material but can be washed with a mild soap to rinse the oil away. The inside where there was normaly be a sweet nectar birds or bugs would enjoy, is a poisonous sap. It is also harvest as well.

Genetics and Reproduction

The seed begins to form when the chemical makeup of the poisonous spores in a Death Seed changes slightly. Some of the spores begin to clump and the produced seed is significantly more poisonous than the spores. These seeds are sprayed out with the spores near the end of the life cycle, but with no decomposing death seed matter, the seed never germinates properly.

Growth Rate & Stages

The initial germination takes two weeks from death. The sprout appears shortly after and in another week the Stalk has reached maturity. There is another week before you begin to see flower buds and after the buds appear you can begin harvesting as the flowers are fully mature from the momment they bloom.

Ecology and Habitats

The Bloody Ribbon only grows after the natural death of a Death Seed. Without the rotting matter of the dead Death Seed there is nothing to feed the plant.

Additional Information

Domestication

The Bloody Ribbon cannot be domesticated. To reproduce the circumstances needed for a constant inflow of planted and harvested petals would be both unreasonable and inhumane.

Uses, Products & Exploitation

The flower produces a sticky sap that is extremely poisonous with a one hundred percent death rate. It is rarely collected due to it's toxic makeup. Petals can be broken down and distilled into a very intoxicating liquor. The beverage is one of the strongest that can be produced due to it's alcohol content and the psycodelic reaction some people experience. And the the dying petals are used to make a perfume that is not partucularly good smelling, but because of the rarity of it, the perfume is quite expensive.

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Death seeds

Lifespan

6-8 weeks

Conservation Status

When a plant is found, the plant must be registered with the local sheriff to ensure that it is protected and it is harvested by the discovering owner. It is illegal to harvest this plant without obtaining a note of approval and if it is not your plant. It is also illegal to kill Death Seeds for this plant, not for longevity but the sheer danger incorporated in the actual attempt to kill a Death Seed and if the death is not natural, there is no guarenty of a produced Bloody Ribbon seed.

Average Weight

flower: 5 grams. stalk: 3 oz. in one foot sections

Average Length

10-15 feet long

Geographic Distribution

• Katja Edrid