Cultural Importance
The Lizardfolk have varying views on the Spiteful Plant. Many hate it for causing pain and not dying when they want it to, though this is believed to be simply due to their desire to see things (mostly the Dragon Lord that torments their lands) die. Many take their anger out on the land around them, and to see this plant come back after being attacked angers them.
It is, perhaps, the fault of these Lizardfolk that this plant continues thriving in their lands. Their anger fueled attacks only help it grow and survive, and make them even angrier. For this, a party called "Plant Haters Anonymous" was created to try and find a way to take their anger out on them without making them grow back. No solid answer was found, and most of the group ended up dying.
Others, the smarter Lizardfolk, claim the plant is an allegory for themselves. They have gone through much death and destruction, being surrounded by danger on all sides, yet they do not die and instead continue to live in such a harsh environment. For this, the Spiteful Plant is loved by many Lizardfolk.
Some Lizardfolk put it in their gardens. Legislation has been made to keep it from growing too large, this legislation is simply that it must be watered on occasion to keep it from dying and getting bigger. When in gardens, Lizardfolk view the owner of it as battle-hardened and badass, as it is tough to take care of and represents the will of that Lizardfolk not to die.
Murdur by Jarhed
The Most Hated Lizard
There is one Lizardfolk who found a way to destroy the Spiteful Plant. While many would believe this was an ancient discovery, it was actually in the past year that it happened.
A yellow Lizardman by the name of Murdur (very on the nose naming by his parents) has wishes to live up to his name. He had the dream of killing the Black Dragon Lord that terrorizes his people and being known as the Greatest Killer in Lizardfolk History.
He attempted to attend the
Draconian's Magic College to get stronger, but this backfired as he traveled all the way to
Elone just to have his application rejected. He returned home enraged, which was only amplified when his boat was raided by pirates and then destroyed by the Dragon Lord.
Shipwrecked in the swamp, Murdur found himself entangled in the Spiteful Plant. Stabbed by so many different thorns, Murdur was in immense pain, and found that he could barely move his limbs. What he could do, though, was use his magic. So use it he did. He created blades of water to tear himself free, and when the plant came back, he continued to cut it apart. Due to his magic being water, he gave the plant nutrients to live, and thusly it was not dying enough to grow back.
This was not enough to remove the plant. Eventually it would have grown back. But Murdur was determined to kill it, to prove himself as the Greatest Killer. So he dug into the ground and tore at even the roots until there was nothing left of it. Since it could not grow back, as it was filled with the nutrients from his water, he actually managed to kill the plant.
When he returned home with his prize, he was met with mixed reactions. Most often, he was met with anger and rage towards his discovery, as many considered the Spiteful Plant to be an important part of Lizardfolk identity, and to kill it was figuratively killing the Lizardfolk as a people.
Some celebrated Murdur as a great Killer, and he was taken in by a group of Killers who wished to use his strength and ingenuity for other purposes. Greater purposes beyond simply killing plants. Overall, Murdur's discovery helped him find a much better job, but his reputation amongst the general populace is now incredibly negative. The Spiteful Plant, as much as it spites the people of the swamp, is a beloved part of their lives.
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