Morto's Hand

Plant Type

Carrion Storage Root

Rarity

Rare

Description

Morto's Hand, holds its namesake due to the wrinkled, hardened and fibrous root that grows from the plant itself. Reaching downwards into the earth around graveyards, the root itself is best explained as appearing to be an arthritic hand, with spindly finger-like tubers that dig earthward. The plant itself is a thin, sturdy stalk reaching from a bulbous joint a few inches above the ground, which culminates in a silver-tinged clump of thin leaves, whose cup-like shape turn upwards during times where rain is prevalent. Among these thin silver leaves lie small seed-pods, that split and drop off when the plant becomes mature, spreading the source about at a slow pace.

The stalk connects to the bulb, becoming fibrous and more wood-like in texture, as it splits into a series of finger-like roots, diving downwards in an equal spread into the earth where they sit. Its root system is fairly deep for its size, going downwards a length more than a foot at times. Similar to its cousin, Folly of Man, the plant feeds upon the rich phosphate-laden soil where a great many have died- but has a likening to the addition of embalming agents.

Morto's Hand possesses little more in the way of flowering buds, rather, the pale whitish stalk, and woody root is all that is needed to denote what sort of plant it is. Gnarled and sickly, it displays the emotion of death, a saddening and depressive-looking plant in the furthest meaning of the words. In times of heavy downpour, the system by which the root draws life becomes apparent, as a milky-white sap extrudes from it, dribbling to the earth. Around where this sap falls, plants nearby become browned, as if they are falling to death- only surely to spring up once more at a later date.

Location

Morto's Hand is only found where the soil bears a prevalent amount of phosphates from decaying bodies, as well as the presence of other trace elements that enter the earth from embalming processes, and the burying of cloth items during ritual. However, the most common appearance of them is solely in graveyards.

It is only capable of surviving in locations that receive quite a lot of rain, or moisture from fog and dew- limiting its spread to the middle-ranges of Aversia, in locations that are either unnatural, such as graveyards, or natural- when the opportunities can arise, in deep swamps.

Development

Morto's Hand develops slowly, incredibly so. Attributing to the plant's rarity among the realm. Once a seed is released, and finds its home in a place that fits the growing conditions, the seed itself germinates for nearly a year- absorbing nutrients and chemicals within the soil. [Three OOC Months]. After this time has elapsed, and the chemical compounds within the seed have become high enough in quantity, it begins to develop the central core of the plant, lifting slowly from the ground, as if a separated hand were attempting to rise up, and walk upon its own fingers.

With the seedling still attached, the central stalk begins to form, and after a period of another two years, it has become fully mature- only to perish once it has depleted the nutrients that it feeds from within the ground. The older the plant, the longer the roots delve into the earth, in a constant seeking for foodstuffs.

Material Properties

Morto's Hand possesses little in the way of material properties- though the sticky fluid-like sap can be utilized as a sort of adhesive, though not a very capable one. Its wood-like root bears little in the way of flammability, simply due to how much liquid it stores throughout its lifetime, rendering it little more than a frustration to the common gardener.

• Excretions collected from Morto's Hand can be used as a mild adhesive.

Alchemical Properties

Its namesake becomes ever more so apparent, as does the application of the short anecdotes, written across the eons by followers of Morto. Scientifically speaking, the plant draws its life from the collection of glucose, and insulin that leeches into the soil as bodies decay. Collecting this within itself, the organic chemicals are refined to provide energy to the plant, substituting for the standard production of energy through photosynthesis. However, it collects far more than it uses- to allow its survival between rainy periods. If harvested properly, the liquid within the core of the plant possesses strange properties that seem to send the consumer into a death-like state for a few septs. Though, not all survive the ordeal- it being a risky thing to fake death.

• Sap collected from Morto's Hand will, when consumed, bottom out the sugar-content of the consumer's blood-stream, as the insulin becomes part of their own body, eliminating blood sugar and forcing them into a deep comatose state.
• If the user is not at the peak of health, they shall never arise from the comatose state, simply dying upon the third day. Depending on the dosage given, this chance is considerably higher.
• Failure to consume other nutrients beforehand, will result in the death of the consumer, regardless of health.
• Purification of the sap, results in an incredibly potent poison, which deals the same effects, though nearly impossible to reverse.

The World of Aethius • The Multiverse of Aethier