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  1. Wetland Echoes
  3. Lore

Grave Whip

Grave Whip (Root Reacher)

(Scientific Name: Gaillardia vorax | Common Nicknames: Finger-Bloom, The Silent Predator | Charles’s Ledger: Variable-F10)

Botanical Profile: The Silent Predator

  • Habitat: Carpets the humid floors of ruins, often hiding in the shade beneath the canopy of Azure Weepers. It prefers soft, humus-rich soil that allows its tendrils to move with minimal resistance.

  • The Crimson Lure: The flower head appears as a vibrant, "normal" red-and-yellow wildflower. This acts as a landing pad for insects and a visual distraction for larger prey.

  • The Under-Hand Tendrils: Pale, finger-like extensions grow from the base, disguised as surface roots. These are hypersensitive to vibrations—tracking everything from the buzz of an Amber Glass Bee to the footstep of a human.

  • The Strike: When triggered, the tendrils lash out up to 14 inches, wrapping the target in a fast-acting adhesive silk that suffocates and immobilizes the prey.

  • Charles’s Note: "The Grave Whip is a lesson in misplaced focus. You look at the flower, but the math that kills you is happening six inches under your boot."

Physical Characteristics: The Adhesive Silk

  • Finger Silk: The tendrils secrete a high-tensile silk that is both incredibly sticky and naturally antiseptic.

  • Nutrient Core: Once cocooned, the prey is slowly pulled toward the base of the plant, where specialized roots dissolve and absorb the organic matter.

  • Vibration Sensitivity: The plant can distinguish between the wind and living movement; it rarely misfires on inanimate objects.

Performance Specs: Material Science

  • Paralytic Nectar: The nectar secreted during the digestion process is a potent anesthetic. Mara and the village healers harvest this to numb limbs for surgery or to coat "Sleep Darts" for non-lethal hunting.

  • Tactical Silk: The harvested finger-silk is used for silent trip-wires. Unlike scavenged wire, it does not glint in the light and is virtually silent when snapped.

  • Living Stitches: Because the silk is antiseptic and flexible, it is used for "Living Stitches" on deep cuts, promoting healing while keeping the wound sealed.

F&F Stats (Mechanical Utility)

  • The Whip Strike: A creature entering the plant's space must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw or be Restrained. While restrained, the creature takes 1d4 bludgeoning damage at the start of each of its turns as it is constricted.

  • Escape DC: A restrained creature can use its action to make a DC 13 Strength or Dexterity check to break free.

  • Paralytic Coating: Weapons coated in Grave Whip nectar require the target to succeed on a DC 12 Constitution save or have their Speed reduced to 0 until the end of their next turn.

  • Silent Trip-Wire: These wires require a DC 16 Investigation/Perception check to spot, and they do not trigger "Acoustic Warning" variables (like Echo Reeds) when touched.