The World Of Khoras - Fauna and Flora - Flora - Swamp

Sliver Bush

Physical Description

The sliver bush appears as a brittle and thorny shrub with glossy brown bark and tiny dark green leaves which stands about 5 feet tall. This squat and densely packed bush has a deep penetrating root system beneath the soil. A number of these roots grow as long, thin tendrils which lay just beneath the forest floor and are splayed out in a radial pattern about the bush. These thin, wiry brown roots occasionally can be seen emerging from the soil.  

Physical Properties

Upon closer inspection, the physical properties of this bush become apparent. Nestled in amongst the tightly packed green leaves are hundreds of sharp thorns, each about four inches long and tipped with a razor sharp edge and point. These thorns are called slivers. Each sliver protrudes from a small bulb in the bark. Inside the bulb is a soft white tissue which is capable of contracting like a muscle. If this bush or its tendrils are disturbed in any way (being stepped on or brushed aside), all the bulbs on the bush will contract simultaneously expeling their slivers violently. This results in a storm of razor sharp slivers being shot out in all directions like tiny darts. These thorns will easily penetrating clothing and even leather armor.  A man sized creature standing next to a sliver bush when it "detonates" would be hit by 10-100 slivers on average (although whether they pierce flesh or not depends on distance, angle, armor and other factors). An unarmored man can easily be killed by a shower of slivers. Each sliver also contains a thin coating of irritant which will infect the wound and cause additional problems (sickness, mild infection, pain).

Once a sliver bush has "detonated" and released its slivers, it takes 2-4 months for another set of slivers to regrow.

Magical Properties

Although this plant life was originally created with the aid of magic, the actually plant is non-magical.

Notes

The sliver bush is another example of biological weaponry that was created during the Great War by wizards employed by the military, probably as a form of land mine which could be planted in strategic locations to defend borders, channel troop movements, destroy enemy morale and turn forest trails into deathtraps. It is not known which side developed the sliver bush, but scholars believe it was the Traxx Legion as most sliver bushes which remain today are located in the Barakose Swamp and the Sentinel Mountains (which was formerly Traxx territory).

This page last updated Monday, October 08, 2007. Copyright 1990-2008 David M. Roomes.

Contact Webmaster