HOME | DD

Description
Before reaching their iconic stage, Stranglers spend most of their lives as tiny seeds. These seeds are incredibly small, coming out just slightly larger than a grain of sand. With such a small size, one would imagine that such a seed would have difficulty growing, which is partly true. When left out in the harsh wild, these seeds will never germinate. They will remain in this seed-like state for years, clinging to any surface that touches them. To do this, Strangler seeds possess sharp hooks on their shell that allow them to latch on with ease. With these grippers so small, they can hook onto practically any surface or material. Even when they latch onto a new object or surface, that does not call for germination. Stranglers are a parasitic plant, and a picky one at that. Not just any tree or weed will do, they need one specific host for them to parasitize. That one host they are looking for, is a dryad.

Much like the menaces of Aconstrum and Planggalan, Stranglers live off of dryad flesh and require their bodies in order to grow. Their tiny seeds will only germinate when they are attached to a dryad host. Even then, they do not immediately grow. Dryads possess immune systems and bodily functions that can help beat back invasive parasites. A single seed would stand no chance against our living bodies. So that is why Stranglers wait for when they are no longer alone, and when that body no longer functions. There are certain areas of forest and jungle that contain heavy presences of these parasitic seeds. If a dryad happens to wander through them, they could pick up dozens, if not hundreds of these seeds. They will hook onto their bark and latch on tight. Even basic routines of hygiene may fail to dislodge them, as their tiny hooks hold fast. As time goes on, these seeds will slowly sink their way into the bark. New growth will cover them up, and they will be trapped within the host's body. They are so small, a dryad would have a hard time noticing these actions or even seeing their consequences. The worst one would get is an itchy sensation, but many attribute that to something else. While Strangler seeds can grow in any dryad type, those who lack thick bark are more likely to become infected with seeds, as their soft flesh is easily burrowed into. If a dryad is not careful, they may have hundreds of these seeds present in their body, building up over the course of years. Once they have the sheer numbers, all the seeds have to do is wait.

What they require next is for the body to lose most of its function. Small in size, they still could be beaten back by an immune system. So that is why they wait for the dryad to get gravely ill, or for them to perish. A sickened dryad will have no way to fight off the seeds, so that will be their trigger to begin growth. In most cases, though, it is the death of a dryad that sparks off this wild growth. With all defenses gone, the Strangler seeds have the first crack at this new, fertile property. Breaking open their shells, they will send out hair-thin tendrils throughout the body, seeking nutrients and neighbors. Over time, the seeds will begin to link up with one another, strengthening themselves and creating a large root-work for them to survive on. They will feed on the dead flesh and begin to grow in mass and size. As the days and weeks pass by, the root-work will grow larger and larger, until is forced to grow outside of the bark for more room. Sprawling nets and tangles of vines will come from the dryad's flesh and bind the corpse. It will lock down on the bark, creating almost an exoskeleton for the body. When the Strangler reaches this stage, it finally becomes the shambling menace our kind knows.

When a full grown Strangler rises, it usually emerges from the soil. This is because Stranglers take advantage of the ceremonies dryads perform for their dead. Long story short, it is dryad custom to plant the seed of a tree within the chest of the passed on dryad and bury them in the earth. With this action, we seek to bind their spirits to the tree that will sprout from them. This serves as a memorial to those who live, and as an afterlife for those who have died. Unfortunately, buried dead flesh is the perfect growing ground for Strangler seeds, and that is when they begin their major growth. When all is done, the body of the dead dryad will rise again, bound within a root work of thick vines. The body itself is dead, but it is controlled like a puppet by the external and internal set of vines and roots. From its appendages will come thick, probing vines, which possess sharp edges that are perfect for burrowing into prey. These can sprout from the front, back and even the head regions of the corpse. These are the tools they use to further spread their kind. Now up and walking, a Strangler will seek out a host to lay its seed. It will shamble its way in a random direction until it picks up the scent of dryad. It will follow the scent trail until it finds its prey, and then it will try to "strangle" them. This does not imply that they choke the life out of their victims, but they do try to hold them in an inescapable grip. Reaching out with long arms and grabbing vines, a Strangler will latch onto a host and lock down on them. The probing vines will drill into the prey's bark and proceed to inject them full of seeds. The moment the tendrils begin pumping in the seeds, the Strangler's job is done. Even if the dryad breaks free and flees, they will still have large amounts of seeds in their system. They may not succumb to the Strangler's progeny at that moment, but later on when they grow sick or die, the seeds will begin to grow. If the dryad cannot escape, then the Strangler will continue to crush them in its grip and inject its young into them. Eventually the dryad will weaken and the hundreds of seeds will overwhelm their body, triggering the growth phase before death can set in. When the dryad escapes or dies, the Strangler will move onto a new target. If the dryad perishes in their presence, they will drag them to the nearest hole or burrow they can find. The Strangler is looking for a hidden dark place to stuff the body, giving their seeds time to grow before scavengers can claim the corpse.

Stranglers require little sustenance when they reach this final stage, so they spend most of their time searching for hosts. A Strangler can live for many years, even to the point where the dryad corpse begins to rot away beneath the choking vines. This will hardly slow the Strangler, as it can still survive without the body. There have been tales of old Stranglers who are empty of corpse, shells made of vines that still shamble along in search of prey. They only way to rid oneself of a Strangler is to kill it. There is no waiting, or hopes of starving it. You need to cut it apart and burn it. Sadly, the only surefire way to kill a full grown Strangler is to burn it to ash, which also incinerates the body inside. This is heartbreaking to most dryads, as the body is required for the burial ceremony, and thus won't be able to live on in the afterlife. It is this fear that has driven dryad kind to find ways to purify themselves before death and to clean the bodies before burial. Certain herbal concoctions have been found that can help kill of seeds within the system. Some others have found mixtures that can be injected into the bark to help destroy them. All of these options are quite uncomfortable and foul tasting, but it is worth it to keep one free from Strangler infection. They also need to be taken over and over again throughout the drayd's life. Failure to keep up with the routine will leave room for the Stranglers. For rich dryad families, there is another option. The body of their loved one can be soaked in a special herbal bath for days, which will kill off all the seeds within the body. The problem is that it requires a lot of resources and specialized plants, which more lowly dryads could never afford. Thankfully, there are still some ways to fight off Strangler infection, but it is not as efficient.

While we do have ways to prevent Stranglers from being birthed, we have not truly driven this parasite to extinction. There are other full grown Stranglers that still roam through the night, and there still remain large tracts of land that are coated in these invisible seeds. With the sheer size of the dryad population, you are bound to have an unlucky dryad who does not take the proper medicine and wind up dying before the seeds are removed. Some dryads have even stopped taking the medicine willingly! They don't think that they could contract it, or they believe that the medicine does more harm than good. Regardless, they refuse to take these remedies and thus leave room for the Stranglers to grow. I honestly find that entire mindset extremely stupid. Stranglers are dangerous things and can be lethal, why would you not want to protect yourself from that? Even if you don't care about yourself, what about your sapling!? They should be given the medicine so they don't succumb to the seeds! A young sapling does not have the body strength to fight off a heavy infection, so it leaves them vulnerable! Honestly, who would ever want that for their child?

As I was saying, Stranglers still remain a threat to our kind, but their numbers are low. If one ever stumbles upon one of these shambling beings, it is advised to keep your distance and burn it from afar.

Chlora Myron

Dryad Natural Historian

------------------------------------------------------

Strangler fig mummies! Now we got plant mummies!

Description
Before reaching their iconic stage, Stranglers spend most of their lives as tiny seeds. These seeds are incredibly small, coming out just slightly larger than a grain of sand. With such a small size, one would imagine that such a seed would have difficulty growing, which is partly true. When left out in the harsh wild, these seeds will never germinate. They will remain in this seed-like state for years, clinging to any surface that touches them. To do this, Strangler seeds possess sharp hooks on their shell that allow them to latch on with ease. With these grippers so small, they can hook onto practically any surface or material. Even when they latch onto a new object or surface, that does not call for germination. Stranglers are a parasitic plant, and a picky one at that. Not just any tree or weed will do, they need one specific host for them to parasitize. That one host they are looking for, is a dryad.

Much like the menaces of Aconstrum and Planggalan, Stranglers live off of dryad flesh and require their bodies in order to grow. Their tiny seeds will only germinate when they are attached to a dryad host. Even then, they do not immediately grow. Dryads possess immune systems and bodily functions that can help beat back invasive parasites. A single seed would stand no chance against our living bodies. So that is why Stranglers wait for when they are no longer alone, and when that body no longer functions. There are certain areas of forest and jungle that contain heavy presences of these parasitic seeds. If a dryad happens to wander through them, they could pick up dozens, if not hundreds of these seeds. They will hook onto their bark and latch on tight. Even basic routines of hygiene may fail to dislodge them, as their tiny hooks hold fast. As time goes on, these seeds will slowly sink their way into the bark. New growth will cover them up, and they will be trapped within the host's body. They are so small, a dryad would have a hard time noticing these actions or even seeing their consequences. The worst one would get is an itchy sensation, but many attribute that to something else. While Strangler seeds can grow in any dryad type, those who lack thick bark are more likely to become infected with seeds, as their soft flesh is easily burrowed into. If a dryad is not careful, they may have hundreds of these seeds present in their body, building up over the course of years. Once they have the sheer numbers, all the seeds have to do is wait.

What they require next is for the body to lose most of its function. Small in size, they still could be beaten back by an immune system. So that is why they wait for the dryad to get gravely ill, or for them to perish. A sickened dryad will have no way to fight off the seeds, so that will be their trigger to begin growth. In most cases, though, it is the death of a dryad that sparks off this wild growth. With all defenses gone, the Strangler seeds have the first crack at this new, fertile property. Breaking open their shells, they will send out hair-thin tendrils throughout the body, seeking nutrients and neighbors. Over time, the seeds will begin to link up with one another, strengthening themselves and creating a large root-work for them to survive on. They will feed on the dead flesh and begin to grow in mass and size. As the days and weeks pass by, the root-work will grow larger and larger, until is forced to grow outside of the bark for more room. Sprawling nets and tangles of vines will come from the dryad's flesh and bind the corpse. It will lock down on the bark, creating almost an exoskeleton for the body. When the Strangler reaches this stage, it finally becomes the shambling menace our kind knows.

When a full grown Strangler rises, it usually emerges from the soil. This is because Stranglers take advantage of the ceremonies dryads perform for their dead. Long story short, it is dryad custom to plant the seed of a tree within the chest of the passed on dryad and bury them in the earth. With this action, we seek to bind their spirits to the tree that will sprout from them. This serves as a memorial to those who live, and as an afterlife for those who have died. Unfortunately, buried dead flesh is the perfect growing ground for Strangler seeds, and that is when they begin their major growth. When all is done, the body of the dead dryad will rise again, bound within a root work of thick vines. The body itself is dead, but it is controlled like a puppet by the external and internal set of vines and roots. From its appendages will come thick, probing vines, which possess sharp edges that are perfect for burrowing into prey. These can sprout from the front, back and even the head regions of the corpse. These are the tools they use to further spread their kind. Now up and walking, a Strangler will seek out a host to lay its seed. It will shamble its way in a random direction until it picks up the scent of dryad. It will follow the scent trail until it finds its prey, and then it will try to "strangle" them. This does not imply that they choke the life out of their victims, but they do try to hold them in an inescapable grip. Reaching out with long arms and grabbing vines, a Strangler will latch onto a host and lock down on them. The probing vines will drill into the prey's bark and proceed to inject them full of seeds. The moment the tendrils begin pumping in the seeds, the Strangler's job is done. Even if the dryad breaks free and flees, they will still have large amounts of seeds in their system. They may not succumb to the Strangler's progeny at that moment, but later on when they grow sick or die, the seeds will begin to grow. If the dryad cannot escape, then the Strangler will continue to crush them in its grip and inject its young into them. Eventually the dryad will weaken and the hundreds of seeds will overwhelm their body, triggering the growth phase before death can set in. When the dryad escapes or dies, the Strangler will move onto a new target. If the dryad perishes in their presence, they will drag them to the nearest hole or burrow they can find. The Strangler is looking for a hidden dark place to stuff the body, giving their seeds time to grow before scavengers can claim the corpse.

Stranglers require little sustenance when they reach this final stage, so they spend most of their time searching for hosts. A Strangler can live for many years, even to the point where the dryad corpse begins to rot away beneath the choking vines. This will hardly slow the Strangler, as it can still survive without the body. There have been tales of old Stranglers who are empty of corpse, shells made of vines that still shamble along in search of prey. They only way to rid oneself of a Strangler is to kill it. There is no waiting, or hopes of starving it. You need to cut it apart and burn it. Sadly, the only surefire way to kill a full grown Strangler is to burn it to ash, which also incinerates the body inside. This is heartbreaking to most dryads, as the body is required for the burial ceremony, and thus won't be able to live on in the afterlife. It is this fear that has driven dryad kind to find ways to purify themselves before death and to clean the bodies before burial. Certain herbal concoctions have been found that can help kill of seeds within the system. Some others have found mixtures that can be injected into the bark to help destroy them. All of these options are quite uncomfortable and foul tasting, but it is worth it to keep one free from Strangler infection. They also need to be taken over and over again throughout the drayd's life. Failure to keep up with the routine will leave room for the Stranglers. For rich dryad families, there is another option. The body of their loved one can be soaked in a special herbal bath for days, which will kill off all the seeds within the body. The problem is that it requires a lot of resources and specialized plants, which more lowly dryads could never afford. Thankfully, there are still some ways to fight off Strangler infection, but it is not as efficient.

While we do have ways to prevent Stranglers from being birthed, we have not truly driven this parasite to extinction. There are other full grown Stranglers that still roam through the night, and there still remain large tracts of land that are coated in these invisible seeds. With the sheer size of the dryad population, you are bound to have an unlucky dryad who does not take the proper medicine and wind up dying before the seeds are removed. Some dryads have even stopped taking the medicine willingly! They don't think that they could contract it, or they believe that the medicine does more harm than good. Regardless, they refuse to take these remedies and thus leave room for the Stranglers to grow. I honestly find that entire mindset extremely stupid. Stranglers are dangerous things and can be lethal, why would you not want to protect yourself from that? Even if you don't care about yourself, what about your sapling!? They should be given the medicine so they don't succumb to the seeds! A young sapling does not have the body strength to fight off a heavy infection, so it leaves them vulnerable! Honestly, who would ever want that for their child?

As I was saying, Stranglers still remain a threat to our kind, but their numbers are low. If one ever stumbles upon one of these shambling beings, it is advised to keep your distance and burn it from afar.

Chlora Myron

Dryad Natural Historian

------------------------------------------------------

Strangler fig mummies! Now we got plant mummies!