Gloomweeper

Summary

A rare, large plant whose terrifying presence has long established itself in myth and folklore. Its many black-colored stalks and bulbous central body can make it seem like a creature of its own in a way. Anchored to the ground, its grip is unreasonably powerful and few things can dislodge it with force alone. Across its body stretch spindles of sticky silver, a strange weave of membranous fluids that the bulb slowly excretes. The whole 'body' of the gloomweeper curves in an S-shape, with the bulb at the top of the S, leaning forward. In the dark of night, this can seem like a person crying, hence its name. The bulb itself does actually appear to be a flower, opening its long petals in a lazy manner as they're too heavy to open properly otherwise.   Among the more exotic types of mana on Veltrona, plants exuding an eclipsed nature are truly bizarre indeed. While the gloomweeper itself does very little, it exudes a mana presence that distorts reality. Gravity inversion is the most typical thing it does, causing pockets of space-time that may send animals or people into the air, or make them slide like a greased ball. Conversely, it could magnify their weight so much they flatten into the ground. Bizarre magical mishaps might happen as different kinds of mana come into conflict with its aura. Flash firestorms are among the worst, as fire itself spreads so easily once it starts.   This leaves all kinds of animals in an odd spot with it. Insects and birds start swimming and flying through its gravity distortions as they dance to get by or reach the bulb. Larger ones struggle to make it through, and many do not try risking overpowering it. A floating graveyard tends to amass around it as a result, if not from the gloomweeper than the predators going for those going for it. With rotting corpses comes their eaters and disease as well. For the people who discovered such a gruesome sight and beheld its bizarre effects, it became a symbol of unknown evil and danger.   In time, brave souls ventured into the realm of the gloomweeper. They discovered it was a rather durable plant, but only its stalks. The bulb itself could be torn off if needed, but this would kill the plant. Its exotic flesh and nectar turned into powerful reagents, legendary in all sorts of capabilities, and enviously desired by those who heard of it. Its hard to say how much is truth or not, but considering its mana, there are few rules it couldn't possibly break. Everyone under the sun and more with a proficiency for magic, alchemy, and mana-related work has an interest in it.   No one really knows how to cultivate the gloomweeper, if such a thing is even possible. It seemingly manifests on its own in random places, neither spread by seed nor by any discernible mechanism. The rarity of finding one and successfully harvesting commands a beautiful price as a result. Some areas are long-term protected locations, and brave workers venture into the gravity distortions to collect its nectar. Of all peoples, the bieneren work with them the most. Whether the hives grew around the gloomweeper or it appeared near them, they're often the most reliable source to buy from.   There are those who atest the plant contains an aura of divinity. That is, a higher being somewhere was involved in it at some point. Those who go about asking the goddesses and other divinity, however, have not found an answer to who is responsible. No genuine answer, at least; plenty of them are fine with taking the credit for themselves. With such a mysterious and dangerous reputation, the gloomweeper is not often invoked in popular culture. Those seeking a more majestic, solemn regality may take it up though.