Puppeteer Thorn

Puppeteer Thorns are a carnivorous and parasitic plant that infects people with it's thorns to turn them into carriers that will be hostile to all around them. They are found almost exclusively in the Thorn Temple, in the highlands of Thistleland. While rooted in place, Puppeteer Thorn are capable of motion with their long thorn vines.

Thorn Spawn are people and animals infected by the Puppeteer Thorn plant via individual thorns puncturing the skin. These thorns will then grow into a new plant if not soon removed, which burrows into the host and spreads throughout the victim over several hours. While growing, the vines within will sprout their own thorns, slicing the insides of the victim. Over time the Puppeteer Thorn will control the movements of the victim with increasing efficiency using the pain of the thorns cutting the host internally.

To infect a person with a Puppeteer Thorn, either a infected host will be forced to attempt to bite the intended victim, or a large Puppeteer Thorn vine will attempt to swipe or grapple the victim. Both these attempts are aimed at stabbing the victim with one or more of the claw-sized thorns, which will easily detach from the plant once inside flesh. Once a thorn enters the flesh, it will push inwards a way, and hatch: In reality the thorns are the Puppeteer Thorns versions of seeds. These new plants will then start to push into the body at all angles rapidly, feeding on the blood and nutrients of the new victim as a fuel source.

While at first hidden from view, later stages of Puppeteer Thorn control will become more obvious with clusters of thorn vines in the maw, the many thorns appearing as if the victim has rows upon rows of pointed teeth, as well as the occasional thorn vine protruding from cuts in the body.

Due to the destructive nature of the Puppeteer Thorn, the victim will eventually expire from the injuries constantly sustained from attempted resistance to the Puppeteer Thorn and it's controlling attempts. However, by this point the Puppeteer Thorn will be at the stage where it will be able to infest the bone structure and operate the body on it's own, crating a shambling monster that slowly decays even as it lumbers forward. Eventually, however, this form will collapse from rot, forming a new potential colony for the Puppeteer Thorn to grow from while using the corpse as a nutrition source.

While highly disturbing, and frighteningly effective, Puppeteer Thorns do have considerable weaknesses. These flaws have thankfully ensured that Puppeteer Thorns have not spread beyond the Thorn Temple in any measurable way.

First of all, they require warm bodied hosts to germinate. Creatures that have cooler bodies, such as the Moss Drake and Marsupials will be unable to be infested by Puppeteer Thorn, though will still suffer minor injuries from a failed attempt by a thorn to grow.

Puppeteer Thorns are also extremely venerable to sunlight, which greatly limits their spread from The Thorn Temple. The warmth from the light will cause the Puppeteer Thorn to react as if a warm object is passing, causing it to continuously try to grapple and thrash when no victim is there, causing the Puppeteer Thorn to use it's energy to the point of perishing. It is only possible for Puppeteer Thorn to spread by being burrowed inside a host until it reaches a dark place to further infest.

Much like all plant based monsters and creatures, enchanted Bonewood weapons from a Red Planta Graveyard will kill a Puppeteer Thorn infestation inside a victim, dead host or any small infestation. Larger infestations will require several attacks, typically one for each large vine. As with all plants, such Bonewood weapons will kill a Puppeteer Thorn in seconds, if not instantly.