Man-Trap Dryad

Subject: Man-Trap Dryad Sun Dec 14, 2008 11:17 am

Man-trap Dryad

Instead of pretending to be an ordinary plant to trick unwary prey, the man-trap dryads are half carnivorous plants, most often resembling the pitcher or snap-trap variety. They are mostly a human-sized species, although giant sized ones have been seen. They hang from the branches of other plants. They don't have legs, and instead grapple branches with vines.

Their appearance is altered for their hunting method, emulating flesh tones, hair, and physical features of a specific race. The result is that they appear to be a woman being eaten alive by a carnivorous plant! They put on quite a show, acting out a dramatic vore scene all by themselves. They enact this when their targeted prey comes along, whether it be humans, nekos, fairies, or other sentient races. If a would-be hero comes to try to 'save' her, he'll extend her vines to pull them into her lower half, which contains a large stomach where they will be treated to numbing enzymes and a slow digestion. This gives them plenty of time to set up in a new location. Man-traps don't rely completely on this technique to hunt, but it gives them an opportunity to put their acting skills to the test; those with the most believable acting skills are ranked socially higher among their kind.

They are often found near the Grove of Carnivorous Plants, or any location where their ruse can best be put to use. They can tap into the dryad network for information about possible prey locations so that they may set themselves up for the best chance of success. However, stationary dryads tend to frown on them intruding into their hunting territories, as if rumors spread about the 'carnivorous plant-infested place'- of which could otherwise be blamed on other predators- it could have a negative impact on the amount of prey that comes through. Man-traps tend to forget that moving to a new hunting spot is a much more troublesome process for typical rooted dryads.

Man-traps can withdraw into their plant half, and in emergency situations they can detach themselves from it, extending vines from their torso and finding a place to regrow it. Strangely, their upper half completely lacks any digestive system, and they can become very weak in such a state. Should they travel on the ground, they resemble chlaena a bit in how they move, using tendrils to 'walk' and their bulbous stomach-half below or behind. Given their natures, they have a flair for the dramatic, commonly pretending to be different things such as a vicious and cold predator, a defenseless and terrified victim, etc. taken from the behavior of various people they've encountered.

They can be befriended fairly easily with a little foreknowledge and insight. The first step is to see through her acting (For with some, is almost painfully cheesy). Directing her to some substantial food source can then grant you both immunity from being eaten by her for some time as the meal takes time to digest, and you may have earned some respect if you saw through their acting. Being mobile, they may want to tag along for the time being. If you misjudge them though, you may end up food anyway eventually, having fallen for yet another act. In general, you should keep on your toes to make sure they're actually an ally, and not just seeing you as a source of food. Surely they do make interesting companions, but some never truly stop acting...