Razorvine, Elements and the Outer Planes

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The LocalsRazorvine, Elements and the Outer PlanesCopyright © 2000 by >Michael Truman

I'd say that things in general are more malleable on the outer planes. Something fundamental to the very fabric of the outer planes makes belief more tangible. These forces allow creatures on Mechanus to breathe the plane's 'air' and make it possible to read any mundane text. These forces also make the chaos-stuff of Limbo so malleable. I'd say that this is NOT belief-energy, it is, rather, something else, the clay to be shaped by belief-energy's proverbial hands. A plant on the Outer Planes may gain sustenance in the same way as a Prime plant, or it could get by entirely on latent magical energy and belief-energy. The following is a theory of razorvine.

Razorvine is perhaps the most destructive weed on all the Outer Planes. It is general opinion that a fast-growing, razor-sharp weed could only originate on a lower plane, a theory which is supported by the fact that it tends to be most common in gate-towns to lower planes. I would theorise that razorvine is less common on the Lower Planes than in their gatetowns because even razorvine is no match for plants such as Abyssal viper trees or Carcerian acid nettles, both of which have trouble surviving outside their native planes. As for why the plant is less common on the upper planes, it's not just because the natives tend to trim the plant (if that theory was true, it would run wild on the Beastlands, as tigers aren't well known for their interest in gardening). I'd say that Razorvine was born from the collected hate of everyone that wished their neighbors' farms and gardens were overrun with weeds and brambles. Just as hate spawned this plant, so hate sustains it.

Razorvine is sustained by hate and bitterness, it's as simple as that. Think about it - Torch is swarming with the stuff. Why? It's simple. The place is jam-packed with some of the most bitter sods in all the Outlands. Likewise, the Hive Ward tends to be filled with sods who have had hard lives and a lot to be bitter about, while almost every berk in the Lady's Ward outside of the prison has enough jink to hire other bashers to deal with all their problems.

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