From:	Scott W iscottw@*****.nb.ca
Subject:	the Revenge of Poison Ivy (Shadowrunner Chia-Pets)
Date:	Thu, 16 Sep 1999 22:29:20 -0300

"And now, a Channel 6 editorial reply to Ereskanti@***.com."
] Hmm...here's a thought. And a VERY wicked one at that. I'm slightly
] cheating here on one account, but here goes anyway.
]
] What if the "seeds" were just as you say, but removing them is truly
] "painful". As in, you resist damage due to thorns or somesuch. What is
] happening is the seeds, which are actually VERY tiny are being
released into
] the person itself while they are struggling. The seeds are hemo-reactive,
] meaning they actually feed on the nutrients in living critter's
] bloodstreams'. After the person breaks free, IF they were wounded, a
test of
] some kind is made. Or, it could simply be automatic. The seeds are
loosened
] into the new carrier, which would probably try and leave.
]
] As the new "carrier" is going about his/her business (whatever that
may be),
] they are actually beginning to become a "Shadowrunner Chia-Pet". The seeds
] growth begins as symptoms, like a disease or something of which disease
] treatments have no effect. Ever "x" hours, the seeds continue to grow,
] incurring a Body resistance test, say ever 12 or 24 hours. What is
worse, is
] the damage isn't healable, because the body is being directly invaded
and the
] plants themselves are building tendrils and root structures throughout the
] new host. At a certain point, Biotech or Astral Perception can
*finally* get
] an idea of what is going on, say at a Moderate wound or stuff, because
] outward signs are really beginning to be involved. Actually, Biotech
*might*
] be able to figure it out easier IMO, say with a base target number of 10,
] reducing the target number appropriately for every box of damage the
] character has suffered.
]
] Treatment would be intense to say the least, along the line of
Gene-Cleansing
] or Shadowtech's Nanite-level cleansing. The plants are parasitic in
nature,
] and hence "Cure Pathogens" or "Cure Disease" do nothing. You can't
manabolt
] the damn things because of the parasitic/symbiotic nature of the
plants with
] their host. You wind up killing the host *AND* the plant. Specific spells
] would have to be used or very specific treatments (special types of toxins
] encoded for the plants for example).
]
] Okay, now *THIS* is Evil, with a HUGELY CAPITAL "E".

That's sooooo nasty...this would have to be a very rare plant that
can't survive in most environments, otherwise the damned thing would be
everywhere...I'dalso think that if one got a blood sample taken, it
would be very easy to detect ('course, how often do you get blood
taken?).

-Boondocker