Adaketab Vine

Overview

Adaketab vines, or the "obsidian vine" is a plant that's native to the tundra of Vakib's Dark Side. The plant is black in colouration to absorb as much of the little sunlight it can get on the dark side of the planet, and will wrap itself around anything that produces even a small amount of heat, including living creatures.

On top of it potentially becoming a deadly parasite depending on where it's seeds land, the plant also creates dangerous exploding fruit called "talaxet" which, when disturbed, will explode and shoot a chemical compound onto its attacker that can snap-freeze tissue. Interestingly, the compound doesn't seem to effect organisms not native to Vakib. This means Kepek and other alien species are able to eat the fruit safely, though the juice still creates a cold sensation, making them very popular items to be traded with those from warmer climates.

An illustration of a tall black vine growing clusters of blue, grape-like berries

Quick Facts

Origin

Vakib's Dark Side

Ideal conditions

icy tundra, temperatures below 0°C

Average Height

3m (but can grow taller depending on what it anchors to)

Type

parasitic vine

Byproducts

Talaxet Berries

Lifespan

10 Bektep Orbits

colouration

black with blue berries

Distribution

There are no (liquid water) oceans on Vakib to stop Adaketab vines's spread, and mountains do little to slow the seeds dispersed on the wind. As a result, it grows anywhere and everywhere on Vakib's cold side. The only place it can not be found is in the frozen ring, the point furthest away from the planet's sun where no light ever reaches.

Talaxet Berries

Talaxet are the exploding berries that grow on this plant's vine, which act as both a defence mechanism and a method of seed dispersal. When the berries explode, it's usually because something, ideally a native animal, has disturbed them. This animal will be exposed to the "juice" of the berry, which will snap freeze the part of the creature that touched the plant, leaving them gravely wounded. The seeds will usually be carried by the juice, and attach to the inflicted area as well. The creature will then, most likely, move away and eventually die, having carried the seeds sufficiently far away from the parent plant. The seeds can then take root in the creature's body and use it as nutrients to get a boost. Even if the juice doesn't kill the creature, which is usually the case for the Kepek and other non-native species, the seeds can still take root and use the still-living creature as a source of nutrients. If left untreated, this is fatal and will kill the host creature, often slowly and painfully. The seeds can be hard to truly get rid of once they take root, and as a result, many Kepek opt to have the effected area, if it's a limb, tail or other non-essential body part amputated as a way to get rid of the vines.

Despite the potential danger, the Ikta have cultivated Adaketab vines for generations and bred it to be safe to handle and eat. The talaxet grown by Ikta to be eaten are seedless. they still produce the freezing juice, but it is much less potent than what is seen in wild talaxet. Use of this domestic variant of talaxet is widespread across the galaxy. The berries themselves are a popular food among many Kepeki cultures, especially those in hot climates, and the juice is used in many drinks, including talaxet-flavoured sodas, fruit juices, and is even used as an ingredient in some sauces.

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