Creature:Botana

"Our yummy plant buddies!"

-The Hermicee Legion

"A scourge that cannot be stopped, only contained."

-Centapedus Empire

"Indescribable evil!"

-Jeckle Civilization

-"Analysis: Parasitic plant-like organism, immune to extreme environment. Controlled by Coenobita bardus. Threat: Extreme. Conclusion: EXPOSE VULNERABILITY, EXTERMINATE/CONTROL"

-The Grox Empire

Overview
The Botana are a species of plant native to Moneotype. Hermicee are fond of eating the seeds of Botana, and because of Hermicee-Botana symbiosis, Botana do not react hostilely to Hermicee devour vegetation. In return, Hermicee actively take care of Botana and feed it. Hermicee use them as sort of a biological weapon, often stuffing large numbers of feral seedlings into pods and sending the pods down to other planets to begin consumption of it's native species.



Naturally, Botana are not unlike other species of plant, they absorb carbon dioxide, and take in oxygen. What sets the Botana apart is it's extreme adaptability. When atmosphere is unfitted for Botana, they evolve into their mobile stage. In mobile stage, Botana are able to rapidly mutate into walking, moving creatures. In search of sunlight or nutrition, Botana Seedlings and full grown plants alike look for suitable locations to root. If sunlight is scarce or atmosphere is not dense enough, Botana quickly adapt into feral stage. In feral stage, Botana become dangerous to all forms of life, except Hermicee. At this stage, Botana are capable of burrowing into a host creature's skin, effectively turning it into a biological suit of armor and food source. The final, most dangerous stage of Botana is Hive stage. In hive stage, the Botana quickly take over large regions of a planet, infecting life forms and growing over other plant species to effectively create a "nest". Only few Botana infections have ever reached hive stage, notably the Botana Shelling of Elke.

Uses
The Botana are used for as an extreme super weapon by the Hermicee Legion and is so dangerous that their use is against  The Galactic Code.

Warfare
No race is able to use Botana in warfare but Hermicees. They will constantly threaten other empires with the risk of bombing them with Botana Pods. Botana Pods are stuffed with as many feral seedlings as possible and then they are dropped from a spacecraft and on to a desired location. Once dropped the seedlings who have survived the impact will scurry out and begin attacking any living creature. They will burrow deep into the victims flesh and use them as armor. In rare cases, individuals survive botana infection but can do nothing as the plant controls their movement, all they can do is scream in agony assuming their vocals stayed intact. These are considered by many to be nothing but "evil, mindless, killing machines much like their owners".