Moonflower

Moonflower is a leafy flowering plant that can reach up to 2 yards in height. The leaves are alternate, with a lobed or toothed margin. The flowers are erect and trumpet-shaped, coloured a milky white with occasional streaks of pale violet. The seeds are large and spherical, covered in sharp spines. Moonflower blooms remain closed during the day, opening only at dusk and closing again with the dawn. It is a native of the far East, on the edges of the Wyld.

Nearly every part of the moonflower contains a potent psychoactive poison, which can be ingested or absorbed through the skin. It is quite deadly, particularly to children, who can rarely be saved after contact. Adults are able to endure small quantities of moonflower.

The effects of the toxin are quite potent. It is not a hallucinogen but a deleriant, stripping away a victim’s ability to distinguish fantasy from reality and jumbling thoughts to produce disjointed speech, along with inexplicable behaviour that becomes violent at higher doses. Moonflower also causes skin to flush and heartbeat to become rapid and irregular. Temporary amnesia, where the victim forgets some or all of the events they experienced while under moonflower’s influence, is common, growing more complete as the dosage increases.

A final effect of moonflower is extreme dilation of the pupils, which can last for many hours or even days after the poison has been taken, resulting in the victim experiencing stinging eye pain when exposed to direct sunlight.