| Triffids | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Statistics | |
| Name | Triffids |
| Aliases | "Clackers" |
| Continuity | The Day of the Triffids |
| Category | Terrestrial |
| Status | Existing |
| Homeworld | Earth (conjecture) |
| Stellar System | Sol system (conjecture) |
| Galaxy | Milky Way (conjecture) |
| Biology | |
| Body type | Stalk |
| Average lifespan | Unknown |
| Average Height | 7' (approx) |
| Average Weight | Unknown |
| Limbs | 4 leg stalks |
| Eyes | None |
| Fingers | None |
| Toes | Roots in place of toes |
| Special adaptations | |
| Social Structure | |
| Native language | Unintelligible clacking sound |
| Sub-groups | None |
| Representatives | Triffids are not known by name |
| Allies | None |
| Enemies | All humanity |
| Appearances | |
| First Appearance | The Day of the Triffids; John Wyndham; 1951 |
Triffids are an aggressive terrestrial life form of undistinct origin. They are plant based organisms, but possess certain characteristics common to members of the animal kingdom. They possess mobility, which enables them to uproot themselves from the earth and move about. They have a predatory instinct to feed. They are carnivorous and sustain themselves on nutrients they derive from human beings. A Triffid will stalk its prey, then lash out at them with a barbed stinger which injects a powerful toxin into the victim's body. They hover above their prey as the victim then quickly breaks down into a pile of protoplasmic matter , at which point, the Triffid is able to consume the remains.
History[]
Triffid victim
The actual genesis of the Triffids is a matter of conjecture. It is believed that they were created by a team of European (or possibly Russian) scientists who developed Triffid seeds, which would serve as a lucrative and cost effective alternative to fossil fuel. At some point in time, a supply of these Triffid seeds were misplaced and planted in the soil. Triffids quickly began growing to full size and started hunting human prey in suburban areas.
Scientists began collecting Triffids wherever they could be found and relocated them to zoos or to specialized Triffid farms. Although they presented a threat to modern society, they were still a literal cash crop and their population began to steadily grow.
At one point in time, a comet passed over the Earth, rendering 90% of the population permanently blind. Towns and cities with congested population centers created easy hunting grounds for Triffids, who could attack blind prey with little to no resistance. [1]
A former Triffid farmer named Bill Masen recognized the intensified threat level of the Triffids and armed himself with specialized anti-Triffid weaponry. One of these was a projectile weapon that fired sharpened, boomerang-like disks that could sever Triffid stalks with a single shot.
Although Triffids preferred rural areas where they could take root, they could not pass up the easy hunting that the cities provided. With each passing day, the Triffid population grew even larger. Moving in packs, they surrounded homesteads and lured victims outside by way of the clacking noises they made with their roots. Some times, Triffids would use their "heads" to smash in windows, poking their stingers through the shattered glass to infect unsuspecting dwellers.
A man named Jack Coker established a community on the Isle of Wight, which had been overrun with Triffids. His followers and he spent several years exterminating the creatures and by 1987, he claimed that he had destroyed in excess of 50,000 Triffids. [2]
Notes & Trivia[]
- John Wyndham's novel The Day of the Triffids was written in 1951 at the height of the Cold War. The novel suggests that it was the Russian government responsible for creating the Triffids.