A seen from my story “Scout Sizzle Cymbal” the two members of Orthrus are on a major mission, unfortunatly they don’t know much about the plant Cruel Joke, other then it’s used to male the chem Crueltea. An altered variant of Killing Joke, the plant maims and ensnare it’s target with it’s hook like thorns attached to long vines that whip out at it’s prey. Like with Poison Joke and Killing Joke, it has a bodied modifying magic that is often seen as a cruel joke. The changes the plant forces onto the victims are often meant to prevent them from escaping, from painfuly turning their right hooves left, to changing their species, the effects are often random, and of a dark, and cruel humor. Though the changes are survivable, unlike with killing joke, it is clear that the changes are to cause distress in the victim, so to get them to call out, both attracting predators and more prey.
 
The creation of cruel joke was for the use of slavers in making no go zones to prevent their slaves from running away, and an instant punishment for the attempt. Their vines also make painful whips, the thorns still able to pass their magic over, if only a few times, but enough to put the fear of Celestia into any slave. An unexpected discover is that the flowers of the plant can be brewed into a potent chem that can clear the mind, and make reaction time far faster then normal, though makes the bodies sensitive, and had an after effect of dulling the mind one the positive effects fade.
 
As for our two hero’s, they are in for an odd time.