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Herbmastery - Relevant plants.

Posted by ShadowFor group public
Shadow
GM, 53 posts
Sat 19 Nov 2011
at 17:06
  • msg #1

Herbmastery - Relevant plants


You didn't really thought I was going not to use my own work, did you? :)

I should point out, these are information that only somebody who took Curing or Herbmastery would know... except for the general effects of potions. Still, it seemed cool to have it on the board! :D

I suggest to check the entire thread - you might notice the presence of plants that weren't in Zipp's thread. These would be the ones he hadn't the time to edit... as such, they might be subjected to changes at short notice, but until then, this is the definitive version.

The plants are arranged alphabetically. Have fun! :)
Shadow
GM, 54 posts
Sat 19 Nov 2011
at 17:07
  • msg #2

Re: Herbmastery - Relevant plants


Agdana

These kind of plants are rarely seen in Sommerlund, as it's favored breeding grounds are under control of the Drakkars or others evil practitioner. Still, this is a plant whose use in medicine can be very noteworthy; it’s leaves can in fact produce a tremendous effects on the brain and nervous system; tripling the speed they function at. Studies have been done to examine the effects of it on curing various mental diseases such as dementia, but so little of the drug is available on the common market that progress in this area has been slow.

The reason for the plant's controlled sale - aside from the hardship of procuring any - is that it has a history of being used in combat by the forces of evil; while it increases the effects of adrenaline and can make those who use it much more lethal, it also tend to send its users into a beserker-like state, greatly increasing bloodlust - at times putting the user's own allies at risk.

Also, incautious use of this herb can lead to addiction, since once the brain start to be used to work far faster, it can’t cope with the slower level of activity, and in the worst case it’s know to have caused increased aggressive behavior, lowered awareness of one’s surroundings, and even death by brain damage. For all these reason, the use of Adgana, while incredibly powerful in combat, is usually heavily frowned upon in the lastlands, and especially among the Kai.

Adgana herb: +6 CS for 1 full combat, 25 % risk of addiction at end of it.
Shadow
GM, 55 posts
Sat 19 Nov 2011
at 17:09
  • msg #3

Re: Herbmastery - Relevant plants


Alether

The Alether plant is tempramental and does not easily regrow when killed. It has run the risk of extinction many times and would probably not exist today if not for various gardens that grow it for the specific purpose of harvesting its berries.

The reason for its popularity is that the berries, when eaten, give an enormous boost to the metabolism of the eater; it enhances the reaction speed of the taker, optimizes the chemical reactions in the cells and the use of glucose by the muscle, make those same muscles more flexible and capable of greater strain, doubles the production of adrenaline in human beings and makes the heart capable of maintaining a much faster beat and delivering an increased percentile of oxygen for a short period of time.

This combination of power boosts, famous for their effect on warriors, are originally part of the survival mechanism of the plant; while the Alether berries are not as resilient as the Laumspur they completely outclass any plant on the planet for the speed at which they grow. If planted in a properly prepared field, a single Alether berry can grow to its adult form in less than a week, and in a span of two weeks it can start producing berries. The growth speed of this plant is so fast, in fact, that there are stories of villages that manage to survive on nothing but the sale of the orange berries, though the plant has no ability to survive frost and special care is taken to tend the plants.

Alether Potion: Increase CS by 2-4 for a single combat – dependent on dose and concentration.
Shadow
GM, 56 posts
Sat 19 Nov 2011
at 17:10
  • msg #4

Re: Herbmastery - Relevant plants


Ashexa

Variety of scarlet-capped toadstools (poisonous mushrooms) that need great obscurity to grow; it's particularly diffused in the Bor mountains.
This fungus was originally feared for its tremendous lethality; the actual reason of why, though, is surprising. The spores of this fungus are capable of multiplying the production of platelets to a ridiculous amount; this mean the instantaneous formations of multiple and enormous clots in the bloodstream, in such an high concentration as to always cause death among great pains.

Luckily, herbalists greatly investigated this plant, as its propriety, if adequately contained, would allow for a major breakthrough in the healing arts. In the end, the solution was discovered to be a relatively simple one. By mixing the Ashexa spores with a solution of Klorva syrup, the propriety of the latter to greatly enhance the strength of the blood flow and allowing the increased quantity of platelets caused by the former to avoid clotting.

This helped the Ashexa become widespread outside of the assassin’s community, as if consumed together with Klorva it greatly enhanced the latter's healing effects.

The order of the Redeemers is now studying this plant for the realization of a concentrated potion capable of replicating platelets with a less explosive propagation. The effects of such a potion are unknown but they may be able to regenerate cells even more rapidly than concentrated potions of Laumspur.

Ashexa fungus: poisonous
Ashexa potion: add +3 END to any Klorva potion when mixed with it
Shadow
GM, 57 posts
Sat 19 Nov 2011
at 17:20
  • msg #5

Re: Herbmastery - Relevant plants


Bane Swallow

Little brown berries that, if swallowed, considerably slow down blood flow and create a sense of apathetic calm. The berries have a thick pulpy juice that can be applied to burns to ease the pain.

There is one potion commonly made from this plant:

Bane Swallow Potion: Bronze in color, mix juice made from the Bane Swallow berries with the sap of the Willow Weed. If ingested before combat, it will reduce damage taken each round by 2 END for that combat.
Shadow
GM, 58 posts
Sat 19 Nov 2011
at 17:21
  • msg #6

Re: Herbmastery - Relevant plants


Calacena

Little pink fungi that grow in dark caves. The spores of these fungi are very sought after by illusionists and stage magicians, as the fumes produced when they are burned are capable of causing strong hallucinations. Skilled Shadakine Wytches and Cener Druids are able to ingest the spores and use them to enhance their powers of enchantment.

The Calacena is not harmful in itself, though one of less-than-sound mind or in a state of high stress may see terrifying visions while under its influence. The spores of the fungi, properly treated beforehand, can be ground into a nice looking pink powder that, when inhaled, causes a great clarity of mind combined with a sense of detachment from reality. As such, many rich classes in Magnamund, especially the Southern nations, make a common use of this powder as a from of entertainment.

The Brotherood of the Crystal Star is studying the property of the Calacena in order to find a way to create a potion out of it that retains its mind-clearing effects while removing the hallucinations, but results in that research have been non-existent.

The only danger this fungi poses is when distilled into tinctures that are very commonly used in the Stornlands area and used to coat weapons, specially arrows. This liquid version of the Calacena has a much stronger effect on the brain than the others to begin; introducing the drug through the bloodstream instead than using the nose as a filter makes it so that its power on the brain increases exponentially. The result is that being wounded with this kind of weapon can rapidly cause madness when the target is hit

Tincture of Calacena: causes madness and sever hallucination for two hours – used to coat arrows.
Shadow
GM, 59 posts
Sat 19 Nov 2011
at 17:24
  • msg #7

Re: Herbmastery - Relevant plants


Dragon's Tooth

Dry leaves, white in color. If the leaf is ground into a powder, it can be used to create a caustic skin irritant. It also works as a good anti-septic for open wounds.

The stem (also white) from the same plant can be used to produce the same powder, but of a much powerful quality. Touching the stem is dangerous and can leave a vicious rash.

Mixing Dragon’s Tooth powder with Laumspur can create a pink poison known as Dragon’s Breath. This cause the blood to boil, and kill in two minutes with atrocious pain.
Shadow
GM, 60 posts
Sat 19 Nov 2011
at 17:26
  • msg #8

Re: Herbmastery - Relevant plants


Finglas

A very rare weed that seems to prosper only in swampy lands; the main known breeding ground of the Finglas is the Maakenmire, which understandably makes harvesting this plant very difficult.

The weed acts on the brain, pushing it to release a great quantity of amphetamine into the body. This acts as a powerful painkiller, making it a favorite of Toranese mages, who have to undergo pain to work their spells. It’s known that the Nadziranim in particular have managed to reproduce the swampy habitat of the plant in their darklands fortresses, as such being the only order that can use the plant with some consistency. Other orders have tried to grow the plants themselves, but failed; many suspects that the plant feed on some kind of negative energy to grow, and such energy can only be found where Darkspawn live. Other theorists say that it feeds off of some bacteria that thrive on the Gourgaz's body.

The plant is easily recognizable by the characteristic spiraling blue leaf this weed possess; blue is also the usual color of potions made from it. Toranese mages will pay high prices for adventurers brave enough to go into the swamp to retrieve it.

Finglas Potions: -2 damage for five rounds of combat
Shadow
GM, 61 posts
Sat 19 Nov 2011
at 17:28
  • msg #9

Re: Herbmastery - Relevant plants


Frog’s Pod

A variant kind of the common pea, this particular plant is most commonly found near small bodies of stagnant water, like ponds or swampy areas, and get it’s name from the big round pods, dark green in colour and covered with blue dots, that from a distance can be confused for frogs or toads. The seed found inside the pods are very similar to peas, and would be indistinguishable if not for being covered in the same kind of blue dots that identify the pods themselves.

The Frog’s Pod is relatively common, although to grew it in a garden is required to install some kind of body of water, so it’s more usually recovered in the wild than specifically harvested.

If swallowed, the seeds of this plants cause a temporary expansion of the lungs; while not as effective as the Sabito, this plant is far more common, so it is a widely sought after food among seafaring communities; in particular, sea-diver fishermen and pearl hunters use it commonly in their work, as the increased lung capacity greatly simplify their work. Reportedly, this strategy is not exclusively human, either; it is know of predator mammals capable who developed the habit to eat the Frog’s Pods in order to better hunt amphibious prey.

There are many uses for this plant from a medical standpoint; it helps save people from suffocation, for one, and it’s useful when people receive heavy trauma to the torso as it prevents them from drowning in their own blood. If combined with other potions, it increase their effectiveness while inhaled; while this might seems a minor propriety, in actuality it helps treating any lung wound from the inside through airborne potions, and this function is invaluable in the healing community, as lung wounds are among the most lethal.

Although it is rare, it is known that some fighters, especially mercenaries in the Stornland region, are used to ingest this plant and then fill the battlefield with noxious fumes, as it allows them to hold their breath while fighting for longer periods of time and thus to use their toxins to full advantage.
Shadow
GM, 62 posts
Sat 19 Nov 2011
at 17:29
  • msg #10

Re: Herbmastery - Relevant plants


Gallowbrush

The best known and most used anesthetic in Sommerlund. It’s a kind of plant that exists in both a bush and weed variety, both recognizable by the particular hooked form of its prickles and the emerald green color of its leaves. It has the ability to convert its own sap into a supremely powerful sleep-inducing poison, that works as an efficient self-defense system for the plant. A small quantity of this sap can be used for the purpose of putting to sleep patients in dangerous operations, as they can cause a sleep lasting over two hours long.

Potions of this plant are commonly carried in many potion stores and by herbalists, and many variants exist, some even used to coat weapons and arrows. They are all usually similar in color, in the same emerald green hue as the plant itself.
Shadow
GM, 63 posts
Sat 19 Nov 2011
at 17:31
  • msg #11

Re: Herbmastery - Relevant plants


Ghilev

This particular mushroom, with a noticeable bright purple cap, usually grows near underground rivers. Its cap contains a liquid that, if ingested, act as a slow-action sleeping potion; differently from the Gallowbrush that acts with great force and leaves the victim dizzied and confused when s/he awakes, the Ghilev fungus act very gently, simulating all the effects of tiredness before inducing the sleep, and when the victim awakes, he feels as fresh as if having had a full night of sleep, even if the effect only lasts a couple of hours.

This, together with the impossibility of tracing its effect – the fluid is quickly absorbed by the organism upon action – make it a perfectly undetectable sleeping agent; the slow action is the main reason why its use is not as widespread as one would expect, together with its far lower diffusion in respect to its main rival, Gallowbrush, as the Ghilev is obviously very hard to grow.

Even so, this is still one of the main used sleep agents in Magnamund; the possibility of mixing it with food in its fungus form is also very appreciated by its users, while potions made of it are a somewhat less liked and used, mainly because their purple color is noticeable when mixed with clear liquids.

As a side use, some students in Toran take the mushrooms willingly to give them the full effect of a night's sleep in only a couple of hours, allowing them to maximize their studying time. The longterm effects of this, however, are an almost incurable insomnia.

Ghilev Fungus: induce a slow descent into sleep in the target; takes at least half an hour to have effect. A new CS roll can be made upon awakening: the roll receives +2 in addition to other bonuses already received.
Shadow
GM, 64 posts
Sat 19 Nov 2011
at 17:33
  • msg #12

Re: Herbmastery - Relevant plants


Giant's Milk

Giant's Milk makes the drinker feel stronger and is sought after as an expensive drug by more than a few wealthy people. Over indulgence in the potion can be exceedingly dangerous, leading people to think they can do such incredible feats as fly or punch through stone. In combat, such recklessness can be useful, leading many mercenary forces to seek out the potion.

There are many rumours about what exactly Giant's Milk is. It is one of the few potions created by the dwarves and, like most of their creations, the secret of its making has not left Bor. Reverse engineering of the potion by Toranese mages has failed, remarkably.

The best guesses surmise that the potion has an amount of Drodarin Giant's blood in it, though the "milky" substance that gives the potion it's name has been a subject of great debate and occasional concern.

Giant's Milk: +1-2 inflicted damage each round
Shadow
GM, 65 posts
Sat 19 Nov 2011
at 17:35
  • msg #13

Re: Herbmastery - Relevant plants


Gnadurn

The poison of choice of the majority of assassins in all of Magnamund, the Gnadurn sap is produced from a kind of grey mangrove-like tree that propagate swampy areas.

There are many good reason why this poison is the favored pick of assassins everywhere in the world. It has no color, nor flavor nor smell; the only thing that makes it recognizable from water is the fact that it has a sticky consistency.

The Gnadurn is lethal if it is absorbed in the bloodstream as it instantly latchs itself to the oxygen and, when the cells try to use the new composite in their breathing process, they damage themselves to a very high degree, self-destroying a body in very little time among terrible cramps.

It’s possible to survive a Gnadurn food poisoning by immediately ingesting a great enough quantity of Laumspur or other curative; at least part of the poison will be absorbed, causing great pain and unconsciousness but eventual healing. If the Gnadurn enters the blood directly (as when weapons are coated with it, a common practice among the Stornland mercenaries and the better organized of the bandits gangs), simple Laumspur is not enough to stop it, and as such this is a favored use of the poison.

There are tales of Kai Lords being capable, thanks to their ability to manipulate their body through Healing, to survive being drugged whit this poison; while this is true, it requires great effort and focus from the users.
Shadow
GM, 66 posts
Sat 19 Nov 2011
at 17:40
  • msg #14

Re: Herbmastery - Relevant plants


Gnallia

Bacteria that only grows in damp caves; it emits a ochre light and is usually found in wide clumps. The main location that it’s known to have access to it with any consistency is Durenor; the bacillus is easy to find inside the system of caves, the Tarnalin, that gives access to their capitol city of Hammerdal. One healer's community has developed there in part to be able to study the Gnallia effects on regular basis.

There have been reports of clumps of this bacteria being found in the Durncrag range, but these rumors are understandably hard to check. It is possible that the strain there would be more ferocious and less easy to apply to healing purposes.

The more important propriety of this bacteria is its ability to strain outside agents from the blood; it has been successfully used to heal contamination, especially in its condensed mineral form, really the build up of the dead bacteria.

Many a healer has tried to develop a concentrated potion from the Gnallia, as it should theoretically be possible to refine it’s effect into something capable of purging the cells in the body from exhaustion and making the body heal at a faster rate, but it sitll an art that is a mistery to most.

As it is, the use of Gnallia is still the preferred method to treat contamination, beside being one of the most excellent antiseptics an healer could use. Even when ingested, the purifying power of the Gnallia is still very effective; by purging the blood of many impurities, the mineral, while particularly bitter, is useful as a heated beverage.

Eventually, a master healer originary of Hammerdal named Rendalim conquered the mysteries of the Gnallia bacteria and turned it into one of the world's most powerful and well known healing elixirs, gaining world-renowed fame.

Gnallia tea: restore 4 END when drank and 1 WP.

Rendalim's Elixir: various high-level restorating effects, varying on the specific version used.
Shadow
GM, 67 posts
Sat 19 Nov 2011
at 18:04
  • msg #15

Re: Herbmastery - Relevant plants


This is a plant I specifically designed when Zipp told me that our team in Culling was going to Kalte - it was meant to be a bit of colorful background for that mission, so while it is very detailed, most of these detail shouldn't really see much use in the game.

Gramush Moss

While not a very known export good of Kaltenland, this plants is the main reason the icy wasteland is of any interest for healers.

This very rare form of moss is stunningly white, and is almost never found on the open, in the middle of the frozen wastes; it insteads grows undergound, in the deep system of caves that misteriously fill the whole icy continent and whose labirintine complexities only the resident Ice Barbarians can navigate with any degree of success.

The moss especially favors those rocks that contain veines of stratified calcium compounds, wich are the main nutrient this plant need; as such, is not uncommon for it to be found in the form of long lines along the walls of caves, or to find stalagmites, stalactites and columns literally covered - and, at times, partially erosed - by this plant.

While this ability of the plant of getting nutrient out of rocks already turn it into a pretty uncommon sight, the more interesting things about it is the way it reproduces; once the spores of the plants, with a hard white shell not dissimilar from that of a coconut, if smaller, are mature, they are literally pushed inside the rock, in such a way as to break and spread the milk around the seed.

This milk is what anybody cares about when speaking of the plant; while called "milk" because of its very heavy calcium content, what the liquid actually does is to instantly solidify such calcium in a sturdy block that encase the seed, granting it a very fertile "ground" to grew in.

What makes the Gramush Milk so incredibly interesting is that, when applied to an area where calcium is already present - as it's likely if there's Gramush Moss around to begin with - it will strenghten it tenfold, reniforcing the might of the external layer to such a degree that almost nothing can penetrate it, effectively keeping the seed safe until maturation begin.

And this is where the medical application become clear: if injiected in a correctly allined broken bone, the Milk is capable of bringing it instantly back to peack condition, as if new; and any kind of bone fractures can be cured with nothing more than a couple drops added to an appropriate potion. There's more: it can be used to actually regrow broken teeth if administered properly, and many says that teeths regrown this way are even stronger then before, to the point that great warriors of the Barbarian tribes can go to the point of using it to turn their canines into sort of fangs, appearing far more menacing.

The Barbarians use of the Gramush Milk aren't limited to this kind of things, though; a proper addition of the milk to old people's diet seems to delay the common weakining of the body witnessed through age, meaning that among the Ice Barbarian there are elders whose body is, if not as strong as that of a man in his prine, certainly far srutdier than it would appear.

However, the more important use of the Milk among the Barbarian is another one: it is a weapon of war. While the bone weapons used by the clans are good enough for what they need them to do and are usually able to fight off the steel weapon of other groups, they are still a main military disadvantage for them. However, a bone weapon treated with repeated infusion of Gramush Milk over a period of some weeks will be stenghtened by it to a level that would be thought impossible, if there weren't witnesses: the bones takes a silverish hue to themselves, and it is reported that, by this point, they're not only able to witstand the edge of iron and steel weapons, but that some were even able to actually break steel weapons of inferior quality.

In the war among tribes, where there isn't any steel to oppose such weapons but only normal bones, a Gramish weapon - especially in the hand of a skilled leader - might very well be enough to turn the side of a battle; such weapons are passed down through generations and treated with the same reverence a magic one would be among the Sommerlund nobility.

It goes without saying that such a military advantage is not something shared lightly by the barbarians, and the plants is not only ferociously sought after, but also kept very secret by those lucky tribes that happens to found some of it; finding the plant is a challenge unto itself, as it requires to brave the dangers of the caves, and the particular combination of dry but cold climate, "soil" configuration and properly unilluminated areas the Gramush needs to grow make the plant almost a treasure for the Icy tribes.

This is the main reason why the Moss is such a rarely seen plants outside of kaltenland, and why those healers who happens to possess it wouldn't willingly part themselves from it. What few is exported is usually the lucky find of explorer and adventurer, or the result of an exiled barbarian stealing part of the precious supplies from his own tribes. It may also happen, although very rarely, that a tribe would barter such a prize for something they deem of equivalent value - like an actual magic item, a rare weapon of a special metal, rare medical supplies or combat potions - or as a tribute of subsmission to a leader recognized for his value as an equal chieftain and worthy opponent, but this is such a rare event it only barely needs to be mentioned.

Either way, healers from all the world would pay dearly for having some Gramush Milk, and it is not unheard of for some brave merchants to actually organize expedition to search for colonies of the plants, as such a find could be very worth it if brought to the attention of Durenor's medicians guild or to the Brotherhood of the Crystal Star.

Gramush Milk: strenghten any kind of bone it get in direct contact with, both through the production of calcium-based structures and through reinforcing the integrity and strenght of the same.

Gramush potions: composition varies; Gramush cannot be just drunk directly - it would create massive calcium deposites in the stomach and then calculus if assumed that way - but if mixed with any kind of potions that affect the bloodstream (Laumspur, Klorva, etc.) it add to the effect a +2 CS recover..
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:06, Sat 19 Nov 2011.
Shadow
GM, 68 posts
Sat 19 Nov 2011
at 18:12
  • msg #16

Re: Herbmastery - Relevant plants


Graveweed

The graveweed... it’s a kind of parasitic weed that grows in thorny tangles, and it’s notoriously very hard to remove from the area, because of its deep roots. The name was chosen for the plant's propensity to grow near many kind of graves and aid in the decomposition of corpses, probably gaining nutrients in the process, and because cemeteries are this plant's favorite breeding grounds. It can also grown in properly prepared terrains, usually those rich in moss or fertilizer, and because of the latter is a constant trouble to farmers everywhere.

This plant's fame is a result of its system of self-defense; similarly to the gallowbrush, the graveweed produces a toxin that it injects into creatures with its long, pointy prickles.

In nature, the graveweed poison is not lethal except to parasitic insects; herbalist believe that the plant's power to kill insects so that they add to the humus of the terrain it grows into is a very intelligent self-propagation mechanism. It is even known that some variants of the plant managed to kill with their poison little mammals and bird, but anything bigger than a squirrel can survive intoxication by graveweed with only a mild sickness and, sometimes, very mild hallucinatory experiences.

However, the reason why bigger animals can survive the graveweed prickles is simply that the dose wasn’t strong enough; when extracted, the poison it contain become one of the most lethal in all of Magnamund.

There are a great variety of ways to create the graveweed poison; the most common one is to simply extract great quantity of it and condense a potion out of it, in what is called a Graveweed concentrate. But the lethal effect can be achieved even by grinding the plant into powder, or boiling it in alcohol to produce a tincture, or even using a process of repeated boiling and filtering to obtain a distilled version. All of these different system of production have their own advantages, and are used depending on the result one is aiming for.

All, however, produce great sickness or death.

The distilled version produce noxious fumes that can cause dizziness and confusion, and is capable of withstanding the passage of time or to be mixed with other liquids without losing any of its lethality; the more mild tincture versions can cause sickness and weakness instead of death, and all of the tincture versions are untraceable; the powder version is lethal when inhaled and at the touch and not just when swallowed like the others; and obviously the more common concentrated version is the cheaper one to produce.

In all of its forms, the graveweed retains its black colour and a faint bitter aroma. This second property is not a problem in the use of it as a poison, as only a competent herbalist or healer, or somebody who know the plant from personal experience, can distinguish the graveweed smell from that of the vinegar or of the more commonly used cooking spices.

The poison effect is highly necrotic; the toxin destroys the cells when absorbed by them, and so it become deadly when it starts to attack the major organs. If the poisoning is noticed in due time, it’s possible to counteract it. However, the majority of the known Graveweed poisons act too fast to be stopped, specially the distilled version that is almost always instantly lethal. Laumspur and Klorva are known to slow down the action of the graveweed if swallowed quickly, but by themselves they can’t defeat the poison. Their use though can be enough to allow a competent healer to determine which variant has been used on the patient, and as such prepare a proper cure.

All together, the Graveweed is considered a cursed plant and anyone who uses it is said to gain the disfavor of Ishir.

- Known potions (and LW references) -
Concentrated Graveweed: used in LW 6. Lethal.

Graveweed Tincture: used in LW 24, added to food. Lethal.

Graveweed Tincture: used in LW 5, 22. Cause sickness and END loss.

Distilled Graveweed: used in LW 3. Noxious fumes cause dizziness. Added to supper, lethal.

Powdered Graveweed: used in LW 28. Mixed inside a wooden toy, poisoned child. Slow action. Slowed down by applying Laumspur/Klorva. Countered by local herbalist with “proper potion”; potion unknown.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:13, Sat 19 Nov 2011.
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