Eldberry

Jewel of the Lizardfolk

The following was translated and inscribed from Draconic by a Gnome Linguist, with the permission of a small Lizard tribe beneath the Northwestern Roots.
"My child, have you collected your Eldberries for today? Do remember, you need o-"
"-one for every year of age I have. Yes. Here are my Eldberries."
"Good! Good work, child."
"These are deadly plants. If I broke one open, I'd be dead."
"Yes, child, you've done a good job picking them carefully."
"Surely, the ones on the Roots do not need such a thing, do they?"
"Poison is important for those people. The cowards. The liars."
"Cowards? Liars? What do those people do with poison?"
"Simple. They make sure they are scared of each other."
"I do not understand, parent."
"Thinking... I know. Let me show you."
"Why do you smother your finger in the poison, parent? Do you need aid?"
"Yes. Give me the antidote and I will show you."
"Okay."
"So, on this Bark here, there would be an agreement. To show that we both wish to worship this agreement, we poison ourselves and write our names. Do you remember your name?"
"Yes, parent."
"Do you remember how to write your name?"
"Yes, parent."
"Good. So you know it takes a bit of time. Once both are done writing their names, like so, then they both give each other antidote. Give me the antidote."
"Yes, parent."
"Good. Thank you. Now, because this parchment was written in poison, and both parties have shown that they trust the other, the agreement is basically unbreakable to those cowards."
"I don't understand. Why can't they just cheat and go back on the deal?"
"Fear. If both groups are rich enough to have Eldberries, then they will likely be rich enough to send warriors and brutes to destroy the other." "Is that all?"
"No. It is also a trust exercise."
"Trust?"
"Yes, they both need to provide the antidote, yes? That is important. Because it is a sign that they respect one another to spend resources on the other."
"Oh. I do not get the Root Dwellers."
"I do not know if they know much about each other. But they give us Gold and food. We give them what they want. That is simple enough."
"Okay."

Lizardfolk

In the Arengold Forest, Lizardfolk are somewhat tangentally related to Kobolds and Dragons, enough to learn Draconic. However, unlike Kobolds, the Lizardfolk live below the roots, near the small rivers of Ïorreg. They live in these small bodies of water, where Eldberries grow in fair form.

Despite being the oldest non-Root race, at 1000 years of age, the Lizardfolk still struggle to stay relevant. It was only recently, when Eldberries became important for both assassination and contracts, that the Lizardfolk would become very relevant in current, high-ranking communities. Since Lizardfolk have no idea about the politics, Elves treat them like children and trade mules, which is fine for the Lizardfolk who want to spend as little time with them as possible.

Lizardfolk have much closer relationships with Kobolds and Tengu, who treat them surprisingly well. Tengu especially believe the Lizardfolk to be blessed by Ïorreg, and treat them well for Eldberries and Eldberry Antidotes to ensure the Tengu will survive potentially dangerous patients.

Biologically, Lizardfolk are much as they are like in Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition and Pathfinder. Their Inner Artist Ritual normally involves either basket weaving, sculpting, or pottery.

Type

Biomaterial

Eldberries and Eldberry Antidote

Eldberries are small, black, horrifically poisonous berries that are often crushed and placed carefully into ink pots. These pots are then used with a finger to write contracts between two parties, and then an antidote administered before the poison kicks in. If the Antidote is not administered within 10 minutes, the Poison begins to close the throat of the victim, slowly and relentlessly suffocating them before cutting off airflow entirely by filling the lungs with fluid. Thankfully, the Antidote is made by mixing the Eldberry with non-poisonous fruit native to the regions where Eldberries grow; near rivers, stagnant water, and in the Southern Gnarls.

For the two parties to represent equality, both must administer the antidote to the other party. While the Antidotes are not more expensive than Eldberries themselves, having both resources is not possible for all tribes, meaning that the most expensive and trust-bearing of deals are impossible for smaller groups. They then need to rely on alliances and bargaining to get what they want, or find a way to get Eldberries without going through typical trade routes.

This is where Lizardfolk become important. Their scales give them some leeway for Eldberry picking, and they have grown careful of the berries due to years of hunting. Because of this, they can easily identify Eldberries and collect them. They are also talented herbalists, able to make the Eldberry Ink and Antidote within a few hours of berry collecting. This combination makes them extremely efficient trade partners, as they rarely ask for anything more than metal to make arrows and food to survive harsh winters.

Other than Lizardfolk, there are a few tribes in jungle regions, such as the Southern Roots, that can collect Eldberries. They, however, expect significantly more in return. The Lizardfolk hold a minor but strong monopoly, allowing them to begin to thrive in both politics and survival.