Curastia

Curastia is what you need, should the @Heart-Blight return. It is an ancient plant brought over the sea by the Elves when they sailed East to wage their war of vengeance against @Aranxes. As such, this plant carries the power of the Three and the spinning of the world. There is little it cannot cure when applied correctly, but these moderns, these natural philosophers believe in nothing that they cannot categorize into their little boxes of the world, so it is left unknown save to those of us trained in the art and lore of the old lore. Witches, these philosophers mock us with, yet should the Darkness come again, all their logic and scientific inquiry will avail them nothing against the dark winds from the depths of the stars that howl and tear at our world. | Eris, called Hedgewitch

Basic Information

Anatomy

Curastia is a very small, low-growing plant that most resembles moss or lichen. Rarely growing more than a few finger widths tall, it has silvery-blue coloration and small, golden rosette leaves branching out from the main stem. When in full bloom, it produces a single golden flower with nine petals encircling each other like a rose.

Growth Rate & Stages

The curastia plant has an extremely slow life-cycle, beginning with a seed that can lie dormant for centuries until the stars and moon are in the proper alignment that it needs to germinate itself. Once germinated, the plant develops an underground root system that can reach the depth of several grown men over the course of decades.
Only once the root system is fully developed does the plant begin to push buds above ground, with the main stem often growing less than the thickness of a fingernail in an entire year. This continues for several centuries until the plant is ready to flower.
At that point, a flower bud will develop and begin to grow at the heart of the plant, opening into full bloom at the winter solstice. Why it only blooms at the winter solstice has yet to be realized.

Ecology and Habitats

Curastia can only be found in the hearts of the ancient Elven kingdoms at the foot of where the Tapestry of the Three used to stand at the heart of their stone circles. Climate and weather appear to be irrelevant for the growth of the curastia plant, for legends speak of them growing in the heights of the Losgard mountains, amongst fallen stones in the middle of human farmland, in bogs, deserts, and even on sandbars where they used to watch the shores of the sea for any message from their departed homeland.

Additional Information

Uses, Products & Exploitation

Curastia is known for its healing properties above all else and that, even more than its beauty, is what has led to it being highly prized throughout all of history. However, with the withdrawal of the Elves, it has grown rare and fallen into half-forgotten legend, preserved only by those who remember what was taught of the ancient world. Even were this not the case, it is too rare and takes too long to bloom for mortals to attempt to cultivate it. Instead, those driven by desperate need must seek it out themselves and pray that they will arrive in time for one to bloom.

Conservation Status

Extremely Rare