Blood-moss

Properties

Material Characteristics

Blood-moss can grow to heights of 1.5 metres, with a soft mossy ground acting as a base for wheat-like shoots. These shoots extend and blossom out akin to flowering, to release spores that encourage the growth of the moss. Nicknamed for its' dark red hues, blood-moss fields are often carpets of red, with the shoots often cut down to shin height to decrease the chances of human inhalation of the spores.

Physical & Chemical Properties

The floor of blood-moss is very much similar to common-grown forest moss on the surface, if not for its' hue and the fact that it seems to radiate warmth. While damp on the floor, the shoots that grow up are often dry and hardy, prone to splintering to release more spores when disturbed.

Geology & Geography

Bloodmoss can only be found on The Carcernatorum; it is specially cultivated by Carce as part of a trade deal with The Hives, in order to upkeep the peace between the prison city and their insectoid neighbours.

Origin & Source

While it is used solely by members of the Hive as a food source, this moss is grown on the outskirts of the Carcernatorum walls; a large portion of the original settlement of Southmarch was demolished in order to construct the mossfields, at which many prisoners are sent to work in endless shifts to harvest enough to feed the Hive.

Life & Expiration

Bloodmoss is not longlived, hence the need for multiple fields and harvests.

History & Usage

Discovery

The production of Bloodmoss only began a few months before the proposed treaty between the Hive and the Breach-King; while moss was existent on the island, it provided less nutritional value and had none of the colouration that blood-moss carries. Blood-moss is infact a genetically engineered variant of the native moss, though the exact details of it's production are unknown to the general public.

Everyday use

The sole purpose of the production and delivery of the blood-moss is to uphold and encourage the treaty between the Carcernatorum and the Hives. The moss itself poses physical and mental health risks to those harvesting it -- which has resulted in some stealing portions from their work shifts to sell on as alchemical poisons.

Cultural Significance and Usage

Blood-moss is rarely used in ritualistic events, however it is common to hang a small patch of moss to the insides of door to ward off evil - provided, that is, that the moss is dried out and dead, as it will not produce the spores unless activated with moisture.

Hazards

The spores produced by blood-moss shoots are extremely dangerous to the human body. There have been incidents in the past where entire houses have been taken over by blood-moss and spores, resulting in fatalities and a disease referred to as 'Bloodrot'. The disease itself is life-threatening though survivors, if they are coherent enough, claim death from it would have been a mercy.  It's unknown how exactly the spores affect the human mind, but extreme changes in behaviour, memory and cognition have been recorded by those in the deep stages of Bloodrot - and it's well known that workers in the moss field often die at young ages coughing up spores, even if they do avoid the mind altering disease.

Type

Organic

Odor

Copper.

Taste

Reportedly bittersweet.

Color

Deep maroon.

Common State

Grown in the mossfields of The Carcernatorum.