Eri's Tome of Mysterious Mushrooms

Written by orphidor

"This one's boring, it tastes like dirt. This one's bright blue, very pretty. And this one? This one gives you visions of all the different ways you might die."

— Eri Evirthi

Eri adores mushrooms. When offered a listening ear, she'll ramble about their appearances, ecosystems, and effects when consumed for hours. She carries a thick, rough-hewn book around with her wherever she goes; this is her tome of mushrooms, where she documents every fungus she comes across, usually after drawing (and then eating) a few. Eating some of these mushrooms would have proved fatal to anyone else, but luckily her Boon allows her to consume the most dangerous fungi without ultimately succumbing to their toxins.

Examples of Documented Fungi

• Numerous edible mushrooms of various shapes and sizes, from clusters of tiny stems to puffballs the size of a Suktu child's head. They vary in flavor from bland to meaty.
• A few varieties of mushrooms that, while beautiful, are not ideal for consumption. These include specimens such as orange, netlike structures or red antler-like fungi. They aren't edible because they're poor in flavor or texture.
• A fair number of fungi that are poisonous and/or hallucinogenic. Examples include an unassuming specimen that could be confused for an edible variety which causes intense digestive discomfort, as well as a tiny, bright green mushroom that causes a person to pass out and experience highly disturbing dreams when consumed.

Mechanics & Inner Workings

The book is coptic-bound. It lies completely flat when opened.

Manufacturing process

When documenting information in the book, Eri uses a combination of ink and watercolor paints to accurately depict the mushrooms and describe all their related information.

History

Eri traded with another denizen of the Foul Grove for the book, offering a loaf of bread she'd baked earlier that day in exchange for the rather ugly thing. Since then, it hasn't left her side. She's spent hours poring over her already-existing notes, as well as adding information about newly-discovered specimens and enhancing the information she's already documented about previously-known fungi.

Significance

The book is by far Eri's prized possession. She would literally kill rather than see it destroyed. Along with holding valuable information about previously-undiscovered fungi, the tome holds emotional value for Eri as well, since documenting the mushrooms both soothes and entertains her.

Item type

Book / Document

Creation Date

344 AB

Current Location

Middle Realm

Current Holder

Eri Evirthi

Manufacturer

Grovedwellers

Rarity

One-of-a-kind

Dimensions

12 inches x 12 inches

Base Price

It was rather inexpensive when Eri bartered for it, but its worth has increased dramatically since then.

Raw materials & Components

The tome is bound with thick wax-coated thread and has covers wrapped in leather. Its pages are made of thick woodpulp paper. The leather on the covers appears to be castoffs from larger projects because it varies in color and thickness and is cobbled together in a rather haphazard fashion. Regardless of its looks, the tome is very sturdy.