Golden Root Fern

"A rite of passage for the tribe of the Roligot of the Tortle race is a peculiar one compared with the initiatory rites of other tribes in the region. Being a tribe of alchemists and potion-crafters, the Roligot youth must leave their home village of coral on the shoreline, and must venture into the tropical wilderness to find their first Golden Root Fern, from whence they must craft a potion to exemplify their coming of age. Mostly, the youth remain unharmed by this, but the elders of these tribes have stated multiple deaths have occurred venturing into the jungles and swamps of the region. As of the publication of this book, there is still no definitive answer to the extent this rite is fatal, and why is might be thus." - The Academy of Natural Philosophy Encyclopedia on Anthropology, 2nd Edition, Baxter Caviran, et al.

Basic Information

Anatomy

The Golden Root Fern is a Herbaceous plant, with no woody stems. The plant can grow to a total a recorded height of 4' tall, and can grow up to 8' in diameter. The leaves are built on fronds that expand from a tight spiral.
The plant grows a messy, fibrous clump of golden colored roots that usually prevent the growth of other plants around its base.

Genetics and Reproduction

The Golden Root Fern reproduces using spores, at the beginning of every rainy season, usuallyin the spring seasons.

Ecology and Habitats

The nature of the proliferation of the Golden Root Fern is unknown to the Academy of Natural Philosophy. The Encyclopedia of Botany, 5th Edition, has stated that the Golden Root Fern was once found extensibly in marshes and jungles of both the continents of Golren and Talren. However, due to the Purge of the Arcane by the Church of Sacris Ordinum, excessive use, and the climatic change of Golren, the range seems to have changed to only the Galigoni Islands, the Talith Sea, and the Serpent River Valley.
There are rumors, unconfirmed by the Academy, that a subspecies of Golden Root Fern grows around the Hertzen Sea, and in the Isaac Springs. Botanical expeditions have retrieved evidence of this existence however.
Golden Root Ferns grow primarily in marshy or swampy climates, typically on peat moss soil. Primarily, the fern prefers partial sun to indriect light to grow in.

Additional Information

Uses, Products & Exploitation

The Golden Root Fern is used primarily as a base ingredient for most potions and alchemic pursuits. The fibrous roots are extracted, salted, and dried. The fern exhibits amazing resiliency, so can usually recover from a loss of a portion of the root system, and grow the roots back. Many indigenous cultures tend to use this method to reuse the plant, as cultivation has eluded every culture up to this point.
Once the roots are dried and preserved, they are ground into a fine golden powder. This golden powder, known colloquially as "Root Essence," is then applied to potions as the last ingredient. The inert arcane energy in the roots is then transferred to the potion through the boiling of the ingredients together. The arcane energy modifies the surrounding ingredients through the still not fully understood process of Arcane Galvonic Action into a potion with the required statistics.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

The Golden Root Fern is said to hold arcane energy in its most inert form, which is rumored to exist primarily in its root system. A survey by the Anthropological Society has found multiple beliefs that the fern exists not only on this plane but also at the same point in planes of realty higher and lower. These religious teachings suppose that this is where the arcane powers of the fern comes from.

Scientific Name

Blechnum Aurum

Origin/Ancestry

Blechnum Originem

Conservation Status

There is no effort, currently to conserve the plant. There have been attempts by multiple different societies to cultivate the Golden Root Fern as a cash crop.