Övúb Flowers

Mlúkrok: Övúb /œ:vu:p/

Övúb flowers are small, tropical plants endemic to a few valleys in the eastern Tvemna Mountains on the western Vorran Peninsula in western Dragonía.
Like most plants found on the outer peninsula, where the element of Light causes the light of the sun, moon and stars to be much more intense than elsewhere in Dragonía, övúb is adapted to a specific range of brightness and thus is particularly vulnerable to changes in which element is dominant at the time. While some other flora in the mountains can spread to other regions or lay dormant during times when the element of Light is at its weakest, more delicate plants such as övúb are far less likely to survive.

Additional Information

Domestication

The reptilian Kroks who inhabit Vorran Peninsula have so far been unsuccessful at cultivating övúb flowers, so instead the ones living in or near the eastern Tvemna Mountains have spent millennia modifying the environment of the valleys to create the optimal conditions for övúb to grow, resulting in entire fields of turquoise during late spring.

Uses, Products & Exploitation

The Kroks harvest and dry övúb flowers to flavour food -particularly meat and certain fish-based dishes- and use as incense, the latter which is usually lit before cutting trees or constructing new buildings.

The latter practice is believed to soothe local nature spirits that would otherwise cause misfortune for being disturbed.
Like mnaak, another spice that originates in the Tvemna Mountains, dried övúb is highly sought after throughout the peninsula as well as by the Jaarels who inhabit the extensive cave systems under the Vúrakesen Mountains to the east. Upper class Jaarels are particularly fond of adding the spice into únevet, an alcoholic beverage made with water, slime mold and hallucinogenic mushrooms.