Marefloke (mɑːreːfɫuːkə)

Marefloke (translated: nightmare tangle) is a perennial grass native to the high altitude plains in mountainous regions of Auregelmir. The plant is distinguished by its unusual growing pattern, where individual blades of grass twists into long "braids" like thick rope. A normal plant will usually stop growing when its length exceeds three meters, and its braided diameter rarely grows beyond 15 centimeters. Compared to other grasses, it grows very slowly, taking as much as five years to reach its full potential.

Marefloke does not grow flowers. It instead reproduces when a long braid pushes into the ground and grows roots on its own. At this point it will normally break off from the original plant, but not always, resulting in abnormally long growths colloquially referred to as "snubletråd" (translated: tripping thread/tripwire).

Uses

Medicinal

Its name partially has its origin in the plant's medicinal properties. When dried, powdered, and made into tea, it can be consumed to induce tiredness. While the effect is not so severe that it can't be resisted, it will make falling asleep easier. When sleep comes, however, it will be a restless one. It is always expected to cause severe nightmares from which you are very likely to wake.

To some, the pros outweigh the cons. For the poor, this is a cheap substitute for painkillers. It's a frequently used method of treating pains caused by giantism or dwarfism, both of which causes struggles with falling asleep.

by Midjourney

It has been used extensively, and is still used, by aure military both for training and in war. The normally unpleasant side effect of marefloke tea ensures soldiers will get some rest, and guarantees they won't oversleep.

Rope

Its long blades and natural twisting has made marefloke the prime candidate for making cordage throughout aure history. From ancient humans harvesting young braids to use as cords straight from the ground, to the modern man having shop made rope to rig his ship.

Culture

Harvesting marefloke has traditionally been considered women's work due to a myth on the plant's origins on how men plucking it curses them with poor sleep habits. With commercialization of rope making, this changed, and today the work is usually conducted by young people of either gender who wants to earn some extra pocket money before the winter holidays. In the old times, though, the women of a village would gather after the men had returned from hunting in late autumn. While the men prepared the game for meat and hide, the women made the hike to the highlands. They would harvest only what they needed for cordage or medicine for a year. Upon their return, a small feast would be held. In some remote areas of Auregelmir, this is still considered a holiday feast today, and flokefest (translated: tangle feast) is a yearly occurrence whether they still harvest marefloke or not.