Riverroot

Medicinal Properties and Purposes of Riverroot

The Black Riverroot, or "Ivendryllas", has become a rare sight in modern Ivendarea. Its unique looks and alleged powers to grant immortality - or at least a delay of the invevitable end - have made it not only the part of many myths and legends but also so sought-after by alchemists and entrepreneurs that it was believed to be extinct for several centuries.

Basic Information

Anatomy

The plant has a thick, fleshy stem and strong, long roots, that are dug deep into the muddy earth it likes to grow in. The stem is covered in small, stumpy but still very sharp and painful thorns, and several large, heart-shaped leaves grow from the stem. They are thick and waxy on the surface. Stem, thorns, roots, and leaves are all of a dark colour, usually black or dark purple and blue tones, depending on where the plant grows. The wetter the surroundings, the more saturated the black, so in the southern marshlands black plants are more common, while near the lakes and small streams in Ivendarea's east blue and purple variations can be found.
From the top of the stem grow up to five individual flowers. The five petals of each blossom transition from a nearly shining white at the tips to a dark blue or purple colour at the base, where they transition into the stem. When the flowers have withered a fleshy fruit of the same colour as the stem will form in their place.

Genetics and Reproduction

The flowers of the Riverroot blossom only once per year, but usually not all flowers of the same plant are in full bloom at the same time. Pollination happens through insects and birds drawn in by the tasty-smelling nectar produced by the plants, but some pollen is also released through the air.
The flowers of a pollinated plant will eventually wither away, and a black fruit replaces them. The fruits are slightly oval in shape and look relatively unremarkable, but just like the flowers they have a unique smell that lures in animals and sometimes people alike. The fruits are filled with an abundance of small, round, white seeds in them. They either fall off the stem eventually, the seeds released as the fruit withers away, but more likely is that they are eaten by birds and other animals and distributed in the area the natural way.

Additional Information

Uses, Products & Exploitation

Like most plants in Ivendarea, the Riverroot has magical properties, and all parts of the plant can be used in alchemy. Each component though has very specific and different effects, and depending on processing these can be very positive or very negative.
The fruits alone for example, when eaten raw like they grow in the wilds, can cause significant hallucinations and delusions of grandeur. Boiled and turned into jam, juice, or wine these negative effects can be reduced to a point where the consumption will have a positive effect on the mood. They have a bitter-sweet taste similar to currants.
When prepared properly, certain parts of the plant have remarkable healing properties. The roots and leaves can be made into salves or tea to treat small injuries or an upset stomach. They leave the patient feeling invigorated and strengthened, even in small doses. If over- or undercooked, or even consumed raw though, the chewy roots and leaves can cause severe stomach pains, digestive problems, up to internal bleeding that can prove fatal if not treated properly and fast.
The flower petals as such were originally seen as the only unuseful part of the plant. The blossoms as such have the unique trait of smelling different to every person and creature, usually like something they love or crave at the moment. So first the flowers found their way into bouquets and flower crowns made for loved ones, and then perfumers discovered this unique trait for their business. While the blossom's magical ability to smell different for everyone got lost in the creation of a perfume it still manages to balance out or tie together strong or even opposing smells, allowing for the most unusual combinations of scents. The blossoms can alsoy add a note usually described as "pleasant" or "delicate", but it's hard to pin down exactly what it resembles in smell. Similarly how water can dilute strong alchoholic drinks, Riverroot petals can tone down strong smells or give them a softer note.
The most potent - and most rare to acquire - are the seeds of the plant. The fruits, as mentioned before, can cause severe hallucinations, and if a too large quantity of the seeds is consumed raw, it can end deadly for the careless explorer. The envigorating effects of the seeds reverse into their opposites, causing heart attacks, respiratory failure, excessive bleeding, and seizures, amongst other things, true to the motto "too much of a good thing".
If handled with care and experience though, it is said that an elixir could be created from the seeds that can cure any disease or injury, or that it might even grant immortality and a longer life if consumed in great quantities. No such elixir has been made in centuries, and even then the results weren't quite as fantastic as they sound in descriptions of legends and songs. Still, there is truth to the story that combined with the right ingredients and mixed in the correct circumstances, a potent elixir can be made from the Riverroot seeds that might be able to heal someone that would otherwise die - be it from disease, injury, or other life-threatening afflicitions.

Conservation Status

Due to the fact that the species was believed extinct and was only recently rediscovered, alchemists and scholars all across Ivendarea on the one hand want to preserve the Riverroot in its natural habitat. On the one hand the temptation to hold a sample or even a complete specimen in one's own hands to experiment with it is always present in the minds of many.
There are no laws against harvesting the plant in parts or entirely yet, although several of Saratheas' Royal Scholars have been pressing king Leoros about taking action concerning the matter. Some plants have already surfaced on the blackmarket, sold for outrageous sums - and since so far it hasn't been possible to artificially breed or cultivate them in gardens, laboratories, or conservatories, chances are high that sooner or later the plant could disappear again without the government taking the legal steps to protect it. This time it might get lost forever.