Boreal Rice

Physical Description

Boreal Rice is a wild grain species that is found exclusively in the frigid mountains of the Stygian Throat and Throat of the World. Here it grows within the glow of Ember Blossoms, taking root in the shallow pools of water that commonly surround Bloom Colonies. Boreal Rice sprouts from these freshwater pools as long, grass-like shoots several feet tall and topped with sizeable open flower clusters. Its shallow roots make growing it in the lowlands of Haven and the Moorwald incredibly difficult due to the frequent storms brought in by Shadiym at what should be the peak of its growing season. Skilled Herbalists may identify Boreal Rice by its muted yellowy-green color and by the soft blue veins that permeate its stalks. The plant's flower clusters slowly mature into a ripened grain of a vibrant earthy brown color and measuring a finger's width long. If left to its own devices, this grain will shuck off with the wind and fall into the water to give birth to further Boreal Rice. Meanwhile, the dense bushes of grass beneath these seed clusters serve as the home of many small birds and animals native to the frozen north who feed off of the nutritious seeds.

Properties

The hardiness of Boreal Rice has made it a staple crop among the peoples of the far-flung north. The Boreal and Garkith both cultivate the wild rice in carefully maintained fields called paddies where Ember Blossoms and Boreal Rice are allowed to grow rampantly. The most famous of these farms lies at the heart of the Unseen Valley, where the monks of the Unseen Temple tend a Boreal Rice paddy nearly a mile across year-round due to its particularly large Bloom Colony. Kept in small watertight pouches, Boreal Rice can keep indefinitely as a quick and easy ration that is both highly nutritious and very filling. Whether kept dry for later preparation or prepackaged into dense riceballs, Boreal Rice is a staple of nearly every northern traveler's kit and serves as the hardy backbone of much northern cuisine. In the wealthy circles of Haven, Boreal Rice is considered a delicacy and is particularly sought after by the Peak Elven nobles of Ravenpeak.

Scientific Name

Kalter Reis

Geographic Distribution

• Throat of the World

Key Characteristics

Vital Foodstuff, Arctic Grain, Ember Blossom Dependant, Monastic Staple.

Locations Found

In the glow of Ember Blossoms within the Stygian Throat and Throat of the World.

Rarity

Intermittent.