The Herbs of Diamen

Written for Prompt 2 (2019 Summer Camp)

Written by David_Ulph

Usage

Out of all three respected "schools" of method for healing in the Great Western Empire, herbology - or smoke-craft - straddles the line between not that common and not really uncommon. It is culturally unacceptable for anyone other than a woman to generally become a herbalist or an apothecary, which is what makes them unique since the majority of women will not have the chance to become such a healer. The Herbs of Diamen are the staple of a herbalist's craft.

A multipurpose healer, the herbs are the main ingredient in most effective medicines and ointments, treating ailments from curing a common cold to soothing the inflammation of gout. Depending on how the herb is prepared and what it is mixed with, these medicines can treat almost anything. But the preparation is what requires the skill, study and training of apothecaries where, if prepared in the wrong way, the herb will cause the suffering individual to start uncontrollably weeping. Sometimes, if this weeping is not counteracted, it can cause the sufferer to dehydrate at a rate quicker than what they can drink.

The most common usage is a standard healing poultrice, which can be bought from any practitioner of herbology. The portable leather container is filled with a warm and stinking sludge of these healing herbs and all manner of foulness mixed in such as horse dung or bovine urine as a base for the mixture. This healing poultrice is known to counteract most feelings of pain and even increase the speed of outright healing.

Geographic Distribution

What makes the herbs so popular and culturally prominent is the fact that they are so widespread across Terralba. The goddess Diamen was once the wife and queen to Terralba and was the Aelf which allowed the sacrifice of the god to create the mortal realm. While she supported her husband's belief and sacrifice, this does not mean she didn't mourn his death. While the great white dragon Los flew into a rage at the Great Hag and Arassai, Diamen sat in grief next to her husband's corpse, now shaped and formed as the mortal realm. The tears of Diamen's sorrow dripped from her face onto the fresh soil and as the soil felt the enrichment of these godly tears, up sprouted new life that no other Aelf could craft; the healing Herbs of Diamen, a gift for all mortals so as to prevent the grief she was feeling at that time and keep themselves alive. This is why where nature still lives and thrives on the surface of Terralba, one can find a Herb of Diamen not too far away.