Triquetra Orchid

The triquetra orchid grows in the high mountain rain forests of central and south Punjuki on Magicians' End, and particularly in the area around the city of Highloft. It was named by Oloonya Sarald (who discovered it) after the third and smallest moon of the planet, because the colour of the flower resembles the shade of the moon, Triquetra, in the sky.

Magicians' End - Triquetra Orchid 02 by DMFW with Midjourney

Basic Information

Genetics and Reproduction

The orchid is pollinated by a species of moth with rather drab brown wings and an elongated body. The moth itself (called the triquetra moth, after the orchid it serves) requires other specifically local rainforest folliage to feed on, and this is one significant reason why the orchid has not been successfully grown beyond the mountains.

Ecology and Habitats

In the wild, the triquetra orchid grows in the high rainforests in areas that are notably inaccessable to humans and other large animals. This is because it has a fascinating scent which is integral to its reproduction but which also makes it attractive to herbivores, thus limiting its ability to spread into lower altitude ecosystems.
The local geology produces occasional islands of rock surrounded by towering cliffs and these features isolate and protect the trees and plants that grow there, making them particularly favoured by the orchid. It is very difficult to reach these sites and since the mountains were far from earlier human settlements on Punjuki, and had not been considered important in any way before Oloonya Sarald ventured there, this accounts for the relatively late discovery of the plant.
The settlement of Highloft was founded by pioneers following in Oloonya Sarald's footsteps and seeking the source of her perfume. As their new village grew, the settlers of Highloft moved quite quickly from the arduous, risky and haphazard gathering techniques practised by Oloonya Sarald into a form of cultivation designed to boost the numbers of the orchid sufficiently to ensure a regular supply of the flowers without endangering the species survival. These management techniques are subtle and successful but can only loosely be described as farming. Rather, there is an artful gardening to encourage the symbiotic tree species and insects necessary for the orchid to thrive and a careful protection of their habitat. Each individual orchid is assigned a guardian, responsible for its preservation and the year's petals are only gathered after they have had time to serve their reproductive purpose.

Additional Information

Uses, Products & Exploitation

The scent from the crushed petals of the Triquetra Orchid can be distilled and disolved into a solution of ethanol to produce a potion called Arcane Amplification Perfume, or simply AAP as it is commonly abreviated.
AAP is mildly euphoric and addictive for mages. It is typically carried in a phial which might be worn on a necklace, a choker or a ring so that it can be unstoppered whilst preparing for spellcasting. The olfactory stimulation produced by the perfume helps to co-ordinate the neural flows that focus arcane actions, significantly strengthening their magical effects.

Magicians' End - AAP (Arcane Amplification Perfume) by DMFW with Midjourney

In the early days, after she discovered this effect, Oloonya Sarald kept the secret of the perfume to herself, and even after her death when others bagan to use it, supplies were very limited for a long time. During the age of the Four Aerial Courts, Highloft was able to produce AAP in greater quantities but it has never been common or cheap. The bottle in the image above, was a gift from the City Council to Fisher Queen Aketheema of Nephatar, given in 2231 APC as an extravagantly generous gift for her coronation.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

The plant will only grow in the high rainforests of the mountains of south and central Punjuki. It requires not only the specific climatic conditions found in that region to flourish, but also the supporting ecosystem to thrive and reproduce successfully and no attempt to cultivate it in other parts of the world has ever succeeded.

Lifespan

30 Years

Average Height

50 cm

Geographic Distribution

• Punjuki

Discovered by

Oloonya Sarald

Oloonya Sarald by DMFW with Midjourney