Peatwort

The Swiss Army Knife of the Wild

First: The poison of choice, for assassinations and intrigue.
Second: The poison of war, for the tips of our arrows.
Third: The poison of despair, for a release from this world.

– Amara, Ameral Command on Peatwort

Peatwort, first named thus due to the peat bogs it was found in, is endemic to Pakani Island. It is actually a lichen, and can be found in close proximity with peat moss and used for the same purposes. It is also a good firestarter in the wild, and produces a deadly Peatwort Venom. It also produces a dye (Peatwort Violet) used to dye the robes of elders.

Basic Information

Anatomy

What the [expletive deleted]! It's beautiful!

– Society of Magisters Lieutenant, using a hand-lens

This lichen isn't truly a species, but rather a symbiotic relationship between fungi and algae. Lichens basically are fungi that have discovered agriculture: they take carbohydrates from their "farmed" algae, while providing the algae a moist, protected environment. The fungi form a greenhouse for the algae, which in turn give food to the fungi.
The peatwort is a mossy type of macrolichen: it grows large "leaves" (foliate) that are generally the objects harvested for dye or venom. It is hard to distinguish from an unrelated peat moss. The peatmoss has small sacs of venom attached to the algae producing the deadly acid that can kill all meat-eating animals within twenty-four hours.

Scientific Name

Letharia vulpina purpurea

Origin/Ancestry

Earth (evolved on 81 G. Eridani)

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Related Materials

• Peatwort Venom