Moonking

"One of the last remaining sources of Ether. A single rare blue orchid is enough to sustain an elf for a day, or save the life of an almost stillborn greenskin. Or maybe if you're lucky, forge a new Etherspark.
Moonking reproduction is even more intriguing though. People have tried to cultivate it, but the resulting blooms yield no Ether glow. Scientists say that Moonkings simply sap what little Ether the ground has into it's petals. Druids claim that below the dirt lies some sort of nebulous, Etherbound worm that rouses Orchid bulbs. And the religious claim that it's a tear from the eye of the Watcher moon, sent down from the stars to bless us with what little power he has left.
Whatever the case, there's a lot of things you can do with one small but rare flower. I can only imagine what it was like when Ether was in the air."

Basic Information

Anatomy

The Moonking is a small orchid with 5 glowing white-blue Ether infused petals protruding from it's unique 5 bright yellow stamen forming the twisted shape of a crown, hence the name "Moonking". If a Moonking does not have Ether petals however, It is not a Moonking Orchid. It would be a Wanemoon Orchid. A completely normal and relatively mundane orchid, but it's still pretty.

Genetics and Reproduction

Reproduction is currently unknown. The most popular theory is that Moonking buds remain dormant for long periods of time, sapping the small and minute amounts of Ether from the ground before quickly blooming from the earth fully grown.

Growth Rate & Stages

Not much information, we only know that a budding Moonking has never been found. Presumable this is because the Moonking blooms quickly.

Ecology and Habitats

Moonkings can be found all over the world, from the Blue Mountains to the Archila Dessert. There are even some notes suggesting that some sort of underwater seaweed form of Moonking exists, but Julias has never encountered it.

Biological Cycle

"It's been 6 months since I've owned this Moonking by my windowsill and I've noticed something odd. The Moonking never stops blooming. It seem's that Moonkings bloom all year round and never return to buds. That being said though, I've noticed that it's glow changes depending on the season. At the beginning of winter it glowed dim, but at the start of summer it was brighter than ever before. What an amazing discovery! I should tell Briggs."

Additional Information

Uses, Products & Exploitation

"Moonkings are primarily used by Bounty Hunters, Witches, Alchemists and anything that requires Ether to survive and function.
Due to the sparce nature of Ether in the Waning age, it's hard to extract it from the air like in ages before, causing almost all of Etherbound creatures to die off. But somehow, this little Etherbound flower is able to draw Ether from the ground itself, leading some people to believe that there are still Etherbound creatures below the surface.
Uses tend to range from fueling old tech, use as bait to hunt, catalysts for simple transmutation and spells and most importantly to sustain Elves for days at a time when leaving Ether fonts. Without it, Elves would surely perish quickly and the silk trade would grind to a halt.
Now I know you're wondering, "If Ether fonts can sustain groups of Elves for long periods, why can't we harvest Ether from them?" We tried, but Waning age Ether seems to be able to leak out of everything we put them in. Glass bottles, metal boxes, even Elves can't passively hold Ether like in the old ages as it simply seeps out of the skin. The fact that there exists small pits filled with Ether and flowers that can hold it indefinitely is a miracle."

Geographic Origin and Distribution

EVERYWHERE

Lifespan

presumably immortal, no Moonking has ever naturally wilted as of yet. The oldest being around the beginning of the Waning age 107 years ago."

Conservation Status

The Moonking appears to always be in low supply, but the intense need for Ether forces scavengers and Bounty Hunters to find as many as they can before someone else does.
Despite this, the Moonking appears to never recede. Moonking populations, although low, still remain somehow stable, allowing for Moonking picking to be completely legal in most areas. Another mystery of the Moonking yet to be solved.

Average Height

The stem is 30 cm

Average Length

The flower is around 15 cm. Rather large for an orchid