Liadom

Sweet little things, aren't they? Nana makes them into the most delightful pies, the whole village comes running when they smell 'em! And ooh, didya hear? They say back when she was a young lass, she dyed a dress for the Empress herself, using these berries! An expert on 'em, Nana is.

— Southern Telziado maiden, about liadom berries

Liadom are flowering berry bushes found in central Abravost, especially around the Medura and Heril rivers, where they originate in the tall Krenar Mountains.

Appearance and Habitat

Liadom bushes are quite large compared to other types of shrubbery, often reaching 10 metres in height. Their glossy leaves are a bright, almost fluorescent green. The berries have a dark blue skin, nearly black in colour, with small white speckles, 11-24 millimetres in diameter. When cut into, they reveal a far lighter blue flesh, the juice of which stains the hands of many berry pickers. The flowers are bowl-shaped, with 5-7 petals, and can be blue,purple, pink, or white with tinges or colour.
Liadoms are exclusive to central Abravost, along the banks of the Medura and Heril rivers and the mountains in the middle. They seem to prefer mid-high altitude areas and locations where other vegetation begins to thin out. Efforts have been made to introduce them to low-lying areas such as Sinofis, but such attempts have thus far failed.

Uses

The whole of a liadom bush can find use in the right hands. The berries are world-renowned for their sweet taste, and dishes made from liadom are highly sought after. Not only this, but they can be used to create a deep blue dye, which is used in the flag of the Kingdom of Telziad and in its ceremonial military uniforms. Liadom flowers are the national flower of the Kingdom, and while they can also be used for dye, they are far more often used for perfumes and decoration. In a pinch, liadom leaves can be both as a salve and a dressing for wounds, which few recommend, but those few are adamant in their belief of the leaves' healing properties.

Liadom Locations by Isaac Thompson

Origins

Despite how ingrained into the Abravosti memory liadom bushes are, they have only existed on the continent since The Collision. These berries thrived on the combination of ancient-volcanic soil common near the Medura River, as well as the magically-infused lava which came from the eruption of Chalsei Kóshoil.
The name 'Liadom' comes from a corruption of an Elven description of the berries as 'lialhóm', simply meaning 'dark blue'.

Telziad Flag by Isaac Thompson