Hello, and welcome to this guide on the plants that can be found in the
Barrier Mountains. Those familiar with my journals will be aware that this is based on my own experience and occasional mistake. I hope it proves useful to any new travellers in the mountains.
Ryn
Orryn Steelfist
Those familiar with mountain travel will be aware that there are many hazards and ways to injure yourself. Trying to carry everything that you may need with you is an exercise in futility, and there is a wealth of resources available if youy know where to look. But I cannot stress enough that you must take care. There are numerous plants that look similar to each other but have wildly differing effects.
Brerdas
There are several varieties of this small plant each with different properties. They are reasonably easy to tell apart when they are in flower but the rest of the time a bit more care is needed.
Brerdases can be found growing in breaks in the rock, taking root in cracks and the like. They rarely grow to more than 2 inches in width and about 1 inch in height. They have dark green leaves which are serrated like a saw. If there are any tendrils growing from it then it is not a brerdas. In late spring to early summer they produce small flowers in a variety of collours. The colour of the flower tells you it's properties.
Purple
The purple flowered variant is useful for helping to close wounds. To identify it when it is not flowering check the underside of the leaves. If the stem is yellow and the leaves have tiny hairs on them then this is the one you are looking for. The leaves contain the useful compound and you can simply make a poultice of this leaves to help wounds close.
Yellow
The yellow variant has roots which are very useful in dealing with a fever. To idenitfy these without flowers take a look at the leaves again. If they have the yellow stem again but no hairs then it is the right one. The roots can be hard to extract as they grow into the rock but they are worth the effort. A bit ogf work with a sharp knife is usually enough to loosen them and then a gentle continuous pull should get you most of the root. Once you have extracted it cut the root off, being very careful not to keep any part that looks green. Then boil the root in clean water for about 5 minutes to create a liquid which can help break a fever.
Orange
The orange variant has leaves which are an effective painkiller when chewed. This is the only variant which should be used in this way as the leaves of other variants are poisonous if ingested. For this one look for a dark brown stem on the understand of the leaf. The upper surface should also feel slightly waxy. Cut the leaves away from the central stem and then chew to relieve aches and pains.
White
This one is only useful for a short part of the year as it is trhe berries which have a beneficial effect. Consuming these berries can counter the effects of a spider bite or a wyvern sting. Conveniently these berries retain their effect even after being made into a jam which can help keep them useful for longer. The berries themselves are white where they join with the plant and get gradually redder towards the other end. If the berries are totally white they are either another variant or not ripe yet.
Blue
The blue flowered variant has berries which hae an extremely sharp flavour. While you may not want to them on their own they can be used to flavour a dish and a paste made from them will actually start cooking meat. The berries themselves are the opposite of the white variant as they are red where they join with the plant and gradually get more white towards the other end. If they are fully red then they aren't ripe.
Moss
While not easy to find depending on the conditions you find yourself in, there are several useful mosses in the mountains. In winter they are likely to be covered in snow so it is worth taking a note if you find a useful patch during the warmer months so you know where to dig down to find them. The different varieties can be hard to tell apart, especially if you are in a rush. My suggestion is to pay very close attention to where you find the moss. For the most part you break them up into ground level, wall growers, cave growers. I'm reliably informed that the different varieties almost never grow outside of their preferred location and so far this advice hasn't guided me wrong.
Ground Level
You've probably walked on them, and almost certainly slipped on them and most are fairly useless. However there are a few mosses growing in the soil on flatish areas that can be useful.
Adrik's Barrier
When dealing with wounds this light green moss can be a lifesaver. It can be used in a poultice to help stop a wound getting infected. I've seen more than one scout or explorer end up losing a limb because a minor wound got infected while they were away from healers so i recommend making use of this whenever possible. It pairs really well with purple brerdas. To identify this moss look for blue and yellow dots amongst bthe green. You can get some coloured glass that makes it easier to see the different dots if you aren't good at differentiating colours.
Burn Moss
Getting a fire going while in the mountains can be a reall hassle. Wood can be hard to find and half the time it will be damp. If that weren't enough the cold and wind can make things even more difficult. Fortunately this yellow-brown moss can help. It is highly flammable which makes it great for getting fires started. It also burns really intensely so throwing it on an existing fire is a great way of getting an intense burst of heat or reigniting a fire that has burn down to embers. I've used it to spark my own campfires to life to scare off predators. One of the best things about this is that you don't have to be too careful when harvesting it since at worst you'll just not get much of a flame.
Wall Growing
As you'd expect this part is about moss growing on the vertical parts of the mountain. You are probably going to come across these if you are climbing so it's worth keeping a pouch half open to stuff them in when you come across them. These generally grow on the sunward side (I'll call out the one that doesn't).
Clipper's aid
This green and brown moss can frequently be found growing in crevices on the mountain side. It feels dry to the touch no matter what the weather and the roots are week enough that it is easy to pull away from where it is growing. The dryness is down to something on the surface if the moss that repels water. Rubbing it on your hands will keep your hands dry for a time and stop your hands from sweating. This is incredibly useful for climbers or those wielding a weapon so it is worth gathering this when you can. Unfortunately the moss loses this coating quite quickly when uprooted so use it while you can. I hear the
Dwellers of the Peak cultivate this on brushes so that they cane easily brush away water.
Kimmer's LIght
This brown and white moss is easy to mistake for other kinds if it is snowy. If you find a brown moss growing on the shaded side of a mountain give it a bit of shake. If the white bits don't fall off then you've found the right one. In addition to cliff sides this also grows from the gaps between building stones so keep an eye out if you are looking through ruined structures. When crushed together with Kimmer's Torch the resulting mixture emits a faint green light. Unlike a torch there is no smoke, no chance of sparking any gas and it emits no heat. No heat is more useful than you may think as there are creatures out there that see using hit and lighting a torch is like setting up flare.
Cave growers
These ones are generally found near the mouths of caves. These usually aren't the kind of caves you want to stay in if you can help it as they tend to be unpleasantly damp. There's likely to be other things growing there as well, some of which are poisonous so be careful when harvesting.
Kimmer's Torch
This dark green and yellow moss can be found growing in damp caves. It will usually feel a little slimy and it has fine hairs growing from it. You will need to dry it out before it becomes useful. Once dried crush it together with Kimmer's light. Be careful with the crushed material after it has stopped glowing as prolonged contact can damage the skin. I learned this one the hard way.
Spirit Ward
This moss was thought fairly useless for a long time but about a decade ago I found that the smoke it produces when burned is very good at detering
Frost Spirits. To be honest I think the smell of the smoke would deter most things but I'm told it isn't dangerous. The moss looks fairly unpleasant being a mixture of dark green, brown, and black. It usually looks like it is already dead and rotting but it is still hard to pull it out of the damp cave walls it usually grows on. If what you are collecting is crumbling in your hands or comes away easily then it isn't the right moss.
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