Kaihereret

Kaihereret
Flora
Official Name	Kaihereret
Common Name	High Flower, Asha Reed
Classification	Reed
Common Use	Utility, Decoration
Origins	Westwynd
Habitat	Sunny areas by water

While the Asha aren’t known for their written history, Kaihereret has served as a way for them to create several exotic handicrafts. Paper is one of the most common products of these reeds, though it does have other uses. Among all the plants within Asha territories, these reeds are the tallest, able to stand even taller than some houses and are one of the most well-known plants tied to the Asha. Presently, the Asha continue to grow and sell produce made from the reeds to those who enjoy what can be made out of it.

History

Since the dawn of the Asha Race, Kaihereret is a plant that has been used in various ways. Woven into mats, baskets, a form of cloth, pressed in paper, and outright use in the construction of furniture or small boats are all modern uses which likely took place as the Dewamenet Empire rose. While evidence for these specific uses is limited, ancient artwork recovered on the Ashal Islands shows the use of the plant’s wrappings to mummify the dead when other materials were not available. This deep connection with the mortuary cults might explain the plant’s survival when the ancient Allorn Empire began and then won their war with the Dewamenet Empire. These cults survived in hiding, among the free Asha, or festered among the enslaved Asha, and while the towering Kaihereret plant was put to fire by the Elves, it seemingly still survived millennia. When the Asha eventually achieved freedom following the Cataclysm and flocked to the Ashal Islands, the reed was rapidly revived and came to thrive across the enclosed, Living Metal driven ecosystem that emerged. Its modern uses quickly became common knowledge, and it remains a well known material connected with the modern Asha.

Appearance

Kaihereret can grow extraordinarily large, reaching as high as eighteen feet in peak growing conditions, often with a dense rhizome beneath the surface keeping it anchored. Kaihereret is a chartreuse color from the bottom of its stems to the top of the plant, with little to no variation in its color. The stems of the reeds are strong despite being thin, requiring sharp tools to cut into, and the most discernible feature of the reed is the grouping of leaves at the top of their stems. They are arranged in an umbrella-like formation and are known as the plant’s rays. Delicate, brown nuts grow from daffodil-colored flowers at the end of each ray and these nuts can be easily pulled away from the rays, and so easily eaten. Kaihereret grown outside of the Ashal Islands are often stunted, but most Asha prefer this, allowing the plant to exist as a more decorative piece in or outside of their homes.

Uses and Abilities

All parts of Kaihereret have been innovated into something of use, but the reed is best known for the paper that the reeds can be refined into. Compared to paper made from the pulp of trees, Kaihereret paper has a more coarse texture. Another way to use the stem of Kaihereret is by refining it into a thin, large canvas to be used as sails for Asha vessels. Sails are not the only exclusive parts of a ship which the reeds can be used for. Multiple Kaihereret put together can form a sufficient watercraft if properly secured. It is no surprise that the reeds can serve as the material for various Asha furniture as well. Kaihereret mats are a common item found in Asha homes, and some enjoy the naturalistic appearance of furniture made from the reed. Finally, the small nuts that grow at the end of the plant’s rays provide harvesters with a quick snack. While the nuts themselves are fairly small, they are said to have a sweet taste, though they remain a minor part of Asha food offerings.

Trivia

• There is an Asha children’s tale about an old patch of Kaihereret that once grew all the way up to the clouds. Of course, there is no evidence of this today, but the tale said that those who climbed all the way up would meet one of the gods, depending on the time of day or weather conditions.
• Kaihereret-paper records kept by the Dewamenet Empire have largely been lost, though scrolls are occasionally recovered in storage vessels or desert ruins.

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Accreditation
Writers HydraLana	Last Editor HydraLana on 07/8/2023.

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