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The beautiful Chrysant Flower was once one of the most populous flowers of Hadar. The plant commonly grew in Hadar and appeared as an important feature of Nessrassian festivals and Allar traditions across the island groups. By the time the Chrysant War had come to an end, however, the flower was transformed into a symbol of victory for the Regalian Empire and a painful reminder of the past for the Allar and Slizzar. To this day, the Regalian Empire proudly uses this flower as a constant reminder of their victory, despite the fact that the Regalians nearly drove the flower to extinction following the war.
| Chrysant Flower | |
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| Flora | |
| Official Name | Chrysant Flower |
| Common Name | Zsatrilso Malass, Karidssa’s Blessing |
| Classification | Flower |
| Common Use | Decorative, Religious |
| Origins | Hadar |
| Habitat | Rivers, coastlines |
History
Chrysant Flowers appear early in the history of Hadar. The Slizzar speak of the plant with deep reverence, and some within their society claim that all the games of the gods in the first cycle were done within and around the bloom of a giant Chrysant Flower. The plant is also highly fragrant, a trait loved by the Slizzar, and thus it grew to be a central aspect of their culture. By the time the Allar arrived in 22 BC, Slizzar commonly wore jewelry in the shape of this plant, especially female Slizzar, and the flower was cultivated extensively within the walls of Ssasrakand. This quickly transferred over to the aesthetics of the Allar and soon the Chrysant Kingdoms took their name from the plant, who were seen as different blossoms that stem from the same root. When the Essa Empire arose in Hadaria, they took the plant and placed it on their banners as the primary symbol of the nation. It was launched to even higher prominence, but from there it had a hard, cataclysmic fall. In the Chrysant War that came, Regalian commanders and captains sought out the plant for purposeful destruction in ceremonial and religiously-fueled strikes against the Slizzar faith and its faux-Chrysant Flower decorated leader, Miko Missa. In the final months of the war, the Allar also turned against the plant, seeing it as a symbol of the traitorous Slizzar that had abandoned them. Thus, when the Chrysant War came to an end, the flower was virtually eradicated in the wild. What samples had made it out, or had been kept as ceremonial trophies by the Regalian military leadership, soon died. But the plant did live on within the walls of Ssasrakand; in the years since the city’s half-destruction, the aquatic flower has slowly started to re-emerge in the ruins of the outer district, half sunken into the surrounding sea. Additionally, while no Slizzar would dream of ever confirming it, many suspect the plant remains as a key decorative feature to those districts within the city that are still intact and are occupied by Slizzar to this day.
Appearance
Chrysant Flowers are quite large with a diameter of two and a half feet at most, though smaller ones can occur as well. The flower crown grows on a rather rigid stalk, reaching up to 13 feet into the water below. The flower itself has a small white core that blossoms out into many overlapping petals around the flower that almost forms a circle due to the slight layering, each layer more strongly colored than the previous one. The colors of the petals are often on the primary color spectrum but some are secondary colored and some even display transition coloration, where a primary color close to the center of the plant fades into a secondary color at the tip. However, purple rarely appears in the color spectrum of the petals. The flower only blooms in direct moonlight and is typically incredibly tender. It often wilts as soon as it is plucked, if taken during the day, and during the night requires constant contact with water to remain fresh. When the sun returns, the plant folds up its petals and sinks slightly under the water due to the weight, but always re-emerges on top of the water under the moonlight. The plant smells lovely to all when it is in bloom and apparently can even be smelled underwater. When it is removed from the stalk and kept in a small bath of water, it will remain flowery for a full week, in which the petals’ colors will shift from blue to purple and finally to an intense red just a day before they rot away. During this time, its pleasant scent will remain, only to grow abruptly pungent when the leaves go red.
Uses and Abilities
Due to the flower disappearing from common waters around Hadar, most conventional uses have passed into folklore. In Sassrakand, the flower was decorative and was used to augment the Slizzar rituals performed there. Many assume that this still takes place. As for more mystical properties, legend has it that the core of a purple Chrysant Flower is an ingredient of a longevity potion, but such rumors have never been confirmed. The petals, however, do have a pleasant blossomy/sweet flavor to them when eaten raw, which is sometimes done by Slizzar, but it will immediately turn foul when coming into contact with any fire or hot metal.
Trivia
- At the most recent anniversary of the war in Regalia, there were several Imperial vessels designated specifically to go out, collect, and then carry the plants back to the capital city for the festivities.
- Chrysant Flowers were often used by Allar during wedding ceremonies where entire Allar dresses were made of Chrysant Petals due to their size. This practice went out of use when the Chrysant flower nearly died out.
- A Regalian scholar has managed to produce a Chrysant hybrid mixed with various other plants such as, curiously, a strawberry plant. This Chrysant hybrid can be harvested and stays good for longer, however, is always considered inferior as it has a very dull yellow color, is smaller in size and cannot thrive in the wild.
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