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| Ruby Flower | |
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| Flora | |
| Official Name | Ruby Flower |
| Common Name | Rubyflower, Estel’s Bloom |
| Classification | Flower |
| Common Use | Medical, Alchemical |
| Origins | Daen |
| Habitat | All locations with rich soil |
The Ruby Flower is a familiar sight to both Nelfin and Humans living in Daen. It is the most common herb used in the healing arts, capable of helping to alleviate a wide variety of injuries though with a low level of potency. The flower is a type of marigold with a deep red color, said by some to be blessed by the Altalar deity Vallea, or even Estel herself. Today, the flower is heavily cultivated and used by all healers.
History
The Ruby Flower is an ancient plant known to have grown across Daen for millennia, with exploration of Meraic ruins and Vaults revealing iconography of the flower in carvings and images. In recorded history, however, the plant begins in myth. The Altalar told tales of Vallea coming to Aloria and upon being gifted with the flowers by Sca'Elle, blessing them with healing properties as a gift to her worshippers, bestowing upon it its great crimson finish. Throughout the rise and the existence of the Allorn Empire, the Ruby Flower was tied to this Goddess but also Estel as a whole. Allorn city gardens were plump with the plant, temples to Estel and Vallea were dotted in scarlet blossoms, and Altalar fashion frequently made use of small, red flower iconography on fields of green. Unfortunately, however, that came to an end in the period of Imperial decadence that destroyed the Allorn Empire. Void worshipping Kathar destroyed many sites dedicated toward Estel during the Night of the Weeping Stars, and from there, the flower escaped the carefully manicured plant beds of the Empire for the jungles and the plains as the Cataclysm took hold. The flower, however, survived all disasters that surrounded it.
In the aftermath of these events, the legend of the flower shifted. Cielothar were the main culprits in this new interpretation of the myth, as they now claimed Estel in her wisdom, had blessed the flower to aid the Nelfin Races in the coming calamity of the Cataclysm. This myth soon became the most prevalent, used by the Cielothar, Avanthar, and low to middle-class Altalar, though the upper class still maintained the ancient mythology. Over time, the flower also became known to the Ailor for its abilities, which helped popularize its use by clinics across Aloria. Unfortunately, recent warfare on Daen has damaged several once abundant populations of the flower, and though they are expected to recover within a few years, some worry that the regrowth may not be fast enough to account for its excessive cultivation. However, most do not concern themselves with such matters and continue use it in their clinics and tend to it in their flower beds.
Appearance
The Ruby Flower stands anywhere between six to eight inches tall and grows in groups of three or more. The small flowers on top of its stem contain packed, folded petals with colors ranging from blood to golden red with bright crimson trim. The rest of the plant is forest green, with thin almond-shaped lobes forming the leaves close to the base. Its roots are notably small and quite withered in appearance, needing little water as a result of the rich soil it grows in.
Uses and Abilities
The Ruby Flower is a medicinal herb, known well for its ability to help the body restore itself. In a pinch, pressing the flower head against an injured area is enough to soothe minor pains such as bee stings or poison ivy, while for more potent effects, the Ruby Flower can be ground into a paste or mixed into a potion. It may not be as strong as other herbs, but the bloom is frequently used as an ingredient in other potions and medicines to boost its effect quite substantially. Every part of the plant can be used in this process. In large-scale consumption, the Ruby Flower is harmless but does not lend any more effects than a single dose.
Trivia
- Ruby Flowers cannot grow naturally in the Holy City itself, yet can grow elsewhere on the Crown Isle. The Estel faithful believe this is due to a mystical, religious reason but others claim soil differences, miasma and other possibilities.
- The seeds of the Ruby Flower are bitter with a sweet aftertaste.
- The plant only has a lifespan of one year but makes up for this due to a quick growth and reproduction cycle.
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