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 Estellon gods. 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 Teledden told tales of Mana, Mother of the Living Soil coming to Aloria and upon being gifted with the flowers by her earliest followers, blessing them with healing properties and a great crimson finish. Throughout the rise and the existence of the Allorn Empire, the Ruby Flower remained tied to this goddess. Allorn city gardens were plump with the plant, temples to Mana were dotted in scarlet blossoms, and Allorn fashion sometimes made use of small, red flower iconography on fields of green. Unfortunately, however, that came to an end in the period of decadence that destroyed the Allorn Empire. Void Worshipers destroyed many sites dedicated toward Mana, who herself vanished in the decline of the Allorn Empire, with the final blow being struck during the Night of the Weeping Stars. From there, the flower escaped the carefully manicured plant beds of the Empire for the jungles, forests and the plains as the Cataclysm took hold. The flower, however, survived all disasters that surrounded it. In the aftermath of these events, 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.
