Skymoss

Skymoss
Flora
Official Name	Skymoss
Common Name	Towerbane, Crane’s Delight, Debater’s Moss
Classification	Moss
Common Use	Culinary
Origins	Teled Methen
Habitat	Anywhere at high, humid altitudes

Skymoss has long been known to wider Aloria thanks to its association with the Altalar. Spreading up from the treetops of Teled Methen, the plant came to be a common substance that afflicted the tops of Altalar towers. While not harmful, it spreads itself rapidly and can grow thick quickly, earning it the view of a pesky plant lacking uses. Among the Maraya though, it is sparing consumed in supposed emulation of their ancestors. Today most still associate it with the Altalar opinion, and also see that it is a commonly consumed food source of the Ciel'lapanna Crane.

History

Skymoss has been a near-constant feature of the jungles of Teled Methen since time immemorial. The first mentions of Skymoss come from the Altalar poet Taltea’inn who wrote about the “cyan curtains that frame the grand play of the jungle” in his poem “The Cranesong.” The poem dates back to 2000 BC during The Consolidation, and mentions of the plant emerged frequently over the next several centuries as the Altalar expanded, with the substance coming to adorn the top of their high turrets. Ciel'lapanna Cranes became well noted among the Altalar for their consumption of the moss, and the great service they were doing to the Race by keeping these towers clean. Very little changed over the course of the moss’s history, as it survived the Wildering and came to consume the tops of many Altalar ruins and the great trees that magically erupted at the center of their old urban centers. But, in 111 AC, the Maraya Home Fleet collected samples of the moss for study, and over time, came to grow it onboard the Tohnsa-Ka-Meraic. Today, the substance grows thickest in Teled Methen, but its ancient spread to the rest of Daen remains. Some have also reported that Skymoss is appearing in areas of Corontium and Hadaria, likely thanks to the travels of the Home Fleet, but such reports are unconfirmed. Regardless, the plant stands as a testament to the power of nature and also its broad color spectrum.

Appearance

Skymoss appears much the same as most mosses with the exception of its colour. It takes the form of a thick carpet of bright blue leaves that weigh down heavily on whatever it happens to be growing on at the time. It makes no descrimination between what it is growing on, expanding across artificial and natural surfaces with equal gusto. It can expand to be up to six inches thick, and specimens have no limit to how large they can expand across a surface. Skymoss is one of the fastest growing plants in the world, capable of growing up to half an inch per day, and without predation or removal, it could perhaps overgrow an entire tower over the course of a few years. At lower altitudes though, the moss appears to grow with less vigor, and if kept at ground level for a few months, it will slowly turn grey and die. It is unknown why this occurs.

Uses and Abilities

Skymoss has few uses in Aloria, as besides being consumed by animal life, it has long gone untouched by most Races due to being viewed as a weed. However, in recent decades, it has been noted that the Maraya of the Home Fleet and the Tohns eat the moss, but as something of a garnish, as they claim that consuming it in large amounts will cause extreme gastrointestinal distress. Additionally, it supposedly helps one with their eyesight. The substance is reported to have a dense, chewy texture, with a surprisingly sweet liquid inside the strands of the moss. It is eaten roasted, freshly grown, or chopped and added atop dishes.

Trivia

• It is a common occurrence in the jungles of Daen to hear the sharp snap of a branch in the air, and watch as a branch that is more moss than wood tumble down to the forest floor.
• Why the Maraya eat Skymoss apparently is a result of the substance appearing in some of their ancient texts as a food the Meraic ate. Whether Skymoss is truly the same substance is, of course, impossible to determine.

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Accreditation
Writers Gochnipunchni Processors HydraLana, FireFan96	Last Editor HydraLana on 11/29/2021.

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