A Comprehensive Guide to Botany

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 A Comprehensive Guide to Botany

Gathering - Rules - Herb List - Submissions

 

Botany is an incredibly diverse field of expertise, spanning a wide variety of applications from alchemy to druidic medicine. Though most of it is free to players to use without need for an app, some certain aspects of it do still require mechanical interaction — namely major medical and alchemic herbs. These are limited for the sake of reasonability and balance, and also encourage the players to explore the world in order to find them for whatever purpose. This comprehensive guide will run you through all the necessary basics of the botany system.

 

How to Find Herbs

Herbs are found all throughout the map, in a wide range of biomes and environments, some of which are incredibly rare and niche as a result. While many herbs may be gathered through self-roleplay done on behalf of the player, other, more potent herbs will require mechanical interaction via the Node Plugin in order to collect them. 

 

Alchemist’s Shears

Alchemist’s Shears are a mechanical tool which a player may use to harvest noded and uncommon herbs. They may be made at a regular crafting table, using a gold block and an iron block organized in the vanilla shear’s recipe, as shown below:

 

 

Locating Herb Nodes

Noded herbs will typically be placed in “custom-built” locations all around the map, whether that be a rotting log, a ruined sandstone wall, or a bush of red berries. These structures are the tell-tale sign of there being a node upon the structure or nearby. The nodes will always be placed in the locations outlined in their respective lore, so you only need to bother wandering around the respective biomes of the herb you are looking for. Many of them tend to be placed on or nearby the roads, though rarer ones may require more deliberate searching.

 

TIP: Sometimes, the item entity will not be perfectly aligned with the node block or show up at all. In these situations, it is recommended you simply harvest from “the node block” directly by clicking it with the shears. These blocks tend to be of a certain type consistently for each herb.

 

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Using Herbs in Roleplay

Herbs may be applied in roleplay in alignment with their explicit lore. For example, you could use blissfoil petals to numb a wound, though you would not use it as an antidote for poison. Each herb will have specific lore attributed to it, which can be found in the Floral Lore subforum and this page. The lore will give in-depth explanations of how the herbs may be applied in roleplay, as well as what limitations they might have. If you have questions regarding the mechanics of an herb, or the way in which it may be used, that is not specified by the lore, it is recommended that you confer with a Lore Member first before using it in that way.

 

 

[!!!] Important:

- To use an herb in roleplay, you must have a mechanical representation of the item present in your inventory. For open herbs, this may be simply a player-signed or described item, though noded herbs will always require an ST signature in order to be considered valid.

- Player-made herbs should always adequately describe their effects and follow along with their respective lore. Powergaming the effects of the herb is prohibited. 

- Open herbs cannot be used to supply symbols when making ST-Signed Potions, though are permissibled for fabricating Player-Signed potions.

- One may not "make up" or "imply" a use with a herb item, such as implying one could knock someone involuntarily unconscious with blissfoil. Herbs and herb items must clearly follow the lore they are from.

- Items must still follow by rules of Techlock-Medical and Poisons.

- Salves and equivalent items are player signed, and do not require an ST signature.

- Medpacks and equivalent items are player signed, but require all herbs used to be denoted on the item with a count, an example being "two blissfoil and one tippen's root".

- Items made with ST-Signed herbs should require an appropriate amount of herbs per item. Players will have the responsibility of disposing of used herbs.

- Herbs are the only reagents giving signs/symbols which may be utilized in ST-Signed Alchemy.

 

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Comprehensive List

This list stands as a comprehensive compendium of the currently accepted roleplay herbs and flora. Herbs that are listed as noded must be sought out mechanically at designated vortex nodes scattered across the map. These will be story-signed and approved, and they must be in one’s inventory mechanically to be applied in roleplay. Herbs that are not noded may be roleplayed casually so long as they have a valid, player-signed item with a proper roleplay description. This list is subject to change and updates will be posted accordingly.

Noded Herbs

These herbs must be acquired from specific node locations. Any application or item produced using them will require ST signing and/or approval to be valid. 

 

AMBERIDDLE [Large Fern]

A herbaceous plant with long green leaves and serrated edges which grows between the boughs of trees. If allowed to stand in an airtight container after harvesting, its sap will take on powerful adhesive properties. Used raw or mixed into a syrup, it may then be applied as a ‘superglue’ whereupon it is particularly effective at sticking to itself. This is primarily used by healers to seal wounds or other craft related projects. 

 

Earth | Rigidity (x3)

Earth | Slowness (x2)

Earth | Connection (x2)

 

 

AQUA NYMPH [Sea Pickle]

An aquatic plant with large leaves which grows in circular figures bending downwards. Its green-brown, slimy appearance, as well as the shape of the plant, leads many to mistake it as toads sitting at the ground of a pond. The plant grows a cluster of small, pod-like bulbs which are the same color as the foliage. These bulbs eventually flower into small and bland, white blossoms. It may be harvested and applied as a potent means of scarring and burn treatment.

 

Water | Grace (x2)

Water | Endurance (x2)

Water | Freezing (x2)

Water | Order (x1)

 

 

ATHIN [Cyan Dye]

A light blue, ordinary looking moss. Cold to the touch, the moss itself is completely flame retardant up to the melting point of most metals, wherein such extreme environments the Athin would simply combust. When ground into powder, its flame-retardant effects may be boiled onto clothing or mixed with lard to apply as a wax, insulating materials against the heat and making them nearly immune to ignition.

 

Water | Coldness (x3)

Water | Purity (x2)

Water | Weakness (x1)

 

 

BARRIER BUSH [Dead Brain Coral]

An excessively dry and delicate bush exclusive to frozen environments. Its barbed ends and fragile form would make it extraordinarily difficult for bare-handed harvesting, often resulting in the reagent wilting. Possessing a hydrophobic property, Barrier Bush can be combined with a waxy resin or ground to a powder to aid treated items in fending off moisture.

 

Water | Weakness (x3)

Water | Separation (x2)

Water | Freezing (x2)

 

 

BEARDWEED [Green Dye]

A dark green moss which grows under heavily shaded areas, supporting itself on the branches and trunks of trees. The moss produces an oily residue on its surface. It hangs down in an untamed and ragged fashion. Parts of the moss that are exposed to too much sunlight will darken and shriven up over time. The moss may be applied to promote hair growth, provided that such growth is possible in the area applied.

 

Earth | Growth (x3)

Earth | Life (x1)

Earth | Swiftness (x2)

 

 

BITTER REED [Sugar Cane]

A thick green reed which grows straight and possesses small, lime hued leaves. High in nutrients and vitamins, this reed may be dried, then chopped and boiled in water to produce a bitter-tasting tea. When drunk, this infusion would alleviate symptoms of mundane sickness such as coughs and colds, and is an effective anti-nausea treatment.

 

Earth | Reduction (x2)

Earth | Purity (x2)

Earth | Impediment (x1)

 

 

BLISSFOIL [Blue Orchid]

An array of tiny blue flowers upon a thin stalk. The petals are covered in a thin pollen that would numb the senses for up to a narrative hour by means of touch, or when ground into a paste. Inhaling the pollen would result in one’s senses being entirely halved for up to ten narrative minutes, making movement sluggish and difficult.

 

Water | Peace (x3)

Water | Coldness (x2)

Water | Silence (x1)

Water | Balance (x1)

 

 

BLISTERTHORN [Beetroot]

A magical, thorny root extracted from the gore of a Blisterbark tree. When in contact with warm blood, it stirs with a sanguine glow as it soaks. When applied raw to open wounds, the thorns may be used to stabilize failing heartbeats or rekindle faltering breath in controlled environments, albeit leaving patients in a temporary state of non-debilitating fatigue, paleness, and arhythmia following their removal.

 

Aether | Reduction (x3)

Aether | Rigidity (x2)

Aether | Purity (x2)

Aether | Life (x2)

 

 

BLOOD LOTUS [Rose Bush]

Thick and weeping stems, like branches of a willow tree, which support small round olive-coloured leaves. The flowers and stems are incredibly nutritious and may be used as a filler to bulk up meals, oftentimes utilized in the form of soups and stews to help one recover their strength. It also has a strong metallic taste and aroma, and excess consumption may lead to bright-red skin discoloration and potentially the calcification of kidneys.

 

Fire | Strength (x3)

Fire | Vigour (x2)

Fire | Rigidity (x2)

 

 

CORROSPORE [Leaf Litter]

A tough brown mushroom splattered with white dots grew in areas where metal had rusted, most commonly on battlefields. The fungus smelled metallic and bore a similar taste, yet when diluted into an oil, it could be used to remove rust and polish a weapon to perfection.

 

Earth | Reduction (x3)

Earth | Vigour (x3)

Earth | Courage (x2)

Earth | Connection (x2)

 

 

DIDDYFUNKLE [Peony]

A flowering herbaceous plant which resembles the passion flower, for its open star-shaped heads. The petals open wide and are typically a very pale green, or white, with an interior fringe of rich purple hair-like tendrils. From under these flowers grow small globe-like pods, which are an attractive orange color. The waxy leaves are ovoid with a pointed tip and green in color. Diddyfunkle rarely reaches over two feet in height. It may be refined to produce a potent hallucinogenic.

 

Earth | Dark (x3)

Earth | Poison (x2)

Earth | Fear (x2)

Earth | Lethargy (x1)

 

 

DRAKE'S TAIL [Fire Coral]

An assortment of dusky red vines akin to veins, adorned with small thorns that allow it to cling to stone. On its own it bears no remarkable natural effects, though the numerous symbols it provides make it a highly coveted ingredient for alchemists.

 

Fire | Heat (x3)

Fire | Burning (x3)

Fire | Rage (x3)

Fire | Balance (x2)

 

 

ELF'S HAIR VINE [White Tulip]

A collection of ivory, hair-like vines that sprout small white flowers from its stems, each bearing numerous petals. These petals are incredibly fragile, capable of being blown off by so much as the gentle breeze, hence requiring that one utilize them quickly and as a whole. Should the petals be bruised or damaged whatsoever, the vine will lose its primary alchemic ‘grace’ quality.

 

Air | Grace (x3)

Air | Peace (x1)

Air | Balance (x2)

Air | Clarity (x2)

 

 

FAERIE TRUFFLES [Nautilus Shell]

A gnarled lump of fungi, dark in color and with numerous white ‘veins’ growing through it. When exposed to light, it adopts a maroonish hue to its dark exterior. When eaten raw, or used in cooking as part of a varied diet, faerie truffles provide beef-flavored nutrients for healthy eyes, fingernails, hair and skin. A poultice can be applied topically to help with the external appearance of skin, and can be used to give a more youthful appearance.

 

Aether | Clarity (x3)

Aether | Endurance (x2)

Aether | Life (x2)

 

 

FROST VINE [Glow Lichen]

A thin blue vine that remains cold to the touch, mildly lowering the surrounding temperature of the air when in abundance. This vine is capable of numbing parts of the body such as the face and fingers, or even entire limbs after up to five narrative minutes of prolonged physical contact. When ground into a salve, the yielded paste would be capable of soothing physical aches or pains within the flesh, though over excessive application may lead to loss of sensation.

 

Water | Freezing (x4)

Water | Weakness (x2)

Water | Order (x2)

 

 

GELUNITE [Light-Blue Dye]

Gelunite is a brittle, salt-like crystal that can be cultivated in areas of deep cold. In its base form, it appears as a solid crystal, yet it will crumble to any degree of physical contact. The remnant salt grains retain a perpetually low temperature and, when properly handled, have been sought for their use in food preservation and medical applications. Though incapable of inflicting frostbite, it will lead to hypothermia if ingested.

 

Water Earth  | Coldness (x3)

Water Earth | Death (x2)

Water Earth | Order (x2)

Water Earth | Light (x1)

 

 

GISLOCINOVI [Oxeye Daisy]

A tall thick green stalk with green leaves, bearing a white lotus-like flower. It may be farmed in deeply-worked osil in warm climates. The juice from a measure of the boiled stalk can be used to clean wounds with effects similar to alcohol, except without causing stinging.

 

Water | Reduction (x3)

Water | Purity (x2)

Water | Silence (x2)

Water | Separation (x2)

 

 

HELVIIRYN MUSHROOM  [Phantom Membrane]

A durable mushroom capable of being tailored into clothing. Lightweight and waterproof, this mushroom would retain little to no water content when briefly splashed or soaked. Although resistant to tearing, it remains vulnerable to well placed cuts and piercing. In the complete absence of light, this mushroom appears to adopt the hues of its surroundings, albeit would brighten up once exposed to any form of light. When coated in oils or other treatments, the mushroom would crumple and shrink irreversibly.

 

Aether | Endurance (x3)

Aether | Curtailment (x2)

Aether | Blindness (x2)

Aether | Lethargy (x1)

 

 

KINDLEFEN [Torchflower]

A gold-reb herb bearing thick green stems that burned to the touch. Naturally toxic, its raw or powderized state may be consumed as a pyretic to induce a fever and tunnel-vision for 8 narrative hours. When fashioned into a poultice, its topical form may be used to alleviate frostbite by levying a gentle warming sensation. If woven into a fibrous cloth, its strands may even provide a smoky, naturally heated garment.

 

Fire | Death (x3)

Fire | Blindness (x2)

Fire | Heat (x2)

Fire | Burning (x2)

 

 

JAILORS MOSS [Horn Coral]

A light yellow moss covered in hundreds of tiny moist hooks, easily mistaken for Stickyweed. Its leaves will cling to almost all surfaces save for glass and metal, capable of holding up to four kilograms securely, and requiring a great amount of force to remove. It is recommended one employ the use of metal tools in order to handle this moss, though even if it were to get stuck to one’s skin, they would not suffer any real damage beyond a few scrapes or grazes.

 

Air | Chaos (x2)

Air | Instability (x3)

Air | Agility (x3)

Air | Slowness (x2)

 

 

JAVENS [Acacia Sapling]

A herbaceous plant with long stems and slim leaves. The upper third of the stem grows a cluster of small green burrs, which turn brown when harvested. The spurs may be chewed whole, or bruised and steeped into a tea where it assists in bringing on natural sleep. This is often used as a remedy for insomnia or other sleep related afflictions. Excessive use leads to prolonged sleep, with grogginess upon awakening.

 

Water | Slowness (x1)
Water | Lethargy (x2)
Water | Peace (x2)

 

 

KING’S IVY [Dandelion]

An ivy with a dark green stalk and light green, large arrow-shaped leaves which grow soft, golden flowers. The size varies, but it will continue to spread over as much surface as possible while it is healthy. The herb itself holds potent effects that would stimulate the consumer alike to caffeine.

 

Fire Air | Strength (x3)

Fire Air | Sound (x3)

Fire Air | Courage (x1)

Fire Air | Agility (x2)

 

 

MANDRAGORA [Orange Tulip]

Thick green leaves which grow out of what appears to be a parsnip-like plant. When harvested successfully and made into either a paste or tea, it can double the regenerative capabilities of the body. However, should it be consumed or applied unnecessarily, it may result in painful ulcers that form within the digestive tract and terrible warts that develop upon the skin respectively.

 

Water | Separation (x1)

Water | Impediment (x3)

Water | Fear (x2)

Water | Lethargy (x1)

 

 

NIGHTGLOW [Cornflower]

A rather mundane looking flower with blue and yellow petals which coil up into the shape of a conch during the day, though these petals unravel and gleam during the nighttime. An oil can be produced from these flowers, glowing a gentle light when there is none, able to be used for things as invisible ink which can only appear at night.

 

Air | Light (x3)

Air | Swiftness (x2)

Air | Peace (x2)

 

 

NIGHTSAP [Honeycomb]

A green moss that grows in the crevices of tree branches and blooms white blossoms. The budding flowers produce a golden sap which covers the moss itself. When boiled down into a thinner consistency, a measure of nightsap can be mixed into a tea or syrup that endows a sense of calmness and joy for 5 narrative hours, which is then followed by a moderate headache. Two measures will instead place the user into a dreamless slumber.

 

Earth Aether | Blindness (x3)

Earth Aether | Lethargy (x3)

Earth Aether | Dark (x2)

Earth Aether | Instability (x2)

 

 

PADDFOOT [Warped Roots]

A quadri-petalled, sky blue flower with a dark blue stem, its two-inch thick petals being the most despised part of the reagent. Should they be tread upon en masse, it may conceal sound to a certain point. This reagent may be treated into a sound-absorbing oil which may be applied to things such as boots, allowing for quieter movement.

 

Air | Silence (x2)

Air | Agility (x2)

Air | Curtailment (x2)

Air | Grace (x1)

 

 

PONDERLOT [Lily of the Valley]

A herbaceous flower, with a central waxy stem, from which long slim leaves grow outward, bearing five lilac flowers which spring from pale sprigs along the stalk. This flower may be dried and its petals rendered powder which may be smoked or placed upon the tongue to incite a vivid sensory hallucination, causing one to feel a sense of one-ness with the world.

 

Aether | Clarity (x3)

Aether | Chaos (x2)

Aether | Rage (x2)

Aether | Sound (x1)

 

 

SERPENT’S STALK [Tall Grass]

An emerald hued stalk bearing stripes of light green and brown about its length, appearing much like that of sugarcane. The stalk is poisonous to insects, though would bear no effect upon anything larger than the size of a rat. Ingesting the plant would cause body temperature to be lowered, effectively inducing hypothermia after three successful measures.

 

Water | Growth (x3)

Water | Coldness (x2)

Water | Swiftness (x3)

Water | Death (x1)

 

 

SILVERSHADE [Pitcher Plant]

A delicate sapphire-blue flower with sprouting green stalks. Cold to the touch, this flower hides in cool, shadowy areas and avoids budding in the summer. Naturally toxic, its raw or powderized form may be consumed as a hypothermic to lower peripheral body temperature for 8 narrative hours. Albeit reducing the consumer to half-pace, this toxin can improve both steadiness and stillness and render its consumer undetectable to heat sight.

 

Water | Lethargy (x3)

Water | Poison (x2)

Water | Fear (x2)

Water | Dark (x2)

 

 

TIPPEN’S ROOT [Lilac]

A dark spotted yellow root with purple flowers which releases a foul odor akin to rotten eggs should it be crushed. When its roots are ground into a paste or salve, it would be capable of coagulating blood within seconds of wherever it was applied, ceasing the flow of flesh wounds upon the surface level.

 

Earth | Impediment (x3)

Earth | Curtailment (x1)

Earth | Connection (x2)

Earth | Order (x1)

 

 

Spoiler

 

Open Herbs

These herbs may be roleplayed freely by players so long as they have a valid item, either described or made by another player, present in their inventory. These herbs may not be used in alchemy and do not have active signs/symbols.

- Aquate Root [Open]
- Atheros [Open]
- Bitter Reed [Open]
- Coltsfoot [Open]
- Crimson Vase [Open]
- Cryptus Mushroom [Open]
- Deep’s Gleam [Open]
- Draugr Tongue [Open]
- Dwarf’s Pumpkin [Open]
- Miner’s Helmet [Open]
- Swamp Blossom [Open]

- Flash Fruit [Open]

- Shade Leaf [Open]

- Grobsnopper [Open]

- Sativnubobo [Open]

 

LIQUID MANA

On its own, liquid mana has few properties. Whilst some creatures can consume it for sustenance, it has minimal effect on most descendants. If one were to sip standard liquid essence, from either a mage or a natural occurring pool, they would find that it is tasteless, doing nothing but inducing a surreal sensation as the energy courses through their bodies. Liquid mana can alternatively be used to fuel enchantments, with one count providing equal energy to a mana gem. It may be generated by mages with abundant mana pools and conjured as a tangible liquid, with one measure drawn per tier.

 

REDSTONE

Liquid mana which has dried and crystallized over the course of millenia or by ancient releases of energy, redstone is depleted of its energy for the mostpart and acts as a reactive catalyst capable of triggering movement and the release of light in equivalent terms to the energy input into it, immediately released other clusters of redstone dust in its immediate radius, in a manner akin to magnetic and electrical pulses. 32 Redstone is required for one measure.