Naidem Flora

Naidem Flora is an Official GemStone IV Document, and it is protected from editing.

The Flora of Naidem

The entirety of Naidem practically overflows with unique flora and several familiar favorites. Botanists have been sneaking into Naidem the last few years in an effort to catalogue as many new species as they can. Here is but a short list of what they have found thus far.

Aurora Marigolds

Similar to Elanthian marigolds, the aurora marigolds shimmer in the vibrantly cool colors of an aurora. In some areas of Naidem, it is fashionable to plant the different colors together to resemble the Naidem sky. The blossoms are smaller than the average marigold, but the petals are densely arranged and slightly iridescent.

Aurora marigolds are edible and fragrant, making them sought after for cooking and scent-making endeavors alike.

Bittermere Lichen

This healing herb of Naidem is named after the Bittermere Woods where it can be found. It is a brown-tinged, bright red lichen that grows in frilled layers on trees, especially deadfalls.

Dianthus

While dianthus are found throughout Elanthia, there are two versions of this flowering perennial that bloom solely in Naidem -- the silver-veiled Gosaena's grace dianthus and the vivid magenta wraith's hand dianthus.

The former gets its name from the ethereal grey shade of the flower. Frilly silver fringes the upper petals of the Gosaena's grace, reminiscent of a veil. Some Naidem residents believe the flower was left by Gosaena herself, to remind her followers to keep faith during these times of unliving.

The wraith's hand dianthus comes in darkened shades of pink and red, its flowers twisted to resemble a wraith-like hand. With each touch of breeze, the petals expand and contract, as if grasping for something just out of reach.

Direblooms

Thriving in near desolate conditions as well as alongside Naidem's lichen and moss population, direblooms are flowers most similar to Elanthia's lupine. Growing on a spike-like stalk, direblooms tend toward dark, jewel-toned colorations such as deep plum, scarlet, and darkened pinks. The plants are smaller than lupine, staying under one foot in height typically. Some direblooms have healing properties, while others merely look impressive.

Drake Claw Root

Bearing the shape of its namesake, drake claw roots grow along riverbanks and shorelines. They are typically bicolored with veiny colorations in vibrant contrast to the root's primary shade. The roots can be found by pulling up the spiky verdancy of their aboveground tops.

Different colorations yield different flavor profiles, with the amber-vined ebon varietal leaning somewhat bitter and the scarlet-hazed vert root tending toward nutty earthiness. The roots are invariably best when cooked and not raw, but the drake claw leaves are excellent in salads.

Dreamphlox

Ranging from ghostly whites to spectral pastels, Naidem's dreamphlox grow with tiny upright stalks amidst a moss-like greenery system, making them an excellent choice for ground coverings. They are similar to other phlox in look, but many believe they have a slightly soporific effect, and they will use it in tisanes, incense, and candles sold with other sleep aids.

Evermore Rosehips

Several Naidem versions of wild roses produce rosehips in unusual colors, including ebon, azure, ianthine, and jacinthe. The latter, jacinthe, has the ability to heal minor head scars. They all make excellent tisanes.

Ghostbells

Found throughout Naidem, ghostbells are small, bluebell-like flowers that come in a variety of colors; they may have one to five bell-shaped blossoms upon their delicate, short stalks. According to one Naidem resident, the ghostbells get their name because they were first found growing in a haunted graveyard. Given their already unliving status, this was interesting commentary filed away for later study. The most common locations for ghostbells are forests and gardens.

Gorgon Flowers

A truly unique Naidem offering, the gorgon flower has tall, thick stems bearing iridescent flowers composed of red, pink, or purple petals cupped around stamen-filled centers that resemble eyes, the would-be peepers ringed with petals of absinthe green. Legend believes prolonged exposure to the flowers' gaze can lead to a petrifying curse. Including a gorgon blossom in a bouquet has two distinct meanings amongst the Naidem denizens -- either the sender is being romantic, stating how they are stunned by the recipient, or they are sending a threat. Unfortunately, unless an explanatory note is included, the recipient is often left in the dark. Many a fight has been started in Evermore Hollow over a gorgon blossom in a bouquet.

Hissing Ivy

A climbing vine, the waxy, heart-shaped leaves of the hissing ivy are purplish black and veined with silvery patterns. When the wind blows, they emit faint, disconcerting sounds as if whispering dark secrets. At night, tiny, pale flowers emerge like spectral orbs, vanishing at the first glimmer of daylight. It's not uncommon for the ivy's touch to cause intense itching, but the flowers themselves can be safely brewed for a floral boost to a tea.

Midnight Belladonna

Midnight belladonna is cultivated in Naidem both for its poisoncraft potential as well as its beauty. The curving petals of the velvety black bloom appear almost liquid, flowing like shadows in the moonlight. Standing on a slender, midnight blue stem adorned with delicate, almost translucent leaves, the trumpet-like blossom is laden with tiny, crystalline droplets of a highly toxic nectar. The scent is subtle, filling the air with a sweet yet acrid fragrance, not unlike overripe fruit mixed with a hint of dark spices. The nectar, when ingested, can induce a deep, disorienting sleep from which it is difficult to wake.

Mistblooms

Mistbloom blossoms are delicate and wispy, reminiscent of colored dandelion puffs. Several blossoms rise upon a single grey-green stalk with serrated leaves cupping each bloom. With a range of colors from soft pastels to darker jewel tones, the flower is sought after for bouquets. The leaves are excellent greens for a salad, while the mistbloom blossom itself is often crushed for use in perfumes. It has a delicate floral fragrance with a slight undercurrent evocative of a late night's fog.

Mushrooms

Naidem has several varieties of unique mushrooms, including several with phosphorescent spores. They frequently grow in rings and clusters, and the luminescent ones will often provide eerie glows that give rise to spooky tales, just like in the living world.

Fairy's skirt mushrooms
Similar in appearance to the skeletal lace mushrooms, fairy's skirt mushrooms glitter with each touch of ambient light, their lacy skirts draping across the ground and emitting luminescent spores.

They have a sugar-sweet scent undercut by hints of damp moss, making it a unique addition to perfumes and incense.

Glowing amber-hued mushrooms
Small and amber-hued, these mushrooms emit a golden glow at night, and their spores are released frequently in hazy, luminescent clouds that drift low across the nearby ground. Some like to transplant these mushrooms into small pots and keep them on their tables as glowing decor.

Skeletal lace mushrooms
A nocturnal fungus, the skeletal lace mushroom comes in two varieties -- bone white and black-as-night. Similar to lace mushrooms found throughout Elanthia, the skeletal lace variety is found only in Naidem and has a slight luminescence along its slender stalk. The lace-like skirting drapes from a matching bell-shaped cap.

Spiral-capped mushrooms
Capped by a spiraling, horn-shaped cap, these Naidem beauties are most commonly found in pink and violet patterns. They are tiny mushrooms, often categorized as toadstools, and they are highly sought after for inclusion in salads because of their unusual coloration. Their flavor is woody and slightly tart.

Spiraled rainbow-striped mushrooms
This mushroom has a wide cap with an iridescent patterning that gives the fungus its name. Dense gills in dark, prismatic hues stand in contrast to the chunky, ghostly white stalk.

Tangerine mushrooms
One of Naidem's phosphorescent spored mushrooms, the tangerine mushroom is, unsurprisingly, a vibrant tangerine hue prone to growing in fairy rings deep within shadowed forests. The jacinthe spores that cluster about the fairy rings cast the immediate area in an eerie orange glow.

Vereri's Kiss

"Do you think I am pretty?"

If the plant is a vereri's kiss, the answer is a resounding yes by most folk. Growing on thorny black vines encrusted with crimson, venomous sap, the ruby-petaled flower gives off a sharp aroma not unlike the metallic tang of blood. The center of the flower reveals a cluster of ivory stamens that glisten like tiny fangs, adding to its macabre allure. Those who drink the sweet nectar of the flower will become suddenly weak as if their vitality is being drawn away. This does not stop some from attempting to steep it into teas and tinctures, and it is a common component of witches' gardens in Naidem. For those less inclined to poison themselves or others, the flower makes an excellent addition to darker perfumes.

Vines

Naidem is filled with vines, many of which are unique to this area of unliving. The two most commonly foraged are the turquoise vine and the Mularosian whip vine.

Turquoise vines
Glittering bright turquoise, this ground vine engulfs fallen trees and other vegetation, covering them in its nodule-ridden tendrils that then burst into sunshine yellow blossoms with pumpkin orange hearts. The turquoise vine prefers swampy conditions and seems to have a symbiotic relationship with some swamp-based fungi.

Ruby-veined Mularosian whip vine
Draining the life from host trees in dense forests, the Mularosian whip vines are a dark black with ruby-hued veins and sharp thorns. The Mularosian vine rose blossoms upon these vines, which, despite its name, is not actually a rose. The flower has blood red petals pierced with an ice white core.

The whip vine is capable of swift movement and is known to snap out at unsuspecting passersby. Some pain cults and Mularos worshippers embrace the vine, seeking it out to create thigh-worn cilices and using it in rituals.

Viper Thorns

Viper thorns are prickly-leafed shrubs known for their painful, toxic sting. Their dark green, needle-like spines glisten with a faint, oily sheen. Coming in contact with the shrub, especially the oil-like substance, frequently causes skin rashes, and ingestion is particularly rough on the mouth's interior as well as potentially poisoning the eater. It is at its most toxic, however, when the spines puncture the skin.

Viper thorns have tiny, sickly yellow flowers that smell absolutely vile to most living people, but the unliving of Naidem, especially the fomorians, tend to find it a scent as almost universally pleasing as vanilla is to most of Elanthia.

Winterbriar Moss

A healing plant of Naidem, winterbriar moss is found predominantly in the Winterbriar neighborhood where it thrives. It is a squishy, green-black moss with tiny ice white tendrils that grow up from its soft carpet.

It has a lovely, fresh mossy fragrance and is excellent for perfumes as well.

Wisp Lanterns & Lanternberries

The wisp lantern is an unusual flower found on the grounds of the Harvest Luminary Festival. These are little lantern-shaped flowers that grow in clusters on long stalks. While they never quite open, their papery, bulbous lanterns glow from within. When picked and shaken, it casts off motes of light. Wisp lanterns come in off-white, beige, tan, turquoise, violet, magenta, and soot grey. When they die, the papery husk drops a ripe berry and withers away. See also Harvest Luminary Festival Traditions.

Wraith Ferns

Wraith ferns are an almost ethereal specimen of fern; the pale blue plant has a distinct rosette of segmented fronds, its blades nearly translucent at the curled tips allowing it to blend seamlessly into misty surroundings. The thick leaf stalks are covered in tiny, sharp barbs that typically cause enormous discomfort and painful rashes upon contact.

In some corners of Naidem, legends claim the ferns hold the souls of denizens so faded in unliving as to be but a wraith of their former selves, yet not quite ready to pass through the final gate to true rest. The more prosaic state the fern gets its name from the wraith-like rhythm with which it sways in the faintest of winds. Even those inclined to the banal, however, find the inclusion of wraith ferns in any floral arrangement to be alarming, as it is said to indicate that the sender believes you are nearly ready to fade (or wishes you were).

OOC Information/Notes

• Created by GMs Elidi and Xynwen, 2024
  • Some lore is based on flora created by GM Xayle for Naidem in previous years