THE
PIPE
MOSS
("SMOKING
MOSS") |
While
travelling around Caelereth one may often
encounter Pipe Moss, as it grows lavishly in the forests inhabited by the
Gnorian Gnomes. The
gnomes make a good profit from this plant, as
they have learned how to age and treat the moss into a product they call "Pipe
Weed" which can be smoked. Pipe Moss therefore is also often refered to as
"Smoking Moss".
Gnomes are the only mass producers of Pipe
Moss; their gnomish fertilizing techniques let
them grow wide-spread, rich patches of this plant. It is enjoyed by anyone who
is able to afford the purchase price, which is on the average a hefty one Su for
a package weighing one scup.
It should be noted here that there is a competition in the smoker's market, as
there is a common desert weed known as Vhin or Smokeweed which also can be used
to fill a pipe. Though Smokeweed can't achieve the same flavor as the
Gnorian Gnomes produce in their
Pipeweed, it is a less expensive product, and many people who can't afford the
moss will buy Vhin instead.
Appearance. Pipe Moss
grows in different colors depending on the environment with which the
gnomes have provided it. If
grown in a damp, shady place it becomes a bluish-green color. If grown in a area
where it is dry and where the sun is
visible and the moss is able to baste in its rays, it obtains a yellow color. If
the moss is grown in a area where both shade and
sun pass over it during the course of the
day then it obtains a rich green color.
The moss itself grows in small patches of delicate thread-like strands that
twine around each other making a thick, soft layer, roughly 2 nailsbreadths
high. It usually grows near the bases of trees, and spreads out to cover the
forest ground. Each strand has a hair-like root, a greenish, tangled stem, and a
barely perceptible finial shaped like a cup at its very tip. This cupshape will
flush bright yellow when the moss flowers in the fall, but has no effect on the
finished product's taste or appearance.
Territory.
Pipe Moss usually grows in the forests inhabited by the
Gnorian
Gnomes,
respectively in
the east coast of the
Santharian peninsula from above the Istarin Forest to just below the river
and city of Yorrick.
Gnorian
inhabited territory also stretches as far in land as the
Paelelon. The
gnomes within these forests
in this region are the main producers of Pipe Weed. Although the moss has
been grown by human farmers outside of these
forests as well, the end result is always
unsatisfactory, being a weak and flavourless product.
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Image description. A hobbit with his pipe smoking some pipeweed. Picture drawn by Arbaon. |
Usages.
The Pipe Moss is grown only for what it is processed into, being
Pipeweed. The
Gnorian
Gnomes harvest the moss in
the time of the Fallen Leaf, (Styrásh:
chúh'querín,
chúh'querín). They have carefully calculated
what percentage of the moss they need to leave so that it will grow and spread
out again as before in the next harvest season.
Once harvested the moss is taken to be dried within their villages. During this
process the moss loses about one tenth of its original weight and size. Once the
moss is dried it is tossed and picked through to remove any items that may be
undesirable, like insects, twigs, and dirt, then left to "cure"
for a further drying period.
Once Pipe Moss has been cured it comes to the point in
its development where it is flavored. The flavoring process is shrouded in
secrecy, as it is such an important part of the finished product's taste and
enjoyability. Once flavored it is shredded so it may be smoked. When shredded
the Pipeweed is packed in small bags made of treated
leather from various forest creatures and is tied with a thin leather string.
Then the leather packages are stamped with a hot brand bearing the
Pipeweed's grade.
These are the grades, from finest to least expensive, given to the pipe weed
produced and sold by the
Gnorian
Gnomes:
Yellow Gold
The finest type of pipe weed available. Smooth, with a rich oaky flavor and a
mellow aftertaste.
Silver Smoke
A Pipeweed often smoked by
the gnomes. It has a
sweet guiro-fruit
aroma that is prized by the gnomes.
Its smoke is a silvery color which almost seems to sparkle.
Blue
Marble
Strong and aggressive, with a heavy blue smoke and a slightly 'dark' nose.
Currently in fashion with the nobles, although not the most sophisticated of
grades.
Harbin's Brown
Easy-going, long-burning weed, hints of pine and roast
taenish. Popular among the
dwarves.
Green Haze
Light and refreshing, with overtones of wine and burnt willow. A good farmer's
smoke.
Old
Red
An inexpensive, loosely-dried Pipeweed. Flavor of
earth, brandy, old cheese.
Reproduction.
The plant spreads and reproduces itself through underground root systems and
aboveground sporing, like most mosses. But simply making more moss is not the
secret to creating successful pipeweed... As almost all Pipe Moss is grown by
the
Gnorian Gnomes,
and human farmers have not been able to
produce quality Pipeweed from their patches of the plant, little is actually
known about what growing conditions the Pipe Moss prefers. The method the
gnomes use for improving the quality of their
moss is kept a strict secret. Rumor has it, though, that the secret is a special
gnomish fertilizer.
Myth/Lore.
Some healers say that Pipeweed
has ill effects on certain races but not on others. It is said that
humans become addicted to Pipeweed's
rich flavor. Some noted side effects in humans
is that they develop shortness of breath and dry hacking coughs. Smokers
of Pipeweed strongly disagree that the
plant is the cause of their ailment, but would gladly
trade shortened lifespans for the enjoyment their pipe gives them, if such a
cause-and-effect could ever be demonstrated...
Dwarves, though, seem to be immune to these
symptoms, no matter how much they inhale. They claim that Pipeweed
is a gift from Trum-Barol Himself (as
they seem to claim for every benefit and pleasure they enjoy) and in fact that
the moss sprang up from sparks that flew off His forge while He was smithing His
first tools...
A little ditty that is often sung in peasant taverns proclaims the joy of the
pipe, comparing it to other pleasures:
"Some
men say that ale's their vice,
And some will say a lass,
While others at the table sit
And eat their victuals fast,
Some say to lie in bed all day,
And some to tell a joke,
Some men to brawling are inclined...
But just give me a smoke!
Fill the pipe, my jolly lads,
Oh fill and tamp it down!
Give here one coal to light the moss,
I'm the blithest man in town!"
Information provided by
Gararion
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