Foridus (cinnamon spice plant)

Bard Judith

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Foridus (cinnamon spice plant)

« on: 27 December 2001, 07:57:00 »

With some edits and clarifications, here is the reworked entry on the much-awaited Foridus, which I found deep in another post

and seems to have been written by Eskon, a new arrival. Well done and quite thorough! Eskon, please have a look and approve the changes before I put it into HTML for the Compendium!

Foridus Plant

The Foridus plant is a temperate-climate plant. Its average height is 1/2 to 1 ped. The plant grows in straight stalks with a texture similar to bamboo or Windsong. The Foridus is planted in the early spring, and spend about 3 weeks germinating before they sprout roots. The first shoots appear in 6-8 weeks, as small sticks with a grassy type top. The stalks continue growing until they reach their maximum height in midsummer, where they stop growing in height and start growing in width. At harvest time, the Foridus blossoms with purple flowers (described below), which designate that gathering time has come upon it. The stalk is cut and the sap extracted. Farmers usually press the stalk between two large peeled logs; wealthier merchants who do their own pressing often buy worked stone rollers of Dwarven manufacture, as they say less sap is wasted in the heavier pressing. However, there is no difference in taste.

The sap is very sticky and thick, with a cinnamon-type smell and taste. It can be used straight in the sap form for liquid cinnamon (Foridus Juice), but it can also be frozen, at which point it forms into large, solid crystals. It is then crushed into a powder, and allowed to thaw and dry. At that point it becomes the common spice known as Foridite. It is used commonly in baking sweets and to flavour fruit dishes. After blossoming, the plants soon die, so they are cut down before the snows fall.

Foridus Blossoms:
The flower that sprouts from the Foridus plant is about three-quarters the size of a human hand. Typically, it is a pale-to-medium shade of purple. Its simple beauty and availability make it a favorite of village girls, who braid it into garlands or wear it in their hair. Very rarely, (approximately 1 every 100,000 sprouts) there will be a white flower. Scientifically, the chromosones for pigment of the color are all recessive, making the plant white. The rarity of this white flower is given moral implications in a saying; "Even a Foridus can bloom white..." Thus, even among something as commonplace as Foridus plants, something rare and magical can occur. Needless to say, a farmer who finds a white blossom is said to have good luck until his plants bloom again.

Regards from Bard Judith

Edited by: Bard Judith at: 12/26/01 1:59:31 pm


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Artimidor Federkiel

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Re: Foridus (cinnamon spice plant)

« Reply #1 on: 27 December 2001, 10:48:00 »

Err... How about applying our Herbarium entry system?

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Tarquet Galbar

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Re: Foridus (cinnamon spice plant)

« Reply #2 on: 27 December 2001, 14:35:00 »

Now all we need is a Toast Tree and we're set! Mmm, cinnamon toast... I'm gonna go get some!

Tarquet Galbar, BeastMaster Of Santharia, He Who Rules The Animals.


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Eskon

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I like it

« Reply #3 on: 27 December 2001, 22:11:00 »

Thanks, Judith. You refined my crude entry into one worthy of the Herbarium. As for the Herbarium entry system, I thought that was only a suggestion, but if it isn't I'll rework it to fit it. Is it required, Art? Or just suggested?


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Tarquet Galbar

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Re: I like it

« Reply #4 on: 28 December 2001, 01:23:00 »

It's required, though you can add in other things aside from what is required. We're working toward making all of the entries, depending on catergory, to a specific structure, which is why the guides are being made into sticky topics. This is of course to make thigns a bit easier to comprehend, and more uniform.

Man, I'm starting to sound kinda like Art... Scary...

Tarquet Galbar, BeastMaster Of Santharia, He Who Rules The Animals.


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Eskon

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Foridus, in the Herbarium Entry List

« Reply #5 on: 28 December 2001, 22:15:00 »

I'll have one for the plant, and another for the blossom

Foridus

Basic Overview:
Foridus is a cash crop that is grown quite commonly in the temperate regions of the world. It's prime use is the sap, called Foridite in powdered form. Due to the beautiful blossom and relatively small amount of care needed to tend it, it is a popular plant to allot a field for.

Description:
Foridus commonly ranges at 1/2 to 1 ped at it's peak height. It has a rough, natural texture similar to bamboo or Windsong. Planted as a small round seed in the very beginning of spring, it spends three weeks germinating before it sprouts roots. First shoots appear above ground in 6-8 weeks, as a thin stalk with a grassy top. They continue growing in height, with little change in thickness until midsummer, when they will stop growing in height and start thickening. When it is ready to be harvested, a single flower blooms from the top. This flower blooms usually 5-6 weeks after reaching it's full height. After that, it will quickly die, so it is harvested, cut and then disposed of in time for winter, where the land can spend winter underneath the snow regaining nutrients to support the next season's crops.

Territory:
One of the more pleasing things that Foridus offers is that it can be grown nearly anywhere. All that is needed is some decent soil and a moderate environment. The notable exceptions include deserts, mountains, and tropical jungles.

Usages:
Foridus is grown for the sole purpose of producing Foridite, a common spice used in baking sweets and flavoring fruit dishes. When the Foridus blooms, the stalk is cut and the sap extracted. Farmers typically do this by pressing between two peeled logs. Wealthy Foridus merchants use worked stone rollers manufactured by the Dwarves, as more sap can be extracted with the heavier pressing. Whatever material is used has no impact upon the taste.

The sap is thick and sticky, with a cinnamon smell and taste. Straight from the plant, it can be used as a liquid (Foridus Juice), but it is more commonly frozen into a hard crystal, which is then ground into a powder and allowed to thaw and dry. By doing so, it becomes Foridite, ready for use.

After the plant is cut down, the dead stalks are commonly burned, having no other use.

Myth/Lore/Origins:
While the Foridus has no myth or lore related to it, it's blossom has a rather quaint moral.

Foridus Blossom{/B]

Basic Overv
When the Foridus is ready to be harvested, a flower blooms upon the top of it. The flower has a rather simplistic beauty, but it's purpose is to signal the Foridus harvest.

Description:
The Foridus blossom is about three-quarters the size of a human hand. Commonly, it will have 5-7 large petals, similar to a petunia. It is usually a pale to medium purple, but very rarely (approximately 1 in every 100,000 plants), there will be a white blossom.

Territory:
The Foridus blossom is found wherever Foridus is grown. The most common place for the flower is in small rural villages and towns.

Usages:
The blossom of the Foridus plant has no economical use other than to signal the beginning of the harvest. However, it's beauty and availability make it a favorite of village girls to braid into garlands or to wear in their hair.

Myths/Lore/Origin:
When a white blossom appears, the owner of that plant is said to have good luck until his next harvest. Also, the white plant shows that even among something as commonplace as Foridus, something rare and magical can happen, leading to the saying, "Even a Foridus blooms white...," as well as the moral implications that go alonge with it.

How's this? You guys are welcome to come up with suggestions and rewordings if you want to, as long as you just tell me what it is...


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Artimidor Federkiel

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Re: Foridus, in the Herbarium Entry List

« Reply #6 on: 30 December 2001, 05:23:00 »

Added it to my update list... If everything's fine it will go up this update

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Foridus (cinnamon spice plant)