#water extraction hot springs

[hotsprings0382]

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[mebis-art-dump]

kingdom Pathologia, part 2: Crystal Poisoning

Also known as "Gleamshell" or "Miner's jewels", this crystal growth mostly affects the workers of Crystal Peak.

It is caused by shards lodging into the shell, although it has been recently proposed that inhaling the dust from the mines can also cause it.

It does not distinguish between bug or beast of burden, thus daily checks are realized in the mine's exits.

As the crystals grow they cause more, acute pain. Other symptoms include:

- Prolonged lethargy

- Difficulty breathing

- High fever

- numbness

- Auditory hallucinations

- Stiffness

(Shards quickly grow and branch out)

..................................................................................

Crystal poisoning has no cure, and must be constantly taken care of, resulting in the classification of three stages of crystal growth:

1- Initial discovery. The growth is minimal. Checks in the mines are aimed at finding these, and treatment seeks for it to not progress past this.

2- Great Crystal Growth. Critical state. Extreme action must be taken and the survival of the patient is not warranted. Searing fever and hallucinations are to be expected.

3- If action is not taken in time, Great Crystal Growth can turn into Greater Crystal Growth —also known as "Glass Tomb" or "Gleaming Cocoon"— at any time. The victim is considered dead at this point.

..................................................................................

Daily treatment consists of the careful extraction of any visible crystals; it is custom for the entire treatment to be paid with the crystals extracted this way.

Afterwards it is suggested to balance out one's breath, soul and water to further reduce the growth speed. The assistance of a priest or sage is recommended.

The common method is meditation to spread the soul and to inhale incense to balance both water and breath.

It is not recommended to visit Hot Springs, for its heat and streams will quickly throw water and soul out of balance.

(There aren't any Hot Springs on Crystal Peak for a reason...)

..................................................................................

Unfortunately, there's a rather sad trend growing between miners: to hide away the sickness and let the valuable crystals grow on their shell, to sell the shards for some quick Geo; this practice has lately gained the disease the new monicker of "Greed's Glaze".

There are already many poorly made jewels on the city, even in noble houses.

They shatter easily, and crystal poisoning outside of the miner community is on the rise.

(so brittle...)

To avoid shame, affected aristocrats will refuse to be publicly treated, and resort to... unorthodox methods.

(so unsanitary...)

---------------------------------------------------

Previous chapter: Fungal Growth

Next chapter: Sleepwalkers (wip)

Directory/ Masterpost

[mossy-mischief]

Gavin's Marble Chiffon Cake Recipe

My friends, I have a gift for you.

I found the exact Marble Chiffon Cake recipe Gavin and Freelancer make in this video and from the baking stream. It's from The Taste of Home Baking Book. If anyone makes it, let me know how it goes! I haven't tried yet.

(Recipe transcription below)

Marble Chiffon Cake

PREP: 15 min. + standing BAKE: 1 hour + cooling YIELD: 16 servings

CAKE:

7 eggs, separated

2 squares (1 ounce each) unsweetened chocolate

1-3/4 cups sugar, divided

1/4 cup hot water

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup water

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

FROSTING:

4 squares (1 ounce each) semisweet chocolate

1 tablespoon butter

7 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

Let eggs stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. In a small saucepan or microwave, melt unsweetened chocolate; stir until smooth. Add 1/4 cup sugar and hot water; mix well and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda and remaining sugar. Whisk together the egg yolks, water, oil and vanilla; add to flour mixture and beat until moistened. Beat for 3 minutes on medium speed; set aside.

In another large mixing bowl and with clean beaters, beat egg whites and cream of tartar on high speed until stiff peaks form. Stir a fourth of egg whites into the batter, then fold in remaining whites. Divide batter in half; gradually fold chocolate mixture into one portion.

Alternately spoon the plain and chocolate batters into an ungreased 10-in. tube pan. Swirl with a knife. Bake on the lowest rack at 325° for 60-65 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Immediately invert the cake; cool completely. Run a knife around sides and center tube of pan; remove cake to serving plate.

For frosting, melt semisweet chocolate and butter in a small saucepan or microwave; stir until smooth. Remove from the heat; stir in cream and vanilla. Whisk in confectioners' sugar until smooth. Immediately spoon over cake.

[survivalove]

Katara the selfcare queen

Every canon instance or mention (that i can rmr) of Katara indulging in selfcare in the middle of a war because I find it quite amusing yet fascinating.

I may or may not have made a post like this before but I wanted to expand on it.

1. Skincare routine

In 1x14, The Fortuneteller, Katara reveals she has a special seaweed lotion that she carries with her for soft skin. (Avatar Extras also made a point of saying that it smells…?) She even offers to get Aunt Wu some, as if she has extra. So my question is, who is this plug that she gets her steady supply of seaweed lotion from? 😭

Real-life: Seaweed has been used in skincare for thousands of years, first recorded in ancient Chile. Nowadays, seaweed extract is pretty common in skincare products especially from emerging brands in Nunavik and Iqaluit, Canada.

My headcanon: This is probably a recipe Katara picked up from the older women of her tribe, so she just plucks some seaweed whenever the gaang stops by a body of water. And she definitely makes it in cute glass jars and shares it with her fellow healers in the Republic City Hospital ✨selfcare queen✨

2. Spa Day

I just find this funny because when and how did she even find this spa? How long has she been going by herself? Look how comfortable she is like dhjfjcd she’s definitely a regular and they all know her.

Real-life: Saunas are pretty modern, starting up in Finland around 1112. (In canon, I think a firebender and a waterbender run a sauna in Republic City so hey.) Mudbaths on the other hand have been around for centuries and people have been doing it at any naturally occurring hot spring they can found. I don’t even have to tell you about massages so

My headcanon: Katara always knows where the spas and selfcare places are wherever they go. I definitely think she scooped up some stuff at the perfume abbey in season 1 (because she’s a kleptomaniac). I also headcanon she would have a spa setup in the back of Republic City Hospital because selfcare is healthcare too. Also, Aang gives her massages at home and he’s surprisingly good at it, but, Katara sucks at massages and Aang never lets her do it to him after that one time 💀

3. Yoga

In 3x11, Nightmares & Daydreams, Katara teaches Aang yoga to de-stress in a hot spring. My thing is, when did she learn about yoga and how often does she do it? We needed the Katara yoga mini shorts special. The kids would’ve loved it.

Real life: Yoga originating from ancient India is practised in a variety of forms in Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism. The poses they do are the Upward Salute and the Wide Legged Forward Bend.

My headcanon: I imagine Katara must have read about this at the Air Nomad Section of the Spirit Library, given the cultural heritage. Knowing her she found a yoga scroll and swiped it (can you say klepto?). This is another selfcare thing she does with Aang because it’s his culture! They do it every Saturday until he starts complaining about his old bones 😅

4. Hair care

Katara also wears a special cap on her head when doing yoga which I assume is to protect her hair from the steam 🤔 I just found it very interesting since we hardly see her hair covered. Then I also realized Katara is the only character shown actually combing her hair and styling it like 4 times: from the bun-braid, to the formal earth kingdom look, to her fire nation look and finally the bun with her hair out.

Real life: I typed so many things and I finally found something similar called a chinoiserie satin skull cap? (sorry pic limit). It’s similar in design and even has a tassel like Katara’s. Focusing on her hairstyles, the signature “hair loopies” are actually based on a traditional Inuit style known as qilliqti and her earth kingdom look is based on a traditional Manchurian style called liangbatou.

My headcanon: Like Katara’s mysterious seaweed lotion recipe, she probably makes several haircare products for herself, and has a major hair routine. So, it would make sense she wears protective caps from time to time. I also think both Hama and Katara are tied to the myth of Senna, the Inuit sea goddess, through the comb Katara uses which I headcanon is the identical comb Hama had in her home (again klepto).

If there’s any more selfcare moments I left out, please feel free to share or reply with your own Katara ✨selfcare queen✨ headcanons!

[songofsoma]

under the light of her moon

pairing: dame aylin x isobel thorm words: 1,243

read it on ao3

Isobel watched as the curls of steam filtered into the night air off the surface of the hot spring. She could see their reflection on the water’s surface, though obscured as Aylin’s languid movements sent ripples across it. 

The night air was startlingly cold compared to the heat of the hot spring. They had discovered it on their travels to a rumored Selûnite outpost and had decided to set up camp on its banks.

It had been Aylin’s idea to undress and enjoy what nature had to offer. Judging by the way her lips curled, Isobel could sense the underlying motivation for her suggestion. It was confirmed when her eyes were alight like silver flames as she shed her robes. 

When they waded into the water, Aylin curled an arm around her, pulling her in close. She led them further into the spring until it was Aylin keeping her head above water as Isobel could no longer touch the ground. 

She curled her legs around Aylin’s middle and wound her arms around her neck as Aylin nuzzled her face into her hair.

“I thought you said you wanted to wash,” Isobel mused, the tips of her fingers tracing through the hair at the nape of her lover’s neck. 

“I do, I want to enjoy you first,” she murmured, her nose dragging a soft line across her cheek before she kissed her temple. “Even when I have you near, I still find myself missing you terribly. It’s as if I shut my eyes and death has stolen you from me once more.”

Isobel clutched her tighter. “The one good thing my father did was bring me back to you,” she whispered, her throat tightening with the threat of emotions bubbling back to the surface. “You will never be taken from me again, Aylin.”

Her mind soured at the thoughts of what a century had done to Aylin. While she had been within the peaceful nothing of death, her beloved had been caged and murdered by Sharrans. And by her father’s doing. That was what sickened her the most. 

Absent-mindedly, her hand caressed over her shoulders and down her back to feel the scars the Dark Justiciars had left behind. She pulled back in Aylin’s arms to gaze at her. The woman’s expression was soft and seemingly at peace. Isobel knew she’d never truly admit the true torment that plagued her mind. But she knew. 

She knew that at night, Aylin could be restless, her head rolling from side to side as sweat glistened on her brow and she muttered broken words. Isobel would stroke her cheek or pull her into her embrace and the nightmares would ease. 

Isobel would take care of her, whether Aylin asked for it or not. 

“Come,” she prompted, wading Aylin toward the shallower waters. “Let me wash your hair.”

Aylin allowed herself to be guided to where the soaps had been laid out.

She began by undoing the braids Aylin had, carefully setting aside each tie so they could be collected and stored away for later. She’d made a habit of helping her style her hair when it needed to be redone. Still, she loved it when it was loose like this, framing her pale skin with silken moonlight. 

Isobel smiled at her adoringly as she ran her fingers through the blonde strands, smoothing away the tangles from the road. Aylin practically melted at the touch and pressed her head into her palm. 

“Turn around, beloved,” Isobel said as she picked up a soap bar. “Now wet your hair, please.”

Aylin did as instructed, sinking into the water and leaning back to submerge the back of her head. She peered up as Isobel as she did, allowing Isobel to steal a quick peck on her lips. 

When she rose again, Isobel had lathered the soap on her palms and began to massage it into her hair which had been saturated into a dark blonde. Her fingers pressed against Aylin’s scalp as she washed her hair and it extracted a lovely, low groan from her. 

“You are too good to me,” Aylin said, head tipping back into her ministrations. 

Isobel smiled softly, continuing to work the sweet-scented soap through her hair. She had picked up the necessities from the city before they departed camp. She had splurged a few extra gold on an extra bar of soap that smelt of rosehip and bergamot. Now as the fragrance permeated the air, she was glad she did. It was calming in a way. 

She prompted Aylin to let her head fall back into the water and Isobel began to rinse the soap from her hair. The water around them smelled of the fragrance as suds created a halo around Aylin’s head. 

Her eyes were closed and her breathing was even. If Isobel hadn’t known better, she would assume Aylin had fallen asleep. But when they fluttered open at the feeling of her gaze, Aylin smiled, she was just at peace finally. 

Eventually, she rose and caught Isobel in an embrace once more. It was hard for the woman to keep her hands to herself, not that Isobel minded. 

“I could spend the rest of my days like this,” Aylin said as their foreheads pressed together. 

“In a hot spring?” Isobel teased.

It drew a chuckle. “So long as if it were what my darling desired.”

She traced the lines of muscles adorning her shoulders. “She sounds very lucky, this darling.”

Aylin hummed her disagreement. “I would have to argue that I am the lucky one.” Finally, she closed the space between them and kissed her tenderly.

Isobel had never realized she could miss something in death. She didn’t remember her time not anchored to the earth, but still, her heart ached for all the years they had been apart. She missed it terribly now for the century she could not. 

After they had both felt cleaner and their hands and feet began to prune, they lay on a fur hide near a fire Aylin had built. The coolness of the night air had resolved them to dress, much to Aylin’s displeasure.

Isobel ran her fingers through Aylin’s damp hair as her head lay against her breast, and both their eyes turned to the starry sky above. 

“Do you think she can feel that I’m free?” Aylin asked suddenly, still gazing upward. 

“Hm?” 

“My mother. Do you think she knows I’m no longer her sister’s tool?”

Isobel looked down to see Aylin’s features turn fretful. “I’m sure she does. Why do you ask, my love?”

“I just thought that there might be some sign or I may even hear something from her.” She shook her head, finally turning her face away from her mother’s face in the sky. “But there’s been nothing.”

She pondered this. Even she, a cleric of Selûne, didn’t have an answer. “I’m sure she knows. I know she’s watching. She loves you, Aylin.”

Aylin nodded and turned on her side, nestling into Isobel. The woman was far larger than she was but always found a way to curl into her to be held. “I am just happy to exist beneath the light of her moon once more,” she murmured finally. 

As Isobel lay next to the crackling fire with her lover tucked snuggly in her arms, she felt the truth of that statement for herself for she had risen from the dead to be loved by Aylin once more. 

[archaeology-findings]

Adventures in Plant Dyeing: Part 6 - Tansy

During the spring break I decided to do some more plant dyeing, this time with tansy. Tansy is a yellow flower that was traditionally used for medicinal purposes. It's meant to yield bright yellows on its own, and olive green with iron.

I used 50g of dried tansy to dye 250g of wool fibre, which ended up not being a great idea as the dye wasn't very concentrated and all my colours were quite pale. I could have partially solved this by putting some of the skeins in first to obtain a more vibrant shade, then putting the rest after a few minutes to get a paler colour, but I was unreasonably optimistic and hoped I'd get some bright colours anyway.

I used 3 50g skeins of white pure wool, one of which was my handspun, and 1 100g skein.

I mordanted all the skeins with alum for 45 minutes while I soaked the dried tansy in hot water to extract the dye. The dyebath turned a rich, dark brown.

Then I strained the dye bath and split it into 2 pots, adding calcium carbonate to one. I put 3 skeins in the original bath and one in the bath with the calcium carbonate. I heated them for half an hour, making sure they didn't boil, and left them to cool for 15 minutes. The skein in the bath with the calcium carbonate turned a pretty shade of lemon yellow, while the others were a slightly more mustard colour.

I then rinsed all the skeins before preparing one afterbath of citric acid and one of ferrous sulphate (iron), to use as colour modifiers. I did this by adding roughly a teaspoon of the modifier to a few inches of hot water, then adding the yarn and heating gently for 15 minutes until they had changed colour.

The iron did indeed turn the pale yellow into a pale green as expected, however the citric acid, which is meant to produce cooler yellows, only succeeded in lightening the already-pale yarn, leaving me with a beige yarn barely more pigmented than the white I started off with.

Here are the yarns after drying:

From left to right: Citric acid, calcium carbonate, no modifier, ferrous sulphate

On the whole I'm pretty happy with the results given how little dyestuff I used, but I would definitely try this again with a much higher dye-to-fibre ratio. I think I'll leave the beige skein in my dyeing basket to be redyed next time...

[lulu2992]

Uncovering the unreleased Far Cry 5 in-game Encyclopedia

The almost complete but unused in-game encyclopedia, reconstructed thanks to the oasisstrings file.

Please note that it’s still cut content, so some information might not be relevant anymore.

You can read the oasisstrings file here. Pictures from this encyclopedia were also extracted and posted by @xbaebsae here.

Part 4: Locations - Henbane River

Tanami Residence

Some idiot drove a dredge into Roy Tanami's property, damaging his bunker beyond repair. Out of options, Tanami swallowed his pride and joined the Whitetail Militia up north.

Vasquez Residence

Home of Mr. Vasquez, former employee of Nolan's Fly Shop.

Hollyhock Saloon

One of the first businesses to fall to Eden’s Gate when they banned alcohol in the county. No one knows if the owners moved or were taken.

Can of Worms Fishing Store

Rods and tackle a-plenty. Owned by Sherri Woodhouse, who does salvage runs for sunken treasure in her spare time.

Deep North Water Treatment Plant

Built in 2002 to treat the toxic water from decades of mining practices. Today, Eden’s Gate uses it to disperse Bliss into the water.

Misty River Gas

A local gas station by the water, owned by Mr. McDevitt.

McCoy Cabin

Home of Darby McCoy who joined the cult against his will. This cabin is both close to the water and the Misty River Gas, an ideal spot for the cult to run operations.

Peaches Taxidermy

Mable's a rough-edged taxidermist. She lives here with her pet cougar.

Barlow Residence

Residence of Dr. Phil Barlow. He was a pharmacist who joined Eden’s Gate.

McClean Residence

Residence of Travis McClean. He was a former Air Force veteran turned prepper. Like so many others, he and his husband are on the run from Eden's Gate.

Eden’s Gate Outreach Center

This was once a place to learn more about Eden’s Gate and the Father’s message. Nothing out of the ordinary, until it became what it is today.

The Pillars of Eden

An outdoor amphitheater and a place of worship for Eden's Gate.

Drubman Marina

The Drubman Marina began in 1992 as an oil sands prospecting venture. Hurk Drubman Sr. became rich, but ost the property in a divorce to his wife Adelaide. She has big dreams for the place.

Silver Lake Campgrounds

A place to camp with a nice view of the mountains, the water, and the Whitetail Mountain Rail Bridge.

Silver Lake Summer Camp

An old summer camp. It was forced out of business by Eden’s Gate about 8 years ago. The cult used this place to stockpile their goods while their bunkers were being built.

Howling Cave

A well-known wolf habitat. The cult frequently takes animals from here and sends them north to Jacob.

Taft Lookout Tower

An old firewatch tower built in 1945. The cult uses it as a checkpoint and surveillance location. As expected, it is heavily guarded at all times.

Raptor Peak

A mountain peak that's a favorite nesting spot for birds of prey.

Camp Cougars

The Resistance has set up a camp to use as a base of operations for attacks against the cult and rescue missions for those on the pilgrimage path.

Dire Wolf Basin

A smoking basin that Eden's Gate has claimed as their own. Also a place of worship for the cult.

Sabre-Tooth Springs

These hot springs and the nearby cave used to be a tourist destination. It's right next to a road, meaning this location spent little in advertising. Today, it only attracts the cult.

Eden’s Convent

The very first building set up by the Project at Eden’s Gate in Hope County. People came here for spiritual retreats and to learn the Word of Joseph. When they left, if they did, it was with a permanent smile on their faces.

Sacred Skies Youth Camp

Formerly a Christian youth camp that was shut down fifteen years ago when the population dwindled. Eden’s Gate quietly bought it ten years ago. They use the land for growing Bliss flowers while living on-site.

Joseph’s Word

A statue of Joseph Seed that was constructed almost overnight. It commemorates the Father bringing his Word to the world. It also houses a rare, one-of-a-kind manuscript that is sacred to Eden's Gate.

Purpletop Antenna

Eden's Gate controls the radio towers. There's no signal but Joseph's Word out here.

Dead Man’s Mill

A water mill left over from the gold rush heyday. Everyone in Hope County has a different version of how it got its name, but the most popular story is a man's suicide after the closure of the mines.

Mastodon Geothermal Park

A tourist attraction established in 1836. People used to come here to admire the unique geological landscape. Now Eden's Gate uses it as an execution site.

Chan Residence

Back in the day, the owner of the Sacred Skies Youth Camp lived here. The cabin now belongs to Jasmine Chan, a big game hunter who was recruited into Eden's Gate against her will.

Counselor’s Cabin

This used to be the counselor's cabin when the Sacred Skies Youth Camp was in operation.

Nature Cabin

It once belonged to the Sacred Skies Youth Camp. Kids would come here to learn about animals, or rest after hurting themselves on the nearby zip line.

Throne of Mercy Church

A gold rush era church run by Jerrod Wilson, a preacher and rival of Emmet Reaves in the late 1800s. The church survived until about ten years ago when the cult closed it down.

Administrator’s Cabin

This used to be the administrator's cabin when the Sacred Skies Youth Camp was in operation.

Boshaw Manor

The humble dwelling of Charlemagne Victor Boshaw IV, gentleman fire enthusiast.

King’s Hot Springs Hotel

Once a spot for the posh to "take the waters," a landslide triggered by an earthquake in 1917 closed it temporarily and made it a ghost hunter's gem. It reopened, only to close again in 1994. Eden's Gate has put it to good use.

Moonflower Trailer Park

Once the fanciest trailer park in Montana run by the Boshaws. When the economy dried up and the Boshaws did nothing to retain their tenants, people relocated to the Silver Lake trailer park in the Holland Valley.

Sinclair Residence

Frankie Sinclair dreamed of being a world class French chef. Only problem? He couldn't speak a lick of French. He worked at the King's Hot Springs Hotel until it closed in 1994.

Horned Serpent Cave

A sulfur cave that's part of the volcanically active landscape of the region. It was once an industrial site, but the cult has turned it into a mass grave for Angels who can serve the project no more.

Henbane River Station

Copperhead Rail was created in the late 1800s by Emmet Reaves. It was shut down in the early 70s after the last of the local mining industries dried up. This station has been abandoned ever since.

Grimalkin Radon Mine

Once a part of a radon spa chain, it shut down in the 60s. Guy Marvel fell in love with the aesthetic and figured it’d be the perfect place for his next movie masterpiece.

Lydia’s Cave

In 1912, some loggers saw a girl eating a goat with wolves. She was captured in this cave and brought to a doctor who named her Lydia. She escaped and was last seen deep in the wilds suckling two wolf cubs.

Whistling Beaver Brewery

This brewery and pub opened in the late 1880s. It closed in 1916-1918 for Prohibition and reopened in the 30s. Pushed out of the national market by artisanal beer, the brewery was struggling and quietly sold to Eden's Gate.

The Misery

A dredge that belonged to the Catamount Mining Company. When the mines dried up, they tried to get gold from the riverbeds, but failed and abandoned it. The Resistance tells horror stories about what goes on there now.

Faith’s Gate

A bunker under Faith's guardianship. It is shrouded in Bliss, ensuring that those who are sheltered here will not be frightened when the Collapse comes.

Feeney Residence

Home of Dwight Feeney, a prepper and chemistry aficionado who joined Eden’s Gate when they promised him an important role in the creation of Bliss.

Eden’s Altar

A place of worship for Eden’s Gate. The faithful gather to hear sermons about Joseph’s visions and plans.

Gethsemane Greenhouse

A building used to precisely control the growing conditions of plants. Whatever these plants were before, they are now Bliss flowers.

Lorna’s Truck Stop

Lorna Rawlings used her BINGO winnings to create the best place for hard-working truckers like her husband to refresh and refuel. The cult came to take the place. She said no. She hasn’t been seen since.

Henbane River Chalets

A tourist trap that was shut down by the cult. The lake view was also sought after as a filming location.

Aubrey’s Diner

One of the first places to close when the cult took over. Their grilled cheese was no good.

O’Hara’s Haunted House

A professional clown named Edward O'Hara bought a barn and turned it into a haunted house that was a Halloween tradition in Hope County. Edward himself disappeared, and people disagree on whether or not the cult got him.

Ghost Cat Mine

The old mine has been closed for decades but the headframe warehouse is still there, used by the cult to store their containers of Bliss.

The Last Best Resting Place

An old, overgrown graveyard left from the gold rush era.

Jones Residence

Home of Kanti Jones, a Blackfoot woman and ranger who used to work in Whitetail Park. She was forced into retirement when the park closed. She fought against Eden’s Gate, dying in a shootout in her home.

Nelson Residence

Home of Coyote Nelson. He tried to lay low and enjoy fishing and painting but his peaceful pastimes didn't save him.

8-Bit Pizza Bar

The presence of pizza and an arcade made this the most exciting spot for teens within a hundred miles.

Pepper Residence

Holly Pepper and her girlfriend Charlie were among the first locals to join Eden's Gate. They abandoned this house and were never heard from again. The cult turned the property into a grow op.

Hope County Jail

20 years ago, a riot caused a jail break and a bus full of escaped prisoners ran off the road somewhere in Holland Valley. Later on, the prison closed due to budget cuts. Today, the Cougar resistance takes shelter here.

Nolan’s Fly Shop

Nolan Pettis ran his fly shop and gave fishing tours happily for years, although he was never a famous outdoorsman like local celebrity Skylar Kohrs. The money for his shop dried up and he joined Eden’s Gate.

Johnson Residence

Bob and Penny Johnson struck it rich in cattle futures, then they lost everything. After such a fall from grace, Joseph’s cult seemed welcoming. They handed everything over. No one knows where they are now.

Bright Warden Radon Spa

A health spa shut down in the 60s. Eden’s Gate has been spotted going in and out of this mine, using it as a storage facility.

Prosperity

Founded by rail and lumber baron Emmett Reaves. As the industry dried up, the town died and people moved west to Fall’s End. What remains of the ghost town is now used by junkies and the homeless.

Abercrombie Residence

Home of Melvin Adams Abercrombie. He robbed a bank in the 1940s and got away with it. He used his money to build this property and to prepare for the total collapse of the global financial system.

McCallough’s Garage

Once owned by Steve McCallough. He tried to warn everyone about Eden’s Gate, and even had a getaway car and some supplies ready. One day, his shop got boarded up and Steve was nowhere to be found.

Jessop Conservatory

Dr. Rachel Jessop created this place to protect and research at-risk flora and fauna. After budget cuts gutted her funding, Eden's Gate bought her out and devoted the facilities to developing potent strains of Bliss flowers.

Harrison Lookout Tower

One of the towers built in the 1940s to spot forest fires. It was abandoned ten years ago when funding ran out and the cult bought the property. It overlooks the site of one of Clutch Nixon's legendary stunts.

Seeley’s Cabin

Residence of Dwight Seeley. He worked in the local mines and then got kicked out of his place when the cult took over.

Deer Tiger Mine

Established in 1912, this mine was closed down in the 70s. Eden’s Gate appears to use it for storage.

Puma Mine

Another relic of a bygone gold rush, the Puma Mine has been abandoned for decades.

Ancient Bison Tunnel

A closed-off tunnel. No one gets in. No one gets out.

[nichenarratives]

Hurricane Heller 24

A Niche Narratives Fanfiction

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Aleichem Shalom (Part 2)

Rain continues to pour, soaking those unfortunate enough to be traversing the cobbled streets of New York City that fateful spring night. Gentlemen keep a hand on their hats, while young ladies struggle with umbrellas often turned inside-out by sudden gales that sweep through narrow streets, though they all march with their heads low, eyes to the streets and shoulders hunched against the chill. Following the curves of the street to navigate their way home in the onslaught of a frosty April shower, none look up to the inky darkness of a cloud-soaked sky to note a strange cloud formation cresting a crescent moon.

Where thick cover had so recently disguised a thin sliver of light, the celestial body now peeks through strings of thin clouds that settle across its surface. To the skeptics, it remains a delicate dance of deep gray tendrils cast across a natural satellite, worthy of a photograph for those blessed enough to own a camera. However, others would skim the outline and notice a distinct shape of a skull etched into the sky, then pray to their respective Gods for ill fortunes to pass them by, bless themselves and move on.

Within the ambivalent formation, orbital sockets set within the skull visage watch not all those mortals scampering below, but specifically events involving Mordecai Heller, in the alley behind his converted townhouse apartment. 

The rainfall here is incessant and heavy, dissuading either tom from casting their gazes up as it clatters off of neighbouring roofs and sloshes down gutters in torrents. Even while manhandled into an alleyway towards certain death, Mordecai is grateful for the hat keeping the rain from pounding directly onto his head that night. The splattering of water on cobbles and synchronous clicks of two pairs of loafers aside, the hat allows him to think clearly as he's still urged forwards, dragged by a bicep from the road.

Water collects in sunken pavements and the tuxedo is forced to step in precisely three puddles, instantly soaking his sock through holes in the sole of a shoe he'd booked to be cobbled in two days. Mordecai hasn't time to lament the unfortunate event however, as Gabriel leads him into the relative darkness of the back alley with a firm grip on his bicep. Pulled from the warming light of street lamps, in murky city depths mostly devoid of life and illuminated solely by waning moonlight, the tuxedo shivers from a sudden influx of dread that, thankfully, may be easily misconstrued as a chill.

Planning an escape in the trunk of a car had been far less daunting than facing death. Mordecai can scarcely breathe by the time the persian tells him to stop, the claws in his arm retracting almost as soon as he does so. He shivers in place, ears folded flat to his head and shoulders hunched against the rain, not daring to move as he hears Gabriel begin to go through pockets behind him. The motions are almost drowned by the rhythmic hammering of thick water droplets on the brim of his hat.

Hands deep in his own pockets, the tuxedo traces his thumb against the short blade pressed into his right palm. Mordecai dares a glance over a shoulder at his executioner as Gabriel extracts a new packet of cigarettes and a lighter from an inside breast pocket. The man looks agitated, movements swift and jerky rather than his usually smooth motions, lips pressed into a fine line beneath a broad brim that ensures a smoke teased from the pack remains dry enough to light. 

Gabriel doesn't even glance at his charge before taking a deep drag on the gasper, holding it for a long moment before exhaling sharply into the frigid night air. Hot breath condenses with smoke to make a voluminous gray cloud that dissipates into pouring rain almost instantaneously. Only then do haunted yellow eyes edged with deep lines meet olive for a seemingly endless second of eye contact, before the cleaner shakes his head and looks down to take another drag of nicotine, leaving the now smoldering stick between thin lips as he offers Mordecai one from the packet.

“I don't smoke,” Mordecai asserts in a tone almost entirely lost to heavy rainfall. A shudder of light fills the air as lightning strikes nearby, recategorizing the incessant rain to a fully fledged storm, a deafening clap of thunder seconds later desecrating otherwise intense white noise created by the rainfall. His calm words directly contradict how nervous he feels, an emotion that has his soaking tail tip flick from side to side, but he deflects his lingering internal discomfort with a sharp tongue.“It's a disgusting habit I refuse to indulge. If you have any sense, you’d abandon it.”

The persian takes his critical analysis on the chin, a smile curling the edges of his lips as he straightens up and slips the cigarette carton back into his coat pocket, yellow irises gleaming again. “That's what I always liked about you, Kosher.” Gabriel tucks a hand into his pocket and pauses to breathe another lungful of nicotine and tar, expelling this one with no finesse. “Stubborn as a mule, even to the last, so I'll give you until I finish my ciggie instead, for old time’s sake. Sound good?”

Mordecai doesn't respond, brows furrowing deeply with the insinuation there was something here to be appreciated. If Gabriel is offended, he hides it well, a puff of smoke and a tooth grin still on his muzzle. “It would be polite to turn around and face me though,” he says with emphasis, waiting expectantly for the tuxedo to comply before his lips stretch into a smile. “There we go! Ain't that nicer?” Olive eyes flicker to the smoldering stick between thin lips to gauge how much if it is left and Gabriel tuts. “The more we talk, the slower it'll burn, so let's catch up, hm?”

“Catch up?” The torturer mimics incredulously, scowl becoming confused. The only time they cross paths is when he hands off a target to torture, or Mordecai forces himself to attend a Christmas function. “What precisely could there be to ‘catch up’ with?”

The persian looks offended by the question, almost hurt even as his shoulders sag a little. “I thought you were clever,” he comments, then there's a pause as Gabriel sucks on his cigarette with pronounced eye contact. He exhales when he next speaks, though his tone has lost much of its playful warmth. “I read your file, once the boss marked you for death. You got real lucky climbing the ladder, didn't you? Two different bosses who skimmed profits, both ripe for removal just as you could step up into their shoes? Astounding timing.”

When Mordecai’s only response is a tired glare and a flicked ear, Gabriel pointedly moves the cigarette towards his lips, brow raised. The tuxedo doesn't need to be shown the convenience of answering his questions twice. “I was surprised it went unnoticed,” Mordecai responds just before the cigarette reaches pale lips. When Gabriel subsequently lowers it without inhaling, Mordecai elaborates briefly, stalling for more time. “Jimbo was a mshugener; cruel but shortsighted, making him easy to outwit. Fiores was just unfortunate enough to be in the way-”

“I don't get it, Kosher,” Gabriel interrupts, dull yellow eyes meeting olive greens, though the sharp edge that's been present since Mordecai was ambushed has faded. “You were an underboss, an interrogator, compensated well for both, and you were the first Jew to make it into Savage’s circle, yet you threw it all away for money you didn't even spend?” The persian shakes his head and habitually takes a drag on his cigarette, exhaling heavily afterwards. “Why throw it all away for money stuffed into your walls?”

The tuxedo weighs his options briefly; the truth will put his family in danger, yet lies embedded in truth are far easier to maintain than outright fallacy. With that in mind, he picks and chooses what to share. “I have been embezzling for years,” he admits quietly, seeing the slight surprise on the persian’s muzzle. Their auditor had focused solely on his recent, more obvious money siphoning and overlooked the small amounts he'd taken prior. “I've been scraping profits since I took Jimbo’s job.”

“Been in it for the long haul,” Gabriel acknowledges with a soft whistle. Jimbo was murdered eight years prior. It was the first time he's heard of Elijah Katz back then, or the ‘Little Bookie’ as Fiores called him. No one paid attention to the minor shake up until Fiores also died at Katz’s hand, and even then he'd been the victim, not the mastermind. Now that - plus his swift rectification of Fiores’ poor bookkeeping - put the boy on the Don’s radar, which in turn brought him into Gabriel’s radius. “They told me, when I took you on, that you were clever. But you outdid yourself even by their expectations. Until you got greedy-”

“I didn't get greedy,” Mordecai shoots back, his ears folded back and tail whipping irritably behind him in the rain. “Expenses were piling up, my savings were dwindling and I was running out of time to-” He cuts himself off before he says specifics, very aware that Gabriel raises a brow in question. He swallows hard as his gaze closes focus, tone losing intensity. “I’ve people relying on me. With no additional branches of income and fees mounting, I had no choice.”

It's Gabriel’s turn to soften his gaze, his own ears folding back. “You could've asked for help.”

He snorts harshly, an odd sound from a usually stoic feline that has Gabriel scrunching his nose. “From who?” Mordecai motions around the alley in overt exasperation. “Mr Savage? Jameson? You?” He asks incredulously, baring his fangs as he bears the inane question the Persian gainfully ignored. “I wasn't going to get indebted to the mob, Gabriel. I'd end up taking loans every month, paying back more than I made from the deal. I'd end up working just to pay my debts until-”

“I didn't mean borrowing from the mob,” the cleaner interrupts, cutting Mordecai off sharply, though there is little malice in his tone. If anything, he looks tired again, as he had done back at the factory. The lines of his mouth sag with sorrow while Gabriel drags his hand down his face with a sigh. “I would've lent it to you,” he says gently. Mordecai isn't sure he heard him right as his voice is swallowed by rainfall. He has to ask him to repeat himself and Gabriel does in frustrated tones. “I figured we were friends, Kosher. I would've lent it to you, interest free, as a favour.”

Friendship isn't a concept Mordecai is familiar with; he'd been friendly with Natalya only to discover their parents conspired the entire affair. Though he'd not been sociable before, the tuxedo tom had decided friends were too much hassle after breaking their friendship off and had focused solely on his career and his family since. It hasn't occurred to him that a friendship could spawn one-sided, leaving him both perplexed and surprised.

“I knew we'd be a good team from the day we met,” Gabriel reminisces. “You weren't the usual kind of thug I get thrown, the type who takes pleasure in inflicting pain. They chop an’ mangle long after they get what they want from a mark but not you, Kosher. You’re methodical, calculating, precise, causing just enough pain to make ‘em squeal, then hand them off to me. You were a damn artist from day one and I knew right then I wanted to know you better.”

He pauses to take the last toke of his cigarette, then tosses it to the ground and stubs it out with his heel. Gabriel then reaches inside his jacket and pulls out a very familiar gun, the one Mordecai purchased for self protection when he took Fiores’ job. The tuxedo shrinks back a step as Gabriel checks the chamber and hums softly. Two shots, Mordecai recalls as the chamber is closed and the pistol raised between his eyes, just a foot away from touching his flesh.

“I didn't want it to end like this,” Gabriel laments on the other end of the barrel. The dark and the barrel shield his face, but he sounds regretful as he pulls back the firing pin with a definitive click. “Even back in the factory, if you just said where the money is, it could've been different. Instead, you made us drag you all the way back to the city. All for your Ma. It's sentiments like that have got you here, kid.”

Mordecai doesn't have a plan; his assailant is too far back to attempt an attack with the little blade inside his pocket. Gabriel has him at gunpoint within range to cause immediately deadly damage. Olive eyes go wide as pupils constrict, heart racing and chest tight with sudden anxiety that regardless of all his plans and contingencies, there's no way out this time.

A pale finger flexes on the trigger. Mordecai flinches and squeezes his eyes shut, a cry of fear on his lips as he turns slightly away from the gun barrel. Time seems to slow and a millisecond becomes sluggish, stretching into eternity until a sudden pop has his ears to ring. Stiff muscles jerking in anticipation of impact, the tuxedo gasps and prepares himself for the inevitable.

He waits for the pain, or for nothingness to take him, to suddenly forget he exists like the morphine had robbed him of consciousness. Mordecai silently prays that it will be swift as his chest heaves and his heart thumps in his jugular, body shaking with an unsuppressed fear he's not permitted to show until his last second on earth… a second that becomes two, then three. White brows pull into a frown as three becomes five and he finally feels something, but not what he expects.

Olive eyes snap open as dry lips press to white, his breath finally caught but heart still hammering in his neck as Gabriel leans closer, yellow eyes closed as a hand comes to cup the tuxedo’s jaw and tilts his head up to deepen the kiss, a deep purr rumbling in the persian’s chest. Mordecai can only stare, his lips still with shock against moving whites, his body rigid and ears turned aside in confusion, wondering for a brief moment if he’d actually died and gone to hell.

Then his fingers brush the knife in his pocket and it drags him far more firmly back to reality. Gabriel had shot a bullet wide to fake his execution then stepped close to kiss him, either oblivious or uncaring of the danger he's put himself in while doing so. Now fully conscious and aware again, Mordecai isn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Ripping the knife from his pocket, Mordecai plunges it into Gabriel’s neck hard enough to snap the flimsy  blade clean off the handle.

Gabriel jerks violently as pain explodes in his neck, hand leaving Mordecai's chin to shakily grope at the wound in his throat, feeling the jagged blade left deep within soft tissues before pressing splayed fingers either side of the wound, applying pressure. He tries to scream in agony but gurgles a bubbling wave of fresh blood onto white lips instead, a stream that stains his teeth and soaks his chin in a terrifyingly dark crimson beneath lunar light, yellow eyes tinged with betrayal meeting fearful olives.

Mordecai steps backward, lips tingling with residual heat and breathing hard as he watches his victim’s reaction in real time, time suddenly speeding back up as Gabriel gurgles and spits blood. When their eyes meet, honey and olive both glimmer in the low light, white fur of opportunity dyed crimson as the skull visage looks on in disdain. 

The blade handle drops from a shaking hand to the alley cobbles with a clatter that echoes ethereally in heavy rainfall, somehow exceptionally loud in the darkness. Tuxedo stares at bloodied persian for a fleeting moment, a shared silence in the shadow of betrayal. On the precipice of his own mortality just seconds before, Mordecai still shudders, frozen with the fear of taking another's life on a whim, unseeing while his head thumps with his own pulse.

Gabriel struggles to level the gun with his chest with his upper body slumped forward, his own world off kilter from the shock and pain, unable to raise his arm to aim when it feels learn at his side. Mordecai just stands there, lost in his own terror until by some unfathomable fortune light flicks a nearby apartment and startles him to his senses. He sees Gabriel take aim, hears his pseudonym called from the end of the alley, smells the fresh blood flowing from his former friend’s maw mixing with the heavy scent of midnight rain, turning puddles red in the moonlight.

Adrenaline finally turning freeze into flight, Mordecai turns tail. Hat fluttering off his head, he sprints for the train station without looking back to see his fedora flutter into a puddle, white felt turning bright crimson as it soaks up the bloodied water.

[sparklyfaerie]

Zelink Week - Day 2: Forbidden

Since Ao3 is still down, I'm posting my submissions here until such a time as I can get it on the archive. @zelinkcommunity

Title: False Worship Summary: Really, what had her father expected? They are neither of them paragons of virtue, no matter how hard they try to give that impression. It had been inevitable that they’d be drawn to each other.

Words: 4,163 Rating: Explicit Pairing: Zelink (Breath of the Wild, pre-calamity) Extract:

They shouldn't be doing this—especially not here, not in a sacred spring of the old gods. But Zelda just doesn't care. The gods have ignored her all her life, despite her endless supplications. Despite all the soothsayers remaining convinced that she is the sacred princess of legend, destined to seal Calamity Ganon away. Why should she care about desecrating their holy sites? Maybe, this way, she might finally gain their attention—even if only to strike her down for blasphemy. It will be a pity to take Link with her, but she's already going to get him killed because she can't awaken her stupid powers anyway.

Ao3 Tags under the Read More

Ao3 Link Now Here! Tags: Pre-Calamity, Talking Link, Zelda needs a hug, Smut, Oral Sex, Vaginal Sex, Zelda hates Hylia a lot, and her father a little, minor in-universe blasphemy, First time, Unsafe sex

False Worship

If her father had known what assigning Link as her personal knight would lead to, Zelda is a hundred percent certain that he would not have gone through with it.

At first, she'd hated being left alone with him out in the wilderness. He'd been silent and watchful, barely speaking a word unless spoken to—and even then, keeping his answers as concise and neutral as possible. He'd made her feel judged and found wanting—at least until she'd come to understand him.

Now, she's rather glad that her father trusts him. It means there's no one around to witness them push aside their boundaries and cross into forbidden territory.

The waters of the Spring of Power splash and ripple as she drags him into it, mouth hot on his. His hands immediately slide down her body to cup her rear, the heat of them scalding her through her wet prayer gown.

He turns them on the spot and backs her toward the stairs, lifting her onto the lip of the stone next to them. His lips find her throat as her fingers bury themselves in his hair, tugging his tie out and tightening against his scalp. Her head dips back at the slightest suggestion of teeth—not enough to bruise, but there will be red marks for at least a few minutes when he's done with her.

"There is nothing wrong with you." He breathes into her ear as her free arm wraps around his shoulders. "Nothing."

She tugs him to stand between her parted thighs, his hands leaving burning trails as they push sodden fabric up, up, up. Her breath hitches as he tugs her earlobe between his teeth.

Of course there's something wrong with her. She's letting her knight have his way with her in a sacred spring, for goodness' sake.

…or is she having her way with him? She's not sure. She's relatively certain that he would never put his hands on her without her reaching for him first, at the very least. And he would certainly never desecrate such a holy place of his own volition.

Maybe it's just her, after all. He certainly doesn't seem to have lost Hylia's favour for defiling Her descendant. At least, not yet.

His lips seek hers, and then his tongue is in her mouth. She sighs through her nose, pressing herself against him and feeling the warmth of his frame bleed through their drenched clothing. Her fingers are cold when she sneaks them up under his tunic, but he doesn't so much as flinch as her thumbs brush against the bones of his pelvis.

She feels bad that she uses him like this, to soothe the ache that repeated failure has settled between her ribs. But still, she exults in the feeling of warm fingers tightening into the flesh of her thighs before he curses, fumbling with her uncooperative smallclothes.

She rakes her fingernails over his abdomen when his hand slips beneath sodden fabric, tearing her lips from his to bury her face in his shoulder. His fingers burn as they slip between her folds, fumbling, seeking.

They've only done this a small handful of times, and neither are particularly experienced. Zelda has never lain with a man before, and she's fairly certain that he's never had a woman, either. He'd once confessed to her that he felt pressured to live up to an unrealistic ideal of courage and virtue, to have a pristine reputation and never set a toe out of line. That means there can be no string of jilted lovers left in his wake.

Really, what had her father expected, throwing two repressed young people into each other's company, out of view of prying eyes? They are neither of them paragons of virtue, no matter how hard they try to give that impression to the world. It had been inevitable that they'd be drawn to each other, that lines would be crossed.

Link may be as inexperienced as she, but he's a quick study. He finds her clit after a few moments of searching, cursing through gritted teeth as he sets to pressing his fingers against her. She makes a broken noise into the fabric of his tunic as her thighs clench around his hips, pelvis jolting at the sensation.

"Too much?" He asks breathily.

"A little." She admits.

His touch eases up into something far more manageable—and altogether more glorious. She sighs into the crook of his neck, lips pressed against the throb of his pulse. His skin tastes of sweat and spring water, his heartbeat strong and rapid under her lips. "How's that?"

She tightens her arms around his shoulders, panting into his ear. She makes an approving sound from deep within her throat, humming as he sets into a rhythm that makes her blood run hot.

They shouldn't be doing this—especially not here, not in a sacred spring of the old gods. But Zelda just doesn't care. The gods have ignored her all her life, despite her endless supplications. Despite all the soothsayers remaining convinced that she is the sacred princess of legend, destined to seal Calamity Ganon away. Why should she care about desecrating their holy sites?

Maybe, this way, she might finally gain their attention—even if only to strike her down for blasphemy. It will be a pity to take Link with her, but she's already going to get him killed because she can't awaken her stupid powers anyway.

It's inevitable, she thinks absently as he removes his fingers and lifts her rear from the cold stone. Knowing what he wants, she struggles with sodden, clinging fabric, letting him lower her legs back to stand in the water so he can help divest her of her prayer gown. It drops with a wet thwap into the water beside her, immediately borne away by the current and over the small waterfall that feeds the bottom half of the spring.

She's overheating, even though she's completely bare from the waist up. She scrabbles with her smallclothes, shimmying them down her hips to complete her nakedness.

He hikes her back up onto the stone and kisses her again—hot, wet, and wanton. The stone is smooth from thousands of years of weathering under her buttocks, chill to the touch. But then, Zelda is already cold, heated skin erupting into gooseflesh as she reclines. Water seeps from her hair, pooling around her as she lowers her back to the ground, lifting and parting her legs to make room for him to lean over her.

Link's lips near scald her when he begins trailing kisses down her body. He worries a red mark into the space underneath her breast, before trailing down, over her stomach to between her thighs. He kneels, as if in prayer—as if he's before an altar, though the real one is behind him. As if there's anything about Zelda worth worshipping.

She can almost feel the judgement in eyes of the statue of Hylia, gazing placidly down at them from across the water, as Her holy champion prepares to put his mouth on Her descendant.

It makes her burn all over.

He presses wet kisses from her knee up her thigh, teeth and tongue gentle on her skin. Careful, ever careful not to leave evidence behind. She wishes he could mark her properly, that he could suck bruises into her skin, to leave his mark on soft flesh—but a princess has no privacy. Someone will see.

Her father would be furious. Even if Zelda denied that it was Link who had touched her, even if anyone believed her, he would still be dismissed for taking his eyes off her long enough for her to take a lover.

It had taken her a long time to accept that Link's post had been earned. As the Chosen Hero, the only thing he'd have to do would be to help her seal the looming darkness. He doesn't have to be her protector. Any old knight can be a royal bodyguard; he had earned the job with his bravery and skill.

He doesn't have to be her friend, either; he'd wormed his way into her affections with his kindness and compassion, by making her feel listened to and cared about and seen.

She doesn't want to take his accomplishments away from him. So she bites her tongue and doesn't beg him to leave evidence behind.

Her eyes stare up, unseeing, at the night sky as his lips finally close around her clit, tongue flicking gently. Her shaking hand reaches down and cards through his hair as she sighs, eyes slipping closed to block out the moon and the stars above.

The warmth of him is solid and real, something she can reach out and physically touch. His presence has gone from a thorn stuck in her side, reminding her of her failures, to a warm comfort that soothes the ache of disappointment every time her prayers go unanswered.

One of her feet slips to dangle in the sacred waters. Link hefts it up over his shoulder without breaking away from her. His fingers dig into her hips as he pulls her closer, bare skin scraping against stone.

She whimpers when two fingers slide into her, flexing and searching for the spot he'd discovered last time—the spot that had made her squirm and shake and cry out.

It's good—he's so good. He gives and gives and gives and gives, and never asks for anything in return. He'd nearly had an aneurysm the first time she'd gotten on her knees for him, in the woods on the way home from the Spring of Courage, trying to assure her that she didn't have to, that he was okay, that he didn't need her to do that for him.

She wonders if he'll let her do it again.

Maybe, she thinks foggily as he finds what he's looking for and she cries out, she's been worshiping at the wrong altar all along. She'd certainly felt a kind of power with her lips wrapped around him, his hand gentle in her hair as he'd steadied himself against a tree with a soft groan. It had been wicked, and sinful, and not even the tiniest bit holy, but it had been something.

Her hips jump against his face as he sucks, massaging her from the inside. The hand in his hair tangles and pulls, her free one scrabbling against stone without finding purchase. He twists his fingers, and her eyes fly wide, back arching off slick stone as her mouth opens in a silent scream.

Stars spin above her as moonlight ripples on the water around him. When she collapses onto her back and lifts her head to look down at her knight, she finds him haloed in reflected light.

His eyes are on her. She shivers as their gazes lock, something dark and feral hidden behind blown out pupils drinking her in.

Her head drops back against the ground, whimpers breaking free as her thighs start to twitch and her hips begin to grind against his face. It won't be long, now. Link is incredibly skilled in all that he does—it only makes sense that that extends into bed sports, too.

For once, she doesn't envy him his proficiency. Not with her being the beneficiary of this particular skill.

She comes with a cry rending the night air.

He withdraws his hand and lips as she comes down, spent and twitching and boneless. The chill is beginning to seep in; her teeth start to chatter as she pushes herself into a sitting position. Link is bent over in the spring, using the sodden hem of his tunic to wipe off his lips and chin with sacred water.

She spies the Goddess statue over his shoulder, her eyes narrowing in contempt against imagined condemnation. As if she's wilfully sullying Link with her imperfections when he has every opportunity to say 'no'.

"I'll get your dress, Princess." Link offers into the silence, voice strained but utterly unwilling to ask anything of her.

Zelda's hand snatches out, wrapping around his wrist. Wide, dilated eyes find hers.

She loves to see him unmade, the image of Hyrule's perfect hero mussed and blurred. He looks wild; wet up to his chest, hair loose and unkempt, flush high in his cheeks and eyes dark with want. He looks perfectly mortal and human and attainable.

She doesn't know what he sees when he looks at her. She's sure she can't look like more than a pathetically naked girl with reckless fury in her eyes. Not directed at him—never at him, not anymore—but against a world and a Goddess that asks so much of her that she just cannot do.

"Come here." She tugs his wrist.

He steps back between her thighs.

Undoing his belt is easy enough; metal doesn't become harder to handle when wet. The ties on his trousers give her a little more trouble, but she gets them undone enough to draw him out and into her hands.

She seriously considers spinning him around and sinking to her knees before him in a different kind of prayer than the kinds she's spent all day fruitlessly offering. But she spots the statue again, and something wild and self-destructive takes hold in her chest.

"Come here." She says again, scooting forward until she's just hanging over the edge of the stone.

He seems to read her intent. "Princess—we can't—"

"Why not?" She challenges, breathing into his ear, trailing butterfly kisses down his jaw to the corner of his lips. "Because I'm a princess? I don't care about that."

He says nothing in response. She hears him swallow thickly.

She draws back to meet his gaze, eyebrows raised. Without saying a word, she begins to stroke him, touch feather soft. She knows the skin of her hands is silky and soft, maintained by a rigorous skincare routine imposed upon her by her maids. Logically, it must feel different from the times he's taken himself in hand, with all his calluses.

"We don't have to if you don't want to." She tells him as he screws his eyes shut and leans his palms on the ground on either side of her hips. He doesn't answer right away. She tightens her fist around him a little, delighting in the soft grunt he lets out, frame jolting against hers.

"I want to." He groans, his forehead coming to rest against her shoulder. "But I shouldn't."

"If you want to, you should." She kisses the tip of his ear. "I want to." She teases a little, taking it between her teeth and biting gently.

His answering chuckle is hot against her collarbone. "As my Princess commands."

He never calls her by name, she thinks with displeasure. She's given up trying to tell him to.

His hands are rough and callused on her hips as he drags her forward, almost completely off her purchase; she's forced to leverage herself against him, breasts crushed to his chest as he reaches down to hold himself. The fabric of his tunic rubs against her nipples, sending shocks of sensation whizzing through her.

Her arms wrap around his frame as he presses inside her. One hand fists in the sodden fabric of his tunic, the other in his wild hair as she stretches around his intrusion—a delicious burn that she feels creeping all the way along her spine and punching the breath from her lungs.

The statue watches on as they breach this final barrier—a line they've never crossed before in all their fumbling exploration. This is something so far beyond forbidden that it crosses over into taboo. Even if she'd ordered him at knifepoint to take her, Link could be executed for his.

The thought makes her nearly combust. His entire frame shudders as her legs wrap around his waist, ankles locking over his clothed buttocks.

"Are you alright?" His face is buried in her neck, nose bumping against her pulse. "It doesn't hurt?"

"You feel wonderful." She breathes, tightening her limbs around him.

For once, she feels wild and free and alive.

Zelda's mother had told her a legend of the Goddess when she'd been a little girl. It was said, her mother told her, that the Goddess had loved Her chosen hero so much that She had chosen to submit Herself to the cycle of reincarnation when he'd been cursed by a great evil, so that She would be there to support him when he was inevitably reborn. The hero was Her true love, destined to find and love Her in every life.

Zelda certainly doesn't feel like Hylia reborn—but Link is, without question, Her beloved hero. And, right now, in this moment, he isn't Hylia's. He's hers. Zelda's. She holds him inside her body and within the circle of her arms, the heat of him seeping into her from the inside out.

His movements are jerky and unpractised, and probably not helped by the tight hold she keeps on him. Water sloshes around his thighs and he grunts against her throat. His hands cradle her hips, moving her with him in an instinctive rhythm that she can't even begin to understand.

She closes her eyes against the sight of the Goddess watching on in disapproval. She embraces her rumoured, supposed impiety. If her virtue isn't good enough to gain the Goddess's favour, then it's useless to her. Better to give it to someone who already finds her worthy.

"Touch me." She breathes into his ear, panting in time with his movements.

A hand leaves her hip to slide between their bodies and fumble at slippery flesh. She forgets, briefly, who and where they are—she forgets about her failure and the disapproval of her father, about the whispers among the court and the condemnation of the Goddess, about her power and the ruin it will bring if she doesn't awaken it. All she knows is the man buried between her thighs; his grip on her hip, the feel of him in her arms, his breath skating across heated flesh.

She's still sensitive from her previous orgasm, fluttering around him as he jerks into her. That sensation, combined with his fingers, fills her to the brim and causes her skin to overheat.

He curses into her throat. "Princess—Princess I have to—" She feels him try to withdraw. She makes a noise of disapproval, pressing closer to him and tightening her legs around his hips. "Princess—I can't finish inside—"

Just the thought of it curls her toes. She comes again with a cry at his words, a distant part of her brain noting that mental stimulation seems just as effective as physical.

"Shit—shit—!" Link shudders in her arms, and she feels him grind against her, hand snatching back to her hip and pulling her roughly against him. There's a spasm and unfurling warmth spilling inside her. Her legs had locked around him in orgasm—she'd unintentionally prevented him from pulling out.

She should be worried about that, but she's strangely calm about the whole thing as they collapse against the stones in a heap of damp, panting cloth and flesh. Her fingers run absently through his hair as he presses his forehead into her breasts.

He tenses after a moment. "I'm sorry." He scrambles off of her, eyes wide and panicked. "I shouldn't have—"

"It's alright." She pushes herself to sit with shaky arms. Her nerves are still fluttering as she regains her breath.

"But—"

She shakes her head. She already feels cold without him. "There are medicines that can… flush out anything that takes root. Purah won't ask questions if I tell her I need one." She feels hollow as she says the words.

He relaxes, running his hands over his face.

The feeling grips her, sudden and unbidden, that she wishes she wouldn't need such an elixir. That, if she found herself carrying his child, they could elope like regular people and raise their baby far away from disapproving eyes.

Tears prick at her eyes as her mind follows that path—to a future where Calamity Ganon never comes, where she can keep him forever and won't get him killed with her ineptitude. She buries her face in her hands and curses the Goddess for taunting her by placing him within her reach, but surrounding them with circumstances that prevents her from holding him properly.

"Princess? Are you—did I hurt you?!" Link's voice is aghast. When she lifts her head, cheeks wet with tears, his expression is pained. It's the most expressive she's ever seen him—because he thinks he's done something to hurt her. As if he's ever truly done anything to hurt her. She can only laugh at the absurdity of it all.

"No." She shakes her head, looking down at the bare skin of her lap. She can feel his spend beginning to leak out of her, pooling on the stone and running into the sacred waters. "No, I'm fine. I just—I don't know what's wrong with me. I'm sorry."

His hands come up to her shoulders, thumbs moving soothingly against her skin. His face ducks into her line of sight, eyes soft and kind. "Is there something I can do?"

You could run away with me, she thinks wistfully.

Instead of saying that, she gives him a watery smile. "Could you get my gown, please? I… need to clean up." She fights the urge to press her thighs together against the slightly uncomfortable trickling sensation.

"Of course." He doesn't kiss her again, like she wishes he would. Instead, he gives her shoulders a slight squeeze before letting go, wading toward the small waterfall and splashing down into the lower portion of the spring.

Zelda lowers herself back into the water. They've already defiled the spring by—she winces—fucking in it. She can't imagine cleaning away the evidence in its waters will damn her any more than she already has been.

It's terribly cold now that all is said and done. Still, she doesn't regret it. Now, even if they do succeed, even if her father decides to marry her off to some foreign prince or haughty noble, she can always remember that the first man she'd had had been one that she'd loved. Not a lot of women can say the same, especially women of rank.

She's not naïve enough to believe that she can ever keep Link in any meaningful way. Even if he loves her with the same all-consuming passion that she does him, her father would never permit it. Chosen by the Goddess or not, Link is a commoner. At best, if they somehow succeed, he'll be granted some kind of noble rank and shuffled off to a country estate to marry some nobleman's daughter, and Zelda will make the marriage that best secures Hyrule's political future.

And if they die, which is far more likely? Then at least she will have this experience to hold close to her heart for the rest of her short life.

As clean as she can make herself with only water and her own fingers, she wades, naked, out to stand in front of the altar with the statue. She pauses there for a moment, staring up at the Goddess's impassive face.

She offers no prayers, no supplications. She simply stares in defiance of the Goddess' judgement, daring Her to finally break Her silence to condemn her for her impiety.

Silence. There is only the rush of the water around her.

Sneering, Zelda slaps the surface of the spring, sending a wave of droplets spraying across the stone.

"Curse you." She mutters, glaring up at the statue.

It stares back placidly. Silently. Unflinchingly.

In this moment, Zelda has never hated anything more than the Goddess who turns a deaf ear to Her own descendant.

"Princess?" Link's voice calls over the spring. When she turns to him, he's holding a towel over his arm. "We should dry off. You'll get sick."

Her heart twists in her chest as she stares at him. Gods, but she wants to keep him. She wants to be able to hold him in her arms forever and tell him that she loves him, without having to worry about kings or countries or ancient evils.

But she is the Princess of Hyrule. Such a thing will never be within her grasp.

She wades toward him, taking his hand when he offers it to help her up the slippery steps. Gingerly, he wraps the towel around her shoulders. "I'll build up the fire again." He murmurs.

She nods silently. Then, he turns his back, and she says nothing as she watches him go.

"Curse you." She mutters under her breath again. Whether she's cursing Hylia, herself, her father, Ganon, or even Link… she doesn't know.

[moths-wc-aus]

CONTENTS

PSA!

Content Warnings!

Formatting

Words You'll See & What They Mean

Herbs & Medicines

Poisons

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PSA!

These plants are using HUMAN effects!  Do not feed your cat these plants for funsies, because they can be deadly! Also, heads up, this post contains plants primarily from the UK and North America, since the books take place in England and borrow animals from North America. There are also a few plants from... neither place!

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CWs!

Mentions of vomit, sickness, & death. Long post.

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Formatting

Scientific Name; Points towards which species I was looking at

Description; Appearance, taste, & smell

Location; Where they’re best found

Grows; The time of year they’re found

Usage; How they’re used (i.e. eaten, chewed, etc)

Effect; What they do

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WORDS YOU’LL SEE & WHAT THEY MEAN

Poultice; A medicinal method where one or more herbs are soaked in water, chewed together to make a wet mass, then applied to the body of the patient.   Honey is often added to thicken the poultice and help the herbs stick together.

Paste; The middle ground between poultice and pulp, pastes are prepared the same as poultices.  They can either be spread onto a wound or eaten by a patient.

Pulp; When two or more herbs are chewed into mush and eaten by a patient.  Nectar or honey may be added to make the pulp less bitter or more appealing.

Ointment; Two or more herbs mixed with lots of water, honey, herb extract, and/or nectar and rubbed onto the patient’s body.  Herbs are chewed into a pulp, mixed with liquid(s), and let sit to thicken for several hours.

Herb Extract; Juices that come from herbs.  Can be made either by kneading a herb (with things such as basil, borage, and lovage) or breaking the stems (with things such as milkweed and dandelion stems).

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HERBS & MEDICINES

╭━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━(A)━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━╮ Alder Bark Scientific Name; Alnus Description; Alder trees have dark grey bark- greenish on younger trees.   Location; On alder trees ; Along rivers ; In swampy, boggy, and marshy areas Grows; All year round Usage; Chewed by patient Effect; Eases toothaches

Alfalfa Scientific Name; Medicago Sativa Description; A tall plant with long, narrow leaves and purple, yellow, or white flowers.  It smells overpoweringly sweet as it blooms, and doesn’t have much of a taste beyond a vague nuttiness. Location; Rocky places with shallow soil ; Alongside Thunderpaths Grows; Mid- to late spring and early to late autumn Usage; Eaten by patient Effect; Prevents tooth decay

Ash Tree Sprouts Scientific Name; Fraxinus Description; A thin sprout with two small leaves. Location; Forests Grows; All year round Usage; Chewed into a poultice and placed on wound Effect; Treats poison from snake bites

╰━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━✶━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━╯

╭━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━(B)━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━╮ Basil Scientific Name; Ocimum Basilicum Description; An herb with square stems and rounded, slightly curved leaves.  It smells and tastes sweet and slightly pungent.  The plant doesn’t do well in the cold, and dies by the first frost of the year. Location; Hot, dry areas ; Twoleg gardens Grows; Late spring to very early autumn Usage; Eaten by patient Effect; Soothes headaches and cramping

Betony / Hedgenettle Scientific Name; Stachys Officinalis Description; Square, hairy stems with tall purple flowers with toothed leaves.  This plant has a charming, spicy, and earthy odor.  Its flavor is slightly spicy, with hints of bitter mint. Location; Meadows ; Open woodlands Grows; Late spring to autumn Usage; Eaten by patient Effect; Eases headaches & migraines

Bindweed Scientific Name; Convolvulus Tricolor Description; Bindweed flowers are trumpet-shaped and bright blue with a white center ring surrounding a yellow center.  It has a very strong smell. Location; Farmlands ; Grassy slopes ; In pastures ; Alongside Thunderpaths Grows; Summer to early autumn Usage; Binds sticks together Effect; No medicinal use, but can be used to tie sticks to a broken limb

Birch Sap Scientific Name; Betula Description; Best collected from young trees, when their bark is soft. Location; Within birch trees ; Almost anywhere Grows; All year round Usage; Swallowed by patient Effect; Gives energy ; Creates an appetite

Blackberry Leaves Scientific Name; Rubus subg. Rubus Description; The plant has pinkish-white flowers with five petals each.  The berries and leaves have a sharp, recognizable scent. Location; On blackberry bushes ; Almost anywhere ; Sunny places Grows; Mid-spring to late autumn ; Berries grow mid-summer to early autumn Usage; Coated on area of sting Effect; Mixed with other herbs into a poultice to soothe the pain of bee stings

Blazing Star Scientific Name; Mentzelia Laevicaulis Description; A flower with spiky leaves.  Its five bright yellow petals point out and resemble a star, giving it its name. Location; Sandy and rocky places ; Alongside Thunderpaths Grows; Mid- to late summer Usage; Eaten by patient Effect; Cures cowpox ; Soothes stomachaches ; Treats open skin sores

Blessed Thistle Leaves Scientific Name; Cnicus Benedictus Description; A tall plant with sharp, spiked leaves and hairy stems.  The flowers at the top are yellow or purple, and the leaves have a bitter taste. Location; Sunny, dry, rocky areas Grows; Mid-summer to early fall Usage; Spikes removed ; Eaten by patient Effect; Strengthens heart and lungs ; Improves appetite ; Treats colds, coughs, fevers, and bacterial infections

Borage Scientific Name; Borago Officinalis Description; The flower has five small blue or pink petals and hairy leaves.  The best leaves are about halfway up the stem and have a zesty smell to them.  They’re soft and have a distinctive taste, which they lose when dried out. Location; Near water ; In sunny areas ; Forests Grows; Early summer to mid-autumn Usage; Eaten by patient Effect; Produces better & more milk in nursing cats ; Brings down fevers ; Soothes stomachaches ; Relieves tight chests

Bright-Eye Scientific Name; Phlox Paniculata Description; Light pink flowers with a dark pink center.  It smells something like cannabis, and it tastes sweet, slightly spicy, and something like sugarsnap peas. Location; Sunny areas ; Wooded areas ; Thickets Grows; Mid to late summer Usage; Crushed into a pulp with other herbs and eaten by patient Effect; Cures coughs (when combined with lovage)

Broom Scientific Name; Cytisus Scoparius Description; A shrub with small leaves and little yellow flowers.  The flowers are often on their own stem, but can also grow in pairs.  Broom is wind-tolerant and drought-resistant when established. Location; Forests ; Sunny places Grows; Early spring to late autumn Usage; Ground into a poultice Effect; Assists in the healing of broken bones

Burdock Root Scientific Name; Arctium Minus Description; A tall-stemmed thistle with a sharp smell and dark leaves.  It has a bitter taste. Location; Almost anywhere Grows; All year round Usage; Chewed into a poultice - ensure that any dirt has been washed off first - and placed on the wound area. Effect; Numbs and heals rat bites, particularly when infected ; Soothes sore paw pads ; Causes nausea if eaten

Burnet Scientific Name; Sanguisorba Officinalis Description; A plant with globed pink flowers and leaves in small clusters.  They taste and smell almost like cucumbers. Location; In sunny forest areas Grows; Mid-spring to late autumn Usage; Chewed and swallowed by patient ; Good for cats close to giving birth and cats who are about to travel Effect; Gives strength ; Reduces hunger, bleeding, and inflammation ; Kills stomach parasites

╰━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━✶━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━╯

╭━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━(C)━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━╮ Catchweed Scientific Name; Galium Aparine L. Description; A tall plant with fuzzy green balls and white flowers on the end.  When it's matured, it turns brown and develops small hooks that catch in furs and pelts.  It has a pleasant, crisp smell to it, like fresh-cut hay. Location; Moist, shady places ; Forests ; Meadows ; Prairies Grows; All year round Usage; Placed on patient’s pelt to keep poultices in place Effect; No medicinal effect, but keeps poultices in place without pain if cobwebs are not available

Catmint Scientific Name; Nepeta Racemosa Description; A tall, leafy plant with a delicious smell.  The stem is hairy and the flowers are pale purple.  It looks almost like nettle, but doesn’t sting.  Easily killed by frost, but very tolerant of droughts. Location; Twoleg gardens ; Dry soil ; Sunny places Grows; Late spring to early fall Usage; Eaten by patient Effect; Cures greencough ; Soothes whitecough ; Deadly in high doses

Cat’s Claw Scientific Name; Dolichandra Unguis-cati Description; A creeping vine with sunny yellow flowers.  The flowers have five rounded petals.  The plant grows quickly and aggressively, and is very destructive.  It gets its name from its sharp thorns shaped like a cat’s claws.  The flowers smell fragrant and tastes bitter and woody. Location; Sunny places ; Forests Grows; Late spring to early summer Usage; Crushed and eaten by patient Effect; May prevent pregnancy ; Soothes swelling, arthritis, and ragged breathing

Celandine Scientific Name; Stylophorum Diphyllum Description; A yellow flower with four petals.  It has an odd, unpleasant, almost garlicky odor and a bitter taste. Location; Wooded areas ; Near water Grows; Mid-spring to early summer Usage; Crushed into an extract and dripped into the patient’s eyes Effect; Soothes weakened, infected, and damaged eyes

Chamomile Scientific Name; Chamaemelum Nobile Description; A small white flower with a large yellow center.  It has a mellow, sweet taste to it  and smells sweet and fresh. Location; Twoleg gardens ; Sandy soils ; Cool places Grows; Mid-spring to late summer Usage; Eaten by patient Effect; Strengthens the heart ; Soothes the mind

Chervil Scientific Name; Anthriscus Cerefolium Description; A sweet-smelling plant with large, fern-like leaves, small white flowers, and knobby brown roots.  It tastes and smells mildly sweet and grassy. Location; Twoleg gardens ; Cool places ; Dry areas Grows; Early spring to late summer Usage; Chewed into a paste and placed on wound area or swallowed by patient Effect; Soothes infected wounds ; Soothes stomachaches ; May be used as pain relief during kitting

Chickweed Scientific Name; Stellaria Media Description; A tall plant with flat, almond-shaped leaves.  It smells almost minty, and tastes salty and leafy. Location; Very sunny areas ; Forests ; Damp soil Grows; Early spring to late autumn Usage; Eaten by patient Effect; Treats greencough- though catmint is preferred as it does a better job

Cobnuts / Hazelnuts Description; A smooth brown nut with a hard outside shell.  They taste sweet, musty, and earthy. Location; Around or on hazel trees Ripens; Early to late autumn Usage; Eaten by patient Effect; Improves insulin sensitivity ; Strengthens heart ; Reduces inflammation

Cobwebs Description; Long, thin, shiny strands of silk woven into a web by spiders. Location; Just about anywhere ; Dark places Grows; All year round Usage; Pressed on or wrapped around wound Effect; Soaks up and stops bleeding ; Holds poultices in place

Coltsfoot Scientific Name; Tussilago Farfara Description; A flower with yellow or white petals resembling dandelions that smells almost like honey.  It’s a bit crunchy, and tastes like aniseed and licorice. Location; Near water Grows; Early spring to mid-summer ; Best in spring Usage; Chewed into a paste and placed on wound area or eaten by patient Effect; Eases rough breathing ; Cures kittencough ; Soothes cracked and sore paw pads

Comfrey Root Scientific Name; Symphytum Officinale Description; A plant with large leaves and bell-shaped pink, white, or purple flowers.  It has fat brown roots and a tangy smell. Location; Damp and grassy places Grows; Mid-spring to late autumn Usage; Chewed into a paste and eaten by patient or placed on wound Effect; Soothes wounds, itching, inflamed joints, and stiff shoulders ; May be used to soothe and treat burns

Cranberries Scientific Name; Vaccinium Macrocarpon Description; Cranberry stems are wiry and long, and the leaves are small, oval, and evergreen.  Small flowers appear in early summer, and the berries are ripe by early autumn.  The berries taste bright and tart. Location; Swamps ; Bogs ; Marshes Grows; Summer to autumn Usage; Eaten by patient Effect; Reduce inflammation ; Lowers blood pressure

╰━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━✶━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━╯

╭━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━(D)━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━╮ Daisy Leaves Scientific Name; Bellis Perennis Description; A white or pale pinkish flower with a bright yellow center.  It has thick oval-shaped leaves, a woody, earthy smell, and a bitter, nutty taste. Location; Shaded, grassy areas ; Forests Grows; Late spring to early autumn Usage; Chewed into pulp and eaten by patient ; May be used as a traveling herb Effect; Eases joint pain

Dandelion Scientific Name; Taraxacum Platycarpum Description; A yellow flower with long, hollow stems.  After it’s finished flowering, the head turns into a sphere of small white florets and seeds.  They have a tangy, slightly bitter taste similar to spinach and a subtle, bittersweet smell. Location; Just about anywhere Grows; Late spring to late autumn Usage; Leaves- chewed by patient ; Stem- broken and squeezed to extract juice, mixed into a poultice, and placed on area of sting ; Roots- eaten by patient Effect; Leaves- soothe pain ; Stem- soothes bee stings ; Roots- may combat poisoning by meadow saffron

Dock Leaves Scientific Name; Rumex Obtusifolius Description; A large-leafed plant with a tangy smell and taste. Location; Grassy areas Grows; Early spring to mid-autumn Usage; Chewed into a poultice and spread on wound Effect; Soothes scratches ; Soothes sore paw pads ; May sting when applied

Dried Oak Leaves Scientific Name; Quercus Description; Roundish, ruffled leaves Location; On or near oak trees Grows; Best found in autumn Usage; Chewed into a pulp and placed on wound Effect; Prevents infection

╰━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━✶━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━╯

╭━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━(E)━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━╮ Echinacea / Coneflowers Scientific Name; Echinacea Purpurea Description; Most of these flowers are magenta or purple, but some can be white, orange, yellow, or red.  They have a light, sweet, honey-like fragrance and an earthy, floral taste. Location; Dry plains ; Prairies; Forest clearings Grows; Early summer to early autumn Usage; Chewed into a poultice and placed on wound Effect; Treats infection

Elder Leaves Scientific Name; Sambucus Description; Elder leaves are longer than they are wide, with small serrated edges and hair on the underside.  The flowers of the tree appear in spring and grow in large clusters, and the berries are small and black. Location; On or near elder trees, often in groups of five to nine Grows; Early spring to mid-autumn Usage; Chewed into a poultice and placed on wound Effect; Soothes pain from sprains and dislocated joints

Eyebright Scientific Name; Euphrasia Nemorosa Description; A small flower that grows close to the ground.  It’s nearly impossible to identify until it blooms, as it tends to blend in with the plants around it.  It has small oval leaves and white flowers.  The petals have purple streaks and black centers and a yellow dot in the middle.  It has very little smell, but has a characteristic bitter taste. Location; Fields ; Roadsides Grows; Summer to early fall Usage; Leaves and petals are soaked in water and gently placed on the eyes of the patient Effect; Soothes redness, pain, swelling, and fatigue in the eye

╰━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━✶━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━╯

╭━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━(F)━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━╮ Fennel Scientific Name; Foeniculum Vulgare Description; A plant with thin, spiky leaves, a deep, sweet smell almost like licorice, and a mild flavor.  It cannot stand the cold particularly well, and will die by the first frost. Location; Dry soils ; Riverbanks Grows; Early summer to first frost Usage; Stalks are broken and squeezed to extract juice- juice is then swallowed by patient Effect; Soothes hip pain

Feverfew Scientific Name; Tanacetum Parthenium Description; A small bush with white flowers resembling daisies.  Has a sharp, tangy smell and small, soft leaves. Location; Alongside water Grows; Mid-summer to late autumn Usage; Eaten by patient Effect; Reduces fevers ; Soothes headaches

Foxglove Scientific Name; Digitalis Purpurea Description; A very tall pink or purple flower in a cone shape and with hairy oval leaves.  It smells just a little bit bad. Location; Almost everywhere ; Wet soils Grows; Late spring to early summer Usage; Flowers and seeds- eaten by patient ; Leaves- chewed into a poultice and placed on wound Effect; Flowers- induce vomiting ; Leaves- stop bleeding quickly ; Seeds- slow down the heart and calm a panicking patient- should be used in very small, very infrequent quantities, as too much could cause heart failure

╰━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━✶━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━╯

╭━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━(G)━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━╮ Ginger Root Scientific Name; Zingiber Officinale Description; The plant has a tall stalk and long, thin leaves.  The root itself is a light brown on the outside and a yellowy-orange on the inside.  It has a citrus scent and a warm, fiery taste. Location; Slightly shaded areas Grows; Early summer to late autumn Usage; Eaten by patient Effect; Soothes coughing

Goat Weed Scientific Name; Epimedium Description; A plant with thin oval leaves and tiny, spider-like yellow, white, pink, or orange flowers.  It has a bitter taste to it. Location; Twoleg gardens Grows; Spring to mid-autumn Usage; Eaten by patient Effect; Soothes anxiety and grief

Goldenrod Scientific Name; Solidago Virgaurea Description; A tall flower with bright yellow petals.  The taste is a little spicy, but mostly bitter, and smells like licorice when crushed. Location; Moors ; Plains ; Meadows Grows; Mid-summer to late autumn Usage; Chewed into a poultice and placed on wound Effect; Helps heal wounds ; Eases stiffness and joint pain

Goldenseal / Orangeroot Scientific Name; Hydrastis Canadensis Description; A small plant that’s slowly becoming more and more rare due to overharvesting and loss of habitat.  It has a single haired stem, two jagged leaves with five lobes, and a small white flower on the top.  It grows red berries which, though they look appealing, are quite poisonous.  The root is twisted and wrinkled and has a bitter taste to it, but can be used to make yellow dye and ward off insects. Location; Deep woods Grows; Spring to early summer Usage; Crushed and eaten by patient or placed on wound Effect; Boosts the immune system ; Fights infections ; Reduces fever ; Soothes colds and allergies ; The root can be made into an insecticide

Goosegrass Scientific Name; Eleusine Description; A plant growing in a matted clump.  It has long dark green stalks fanning out from the soil, the center is pale, and the stalks slightly hairy.  It smells similar to freshly mowed hay, and tastes sweet and similar to peas. Location; Wet, sunny areas ; Along rivers, streams, and lakes Grows; Late spring to late summer Usage; Chewed into a poultice and placed on wound Effect; Stops bleeding

Gumweed Scientific Name; Grindelia Squarrosa Description; The plant itself is tall, the leaves toothed and twisted towards the sun, and the flowers a bright yellow.  It has a nice smell, but tastes very bitter. Location; Plains ; Alongside rivers, streams, and Thunderpaths Grows; Mid summer to mid autumn Usage; Chewed into a poultice and placed on wound Effect; Helps the skin close faster on an injury ; May sting when applied

╰━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━✶━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━╯

╭━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━(H)━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━╮ Hawkweed Scientific Name; Hieracium Aurantiacum Description; A small plant with yellow and orange flowers.  They have a slight bitter taste. Location; Clearings ; Meadows ; Fields ; Alongside Thunderpaths ; Sunny places Grows; Late spring to late summer Usage; Eaten by patient Effect; Treats greencough- though catmint is preferred as it does a better job

Hawthorne Berries Scientific Name; Crataegus Description; Hawthorn bushes have toothed leaves and pink or white flowers.  The fruit color varies from reddish orange to bluish black, and both can be used for medicine.  The berries have a tart and slightly sweet taste. Location; Forests Ripens; Mid to late autumn Usage; Eaten by patient- seeds MUST be spit out Effect; Eases indigestion

Heather Nectar Scientific Name; Calluna Vulgaris Description; The nectar is found in the purple bell-shaped flowers of the heather plant.  The taste is tangy, smokey, and sweet, and leaves a long aftertaste. Location; Shaded areas Grows; Early to late autumn Usage; Mixed with pastes and pulps Effect; No healing effect, but makes mixtures taste sweeter and easier to swallow

Hen of the Woods Scientific Name; Grifola Frondosa Description; A large dark greyish-brown mushroom that grows in fan-like clusters.  It has wavy caps, and gets its name because it looks like a hen sitting on her nest.  It has an earthy, peppery taste to it. Location; The base of dead or dying oak trees ; Occasionally on maples or along creeks and riverbanks Grows; Early to late autumn ; Starts growth after the first cold night of the year Usage; Eaten by patient Effect; Gives energy ; Strengthens the heart and immune system

Honey Description; A sweet golden liquid made by bees. Location; In honeycombs and bee hives ; In trees Best Found; Early spring to late summer Usage; Eaten by patient Effect; Soothes smoke-damaged or sore throats ; Reduces coughing ; Gives energy ; Makes mixtures taste sweeter and easier to swallow

Horsetail Scientific Name; Equisetum Description; A tall plant with bristly leaves.  It has a mild, grass-like vegetable taste. Location; Marshy areas ; Meadows Grows; Early spring to mid-autumn Usage; Chewed into a poultice and placed on wound Effect; Treats infections and stops bleeding

╰━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━✶━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━╯

╭━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━(J)━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━╮ Jelly Ear / Wood Ear Scientific Name; Auricularia Auricula-judae Description; A brown mushroom with shades varying from light to dark that look like a large, wrinkled human ear.  They taste earthy and mild. Location; On dead or dying elder branches Grows; In clusters all year round Usage; Ground into a paste and swallowed or placed on eyes Effect; Soothes eye infection and inflammation ; Soothes sore throats

Juniper Berries Scientific Name; Juniperus Description; Blue berries found on the spiky-leaved juniper bush.  They have a slight piney taste to them with a touch of fruit and pepper, and smell similar to pine or cedar. Location; Dry or damp places Grows; Mid autumn to early or mid winter Usage; Eaten by patient Effect; Soothes stomachaches ; Gives strength ; Soothes troubled breathing ; Calms cats down

╰━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━✶━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━╯

╭━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━(K)━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━╮ Knotweed / Knotgrass Scientific Name; Polygonum Description; A plant with long asparagus-like stems, narrow willow-like leaves that form sheaths around the stem.  The flowers are small and pinkish or white and grow in spikes.  It has a hot, peppery taste to it that’s a little bitter. Location; Seasonal wetlands ; Marshes ; Swamps ; Wet ditches ; Desert scrubs ; Pinyon-juniper woodlands Grows; Late spring to mid autumn ; Almost year-round in warmer areas such as the South in the United States Usage; Chewed and swallowed by patient for coughs and sore throats ; Chewed by patient for sore gums Effect; Soothes coughs, sore and swollen throats, and bleeding and swelling gums

╰━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━✶━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━╯

╭━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━(L)━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━╮ Lamb's Ear Scientific Name; Stachys Byzantina Description; A soft and fuzzy small green plant.  It tastes almost similar to a combination of apples and pineapples. Location; Mountains ; Meadows ; Fields ; Cool climates Grows; Spring to autumn Usage; Eaten by patient or wrapped on wound Effect; Gives strength ; Slows bleeding

Laurel Leaves Description; Green, waxy leaves from the bay laurel tree. Location; Damp, rocky areas ; Ravines ; Thickets Grows; Early spring to late autumn Usage; To make herb wraps. Effect; No medicinal use, but they’re large and don’t rip easily, and are good to wrap herbs in when you need to transport them.  May cause nausea and stomachaches if eaten.

Lavender Scientific Name; Lavandula Angustifolia Description; A plant with small purple flowers.  It has a sweet, delicate smell. Location; Twoleg gardens ; Sunny areas Grows; Mid spring to late autumn Usage; Placed under patient’s nose and inhaled Effect; Treats fevers, coughs, and chills ; Soothes and calms anxiety, nervous breakdowns, and shock ; Often used to cover the smell of death

Lion's Mane Scientific Name; Hericium Erinaceus Description; When in its prime, lion’s mane mushrooms look like a white ball covered in shaggy spines.  The spines are icicle-like teeth hanging from the mushroom’s stalk, and give them a unique appearance that makes them easily identifiable.  They have a mildly sweet flavor, and a texture that mimics shellfish like lobster and crab. Location; Woodlands ; On dead hardwood trees & logs Ripens; Late spring to late autumn Usage; Eaten by patient Effect; Soothes depression, anxiety, and inflammation ; Reduces side effects of diabetes

Lotus Root Scientific Name; Nelumbo Nucifera Description; Lotus flowers come in pink and white, and the roots are firmly planted in the soil at the bottom of the water.  The root itself has a mild sweetness and a crunchy texture, and when cut, has a lace-like design with pea sized holes. Location; Ponds and swamps Best Harvested; Summer Usage; Eaten by patient Effect; Keeps cats awake

Lovage Scientific Name; Levisticum Officinale Description; Appears, smells, and tastes similar to celery plants but sweeter.  It stands tall and has leaves shaped like maple leaves, though they’re smaller than the tree’s. Location; Dry, sandy areas ; Pastures ; Mountains ; Near streams Grows; Early spring to mid autumn Usage; Leaves are crushed into a pulp and eaten by patient Effect; Cures coughs (when mixed with Bright-Eye)

Lungwort Scientific Name; Pulmonaria Description; A bushy herb with spotted leaves.  It has a sappy, cucumber smell when the stems are snapped, and has a mild, asparagus-like taste. Location; Moors and plains Grows; Late winter to late winter ; Almost all-year round, but not quite Usage; Eaten by patient Effect; Cures yellowcough

╰━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━✶━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━╯

╭━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━(M)━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━╮ Mallow Leaves Scientific Name; Malva Sylvestris L. Description; A flowering shrub with large, fuzzy, three-lobed leaves.  Has a sweet, rose-like scent. Location; Shores and riverbanks ; Best collected at sun high Grows; Early spring to mid autumn Usage; Chewed into a paste and eaten by patient or placed on wound Effect; Soothes stomachaches, bee stings, and wasp stings ; Fights infection

Marigold Scientific Name; Tagetes Description; A yellow or orange flower that grows close to the ground.  They have an overpowering, musky scent almost like wet hay, and have a bitter citrusy taste. Location; Just about anywhere ; Not common on moors or plains Grows; Early summer to late autumn ; Dies from hard frosts Usage; Petals and leaves are chewed into a paste Effect; Stops bleeding ; Prevents infection ; Heals sores ; Soothes stiff and inflamed joints when eaten

Milk Thistle Scientific Name; Silybum Marianum Description; A large, distinctive thistle with bright magenta flowers.  The leaves, stems, and flowers are all armed with stiff, sharp spines, which should be carefully removed before harvesting.  It has a sharp, spicy smell, but has a mild, sweet flavor. Location; Dry, rocky areas with lots of sun Grows; Late spring to late autumn Usage; Eaten by patient Effect; Improves the flow of a nursing cat’s milk

Milkvetch Root Scientific Name; Astragalus Trichopodus ; Astragalus Purshii ; Astragalus Canadensis Description; A stout plant with small, soft, hairy leaves.  The flowers grow in pink, purple, yellow, and cream.  There are many different kinds of milkvetch, growing in different places.  In fact, there are over 3,000 different species.  Just about any will serve as proper medicine.  They vary in smell and taste, but most taste clearly of sweet liquorice. Location; Mountains ; Deserts ; Open, grassy places ; Bluffs ; Rocky places ; Wetlands ; Woodlands ; Prairies Grows; Spring to late summer Usage; Crushed and eaten or placed on wound Effect; Soothes fever and swelling ; Prevents colds and respiratory infections ; Lowers blood pressure ; Reduces anxiety and distress

Milkweed Scientific Name; Asclepias Syriaca L. Description; A tall plant with broad, thick leaves.  Pale pink or purple flowers sit at the top in spheres.  Ensure that there are no caterpillar eggs on the leaves when collecting. Location; Plains ; Prairies ; Meadows ; Fields Grows; Late spring to mid autumn Usage; Stems are broken and juice is squeezed on wound Effect; Soothes sores and burns ; Poisonous if eaten- do not use around eyes, ears, nose, or mouth

Mint Scientific Name; Mentha Description; Downy, serrated leaves.  Its flowers are small and purple or white in colour.  It has a strong, distinctive taste and smell. Location; Wet soils ; Moist meadows ; Marshes ; Near rivers and streams Grows; Late spring to mid autumn Usage; Rubbed on body ; Hung from den ceiling Effect; No medicinal effect, but can be used to cover the smell of sickness and death

Moss Description; A spongy soft green plant often found growing on trees and rocks. Location; Forests ; Marshes ; Wetlands ; Cool, shady places Grows; All year round ; Does best in autumn and winter Usage; Soaks up fluids Effect; No medicinal effect, but may be used to soak up vomit, water, honey, etc.

Mouse Bile Description; Foul smelling yellow-green liquid. Location; Anywhere mice can be found Usage; Stored in moss and dabbed onto ticks Effect; Kills ticks

Mullein Scientific Name; Verbascum Description; This plant has fuzzy, greenish-grey leaves and tall spikes with yellow flowers.  The flowers smell like honey, and it has a soft, sweet taste almost like peppermint. Location; Riverbanks ; Lakesides ; Fields ; Damp soils Grows; Mid spring to late summer Usage; Leaves are chewed into a pulp and eaten by patient Effect; Soothes coughs, colds, and sore throats ; Effective against redcough

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╭━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━(N)━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━╮ Narcissus (Daffodil) Petals Scientific Name; Narcissus Description; A pale yellow flower shaped like a trumpet.  It smells similar to jasmine or hyacinths, and has a nice calming effect. Location; Twoleg gardens ; Woodlands ; Grasslands ; Rocky terrains Grows; Late winter to mid spring Usage;  Placed under nose and inhaled by patient Effect; Calms the mind ; Soothes anxiety ; May cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea if eaten

Nettle Scientific Name; Urtica Dioica Description; Nettle stems are slender and tall, and the leaves are long and toothed.  The taste is slightly bitter and salty, but also somewhat pleasant.  If the leaves smell musty or fishy, then they’re no good to use. Location; Sunny areas ; Forests ; Alongside rivers, streams, and lakes Grows; Mid sprint to mid autumn Usage; Eaten or chewed on by patient Effect; Leaves- soothe swelling ; Seeds- cause nausea and vomiting- may be used to expel stomach contents ; Stems- fights infection

╰━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━✶━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━╯

╭━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━(P)━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━╮ Parsley Scientific Name; Petroselinum Crispum Description; A long-stemmed plant with ragged and crinkly leaves.  It has a sharp scent and tastes fresh and cold no matter what. Location; Sunny riverbanks ; Twoleg gardens Grows; Spring to mid winter ; Parsley is resistant to frost Usage; Eaten by patient Effect; Stops a nursing cat from producing milk ; Cures stomachaches

Poppy Seeds Scientific Name; Papaver Somniferum Description; Tiny round black seeds shaken out of the dried head of a poppy flower. Location; Twoleg gardens ; Sunny areas Grows; Spring to early summer Usage; Eaten by patient ; Not recommended for pregnant or nursing cats Effect; Helps a cat sleep ; Soothes shock and distress ; Eases pain ; Too many can be deadly- maximum is one for kittens, three for a fully grown warrior, and two for an elder

Prince Mushroom Scientific Name; Agaricus Augustus Description; This mushroom has a brown scaled cap and white stems, and a slightly sweet almond-like taste. Location; Woodlands ; Near Thunderpaths Grows; Late spring to autumn Usage; Eaten by patient Effect; Lowers cholesterol ; Eases digestion issues ; Soothes stress

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╭━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━(R)━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━╮

Ragweed Scientific Name; Ambrosia Psilostachya Description; A plant with ragged leaves that resembles a fern and tastes somewhat like wheat. Location; Mountains ; Along Thunderpaths ; Rock crevices Grows; Late autumn to early winter Usage; Eaten by patient Effect; Gives strength and energy

Ragwort Leaves Scientific Name; Jacobaea Vulgaris Description; A tall shrub with yellow flowers and a foul taste. Location; Almost anywhere ; Cooler areas Grows; Spring to autumn Usage; Crushed into a pulp and eaten by patient Effect; Soothes aching joints (when combined with juniper berries) ; Keeps up strength

Raspberry Leaves Scientific Name; Rubus Idaeus Description; Soft, jagged leaves found on raspberry bushes.  They have a slightly bitter, tangy flavor. Location; Dry, sunny places ; Forest clearings ; Mountains ; Woodland edges ; Along Thunderpaths ; Along trails ; Meadows Grows; Mid spring to mid autumn Usage; Eaten by patient ; Often used during birthing Effect; Eases pain ; Stops bleeding

Reishi Scientific Name; Ganoderma Lingzhi Description; A kidney or fan shaped mushroom with a distinctive red and orange color.  There are no gills, and the underside is white or tan.  They have a strong but pleasant woody smell, like decomposing wood, and it is incredibly bitter. Location; Stumps ; Fallen logs ; Tree roots Grows; Mid spring to late summer Usage; Ground into a paste and eaten by patient or placed on wound Effect; Soothes stress ; Increases stamina ; Prevents infection ; Reduces inflammation ; May cause nausea, a dry mouth, headaches, and/or dizziness when ingested

Rosehip Scientific Names; Rosa Canina ; Rosa Moschata ; Rosa Rubiginosa ; Rosa Gymnocarpa Description; Smooth red fruits with long, spindly brown leaves on their ends.  They can be found growing on dog roses, musk roses, sweet briars, and wood roses.  They taste sweet and slightly tart, comparable to green apples or ripe plums. Location; Alongside Thunderpaths ; Coastlines ; Grasslands ; Woodlands ; Shaded woods Grows; Late summer to mid autumn ; Sweetest just after the first frost Usage; Eaten by patient Effect; Reduces inflammation and joint pain ; Soothes arthritis

Rosemary Scientific Name; Rosmarinus Officinalis Description; Tall, needle-like leaves and purple flowers.  It has an aromatic scent, something like evergreen trees and mint.  The taste is woody and similar to sage, mint, and pine. Location; Dry, sunny areas Grows; All year round, though summer growth has the best taste and smell; may be dried for later us Usage; Chewed into a poultice and placed on eyes Effect; Soothes eye infections and inflammation ; Sometimes used to cover the smell of death

Rush Scientific Name; Juncus Effusus Description; Long stalks and small lavender heads. Location; Bogs ; Ponds ; Sunny streams ; Wet pastures ; Swamps ; Watery ditches Grows; Mid spring to late autumn Usage; Binds broken bones Effect; No medicinal effect, but can be used sort of like a cast

╰━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━✶━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━╯

╭━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━(S)━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━╮ Salmonberry Scientific Name; Rubus Spectabilis Description; A shrub with somewhat bland tasting berries.  The berries look similar to raspberries or blackberries, but they may come in yellow, orange, or red.  Ripe berries taste tender and sweet, and taste great when paired with fish- particularly salmon.  The shrub itself grows in large thickets, often under or near red alder trees.  Though the stems have fine prickles, they are not armed with sharp thorns, which make them easy to harvest. Location; Coastal forests ; Streamsides ; Bogs ; Alongside thunderpaths ; Woodland edges ; Moist places in and near woods Grows; Berries ripen mid spring to mid summer ; Leaves appear early spring to mid autumn Usage; Leaves and bark are chewed into a poultice and placed on wound ; Berries are eaten by patient Effect; Leaves and bark soothe burns, cuts, pain, and open sores ; Berries reduce internal inflammation

Skullcap Scientific Name; Scutellaria Lateriflora ; Scutellaria Galericulata Description; A wildflower with primarily blue petals, though they can also come in purple.  Its leaves and roots are bitter, and it has a sweet smell similar to apples or mint. Location; Almost anywhere that’s wet ; Forests ; Marshes ; Meadows ; Twoleg gardens Grows; Summer Usage; Eaten by patient- the roots should be dried first Effect; The roots give strength ; The leaves relieve anxiety and soothe convulsions.  Avoid mixing with poppy or catnip, as it may be deadly.

Sorrel Scientific Name; Rumex Acetosa Description; Sorrel blooms often in reds and whites, and the oval leaves grow in rosettes.  They have little to no smell, but has a powerful, fruity taste that has a lemon-like tartness to it. Location; Damp places ; Twoleg gardens ; Meadows ; Along streams ; Open clearings Grows; Late spring to mid autumn Usage; Eaten by patient Effect; Gives strength ; Builds appetites

Stinkhorn Scientific Name; Phallaceae Description; Stinkhorns are a phallic-shaped fungus with an olive-brown slime covering their bellshaped caps.  Their stench makes them easy to find, as it’s unmistakable and intense, similar to rotting meat.  It is crisp and crunchy, almost radish-like in flavor. Location; On rotting wood Grows; Summer to late autumn Usage; The inner layer is ground into a poultice and placed on wound Effect; Protects against some infections, but not all- other herbs are preferred

Sweet Sedge Scientific Name; Acorus Calamus Description; Thick green stems with long buds at the top.  The taste is slightly sweet and nutty. Location; Rocky, wet areas ; Marshes ; Ditches ; Riversides ; Ponds Grows; All year round Usage; Squeezed to extract sap, then swallowed by patient Effect; Eases infection

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╭━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━(T)━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━╮ Tansy Scientific Name; Tanacetum Vulgare Description; Bunches of round, yellow flowers with a very sweet, strong scent. Location; Twoleg gardens ; Near twoleg places Grows; Late spring to mid autumn Usage; Eaten by patient ; To be given in small doses and not to pregnant cats, as it may make them miscarry Effect; Cures coughs ; May prevent greencough ; Soothes sore throats ; Treats some poisons

Tormentil Root Scientific Name; Potentilla Erecta Description; A bright yellow flower with four petals.  It has a strong, aromatic scent and a sharp taste. Location; Cool places ; Twoleg gardens Grows; Mid spring to early autumn Usage; Chewed into a poultice and placed on wound Effect; Draws out poison ; Treats infection

Turkey Tail Scientific Name; Trametes Versicolor Description; This mushroom has striking multicolored bands on its cap, and tends to be grey and brown.  The underside is white with tiny pores.  It has a mild, earthy, and slightly bitter taste. Location; Woodlands Grows; All year round Usage; Ground into a pulp and eaten by patient or placed on wound Effect; Prevents infections

Thyme Scientific Name; Thymus Vulgaris Description; The leaves are small, thick, and delicate, and have a fresh tang to their smell and taste.  The smell is very distinctive. Location; Hot, sunny places ; Dry slopes Grows; All year round, but best in early summer just before flowering Usage; Chewed on by patient Effect; Soothes anxiety, nervousness, and shock ; Soothes coughing ; May be used to cover the scent of death and sickness

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╭━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━(V)━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━╮ Valerian Root Scientific Name; Valeriana Officinalis Description; A tall plant with thick, hollow stems.  The leaves are pointed and toothed with hairy undersides.  Tiny, sweet-smelling white and pale pink flowers grow in tight clusters at the top.  The root tastes woody and earthy. Location; Grassland ; Shrubland ; Woods Grows; Summer Usage; Eaten by patient Effect; Helps sleep ; Soothes stress and anxiety

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╭━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━(W)━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━╮ Watermint Scientific Name; Mentha Aquatica Description; A plant with oval leaves and spiky purple globed flowers.  It has a minty smell when crushed and a sweet taste to it. Location; Near streams, rivers, ponds, and lakes ; Swamps ; Marshes ; Wet woods Grows; Late spring to mid autumn Usage; Chewed into a pulp and eaten by patient Effect; Eases stomachaches

Wild Garlic / Cow’s Leek Scientific Name; Allium Ursinum Description; Grows in patches, a white bulb with green stalky leaves.  It has an extremely sharp, tangy scent.  Bears and boars enjoy eating the bulbs, so keep an eye out when near a patch. Location; Wetlands ; Marshes ; Forests ; Valleys Grows; Late winter to late spring Usage; Rolled in by patient Effect; Draws out poison from rat bites ; Prevents infection ; Covers a cat with the smell of wild garlic

Willow Scientific Name; Salix Description; Leaves are long ovals ending in points. Location; On willow trees ; Near large bodies of water Grows; All year round ; Leaves grow mid spring to mid autumn Usage; Bark- chewed on by patient ; Leaves- eaten by patient Effect; Bark- eases toothaches ; Leaves- stop vomiting, eases nausea

Windflower Stalks Scientific Name; Anemone Coronaria Description; Coming in a variety of colors, windflowers (or anemones) smell woody, fruity, and citrusy.  Despite their appetizing smell, they have a distinctly bitter taste. Location; Sunny places ; Mountains ; Woodland edges ; Damp grasslands ; Meadows ; Twoleg gardens Grows; Spring Usage; Eaten by patient ; Often given to pregnant cats Effect; Soothes cramping

Wintergreen Berries Scientific Name; Gaultheria Procumbens Description; Looks almost identical to holly, so be careful while picking.  They have a minty aroma, and a subtle minty flavor. Location; Oak and pine forests ; Sandy areas Grows; Matures in mid autumn Usage; Chewed into a poultice and gentle rubbed into the wound Effect; Soothes pain ; Treats some poisons

Witch Hazel Flowers Scientific Name; Hamamelis Description; Bright yellow flowers with thin, spidery petals that grow on witch hazel shrubs.  They have an unmistakable, pleasant smell similar to lemon zest, and have a slightly bitter taste. Location; Woodlands ; Rocky riverbanks Grows; Mid to late autumn Usage; Eaten by patient Effect; Gives energy

Wood Sorrel Scientific Name; Oxalis Exilis Description; A medium-sized weed with heart-shaped leaves and yellow or white flowers with five petals.  It has a sour and tart taste. Location; Fields ; Woodlands ; Partial shade Grows; Spring to autumn Usage; Chewed into a poultice and placed on wound Effect; Treats infection in boils, abscesses, and burns

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╭━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━(Y)━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━╮ Yarrow Scientific Name; Achillea Millefolium Description; A tall white flower with jagged leaves, a tangy scent, and a bitter taste.  The flowers are small and grow in dozens at the head of the plant. Location; Sunny and partly sunny areas ; Woodlands Grows; Early spring to late autumn Usage; Crushed into a poultice and placed on wound Effect; Extracts poison from wounds ; Soothes cracked paw pads ; Causes nausea and vomiting if ingested

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.

POISONS

Foxglove flowers, nettle seeds, or yarrow should be swallowed by the patient soon after ingestion of poison.

╭━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━(A)━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━╮ Amaryllis Scientific Name; Amaryllis Description; Often appearing in reds and white, amaryllis flowers smell somewhere between a rose and an orange. Location; Open, sandy areas Grows; Sunny places Effect; Drooling ; Vomiting ; Struggles to breathe

╰━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━✶━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━╯

╭━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━(C)━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━╮ Common Earthball Scientific Name; Scleroderma Citrinum Description; Similar in appearance to a potato, this mushroom is round with no stem.  It’s a dirt yellow brown color and has an unpleasant, rubbery smell. Location; On tree trunks or roots ; Sandy soil ; Short grass ; Fields Grows; Autumn to winter Effect; Nausea ; Vomiting ; Not deadly, but very unpleasant and may cause lasting effects

╰━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━✶━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━╯

╭━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━(D)━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━╮ Deathberries / Yew Berries Scientific Name; Taxus Baccata Description; Bright red berries from the toxic yew tree. Location; On yew trees ; Moist soils ; Shady places ; Forests Grows; Late summer/early autumn to mid spring. Effect; Death Possible Cures; Your best hope is having the patient swallow yarrow and praying that you’ve gotten there in time.

╰━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━✶━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━╯

╭━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━(F)━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━╮ Foxglove Seeds Scientific Name; Digitalis Purpurea Description; A very tall pink or purple flower in a cone shape and with hairy oval leaves.  It smells just a little bit bad. Location; Almost everywhere ; Wet soils Grows; Late spring to early summer Effect; Small doses may calm a panicked cat ; Large doses may cause paralysis and heart failure

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╭━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━(H)━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━╮

Hawthorn Seeds Scientific Name; Crataegus Description; Hawthorn bushes have toothed leaves and pink or white flowers.  The fruit color varies from reddish orange to bluish black, and both can be used for medicine.  The berries have a tart and slightly sweet taste.  The seeds contain amygdalin, which turns into hydrogen cyanide in the body. Location; Forests Ripens; Mid to late autumn Effect; Dizziness ; Nausea ; Headaches ; Deadly

Hemlock Scientific Name; Conium Maculatum Description; A tall plant with fern-like leaves and tiny, white flowers with five petals.  Even a dead hemlock flower may continue to be poisonous for up to three years.  Historically, it has been given as a way of saying “You will be the death of me”. Location; Valleys ; Coves ; Ravines ; Wetlands Grows; Spring Effect; Intense euphoria, followed by: Excessive drooling ; Violent convulsions ; Vomiting ; Rolling eyes ; Death

Holly Berries Scientific Name; Ilex Aquifolium Description; Holly bushes have dark, spiny leaves and bright red berries. Location; Forests Grows; Late autumn to late winter Effect; Nausea ; Vomiting ; Stomach pain ; Death in kits, small apprentices, and elders if too many are consumed

╰━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━✶━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━╯

╭━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━(L)━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━╮ Larkspur Scientific Name; Delphinium Description; Tall, flowered stalks ranging from blue and lavender to white or red.  They have a light, earthy smell, similar to rain on a warm summer day. Location; Plains ; Grassy shrublands Grows; Early autumn to first frost Effect; Seizures ; Labored breathing ; Heart and lung failure ; Nausea and vomiting may also appear

Lily of the Valley Scientific Name; Convallaria Majalis Description; Bell-shaped white or soft pink flowers that grow in clusters on one side of the stalk.  The leaves grow at the bottom of the stem, and the flower smells light and watery. Location; Dry, shaded woodlands Grows; Often found growing closely together Effect; Drooling, vomiting, and dizziness in small amounts ; Death in large amounts

╰━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━✶━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━╯

╭━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━(M)━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━╮ Meadow Saffron / Autumn Crocus Scientific Name; Colchicum Autumnale Description; A light pink or purple flower with six petals.  It has little to no smell, which is the key difference between it and wild garlic, a plant that looks very similar. Location; Damp, grassy places Grows; Autumn Effect; Labored breathing ; Stomach pain ; Vomiting blood ; Possible death Possible Cures; Dandelion stems

Morning Glory Seeds Scientific Name; Convolvulaceae Description; Slender stems with trumpet shaped flowers and heart shaped leaves.  The colors come in blues, purples, pinks, reds, and whites.  It smells mossy, woody, and watery. Location; Fields ; Alongside Thunderpaths and fences Grows; Early summer to first frost Effect; Hallucinations ; Increased heart rate ; Vomiting ; Numbness in limbs ; Muscle spasms

╰━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━✶━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━╯

╭━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━(N)━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━╮ Nightshade Berries Scientific Name; Atropa Belladonna Description; A small shrub with faintly scented, bell-shaped flowers that are purple tinged with green in color. The berries are shiny and black when ripe. Location; Moist soils ; Shaded places ; Open woodlands Grows; Late summer to autumn Usage; Sometimes used to end what would otherwise be dragged out suffering Effect; A quick death

╰━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━✶━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━╯

╭━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━(S)━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━╮ Snakeroot Scientific Name; Ageratina Altissima Description; This plant is tall and has round, toothed leaves with pointed tips.  The flowers on top bloom white and in little clusters. Location; Forests ; Woodlands ; Moist, shady places ; Wetlands ; Fields Grows; Summer to autumn Effect; Nausea ; Vomiting ; Poison may infect milk and cause kits to become poisoned as well

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[my-deer-history]

Francis Kinloch in Müller's letters to his family: Part 3

These extracts are from Johannes von Müller: Sämmtliche Werke, volume 7 (1810).

My translations here, original German transcriptions below the cut. Müller and Kinloch have set off on their tour of Switzerland!

21 Aug 1775, to his brother

From there a narrow, steep path leads between sheer drops and vertical mountains into the Weissenburg hot spring, travelled only by pedestrians. Imagine the most terrible rock faces, with water rushing down and partially breaking up into dust and mist; between these rocks, a forest river flows noisily over rocky ground, over trees that water and wind had torn away from the slopes, and the rubble from the mountains that had broken them loose and thrown them down. A strong servant from the baths carried Mr. Kinloch and me on his back through this river to the healing spring.

21 Sept 1775, to his father

We drove in a Bernese carriage through Freyburg to Affry Castle, where the awful roads necessitated us to send the carriage home. After 2 hours, we came to Cicogne, where with some effort, we managed to interpret out of the patois of the people that we had taken the wrong road. An old farmer’s wife led us back on track through the muck by moonlight. Beyond the Saanen the path became entirely too difficult. There we rented a miller’s cart. Imagine: our suitcases, me and our dog on this cart, Mr. Kinloch beside us, the servant with a pack on our horse.

[...]

On sunday, Mr Boissier arranged a ball for the whole town in our honour, where everyone had to dance - the farmers and their wives and all sons and daughters, and Mrs Boissiere, and Mr von Castela and Mr Kinloch and even Mr Boissier himself - though he is lame - and even I - though I cannot dance very well. This day I translated an Italian opera into French. I forgot to mention the letters that we received at Berne, Mr K one from America, I one from England from Mr Thomas Boone

Undated, 1775, to his brother

My dear brother! I cannot describe my contentment to you enough. [...] I am loved, and friendship is the joy of my life. My Englishmen, my American,* Bonstetten, Tronchin, Bonnet!

*Kinloch

20 March 1776

At the moment, Kinloch and I are reading Tacitus for the second time (me, for the third) [...] Mr Bonnet is giving us 2–3 lectures a week on psychology. But don’t imagine him as an ordinary professor, he does not allow himself to be paid except in the attention and friendship of his audience, and these are only two, Kinloch and me. We go to him at 4pm, his psychology lesson starts at 5 or 6, and we stay until 11.

June 1776, to his brother

Letters from England have convinced Mr Kinloch to move his planned journey forward to the autumn.

21 Aug 1775, to his brother

Von da führt ein schmaler abhängiger Weg zwischen Abgründen und senkrechten Bergen in das warme Bad Weissenburg, niemanden als Fußgänger. Stelle dir die schrecklichsten Felswände vor, mit Wassern, welche da herunter stürzen und sich zum Theil in Staub und Nebel auflösen; zwischen diesen Felsen wälzt sich mit großem Geräusch ein Waldwasser über einen felsigen Grund, über Bäume, welche Wasser und Wind ab den Gebürgen gerissen und Trümmern von Bergen, welche sie abgelöset und herabgewälzt hatten. Durch dieses Wasser trug Hrn. Kinloch und mich ein starker Badknecht auf dem Rücken zu der heilsamen Quelle. 

21 Sept 1775, to his father

In einer Bernerkutsche fuhren wir über Freyburg nach dem Schloß Affry, woselbst die schlimmen Straßen uns nöthigten, die Kutsche heimzusenden. Nach 2 Stunden kamen wir auf Cicogne, wo wir mit Mühe aus dem Patois des Volks erdollmetschen konnten, daß wir den unrechten Weg eingeschlagen. Eine alte Bauersfrau führte uns durch den Koth beim Mondschein zurechte. Jenseits der Saanen wurde nun der Weg allzu arg. Daselbst mietheten wir einen Müllers - Karren. Stellet Euch vor, unsre Mantelsäcke mich und unsern Hund auf diesem Wagen, Hr. Kinloch neben her, den Bedienten mit einem Pack auf unserm Pferd.

[...]

Am Sonntag gab Hr. Boissier unsertwegen dem ganzen Dorf einen Ball, wo alle Bauren und Bäurinnen und alle Knaben und Töchtern, und Mad. Boissiere, und der Hr. von Castela und Hr. Kinloch, und Hr. Boissier selbst, ob er wohl estropirt ist, und selbst ich, ob ich gleich nicht wohl tanzen kann, tanzen mußte. Diesen Tag übersetzte ich eine italiänische Opera ins Französische. Ich habe vergessen, der Briefe zu gedenken, welche wir zu Bern erhalten, Hr. K. einen aus Amerika; ich einen aus England von Herrn Thomas Boone

Undated, 1775, to his brother

Mein lieber Bruder! Ich kann dir mein Wohlbefinden nicht genug beschreiben. [...] Man liebt mich, und die Freundschaft ist meines Lebens Lust. Meine Engländer, mein Amerikaner, Bonstetten, Tronchin, Bonnet!

20 March 1776

Gegenwärtig lesen Kinloch und ich zum andern (ich, zum dritten) Mal den Tacitus [...] Herr Bonnet giebt uns wöchentlich 2–3 Lectionen über die Psychologie. Stelle ihn dir aber nicht als einen gewöhnlichen Professor vor, er läßt sich nicht anders bezahlen, als durch die Aufmerksamkeit und Freundschaft seiner Zuhörer, und dieser sind nur zwei, Kinloch und ich. Wir gehen um 4 Uhr zu ihn, um 5 oder 6 fängt er seine psychologische Stunde an, und wir bleiben bis um 11 Uhr

June 1776, to his brother

Briefe aus England haben Hrn. Kinloch bestimmt, seine vorgehabte Reise auf den Herbst zu verschieben.

[giantologist]

What hygiene routines do giants have? And do humans ever help?

Good day!

Well, giants culturally wash every Saturday. They use the nearest body of water to bathe (or shower if there is a waterfall!) with a soap made from animal fat and ash, usually combined with something fragrant - pine oil is a favourite, which is why a lot of giants smell like forests. Hair trimming isn't usually practised, only when it becomes unmanageable. Rather it is combed and braided tightly enough to last another week. Nail trimming and teeth cleaning are both done on the same day, but tooth decay isn't much of an issue for giants given that their enamel is strengthened with a composite reminiscent of titanium, the same as their bones.

I have seen one human run giant salon, situated on the banks of a rather large waterfall and hot spring. The family that ran it had constructed a great wooden structure by a rock that could be raised or lowered depending on the height of their client. After a wonderfully hot and cleansing bath, the customer would place their chin on a U shaped groove. From there the sons would tidy any hair with large purpose-built rakes, and trim and polish nails in a way that reminded me of a bootblack. The daughters (one of whom was a doctor) would lance and extract blemishes, apply salves, and even use their arms to reach into ears and pull out any detritus that lingered there. Teeth cleaning services cost extra, considering the risk, and were performed solely by the father who was a retired dentist. Their mother was in charge of organisation and bookkeeping, at which she was very proficient.

They turn over a hefty profit each year, and their repeat clientele speak highly of their services. I was even treated to a spa day when I visited, and I can attest to their efficiency and comfort.

Professor J Finch

[darkmaga-retard]

Invasion of the sea lions.

John Ellis

Aug 26, 2024

1. Researchers from Western University have discovered a protein that has the never-before-seen ability to stop DNA damage in its tracks. The finding could provide the foundation for developing everything from vaccines against cancer, to crops that can withstand the increasingly harsh growing conditions brought on by climate change. The researchers found the protein – called DdrC (for DNA Damage Repair Protein C) -- in a fairly common bacterium called Deinococcus radiodurans (D. radiodurans), which has the decidedly uncommon ability to survive conditions that damage DNA – for example, 5,000 to 10,000 times the radiation that would kill a regular human cell. Lead researcher Robert Szabla says Deinococcus also excels in repairing DNA that has already been damaged. “It’s as if you had a player in the NFL who plays every game without a helmet or pads,” says Szabla, a grad student in Western’s Department of Biochemistry. “He’d end up with a concussion and multiple broken bones every single game, but then miraculously make a full recovery overnight in time for practice the next day.” He and his colleagues discovered that DdrC is a key player in this repair process. The research paper is here. (Sources: lightsource.ca, academic.oup.com)

2. A new technology can extract lithium from brines at an estimated cost of under 40% that of today’s dominant extraction method, and at just a fourth of lithium’s current market price. The new technology would also be much more reliable and sustainable in its use of water, chemicals, and land than today’s technology, according to a study published today in Matter by Stanford University researchers. Global demand for lithium has surged in recent years, driven by the rise of electric vehicles and renewable energy storage. The dominant source of lithium extraction today relies on evaporating brines in huge ponds under the sun for a year or more, leaving behind a lithium-rich solution, after which heavy use of potentially toxic chemicals finishes the job. Water with a high concentration of salts, including lithium, occurs naturally in some lakes, hot springs, and aquifers, and as a byproduct of oil and natural gas operations and of seawater desalination. (Sources: news.stanford.edu, sciencedirect.com)

[ask-barbatos]

A Guide to Camellia Sinensis

Dear students, allow me to share a small glimpse into the world of tea, a beverage that has brought comfort and joy to countless souls for millennia. The heart of true tea lies in the Camellia sinensis plant, a highly cultivated plant native to East Asia.

From the lush fields of China to the mist-kissed mountains of India, this plant has been cultivated with great care, its leaves steeped in hot water to create a beverage of unparalleled beauty and complexity.

The cut of the tea leaf plays a significant role in its flavor and character. Whole leaves, broken leaves, fannings, and dust each offer a unique experience, from the robust to the delicate.

Whole leaves, for instance, provide a full-bodied flavor and a long-lasting infusion, making them a popular choice for those seeking a traditional tea experience.

Broken leaves, on the other hand, offer a more intense flavor and a quicker steeping time, making them ideal for those who prefer a stronger brew.

Fannings and dust, the smallest particles of tea, offer a rapid infusion and a concentrated flavor, perfect for those who are short on time or simply desire a strong cup of tea.

Pictured above: Taylor's English Breakfast tea on the left and Taylor's Earl Grey on the right, to demonstrate the visual difference between whole and cut.

The preparation process, from the gentle steeping of Chinese gongfu cha to the robust brewing techniques of Western tea culture, can dramatically alter the taste and aroma of your tea.

Chinese gongfu cha, for example, involves using small, porcelain teapots and cups, and steeping the tea for very short periods of time. This method allows for a more delicate and nuanced flavor profile.

Western tea culture, on the other hand, often involves steeping tea in larger teapots for longer periods of time, resulting in a bolder and more robust flavor.

I invite you, students, to embark on a journey of tea discovery. Explore the vast world of Camellia sinensis, from the subtle nuances of white tea to the bold flavors of black tea. With each sip, you may find a new appreciation for the simple pleasures of life.

Now, let us delve deeper into the popular cuts of tea and their preferred preparation methods.

White Tea:

Cut: Often consists of young whole leaves or buds that have been minimally processed.

Preparation: Gentle steeping in cool water for a short period to preserve its delicate flavor and light color.

Flavor: Known for its subtle, floral, and slightly sweet taste.

Green Tea:

Cut: Typically consists of whole leaves or broken leaves that have been steamed or pan-fried to prevent oxidation.

Preparation: Steeping in hot water for a short period to retain its fresh, grassy flavor and vibrant green color.

Flavor: Varies widely depending on the specific type of green tea, but often characterized by a clean, grassy, or vegetal taste.

Oolong Tea:

Cut: Can vary from whole leaves to broken leaves, but is often partially oxidized, resulting in a unique flavor profile between green and black teas.

Preparation: Steeping in hot water for a longer period, allowing the leaves to fully bloom and release their complex flavors.

Flavor: Offers a wide range of flavors, from floral and fruity to nutty and earthy.

Black Tea:

Cut: Typically consists of broken leaves or fannings that have been fully oxidized.

Preparation: Steeping in boiling water for a longer period to extract its strong, bold flavors.

Flavor: Known for its rich, full-bodied taste, often with notes of chocolate, caramel, or spice.

Each type of tea offers a unique experience, and the best way to appreciate their individual qualities is to experiment with different preparation methods and steeping times. So, dear mortals, I encourage you to embark on a journey of tea discovery and savor the beauty of Camellia sinensis.

Various definitions:

First Flush: The first cuttings of the plant in early spring, often yielding a higher quality tea.

Silver Tips: A white tea made from the delicate buds of a tea plant.

Below is a table indicating steep times:

Notes:

This table provides a general guideline. Steeping time and temperature can vary depending on the specific tea and desired flavor strength.

Some teas, like white tea, benefit from multiple short infusions instead of a single long steep.

Experiment with different steeping times and temperatures to find your perfect cup.

Water temperature is crucial. Using water that is too hot can burn the tea leaves, resulting in a bitter taste.

The more water is heated, the more oxygen is released from the water. The oxygen is important to bring out the flavor of your tea, so please be vigilant as to not exceed your water temperature. A great tool for novices and experts alike would be a temperature controlled electric kettle.

In addition to the cut of the tea leaf and the preparation method, the quality of the water used can also significantly impact the taste of your tea. Soft, mineral-free water is generally preferred for tea brewing, as it allows the delicate flavors of the tea to shine through without being overwhelmed by strong mineral tastes.

A good starting point would be mountain spring water or filtered water, specifically with as neutral a pH as possible. Distilled water is not recommended, although neutral in pH, lacks the oxygen needed to bring out the sublime flavor in tea.

Hard water, on the other hand, contains high levels of minerals, such as calcium and magnesium. These minerals can react with the tannins in tea, creating a bitter or astringent taste. While some people may enjoy the added flavor complexity that hard water can impart, it is generally best to use soft water for optimal tea flavor.

If you live in an area with hard water, consider using a water filter or a mineral remover to soften the water before brewing your tea. This can make a noticeable difference in the taste and overall quality of your beverage.

Next subject will include flavor infused teas such as Jasmine, Earl Grey, and Fruit teas.

[elijahhendley]

7月20號 Day 9: 北投(Beitou)

Today we had a half day in Beitou.

HOT SPRINGS

Beitou is one of the most northern districts in Taipei and is famously known for their hot springs. The springs have been enjoyed by many aboriginals and japanese when they settled here. The hotspring is a sulfur hot sprinig and the Japanese during their time would extract up to 180,000kg of the material per month. But, it was during the Japanese colonial era when hot spring industry became popular, with hotspring hotels, spas, and resorts arising. The spring can surpass 120 degrees fahrenheit and today it was at 119. The hot spring is heated by volcanic lava that heats underground water which eventually mixes with the water on the surface to produce what has made beitou popular and has become part of Taiwanese culture. Although this day I did not get into the hotspring directly, it was still awesome to see the spring from land and how the steam rises from the water. When the wind blew and the steam would hit my face, I would feel 10x hotter. It so interesting to think that people would enjoy these waters in this country when it is fairly warm most of the year. But, reflecting on the experience, I could definitely see the appeal of the hot springs and how the heat and minerals in the water could have health benefits.

OLD TRAIN STATION

Our first stop was at the old train station which was a small building. We got to walk into a replica of an old train and also learn about the beginnings of the bento box in Taiwan. The bento box originates from Japan and was introduced into Taiwan during the Japanese colonial period. At first the bento boxes were made of wood, then to stainless steel, after that aluminum foil, and finally cardboard or wood strips. Fun fact about Bentos, they were one of the most profitable products in Taiwan making over TWD 700 million.

LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Our next stop was the library. It was not anything too special, but the arcitecture was pretty cool. Then, we went to the Beitou Hot Spring Museum. The main room we went into was upstairs and it looked like a traditional japanese style area. It is really cool that I get to experience a little bit of the japanese culture while in Taiwan because they left behind an imprint on this country during their colonial period. The downstairs rooms are what held the baths. Their were big baths, small baths, and mini showers. One is supposed to shower before they get into the bath. And the surprising part was that they only separated the men and the women sections by a small half wall. On another note, one of my classmates Jack ran into his old highschool teacher.

Everything that we got to see in those 3 hours all gave me insight to more taiwanese culture. After I tried to find a chinese medicine place but with no luck, some of the others had a drink with Peter. I had lunch with Austin, Jack, Brooke, and Iris. Then I went home and took a nap and relaxed for the rest of the day.

Until next time, 再見！

[tinytourist]

Guanabana Gang

On Friday morning, our chauffeur Stacia transported us to La Fortuna. As we approached where we thought our Airbnb was, we lost service. The directions were not at all clear, and our hanger won out, so we quit and went for lunch at the first place we saw.

It turned out to be everything we needed: fresh dragonfruit, maracuya, and guanabana juice accompanied by fresh ceviche, garlic shrimp, and wait for it…more fish. We hopped on the wifi, downloaded the map, and successfully found our Airbnb!

After checking in, we went to the Don Olivio chocolate tour. Immediately upon arrival, we were greeted with bananas, papaya, and chocolate fudge. To say the least, we were already into it. We took a quick look at the surrounding fruit trees and saw a two-toed sloth named Maria munchin’ on some hibiscus leaves.

We saw pink bananas AKA bird food, green-rinded oranges, guanabana, and cacao, and we took shots of sugar cane rum. Our guide cracked open the cacao and gave us each a bean covered in a sweet mango-flavored coating. At the end of the tour, we sat down and somehow consumed hot chocolate and pure hot coffee with a bit of fresh vanilla extract.

On our way back from the tour, we stopped at a local grocery store where we got some local coffee and an assortment of road trip snacks including ceviche-flavored plantain chips, which we ate for dinner because we were too pooped to go out.

The next morning, we had some of that 100% Arabica coffee, and Stacia & Jess were twitching, but it helped us get on the road by 7 am! Less than an hour later with a few bumps along the way, we were at Arenal River canyon for our canyoneering/zip-lining adventure.

We did 4 repels through waterfalls, 2 zip-lines, and 3 jumps into the water. Stacia was the most scared with me at a close second but only for the free-jumps. Frances took everything like a champ. Our lunch was included at the Mistico Hanging Bridges Park where we got a spectacular view of the Arenal volcano, saw an anteater, and got a huge plate of Costa Rican almuerzo.

Back at the BnB, we relaxed by reading in the hammock before getting dressed up and listening to our old college playlists. We hit up downtown La Fortuna and got two excellent tangerine ceviches because what is a meal in Costa Rica without ceviche?? We then got a drink at Lava Lounge, where we listened to some sub-par live reggae and hung out with a pregnant cat.

The next morning, we all woke up at our leisure and went to Mirador El Silencio for our morning rainforest hike, which included a trail with a great view of Arenal along volcanic rocks. We said “¡buenas!” to a few cows on our way out and then headed to the Ecotermales Hot Springs.

This is Arenal’s only truly natural hot springs, and it felt like paradise. We ate a wonderful buffet of fresh food and Stacia announced “I’ve never been happier in my life” as she held the bare chicken in her hands.

It was a little hot outside to be jumping from hot pool to hot pool but luckily we found a cooler spot and some shade. We left feeling completely relaxed.

For dinner, we went to La Street where Stacia and Frances split a huge taco platter, and I got fish with hearts of palm and mashed potatoes with a gooseberry on top. We ate until we could eat no more, and then we walked it off. Frances dove into a hearts of palm rabbit hole and learned that we should avoid single-stemmed hearts of palm.