some facts about artemisia, ralsei's assigned flower in chapter 5! very basic facts. just interesting to mull over.
artemisia is a genus containing many different plants, such as a wormwood, mugwort and tarragon. the flavor text (flavor text, if you will) mentions that artemisia pairs well with tea; some varieties have been used for tea, such as tarragon or tree wormwood. common wormwood and mugwort tend to be extremely bitter, however, and have long been used in traditional medicine (to promote liver function, kill parasites or induce abortion with arguable efficacy. it may have also been used to prevent menstruation, once again with arguable efficacy) or to repel herbivores. it is also the primary ingredient of absinthe! ralsei stays green-themed.
from here we could extrapolate a lot of things, and i have no way of knowing how toby fox intended artemisia to be read, and if i am overthinking it. it is such a specific plant that it most certainly means something, but i couldn't say for certain. the 'pairs well with tea' text could be meant to continue the chapter's theme of forcing ralsei into a particular box; although some varieties can be used for tea, AGAIN, artemisia plants tend to be very bitter, and repel herbivores. let ralsei be bitter, perhaps.
because, again. although there is no magic birth control tea. wormwood in a tea was thought to prevent conception / induce abortion and miscarriage. that is where the name 'artemisia' came from, as artemis was patron goddess of childbirth.
it could also be a sideways reference to ralsei's specialty as a healer. the repelling herbivores detail is also an interesting one, but i think that comes into 'overthinking' territory.
as we continue to overthink: in older literature, wormwood has been used as a metaphor for something which is bitter and sad.
jumping off of that, my final note, and this is if we want to REALLY extrapolate: wormwood is mentioned in the bible. "And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter."
something, something, angel, something, something, the number three, something, something, the fountains of waters, and many men died of the waters.
that is some terrific extrapolation, however.
