#passwordjournal

“Sea Stalks”

Sea Stalks are some of the most magically interesting and plentiful herbs harvestable along the shores of both Zandalar and Kul Tiras. They are associated with a sentimental ritual which is, bizarrely, shared between both sets of seafaring peoples. A naturally occurring magical bond exists between both stalk and flower, feeding the latter from the former over impossible distances. It is folk practice for a sailor departing on a long journey to extend the severed flower to their loved ones, taking the stalk with them on their journey; If the ship is destroyed, the stalk will be drowned in seawater. The flower will die, indicating to their loved ones their fate.

APPEARANCE) Sea Stalks grow in fledgling patches of ten (10) to twenty (20) stalks, encased in waxy flares of grass immediately discernable from the sand from which it sprouts. Young stalks are pale in color and topped with a thumb-sized, off-brown bud tightly-bound shut. The tuberous stalk will grow to roughly twice its length when it begins to bloom and the pod will have grown to roughly one-and-a-half its original mass. A Sea Stalk is ready for harvest when its flower has bloomed and its petals demonstrate a pale pink hue toward the center with darker magenta coloration along the edges. A typical flower has five thumbnail-sized petals which are rounded on the outside. Its pistil is short and close to the inside of the plant, whereas its stamen all rise high beyond the petals, powder-pink and outstretched toward the sky. The stalk beneath is thick and plasticky, comparable to a straw, and colored a very deep, dark-green.

The flower is beautiful and deceptively sturdy. The stalk itself is extremely hydrated, crunching when bitten into and resembling garden-variety celery. The fluid inside is distastefully sour.

LOCATION) The Sea Stalk patches can be discovered plentifully along any coastline in Zandalar and Kul Tiras and are found equally on sandy and rocky terrain, but rarely within the reach of the tide.

HARVESTING/USES) A Sea Stalk is an extremely survivable plant, coming up in surrounding patches like crabgrass whether or not it has been overharvested. While it is ideal to wait until the flower has bloomed to attempt to harvest the stalks, an immature stalk can be plucked and utilized in a pinch. Instead of cutting the stem, seize the base of the stalk closes to its sprouted grass between thumb and pointer finger and gently pull until it is uprooted. Pluck the roots from the bottom of the stalk and immediately store in a wet place. It is not necessary to separate the flower from the plant at this point and it is, in fact, advisable to keep an inventory of each stalk’s bloom.

Given the state of arcane understanding amongst the natives of both great nations compared to the understanding of the Horde, it can be safely assumed that the true magical potential of the Sea Stalks plant remains unexplored. However, it can be currently found in brews wherein versatility is required, especially in potions which demand to invoke its mystical properties. ‘The Potion of Rising Death’, ‘The Sea Mist Potion’ and ‘Demitri’s Draught of Deception’ are only a sample of its more popular uses on both continents.

Beyond being an indicator of the plant’s readiness-for-harvest, the flower serves no culinary or alchemical purpose; though it might be dried and utilized for its appealing pigmentation. However, due to the department’s developing understanding of the Sea Stalk and its uses, I must again encourage that the flowers be accounted for in some fashion if at all possible. If the flower dies, the connection to the stalk will sever and the plant will attempt to repair itself and produce another flower.

STORAGE) As previously stated, the Sea Stalk is an extremely hardy plant, survivable in any situation wherein it can continue to receive hydration. Trauma to the underside of the stalk will, however, prevent transpiration. If properly harvested as instructed in this document, place the stalk in a container half-filled with fresh water, bottom-submerged and severed half facing up. Several stalks can be stored in the same container or in a bound-bundle as long as the water-contents of their container are being monitored. Sea Stalk can be used in its whole stalk or clipped in segments from the top-down; The plant will not grow beyond where it has been initially snipped. The survival of the flower relies on the survival of the stalk but not the other way around. If necessary, the flower can be stored in all reasonable conditions.

As of the time of this documentation, we have witnessed no death or withering of any healthy and properly-stored Sea Stalk samples nor any sign of decay.

“Riverbud”

Riverbud is a plant with extreme sentimental and functional significance to the Zandalari people and the ecosystem of the continent. Despite its ancient and established presence on the Zandalari continent it sits in a surprisingly precarious position on the local food chain, being desired by many and having developed next to no natural defenses from its predator-species. It must rely on its ability to mask itself in its surroundings and on its innately accelerated reproductive rate to keep its population alive. The natives of this area have learned not to overharvest it for precisely this reason, however growing Blood Troll activity in its primary home of the Nazmiri swamplands have affected the wellbeing of the species. There have been efforts to transplant the Riverbud species to the less dangerous locale of Zuldazar and, as of this writing, those efforts have been extremely fruitful.

APPEARANCE) In its immaturity, the Riverbud plant can be extremely difficult to spot, presenting itself along river-beds as a cluster dry, dark-ochre coils, nearly indiscernible from the mud and soil. At this point in its life, the dark casing that contains the undeveloped Riverbud is thick and rough in texture, pocked where one can count the pods up-close. If one rubs their thumb along the center, they can follow a thin vertical seam which can be drawn upon to forcibly uncoil the plant, however, this is not advisable as it will kill the specimen and the bud inside will be worthless.

Upon its maturity, the strongest and tallest of the coils will unfurl itself over the course of 48 hours; the pod will split open along the seam and peel out to either side, baring the vibrant blue berry-like Riverbud inside. In rare instances, more than one coil in a cluster will reach maturity, sharing nutrients with its sister-plants; However, as a result, these plants produce less and sicklier pods than the ones wherein the weakest of the coils have been left to wither and compost. The average single-coiled Riverbud plant will produce anywhere from three (3) to eleven (11) berries with the thickest and the richest Riverbud berries found closer to the soil. Each riverbud is roughly the size of a palm, perfectly round and supple, semi translucent and a deep, azure blue in coloration. A transparent dermis can be peeled away or consumed safely and tastelessly. Underneath, vascular ‘chickenwire’ bundles decorate the berry in pale blue hair-sized streaks. If bitten into, the Riverbud berry is extremely juicy; dark, sweet and woody in taste. Its flesh is rubbery but squishy, much resembling a processed tapioca-pearl. If squeezed, the berry exhibits an off-grey juice which can be harvested in vials.

LOCATION) The Riverbud Plant is primarily found in the area of Nazmir, however efforts to relocate its species on the continent of Zandalar have made it possible to find in other locales such as the areas of Zuldazar. The plant will always be found in beds surrounding rivers and small lakes, but never along saltwater bodies. More often than not it will be partially-submerged, placing it in the range of herbivorous fish and other aquatic life.

HARVESTING/USES) Because of the currently endangered nature of the Riverbud plant, great care must be taken not to overharvest. When one is plucking riverbud berries from a coil, one must be careful to select the ripest and the sturdiest of the coils, leaving the others in the cluster to develop naturally unmolested. Pinch the riverbud berry gently between two fingers, being cautious not to yank up the coil. Turn the berry in its pod until the veins connecting it to the plant are severed and then pluck it free, storing it in a dark and damp place. Pluck every visible berry from the pod, discarding those that have been partially consumed or show signs of parasitic rot. This should be an uncommon find. The emptied coil will shrink and decay in time, fertilizing the soil for the next-strongest coil in the cluster to develop. It is not advisable to attempt to remove the coil but to separate the buds with authority.

While Riverbud does bear slight magical uses, its primary use on the continent of Zandalar is as a nutrient-rich source of food and hydration for the local plant life. It is a valued piece of the diets of nearly every plant-eating species in the area, which make it a coveted find for those creatures. The trainers of Zandalar often use these riverbuds to feed their beasts, each of which enjoys it from youth to maturity. Zandalari cooks have been known to use it in their recipes.

Alchemically, Riverbud serves as a useful filler-reagent in most magical potions. Due to its nutrient-density, it is a popular ingredient in potions of physical wellness and resilience such as the ‘Steelskin Potion’ and the ‘Potion of Bursting Blood’. It is a natural conductor of arcane energy and is a staple-piece in Zandalari potions of mana and flasks of arcane intellect. It is highly versatile and influenceable, creating an ideal vessel-reagent for poisons and other useful maladies.

STORAGE) Riverbud is highly perishable but easily stored and carried in its seed-form. After separation from a coil, the Riverbud berry will sustain itself for a week. The berries, being mere vessels of the juice inside, cannot be usefully dried. However, the juices can be squeezed and saved in a vial in a dark place for up to two weeks, after which point its magical properties diminish.

aaaaah thank you ^w^🎃🧡

These Sea Stalks are something foul, even on a Forsaken tongue. 

It would be unfair to blame my mood on them, alone. 

I’m wondering again, tonight, about such dangerous things as the Desolate Council and the fate of those we appointed our representatives during the necessary absence of our Dark Lady. I wouldn’t know who to ask about Parqual or about Vellcinda, nor would I dare ask if I did!

With everything unraveling and coming together again in the Arathi Highlands, my mind can’t help but go back to them tonight. Sentiment seems to have changed about the ‘desolate’ nature of the Forsaken. I want to say that Lordaeron fell and all of our priorities changed but the sentiment was silenced well before that. 

The chosen representatives of our community went south with our Queen for a mysterious purpose and they did not return. I wish it were enough not to know.