Rat's Tail
Introduction
Among the humbler botanicals of Kena’an, Rat’s Tail remains the most begrudgingly revered. The plant thrives in the forgotten places: collapsed stone, derelict chimneys, the cool soil beneath abandoned hearths. Its root grows long and rope-like, a pale, jointed thing bristling with fine thorns. More than one gatherer has muttered that it feels alive in the hand, tense as a creature waiting for escape.
When split, it bleeds a thin grey sap that carries the smell of mold, iron, and old rain trapped in stone. On the tongue it is worse still: acrid, metallic, and stubbornly bitter. The uninitiated assume it has no place in civilized craft, which makes its usefulness all the more astounding.
Properties
Rat’s Tail is a natural agitator of the subtle forces. Alchemists rely on it as a catalyst of rare aptitude, as shavings of the root coax reactions to awaken, melding stubborn essences that resist all gentler persuasion. Complex brews that would otherwise stagnate come alive when Rat’s Tail is present, often with a vigor bordering on enthusiasm.
In medicine, its nature shifts, yet again. When brewed with honey, willow bark and other calming herbs, the root becomes a lucid sedative, clearing racing thoughts without surrendering consciousness. Patients describe it as a gentle weight settling over the chest, turning panic into breath and breath into clarity.
Used in concentrated form, Rat’s Tail can produce a mild euphoria and vivid sensory distortions. This has earned it a discreet following among certain mystics and wanderers of more occult or spiritual paths. Yet the line between remedy and indulgence is thin, and stricter apothecaries keep it locked away.
The Tir’naru Taste
The people of Pariant - particularly the Tir'naru tribes - have adopted Rat’s Tail in a manner that baffles outsiders. Once dried and ground to thin powder, the root becomes a dusky, aromatic with a sharp tang that intensifies roasted game and fermented stews. Tir'naru cooks claim it imbues the food with the taste of courage, reminding the tongue to be brave. Outsiders tend to assume they are being insulted, but the Tir'naru assure them the spice is an honor shared only with worthy guests. Caravans now carry the powder far beyond Pariant, sold in small pouches with stern warnings and even sterner recipes.
Illicit Uses
Though Rat’s Tail is valued in alchemy and medicine, its concentrated extracts have spawned a quiet black market across Kena’an. When distilled without stabilizing herbs, the root yields a grey resin known colloquially as Tailfire. This drug induces a brief rush of euphoria, heightened perception, and vivid sensory distortions, often described as walking through one’s own thoughts made visible. Users claim it sharpens intuition; healers counter that it merely loosens the mind’s grip on reality.
The resin’s effects last only minutes, yet its after-sensation - its aching clarity - drives many to seek it again. Repeated use leads to agitation, sleep distortions, and a creeping dependency that is difficult to break without careful supervision. For this reason, most cities regulate Rat’s Tail in bulk, while the Tir’naru tribes treat misuse as a spiritual trespass: the herb may calm, guide, or flavor, but it must never hollow.
"You look at the Rat’s Tail and you think, bleh, disgusting! And you are right: it is disgusting. But amici, some ingredients ask you to earn their truth. Give it time, give it patience, give it a little respect, and suddenly the flavor changes. Dry it, grind it, coax it gently… mamma mia, it wakes the whole dish up. Not sweetness or comfort. It gives the taste of courage.”
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All written content is original, drawn from myth, memory, and madness.
All images are generated via Midjourney using custom prompts by the author, unless otherwise stated.
X-D great!
Thank you <3