Penti Tulip

Romance and Revenge

I love travelling through the fields. The Penti tulips cover the land, turning the grassland into a lovely maroon carpet.
— Karoline Arpwik, Enlitian diplomat

The Penti tulip is a maroon-coloured flower that grows in temperate regions. For many people in the Empire of Pallernen, Republic of Vivernia, and the Kingdom of Enliten, the flower is known for the romantic traditions and rituals that it's required for. The flower is also poisonous and can result in a slow and painful death if consumed by someone foolish enough to do so.

Flower of Love

The Penti tulip is widely considered the flower of love in the lands of southeastern Lethea. The traditions surrounding it originated from the old Kingdom of Motilich. The people from there would venture out to the dangerous Fields of Penti, avoiding the nomadic warbands that roamed the land, just so that they could bring back one of the flowers to whoever they loved the most. Since then the tradition, as well as the flowers, have spread throughout the southern parts of the continent. Men and women buy their spouses and lovers the tulips on special holidays and anniversaries.

Instrument of Revenge

When a relationship has soured or infidelity is involved, some people use the flower for a more nefarious purpose. Penti tulips are poisonous. Eating or drinking a beverage made from it can easily result is a slow and painful death. Because of these properties, the flower can be used to poison and kill known or suspected cheaters. Tulip poisoning can be cured if treated quickly. Much to the disappointment of some bards, the practice of poisoning unfaithful spouses has fallen out of fashion in recent times. The authorities now question the victim's loved ones if they look as if they died of poisoning.

Average Length

15-18 cm

Red Tulip Flower Arrangemnet by Immortal shots

Entry for Summer Camp 2019

Answering: "Write about an important plant in your world and what it is used for."

Visit Dhelian's Competition Page Check all other answers to this prompt Competition Homepage

Lethea © 2018 - 2025 Mihkel Rand.
All rights reserved.
All artwork, unless otherwise credited, by Mihkel Rand / Dhelian.

Cover image: Red Tulip Field by Tabitha Mort

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Lethea

Comments

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Grandmaster littletoes101

Jul 1, 2019 13:40 by Richard Bradley

"Much to the disappointment of some bards, the practice of poisoning unfaithful spouses has fallen out of fashion in recent times." This sentence had me laughing out loud, nice job!

ricky -- 25 years old -- he/him, fae/faer, tiger/tigers pronouns -- current project: novanati rebuilt

Exalted Councilor of the Inner Sanctum Dhelian

Jul 1, 2019 13:54 by Mihkel Rand

I'm glad you enjoyed it! :D

Creator of Lethea and Pekkola

Maker of Maps

Almighty Deity Ademal

Jul 1, 2019 16:17 by Ademal

I love the final note about the bards. I agree with Ricky, that's a pretty funny line that characterizes the article. The layout is perfect and tight, and your writing flows section to section without necessitating a break in thought. How does the tulip need to be prepared to be poisonous? I ask because it sounds like a rain could soak the groundwater with poison, or like meadows of the stuff would have enough dead tulips to make the groundwater deadly. Is there a shelf life for the poison? Furthermore, that which is poisonous usually has secondary effects. Could this tulip be used for drgus, either recreational or medical?

CSS Whisperer • Community Admin • Author of Ethnis

Redclaw123

Jul 1, 2019 16:19 by Elias Redclaw

Oh boy. I loved this article XD. This was so funny and yet dark to read. I loved the themes of this article mostly, as how a symbol of romance can also be used to kill, sometimes painfully. The last sentence also made me laugh out a little too much so there’s that as well lol. Besides that, I still love this article since it was so well written by you! I have not much more to say but congrats dhel and keep up the great work!

chessguy

Jul 1, 2019 16:26 by Andrew

I love the mirroring of risking death to obtain a flower of love, which itself can be a bringer of death! Have there been laws created around the distribution of these flowers, due to its murderous uses in the past? Is it harder to get them now?

Grandmaster Fluofish

Jul 1, 2019 17:13

While I must say that a flower as a token for romance, isn't the most original, I do like the fact that it has a dual function. On the one hand, as a token of love/affection, on the other a tool for betrayal or revenge. Such objects are always nice to use in stories of intrigue. If you'd ever wish the flesh it out a bit, maybe you can create a story where its use backfires tragically or ironically.

Grandmaster littletoes101

Jul 1, 2019 17:40 by Richard Bradley

To expand on my last comment and make it a little more impactful, I love the tone this was written in. It keeps your voice without being too informal. It can sometimes be hard reading super clinical articles but this one definitely didn't feel like that. But perhaps a little more info on the flower itself in the article would be nice going forward? Again, awesome job though!

ricky -- 25 years old -- he/him, fae/faer, tiger/tigers pronouns -- current project: novanati rebuilt

Darth Storm

Jul 1, 2019 21:27

I really like the duality between these flowers having been hard to acquire once, now being a symbol of love, and what they can do if consumed. Lots of great symbolism and metaphors behind them, it's no surprise the bards like them ;)

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