Ember Root: The Legacy of Dragons and the Red Trees

Eriden the Earth Guardian cursed the dragon race in 1000 DR both stripping away many of their powers and be forced to suffer a painful mindless rampage unless they consumed a specific type of plant known as ember root. It can be prepared in a variety of forms, but all comes from the same red leaf trees, coveted by the dragonkin.

It is said that all dragonkin are cursed due to the Eldra's mistakes-- that the original beasts were unruly and filled with red hot rage, laying waste to anything that stood in their path in the sake of their own supremacy. The story goes that once Eldra, the first dragonlord of the Black Dragonhorde, set fire to the great forest, and was punished for taking what was not hers. Now as a result, all dragonkin must pay the price until the race sees its last day.

It burns…

Ember root, native to Eren's various forests after being manually cultivated by dragonkin planters, is said to be a "gift" from the the Earth Gate Guardian herself, Eriden themself. From one angle, that of Eriden, it is a solution and chance for reflection forged by their magic used to create a remedy for the dragon's hostility. But for many of the dragons of the time, it was seen as a bitter diplay of cruelty and punishment meant to do nothing but cripple the entirety of their kind.

Ember root is, as the name implies, the root like tendrils of a specific species of huge tree. They are iconic, towering over many other contemperary species, with leaves that are a bold red all year around, greyish bark, and a naturall smoky scent that can be picked up from it's trunk. It grows various little root like protrusions along the length of it's trunk, typically near the top of bottom. Some mistake this shiny bulbous growths as strange fruits.

These are harvested and paramount to the livelihood of the dragonkin, as it is the most effective and accessible way to handle and moderate their inherent "Ember Rage" hereditary syndrome. It is most often ground up into a paste and fed to dragonkin in the form of a gritty pill, but some prefer to have it mashed up and then mixed into water or another liquid, creating a spicy syrupy remedy.

However, due to the intrinsic nature of the root in the lifestyles of dragonkin, it is not uncommon for the ingredient to be worked into the daily diet of dragonkin. It is common for the root to be mixed with something to mask its dirt-like taste and spicy nature and texture, some people turning to fruit juices or alcohol, and a couple iconic brews have surfaced due to this concoction. It is also very commonly ground into a fine powder and worked into flour, baked into dragonbread, a slightly spicy, warm, and toasty tasting kind of bread popular in all kinds of draconic dishes.

If any outside of the Dragonkin attempt to eat this herb in quanities more than even just a pinch or two, it will result in anything from a mild tingling sensation popping and crackling on the tongue, to, in more severe cases, gruelling heartburn and in very rare cases, the production of tiny gouts of flames from the mouth. The unluckiest souls end up with singed tongues, lips, or inner cheeks due to these unfortunate fiery outbursts.