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  1. HYPERBOREA (orig by C. A. Smith) [R18+]
  3. Lore

3. LOTUS SPECIES

Alchemists and dweomercræfters oft harvest the deadly and magical properties of several lotus species; here the term lotus does not specifically refer to a genus of plant, but rather any of the plants whose pollens and/or powdered blossoms effect death, madness, or a host of other deleterious effects. The sun-dried blossoms of lotus plants are painstakingly refined to powdered form or mixed with other toxins to produce poisons, potions, and other toxins of preternatural effect. Raw lotus leaves (not the blossoms), when chewed, will oft produce a mild hallucinogenic effect that is highly addictive. Some sages propose that the Hyperborean race stagnated at the same time lotus chewing became fashionable; indeed, for a time, outsiders referred to the city of Khromarium as “Lotusland”. Others suggest that Viking and certain non-Viking berserkers chew lotus leaves in order to effect a state of fearlessness, unbridled rage, and unflagging will.

Black Lotus

Savages oft presume this species of lotus to possess quasi-intelligence, because its charcoal grey blossoms will tilt and nod at the approach of warm-blooded creatures. Men of learning, however, equate this behaviour with insectivorous plant species that display similar qualities. Regardless, the black lotus thrives in the temperate rainforest of the Savage Boreal Coast, except during the years of Coda (Fox, Year 12) to Genesis (Bear, Year 1). When a man approaches within five feet of the black lotus, the plant will slowly nod and turn its blossom toward the man’s face; next it will release a burst of pollen. One must make a constitution (poison) save or die in 1d4 rounds. The black lotus is considered a holy plant to the half-blood Pictish shamans of the Savage Boreal Coast, and non-shamans are forbidden to handle it. Some shamans dare to harvest the plant, using techniques developed by maternal Tlingit ancestors. The blossoms are sun-dried and ground to a deadly powder, the feared (yet coveted) dust of death. This powder is a valuable commodity for many Pictish villages along the Savage Boreal Coast, who sell or trade it to foreigners from all about the realm. For centuries, Ixian raiders from across the sea would take the plant by force, but the frequency of these raids has reduced significantly, leading some to speculate that the dusky-skinned race of priests and necromancers have at long last successfully cultivated the plant in their secret gardens. The Ixians are reputed to have developed a variant use of the black lotus, mixing it with certain gums or saps in order to produce the dust of nightmares and visions.

Golden Lotus

In fertile hills and valleys grows the golden lotus, which greatly resembles the marigold. When the blossoms of this plant are sun-dried, ground to a powder, and then introduced to wine, enchantments and charms are dispelled, and various types of madness are cured, even that which is produced by the smoky lotus. The golden lotus blooms from earliest spring until the end of summer.

Russet Lotus

Oft confused with chrysanthemums, this species of lotus thrives in any environ where volcanic activity is notable, including geysers, hot springs, steam vents, and so forth. Too, this species will turn its blossom to face an approaching mammal, letting loose a burst of pollen that does not kill, but produces a potent soporific effect. As a consequence, victims are oft preyed on by opportunistic predators, scavenging birds, and the like. The reddish-brown blossoms of the russet lotus unfurl from late spring to late summer, so from Tempest (Hare, Year 4) to Drought (Eagle, Year 8), but its leaves (which chewed produce an hallucinogenic effect) are generally available except during Nightfall (Bat, Year 13), for the plant is quite hardy. Sorcerers and alchemists use the russet lotus to produce dust of sleepiness.

Smoky Lotus

This is a type of floating lily, with blossoms of light greyish-brown to nigh black. The smoky lotus grows in wetlands, though specifically in ponds near where tar pits prevail, such as Esquimaux Bay, the Lug Wasteland, and Skarag Coast; too, a profusion of the smoky lotus is said to be in the pools that dot the meadows north of Erikssgard, Vikland. Like other water lilies, the smoky lotus has large, floating green leaves, above which rises the flower stalk, typically about 6–12 inches above the water’s surface. The flowers bloom during daylight; thus they are never seen during Nightfall (Bat, Year 13) and scarcely during the years of Coda (Fox, Year 12) and Genesis (Bear, Year 1). The smoky lotus presents the semblance of ambulation, for although it is rooted in the muck below the surface of the ponds, it will “walk” to a warm-blooded target (quite slowly), and then release its thick pollen spray; this inspires unbridled, frothing madness in the victim. When cultivated and gathered (always a risky proposition), the collected pollen and ground petals are used by sorcerers and alchemists to produce dust of madness. The floating leaves of this plant are also utilized: Berserkers are introduced to raw smoky lotus leaves even before they are weaned from the teat, exciting an innate species of ferocity unmatched throughout the realm.

Violet Lotus

This form of lotus is almost indistinguishable from fireweed (willow herb), which grows in grasslands, meadows, and the periphery of wetlands. The violet lotus shares the same wand-like shape as the f ireweed, but its flowers shew a deeper violet tone. A violet lotus produces about a dozen three-sided seed pods, each of which contains about 300–400 feathery seeds. Ingested seed pods cause paralysis within 10 minutes to 1 hour; herbivores that graze in fireweed fields (excepting the more enormous sorts, such as mammoths and ground sloths) are likewise subject to this effect. About 100 ground and powdered pods are needed for a sorcerer or alchemist to produce a single dust of paralysis dose, a process mastered by the Ixians.

White-Speckled Blue Lotus

These lotuses grow on the cadavers of men and beasts. They resemble a crop of poppies, with blue blossoms speckled white. They grow in tight profusion, mantling the body in which they take root. When a lotus-covered body is approached within five feet, a cloud of blue pollen releases. At once the victim begins to sneeze and choke, identical to the effect produced by dust of sneezing and choking; death is inevitable. White-speckled blue lotus blossoms must be gathered when the flower closes, which occurs from an hour after sunset to an hour before sunrise (of course implying certain periods when the flowers never close and are thus practically impossible to gather). Gathered blossoms must be sun-dried and ground to produce dust of sneezing and choking. Rumours persist that when a man is killed by the white-speckled blue lotus, he becomes host to an alien intelligence that can animate the corpse (viz. a zombie) and ambulate it to a desired location; however, this effect is not known to manifest in victims of dust of sneezing and choking.

Here follows a brief overview of the effects of several lotus species. Note that chewing or smoking lotus leaves produces a 2-in-6 chance of addiction, requiring the victim to ingest at least one per day or suffer craving sickness.

  • Black Lotus: Chewing or smoking leaves (5gp value each) induces intense euphoria; powdered blossoms (250gp value per pinch) are used in creating dust of death.

  • Russet Lotus: Chewing or smoking leaves (5gp value each) induces hallucinations and lethargy; powdered blossoms (150gp value per pinch) are used in creating dust of sleepiness.

  • Smoky Lotus: Chewing or smoking leaves (5gp value each) induces wild aggression; powdered blossoms (200gp value per pinch) are used in creating dust of madness.