Cathaleen Garamund

For the love of Orchids

Crooked Mile Valley    Crooked Mile Portmanteau    Demographics Desk with Louise McCallister      Cathaleen Garamund

In the village of Leist's Otherwhere, Cathaleen Orchid grew up in a middle class family. Despite her bleak financial situation, she aspired to attend college. Her mother worked as a seamstress while her father fixed farm equipment. She had four brothers and one sister who passed away during birth. Her family opened their doors to her sister's five living children. Money was scarce, but everyone was fed and housed.
Cathaleen spent the few coins she saved from sewing on fabrics and school books. Cathaleen made time to collect leaves and flowers to press and annotate, even though she was busy raising her nieces and nephews. Amelia, who had no interest in botany, gave her the press as a gift. She pressed enough leaves for two school projects in exchange for the absorbent paper needed. Cathaleen declined her school mate's request to make the binder, but she instructed Amelia on how to design and decorate the cover. Amelia's parents were proud of her accomplishments. They bought her an entire painting kit that Amelia quietly re-gifted to Cathaleen.
Cathaleen started publishing articles in quarterly botanist magazines when she turned 17. She was recognized as an illustrator, but never acknowledged as the botanical researcher she aspired to be.
She enrolled in a course at Briarbank College in Briar Green during her summer vacation two years later. All along, her parents had been secretly saving up for her education. Recognizing that she was likely the only child in their family to graduate from high school, let alone college, they were prepared to assist her with room and board. Housing in South Soffit boarding houses was not deemed safe. Her two-week stay at the beach was reserved at the Seasway Resort Hotel, a luxurious hotel, with a train ride to the college. For the first time in his life, her father took out a loan. He used the money to pay for her room and meals.

Orchid Keeper, Cathaleen Garamund

Cathaleen Garamund by ROD w/Midjourney

Black Ichor Scenarios

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Jason Garamund, Circle Founder & Medium Garamund and Cathaleen had a chance meeting at the Seasway Hotel. Following a whirlwind romance, Cathaleen returned home as a married woman after two weeks. Upon her parents' congratulations, she presented them with an envelope containing certificates covering the hotel, expenses, and tuition. Contrary to her expectations, they were not thrilled. They requested she keep the money for future studies, so Jason quietly settled Mr. Orchid's loan without informing them of his plans. In the mail, the Orchids received a loan payment in full letter the next week. The identity of their benefactor, Jason, was never able to be proven.
Following the bankruptcy of the Hotel and Resort, Cathaleen, the author and botanist, paid back Jason for every expense he covered to support her graduate studies. Even though her parents had already passed away, Cathaleen made sure to thank Jason and her parents by dedicating her books to them.

Education

Cathaleen's early education was a hit-or-miss experience. She went to a nearby primary school that only offered classes up to third grade. Even in those circumstances, she could only attend class if she didn't have to prioritize taking care of her younger siblings, nieces, and nephews. She borrowed the class assignment instructions from her friend Amelia, whom she tutored for a small fee. She took advantage of the children's sleep to do her homework and get ahead. The teacher was unaware of how she handled both jobs.
Her full-time studies at Briarbank College, along with independent studies, apprenticeship, and mentorship, exhausted her and led to friction. The groom was proud of her growth, but desired more time together. Jason came up with a plan for them to enjoy weekends at the popular park, Cirsea Isle, which was open to the public. He bought the island thirty years later and penned a memoir about his adventures with Cathaleen.
Cathaleen was asked if she studied the science of plants or plant lore by student botanists, gardeners, apothecaries, and farmers. She contended both studies were beneficial for learning. To be successful, they must have hands-on experience in plant identification, classification, and cultivation. Having an apprenticeship or finding a mentor to teach them about plant taxonomy, morphology, and medicinal plant uses was an advantage. Understanding the Linnaean system, Latin, and medicine can compensate for the limitations of travel.
It goes without saying that most of her colleagues were affluent men and a handful of women who were committed to collecting, experimenting with flower and plant potions, and accurately illustrating their features for identification purposes.
Student botanists, gardeners, apothecaries, and even farmers asked Cathaleen whether she studied the science of plants or plant lore. She argued that both studies were helpful to learn. They would need hands-on experience in plant identification, classification, and cultivation. Becoming an apprentice or finding a mentor, who could teach them plant taxonomy, morphology, and medicinal uses for plants was a plus. Knowing how to use the Linnaean system of classification, studying Latin, and having some medical background might fill in gaps of what could only be learned with travel and exploration.
Needless to say, most of her colleagues were wealthy men and a few women who could devote themselves to collecting, experimenting with flower and plant potions, and diagramming their appearances, so they could be identified properly.

Taboos

The Crooked Mile Gazette Newspaper typically published puff piece articles about successful women like Cathaleen Garamund, but they didn't always write positive stories about her. Her research projects were known for their intrigue and mystery. She authored multiple widely read grimoires, banned in many regions due to controversy. Briar Bank college did not showcase Cathaleen’s grimoires in the library's public section. The Lightkeeper Lending Library in Crooked Mile didn't either. Only members of approved secret societies were permitted to borrow her extraordinary books on flowers, plants, and arcane spells.

Cathaleen's most acclaimed book, as proclaimed by the authors of Wierd Magazine was written with a nom de plume and published by the Orchid Botanical Foundation Foundation. It includedher personal conclusions about the paranormal characteristics of orchids.

• Cursed orchids are often cursed, bringing misfortune to anyone who possesses or admires them.
• Sentient are sentient beings, capable of communication and even manipulation.
• Orchids are portals to other realms, filled with strange and wondrous creatures.
• Orchids possess magical properties, granting the collector incredible abilities.
• Orchids attract fairies, demons, or spirits.
• Orchids use their stems and roots to store ancient secrets or hidden knowledge.

Cathaleen's Orchids by ROD w/Midjourney

Cathaleen’s followers wrote letters to the Gazette editor when their salacious article came out. They believed that Cathaleen’s work with orchids changed their attitudes about working with plants to make remedies and pain killers. Medicines, foods and the environment cause side effects. Consuming medicinal syrups and elixirs can kill or paralyze patients. Their esteemed author was not condoning the use of orchids for supernatural purposes; it was that she wanted botanists and herb ologists to realize their potencies.

— Milo Klein