Tafosl, "tomb-weed"

"Two signs: the red glow in the moonlight or the smell of decay. Both good omens. Delicate be on the picking - pull for the flower but not the root lest our greed kills us." - Cassia Loe, earth genasi tomb-picker.

Speckled red and black moss flares in the fog-ridden nights of The Empty Cemetery. Foragers from Wardenbreak descend upon the nearby marshlands in search of the 'weed' known for its filtration qualities. Known locally as "tomb-weed" for the way it grows near decomposing flesh, the plant is used to purify water in the newest city-state. Without a source of local flowing water, the city depends upon the weed to create "blackwater", purified water but dyed black by the moss.

Discovery of other uses has been limited due to the weed's importance to the city water supply. Even so, alchemists and herbalists have began to encroach on the 'crop', fueled by rumors of the untapped resources to be found in the weed's traditionally un-plucked roots. This has led to conflicts between harvesting crews and foragers contracted from Trevestadt in the north or even beyond. This is of course on top of the native fauna that haunts the swamp, threatening any who brave the region. Sellswords or adventurers may find work in either the profession of harvesting or protecting those venturing into the Cemetery themselves. Or one could dare their own experiments, though such attempts may attract ire and other prying eyes.

Scientific Name

Flora

Conservation Status

As Wardenbreak expands, the need for tafosl intensifies and this has demanded experimentation in growing the weed agriculturally. Some fear damaging the current supply in testing for right practices but others see it as necessary, if the free city is to maintain its independence.

Geographic Distribution

• The Empty Cemetery
• Wardenbreak