Sámblás

Short introduction

A plant called sámblás (pl. sámblaés) to the Tarrabaenians is widespread over central eastern Erana, but does hardly get any attention aside from that of the Tarrabaenians. It is a medium sized, herbaceous shrub that can be found here and there in a variety of soil and light conditions. It is a dyeing plant that produces an intensive, blood red colour, albeit with a very limited stability, which severely limits its uses.

Appearance, distribution and ecology

Sámblás appears as small shrubs or congregations of shrubs. They reach heights of about two Tarrabaenian feet and shoot stiff, wavy or spirally shoots from a central, lightly ligneous knob that grows out of the ground. The leaves are small, sap green and grow in an alternating fashion. Their shape resembles a circle with a deeper cut on the side, where the stem attaches. The sámblás also blossoms yearly with the blossoms being small and off-white with a sweet, light fragrance. The knob from which the surface parts of the plants grow is covered with a deep-brown bark. This bark also covers the roots of the plant.

The plant can be found in modern day Tarrabaenia, around the Sévo Mountains and along the more northern parts of the Gray Sea. It's also present in northern Andaperna and further east, up to the eastern coast of Erana. Sámblás grows under a variety of circumstances, but never in big numbers. It seems like it prefers medium humidity and is found mostly in hilly, bushy or sparsely forested land. It is also often found around running waters.

Special properties, cultural role and use

The shoots of the Sámblás are sometimes collected for decorative purposes, especially when in bloom. Other than that, these parts of the plant are of no use currently. Historically the Duiniken used them for tattoo art, but it is unknown whether they continue to do so in the East.

Another field of use is alchemy, where especially the stems and blossoms, but also the root bark is used. The application is wide and it can be used for all kinds of alchemic potions, ointments, brews and even incense. What exactly it can be used for is as variable as the drugs it can be worked into. It is not a very sought after ingredient though, as it does not have a strong effect on itself, but only helps to strengthen the effects of combinations of other ingredients. That makes is an ingredient mostly used to patch up formulas that have not fully developped of if better materials are missing.

Probably the most well known use of the plant is in the sacrifice to Evoris and Cretátors which is conducted by the Vítifátor Cretatóris during the height of the summer. There is a movable holiday connected to it, which is set annually by the sáncéndí cósillió. There is no celebration connected to the holiday as it is a sacrifice of respect to the god of war and the river god Evoris, who is believed to be responsible for many Tarrabaenian victories against the Messellat Mdûlûn. For the sacrifice, twenty-seven horses are drained of their blood. Their bones are burnt for Cretátors, their meat is buried in Cretátors Cassa, that is his sacred grove and the blood is libated into the river to colour it red as a reminder of all the lifes lost during the battles of the past. As the Evoris is a relatively big river, the Vítifátor Cretatóris also prepares a decoction of the root bark of the Sámblás, which is highly dyeing already. In a special ritual though he prepares this special concoction using alchemy that lets the river turn blood red with only a few litres. The preparation of it is a strictly guarded secret of the temple of Cretátor. It is also forbidden to try and replicate the conconction for anyone else but the Vítifátor Cretátoris.