Mercylberry

A popular berry cultivated by gatherers along the coast of the North Sea near Merciwyne, used in the production of the famous alcoholic drink bearing the same name. A delicious beverage with a sweet flavor, Merciwyne is exported all over Hasdall and produced en masse in many major cities.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Small, bright red berries with faded, orangeish markings near the stem. Grows in clusters of up to several dozen per stem.

Ecology and Habitats

Thrives in moist, acidic soil. Pollinated female flowers give way to orange-red berries starting in Gerom, typically through end of Melorah. When harvested early in the season, the berries maintain a very tart, almost bitter flavor. They achieve their most delicious flavor around the time of the harvest, when the berries are a vibrant bright red, with a tiny hint of orange at the stem. The berries are present typically through the end of Melorah, when they will tend to sour and rot.

Biological Cycle

Mercylberry grows as a small shrub that achieves a height range of 5-10 feet. More mature plants have been known to grow as tall as 15' feet. Plants of this species are mostly dioecious (separate male and female plants), but some plants have perfect flowers (possessing both stamens and pistils). The whitish flowers of the mercylberry are relatively inconspicuous. Birds, deer, and a variety of small mammals are attracted to the berries.

Scientific Name

Mericinns Syllus

Conservation Status

The mercylberry is guarded and highly valued because of its unique characteristics in the manufacture of merciwyne. Farmers and gatherers live near and around the crop to look after it, protect it and care for it. The first elves that migrated to Central Hasdall were the first to harvest the berries for different purposes, and utilized a more spiritual approach. By tracking the moon cycle and harvesting the mercylberry on the eve of a full moon, the elves called upon Azrael to bestow their yield with fruitfulness. They practiced an ancient technique called "Buì-Galad Ithil", which translates from the old elven tongue to mean "by the light of the moon". As the elves were very superstitious and drawn to the power and the mystique of the moon, they thought that ritualizing the harvesting of a valued berry could incease its potency and flavor. The berries were gathered and carefully placed in moonwood baskets, and covered with a thin linen. They were then taken to a remote location, which was kept secret and guarded from outsiders. The exact nature of the ritual is unknown, known only by the elders that were involved.
The elves tried to migrate their moonwood trees to Central Hasdall and grow their sacred wood in a new habitat, but the climate was not suitable to it's longterm sustainability. It was too mild, the air much more muggy than the cooler north, and the trees refused to properly grow as the elves were used to. The soil near the coast in the areas around the berry outcroppings where they attempted to plant the trees was inhospitable and too acidic to sustain the growth of the moonwood tree. Thus, the elves were left with only their moonlit ritual.