Dolgam

First domesticated by early Ngavarrā—the old fashioned way, before they learned their arcane secrets of the Green—dolgam is a plant with a number of interesting properties. It has a relatively high caloric content, and served as the primary staple for the Ngavari before the importation of the /?oan/—known to them as the /haoːn/. Even though it still sees some use in Ngavari cuisine, it sees dramatically more use in medicine. When eaten raw, the bulky root of the plant slows the processes of the body—from heartbeat, to brain activity, to digestion. This slows the progression of diseases, and dramatically reduces risk in many medical procedures.

— from Manifold Medicine: An Herbal Healer, by Andoloros Mandol

Basic Information

Anatomy

The plant possesses a single stalk which emerges from the ground. This stalk splits into a web of curling vines, which wrap around most anything nearby. Beneath the ground, the stalk widens into a bulbous root core, off which multiple smaller roots spring.

Ecology and Habitats

The dolgam is heart, capable of surviving in climes both arid wet, and in soil both rich and poor.

Additional Information

Domestication

As the portion of the plant with the highest caloric concentration, and imparts its chief medical properties, the process of domestication increased the size of the root core beneath the ground to considerably more than the original, wild species.

Uses, Products & Exploitation

Historically, the dolgam was a food staple for the Ngavari people, and still sees significant use in Ngavari cuisine to this day. Its most significant usage, however, for both the Ngavari and other cultures, is in medicine. When the root core is consumed, it slows down the processes of the body, allowing for relatively complex surgery, and slowing the progression of disease to allow for the use of a wider array of medicines.