Sweetgrass

Sweetgrass is a fast growing herb that is used in the production of potions of healing. Originally found on the island of Union by early Askia explorers, it was quickly seeded among the skies for it's medicinal uses, and now grows in varying quantities on most islands.  Different, rarer, harder to grow varieties correlate with different strength healing potions.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Sweetgrass comes in four colours, which determines both it's rarity and potency: pale green, deep blue, light purple, and bubblegum pink.  The plant has long thin stems and a faintly course texture. It grows in clumps, resembling crabgrass in appearance, and weighing roughly 0.2 kg.

Genetics and Reproduction

Sweetgrass, like all grass, reproduces via seeds. Small flowers bloom within the clump which produce the seeds, which are then eaten by animals and deposited in new spots. Specialized segmented seeds in acid-resistant shells allow dozens of seeds to survive digestion, ensuring the continuation of the species.

Growth Rate & Stages

Sweetgrass grows quickly, sprouting within 3 days of being planted, and reaching full maturity within 10 days.

Ecology and Habitats

Sweetgrass can survive in any elementally infused soil, regardless of type, and as long as it is provided a steady supply of water. Natural philosophers suggest that, in addition to basic nutrients and in the soil, sweetgrass also feeds off of the ambient elemental magic infused into the soil, resulting in it's healing properties.  Despite its usefulness, sweetgrass is considered an evasive species, and quickly out populates similar plant life if not properly managed. Certain druids warn that, if not kept in check, sweetgrass could easily spread across arable land like wildfire, impacting the food supply of the Fractured Skies.

Additional Information

Domestication

Sweetgrass is grown in small quantities by all manner of freelance healers, alchemists, and druids. Most major powers maintain specialized private farms that grow the plant in large quantities to support their militaries, ensuring ready access to healing potions for every soldier.

Uses, Products & Exploitation

The key use of sweetgrass is the production of healing potions. Generally four clumps of sweetgrass of the same colour produces a potion of the quality and rarity of the list below. Normal potion crafting rules apply for crafting time.
Greater quantities of sweetgrass can also be used by skilled alchemists to produce stronger healing potions, but this requires exponentially more grass as the potency increases. See the second table below for detailed breakdown of the conversion rate of different coloured grass.

Colour	Potion	Rarity
Green	Basic.	Common.
Blue	Greater.	Uncommon.
Purple	Superior.	Rare.
Pink	Supreme.	Very rare.

Colour	Conversion
Green	N/A.
Blue	16 green.
Purple	64 green, 16 blue.
Pink	256 green, 64 blue, 16 purple.

In a pinch, a living creature can consume an entire clump of sweetgrass as an action to restore a small amount of hit points. A creature can only do this once per short rest before they become violently ill, gaining the poisoned condition, and suffering 1d6 total hit point damage until they complete a long rest.
The amount regained by consuming raw grass is as fallows:

Green = 1 hp.

Blue = 2 hp.

Purple = 4 hp.

Pink = 10 hp.

Lifespan

Varies island to island, but generally dies during cold or dry seasons.