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Here we see two specialists of House Talleraine tending to a pond with an overgrowth of Bruisegrass, a fast-growing species of algae with psychoactive properties.
The presence of the stuff around the outskirts of the Val Salian mountain ranges is what brought the Great House to establish a base of operations there, and regulations state that any outbreaks of the stuff is to be immediately reported to them.
On its own, it is a noxious, harmful substance if allowed to spread to land and reach its reproductive phase, in which the colony dries out and crumbles, to then be carried along the wind to any nearby sources of standing water and repeat its cycle.
However, it is mostly harmless in the early stages of its life cycle, in which its signature vertical strands can be harvested, treated and processed into a powerful opiate, which is one of House Talleraine's largest sources of profit. As such, they've developed advanced methods of controlling and farming the algae, and demand full collection rights for the cleanup/control services they offer the city-state of Val Salia.
This pond was discovered midway through its life cycle, and has begun to creep onto the ground surrounding it; and so while one agent rakes in a harvest, the other soaks the edges of the pond with oil in preparation to burn off the land-borne sections of the growth.
Once a trained House Prospector inspects the growth to assess the stage of its life cycle, the pond will be continually harvested and burnt back until it expends all of its protein and dies off naturally; or if the growth has passed its safe stage, the pond will be filled with oil and the surface set alight, incinerating the floating algae colony.
It is strictly forbidden to introduce any amounts of active Bruisegrass to most cities, because even a small bowl of mismanaged algae can spread to other sources of standing water, and require a long, concentrated effort to ensure its full extermination. More than once, an addict has attempted to grow his own stock within the city, with disastrous results.
The state of their bodies when displayed in the public square after the Great Houses are done with them have done wonders to discourage others from repeating their mistake.
The presence of the stuff around the outskirts of the Val Salian mountain ranges is what brought the Great House to establish a base of operations there, and regulations state that any outbreaks of the stuff is to be immediately reported to them.
On its own, it is a noxious, harmful substance if allowed to spread to land and reach its reproductive phase, in which the colony dries out and crumbles, to then be carried along the wind to any nearby sources of standing water and repeat its cycle.
However, it is mostly harmless in the early stages of its life cycle, in which its signature vertical strands can be harvested, treated and processed into a powerful opiate, which is one of House Talleraine's largest sources of profit. As such, they've developed advanced methods of controlling and farming the algae, and demand full collection rights for the cleanup/control services they offer the city-state of Val Salia.
This pond was discovered midway through its life cycle, and has begun to creep onto the ground surrounding it; and so while one agent rakes in a harvest, the other soaks the edges of the pond with oil in preparation to burn off the land-borne sections of the growth.
Once a trained House Prospector inspects the growth to assess the stage of its life cycle, the pond will be continually harvested and burnt back until it expends all of its protein and dies off naturally; or if the growth has passed its safe stage, the pond will be filled with oil and the surface set alight, incinerating the floating algae colony.
It is strictly forbidden to introduce any amounts of active Bruisegrass to most cities, because even a small bowl of mismanaged algae can spread to other sources of standing water, and require a long, concentrated effort to ensure its full extermination. More than once, an addict has attempted to grow his own stock within the city, with disastrous results.
The state of their bodies when displayed in the public square after the Great Houses are done with them have done wonders to discourage others from repeating their mistake.
Category Artwork (Digital) / All
Species Unspecified / Any
Size 1000 x 837px
File Size 146.7 kB
Listed in Folders
Yeah, the Opium Wars would've been ten times crazier if the British/Chinese had to deal with this stuff rather than poppies.
And the strands must be treated properly in order for the body to process them and receive the intended effect; inhaling the reproductive-stage spores just results in a rather fatal lung/bloodstream infection!
And the strands must be treated properly in order for the body to process them and receive the intended effect; inhaling the reproductive-stage spores just results in a rather fatal lung/bloodstream infection!
Now, now. The oldest question in humanity is, "Can I eat that?" The second-oldest is, "Can I screw that?"
"Will that get me high?" is only the third-oldest question. But that's not really saying much, as all three were asked by the same cro-magnon over the span of about 20 seconds.
"Will that get me high?" is only the third-oldest question. But that's not really saying much, as all three were asked by the same cro-magnon over the span of about 20 seconds.
Depends on the stage the algae colony is in! In its current state as seen here, it isn't very active, and it would take a good deal of the stuff getting into one's bloodstream to do more than make it itch really bad.
In its reproductive/migrating stage though, getting too close to the stuff or passing through a spore cloud is pretty much a death sentence.
In its reproductive/migrating stage though, getting too close to the stuff or passing through a spore cloud is pretty much a death sentence.
Taken? By a real life plant, or one from your story world?
There actually is a plant by that name: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperata_cylindrica
There actually is a plant by that name: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperata_cylindrica
It could theoretically be used in that capacity, but it takes months for a colony to reach its toxic stage; and then, it's notoriously difficult to safely contain, handle and control. A turning breeze could blow it in the direction of the army attempting to weaponize it and end the siege right there.
Likewise, if a saboteur attempted to introduce it to a city's water supply, they'd still have to wait a few months for it to reach its reproductive cycle, and the inhabitants would have plenty of time to find and remove it before then.
Likewise, if a saboteur attempted to introduce it to a city's water supply, they'd still have to wait a few months for it to reach its reproductive cycle, and the inhabitants would have plenty of time to find and remove it before then.
"I was bored one day and zought to myself, 'Zis big zing stuck to my face is ugly, obtrusive, and makes killing awkward, gross and uncivilized.' So I tore out my own shell-tooz and fashioned it into a dagger. For some reason, however, my shell-tooz never grew back. Zats okay zough, my shell-dagger has never failed me." - Dredge the yinglet
You say it's harmful if allowed to reach its reproductive phase, but how so? Irritation and burns when touched? Releases spores that induce enormous allergies, to the point where some people die of asthma? Grows legs and searches out babies to eat? Turns into a swarm of yinglets?
(Scenarios listed in order of increasing horror.)
(Scenarios listed in order of increasing horror.)
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