Commodities

The kingdom of Lithmore enjoys a wide variety of commodities from the functional to the purely ornamental. Many of these items are rare, difficult to produce or sometimes simply unknown outside their duchy of origin, which often elevates their status (and their price) as true luxury goods.

• Anise (Lithmorran and Vandagan): Used as an aid to digestion, it's also common in foods. Anise has a strong licorice odor and flavor. Lithmorrans and Vandagans use Anise in cakes, cookies and sweet breads, but Daravi and Farin use it in soups and stews. It is also a popular in liqueur.
• Arrowroot (Charali): A flavorless powder similar to cornstarch in consistency, it is used to draw poison from wounds; especially poisoned arrowheads, from whence its name is derived.
• Basil (Lithmorran): Used frequently in cooking, it has a sweet, aromatic flavor. It is often a compliment to meat, cheese, vegetable and egg dishes. Some people grow Basil in their home to invite happiness, but this tradition is often scoffed as superstition.
• Bay Laurel (Farin): A pungent, bitter herb, Bay Laurel leaves are believed to ward off plague and storms. Thus superstitious farmers are known to hang bay leaf wreaths on their door in the Spring and to wear necklaces of bay laurel in summer.
• Caraway (Charali): One of the oldest spices known to the Five Duchies, Caraway is rumored to originate in Vavard by scholars, though it is typically considered a Charali spice. The flavor is tangy, and the smell pungent, and it is often found in rye bread.
• Champagne: Champagne is a rare and royal drink, involving the fermentation of sugar added to wine after the initial fruit sugars have fermented completely. The pressures involved require the highest skill in crafting the bottles, and explosive failures wiping out an attempt to craft it are not uncommon.
• Champagne Ale: Champagne ale is an ale that is finished as champagne, with rock sugar and enough yeast to add the carbonation to the beverage. It will have the smaller and softer bubbles of champagne (versus next to none in single fermentation beers and ales) with the ale flavor and style.
• Cinnamon (Daravi): Often found in baked goods and confections, its nature as a Daravi import make it worth its weight in gold as well as highly questionable to own. Indeed, as a medicine, it is ground and sprinkled into cuts to prevent infection, and is believed to calm a woman's belly during her moon cycle. The Daravi consider it sacred and burn it at funerals.
• Coamjar (Tubori): This Tubori form of sugarcane has been the backbone of the Tubori economy for almost eighty years. Slaves imported from Farin often make up a large part of the workforce and plantation owners make up the aristocracy of its nobility. Coamjar is believed to improve alertness, but can be used to make certain forms of alcohol as well as the beloved sugar prized all over the realm for its role as a sweetener.
• Cumin (Farin): Known for its strong, musty earth flavor, Cumin is a Farin herb believed to keep lovers (and chickens) from straying. Thus it is fed a common ingredient in both human foods and livestock offal, and in rural areas brides and grooms often carry a cumin seed in their pockets throughout their wedding ceremony.
• Elderberries: Dark purple berries from the Lithmorran elder tree, elderberries are typically used to make medicines.
• Fennel (Vavardi): Believed to restore eyesight, fennel substitutes for anise in many Vavardi dishes and appears in practically all of their fish dishes (of which there are many). For its sweet aroma and powerful freshening affect (not to mention its general affordability), many Vavardi chew fennel seeds after a meal to freshen their breath.
• Floleaf (Hillmen): A distinctly Hillfolk herb, this remedy replaces tabac in the hearts of the hills. It releases a distinctly pleasant scent very different from the alternative, tabac, and is prescribed by many a herbalist for practically any illness known to man. Unfortunately, it is also quite addictive as the feeling of euphoria achieved with the herb is powerful and lasts for a few hours without greatly impairing the judgment. Floleaf is commonly known to cure diseases such as Corpse Rot and the flu.
• Fortan: Reddish in color, with a leaf almost like a mapleleaf in the fall, the fortan holds unknown properties.
• Fortified Wines: Fortified wines are created by adding distilled spirits to the wine either during or after the fermentation process. For TI, it will be post fermentation, but the tooling is not limited to the dry (low sugar) fortified wines such as sherry.
• Ginger (Tubori): A cure-all mixed into beer with a hot poker, this Tubori herb has a warm citrus-like flavor. It is known as a strong aid against nausea and is also believed able to rid a woman of an unwanted child in sufficient quantities. The Tubori use it to battle colds and flu as well as to ease the heart and just about any other illness that could possibly plague a man.
• Hemproot (Tubori): Considered a medicinal plant, hemproot has addictive qualities, but is known for its ability to lift the spirits and treat stress and nausea. The ropes that the Tubori use at sea are often woven of hemproot, soaked in various herbs to increase its tensile strength while simultaneously poisoning it to prevent sailors from ingesting it during their leisure hours. The affects are a mild disassociation and extreme relaxation, and rumor has it that it interferes with a mage's ability to access magic.
• Henbane (Lithmorran): A poisonous plant, this Lithmorran herb takes its name from the accidental murder of farmer's hens. It is known for its hallucinogenic properties and rumors suggest that witches and women use it commonly to rid themselves of enemies. It's also commonly called nightshade.
• Hemlock: Hemlock has white flowers that grow in small, erect clusters. The flowers eventually develop into fruits that contain grayish-brown seeds that are known to be extremely poisonous to both humans and livestock.
• Koreroot: The koreroot is used by herbalists in many instances. It is generally thick, but bends easily, and is difficult to break. It appears off-white in color. The uses of koreroot are unknown, although it was once highly sought after, before the Consolidation.
• Lager: Pale ales and lagers are a very modern invention; in this setting lagers are dark, sometimes to almost black.
• Marjoram (Vavardi): Vavardi churches plant this herb in cemeteries (though never on a grave) in hopes that it will then, of its own accord, spread to other graves and declare the deceased as having risen to the Lord of the Springs. Unfortunately, this practice has risen to deliberate planting of marjoram atop the graves of loved ones, so it no longer carries the same meanings as previously, but the herb makes a great flavor addition to almost any meat dish found in Vavard.
• Mehylen: Mehylen, also called threegreen due to the triple-green colors of its stalk, is rare to find. Its uses are unknown.
• Mint (Lithmorran and Vandagan): Used by herbalists to ease chest pains and digestion, this mainly Lithmorran plant also grows in the southern reaches of Vandago. It is most popular in tea and perfumes, but some herbalists recommend sniffing satchels of it to relieve various other illnesses.
• Molassas (Tubori): Molasses is a byproduct of sugar production in Tubor, and is accordingly rare and expensive. It is primarily used in the brewing of rum, though as cooking expands that may change at the highest ends of the crafting system.
• Mugwort: An herb beloved by witches, it is primarily known for its place in magical rituals, but the reputation is somewhat erroneous. Herbalists know it as a plant of strong anaesthesia qualities, enabling physicians to perform daring operations to save the lives of their wards. Common folk believe the plant will ensure a woman's conception, and so it is often taken by women wishing to bear children, though witches are believed to use it in love philtres. Due to its use in both healing and its poisonous properties, mandrake must be handled with care - and this has wrought legends of the shriek of a mandrake, if improperly harvested from the earth, will cause death in its victim.
• Mustard (Lithmorran and Vandagan): As an acquired taste, mustard seeds are crushed, the husks separated from the resulting powder, and then mixed with beer to create a paste that some cooks use to flavor their dishes. It is much more popular in Lithmore than where the seeds originated, in the Duchy of Vandago. The uneducated tend to view mustard with a degree of suspicion, relating to the fact that, after being mixed with a liquid, mustard powder will heat up on its own before cooling down. In the eyes of the Holy Order, however, there is nothing to be feared from the mundane spice.
• Myrrh (Farin): A dangerous herb, large amounts of myrrh may have a violent laxative action. Its nature causes it to be traded mostly for cosmetic purposes in perfumes and burned at funerals.
• Nettles: A generally unremarkable plant that grows to waist-height, causing painful rashes when bare skin rubs against it. The plant, leaves, and roots have a variety of uses among Physicians.
• Nightpine (Lithmorran and Vandagan): A kind of exotic wood found primarily in Lithmore and Vandago, nightpine is one of the only dark softwoods known to exist. It has a decent hardness for its categorization, but is more decorative than structural due to its cost. A more expensive variety of night pine is known as black star pine, for the unusual star-like patterns in the grain of its wood caused by a certain symbiotic fungus.
• Nutmeg (Vavardi): Herbalists recommend nutmeg against fevers and headaches, and this Vavardi spice is typically used in baked goods and mulled wines. However, while superstitious folklore claims that nutmeg wards off the plague, its true value is the common belief that nutmeg is a powerful aphrodisiac. For this reason, as well as the hallucinogenic effects of ingesting a large quantity of the spice, nutmeg is a favorite of the Cult of Ecstasy.
• Oleander (Lithmorran): Oleander, a small evergreen shrub with pretty flowers, is commonly known to be mildly poisonous in all its parts, and is one of the most poisonous of ornamental garden plants.
• Oregano (Charali): Very similar to Vavardi Marjoram, Charali oregano possesses a strongly aromatic, camphoraceous odor and has a pungent flavor. More bitter than Vavardi Marjoram, the difference is believed to be due to the harder climate and soil content. The Charali use oregano to flavor everything from meat to kymyza (their fermented mare's milk), but assign it no ritual importance.
• Paprika (Daravi): A fragrant and colorful (bright red) spice, it ranges in flavor from mildly sweet to simply hot. In Daravi, it is used to fight cold and flu effects.
• Parsley (Hillmen): Known to be a strong breath freshener, Hill Folk chew parsley to freshen their breath as well as to hang in their home to absorb mal odors. It is common for Hill Folk to hex those their enemies by repeating the person's name while plucking a sprig.
• Pepper (Lithmorran and Vandagan): Black pepper belongs to both Vandago and Lithmore, ground from peppercorn. White pepper, a Vavardi specialty, is a subtle flavor, and the Hillmen green pepper has a fresh taste. In Vandago and Lithmore, pepper sometimes substitutes as silver to pay rent and fines, dowries and taxes. A pound of pepper is commonly thought to be worth 30 silver.
• Poison Oak: Poison oak is a diamond or oval-shaped green leaf that grows as vines or shrubs in wooded or marshy areas. Although the plants themselves are not believed to be poisonous, the sticky oil that covers the leaves is. Even slight contact can cause rashes, while consuming the oil can be deadly in moderate doses.
• Raspberry Leaves: Though the fruits of the raspberry plant are a well-loved summer treat in the Brenlands, it's the leaves that have medicinal uses. Lithmorran folklore claims that by drinking a tea brewed from the leaves, a woman's womb can be prepared for children. The leaves are green with silvery under-tones, and tend to have a fruity, robust taste.
• Rosemary (Hillmen): Believed to be a memory aid, the Hill Folk often use this in lamb dishes. Skalds tie dried sprigs into their hair before performing tasks that require memorization or recitation, common folk use it in their hair soaps, and it is always present for memorable occasions such as weddings. Outside of the Hills, rosemary is a symbol of fidelity and a sprig given to husbands and wives on birthdays, and folk weddings often burn it during the ceremony.
• Saffron (Farin): This spice is used mostly as a cheerful yellow dye. The sheer volume necessary to distill to make enough spice to flavor a dish makes saffron the most expensive spice, except for possibly cinnamon, in all of the Five Duchies. Its is commonly given in small amounts to guests to represent hospitality and most frequently used in perfumes.
• Sugar: Sugar is a rare and expensive commodity commonly reserved for the nobility and the crown. It is of limited production, given the requirements and the size of Tubor, and will only be used in the fanciest recipes available to the crafting system. As a rule, if it is cheap, it's a mistake or it is not sugar.
• Tabac: The single most commonly used 'leisure' herb in Lithmore, tabac is imported from Tubor. Smoked with a pipe, there are some people who prefer to chew it, given that it often offends the noses of the ladies. Almost no women openly take part in the use of tabac, and a heavy tariff on the herb ensures that it remains in the hands of the wealthy - unfortunately making it a status symbol, just barely affordable to the peasantry and very common amongst wealthy gentlemen.
• Tansy (Lithmorran): Small, button-like yellow flowers with a strongly bitter flavor, in Lithmore tansy is sometimes referred to as 'Bitter Buttons.' The flowers are poisonous, but used in small quantities have an abundance of uses.
• Temijul (Daravi): Used solely by priests in religious practice, the temijul seed is very expensive despite its abundant growth. By Daravi law, no one may pick, sell, or distill it, even though the brilliant red and black flower commonly enough grows in peasant yards. The effects of ingesting temijul seeds are a deep sleep, pain relief, hallucinations, and in enough quantity, death. Temijul is illegal throughout the realm, but that doesn't always stop individuals from making use of it. When residents of the Five Duchies have access to Temijul, they tend to use the seeds in baking goods or condiments if not simply as bliss-inducing drugs. They eschew the Daravi name for the spice they know as 'Poppy'.
• Thyme (Lithmorran): Representing courage and valor, this herb is sewn into the favors granted to knights at tourney or going into battle. The subtle flavor has a slight tint of mint, making it popular with various meat dishes and stews. Sometimes herbalists have been known to suggest it for hangovers.
• Turmeric (Farin): A mildly aromatic spice, it is the base of curry powder. Considered 'common', everyone enjoys turmeric in their meals, from peasant to duke. It, like saffron, is also used to produce a brilliant yellow dye, though of a different shade. Some Farin peasants use it to dye their hair and bodies for wedding ceremonies, but such practice has been largely suppressed by the Holy Order. Turmeric also has strong preservative qualities, and is often added to foods that the Farin wish to keep over time.
• Vanilla (Tubori): A perfumed, woody aroma, vanilla is much beloved of the nobility as both an additive to desserts as well as perfumes and unguents. Typically, vanilla is steeped for six months in alcohol due to the expensive nature of purchasing the actual beans, and transported in liquid form for processing or use in other regions of the Five Duchies.
• Vinegar: Vinegar is the most easily available acid for industry, medicine, and domestic processes.
• Willowbark: This common plant is used to relieve the symptoms of pain and fever. Though bitter and distasteful, the remedy works so well that people all across the Five Duchies, and even into Charali and the Hills frequently consume this as their first remedy for these symptoms. Herbalists proscribe it as often as physicians do bleedings for many of the same illnesses.
• Wolfsbane: Wolfsbane is a purple blossom, highly poisonous - it is supposedly used in all manner of noxious brews, though herbalists are unlikely to claim any official knowledge of its precise purpose. The etymology of the name is unknown.
• Yarrow: Yarrow is a plant that grows delicate bundles of white flowers. The plant, called 'milfoil' in Vavard, is astringent and bitter. The flowers are thought to break fevers while the roots soothe pain. The flowers tend to be brewed into tea to settle an angry stomach.