Package of singing herbs
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A Selka will smile and treat you with open kindness, that is, before you mention their native island - then they'll often become guarded and secretive. Much of Selka culture and customs are a mystery to the residents of Braided Shore and much of the information that we do know comes from what they choose to barter with. One such example are the singing herbs, a light umber plant with extremely thin leaves. The top of the leaves is a matte umber while the undersides are lighter, with four clearly visible darker midribs, snaking their way outwards from the stem to the edges of the leaf. The underside is shiny with sap and when stuck to the top of a person's tongue, their voice becomes noticeably higher. Conversely, when placed on the underside of the tongue, the tone of the person's voice becomes lower. The leaf can be safely ingested when the sap wears off and the leaf drops off the tongue.
The singing herb has become a popular novelty item in Braided Shore, where kids use them mostly for pranks and adults as party tricks. Rumours say that Selka use the herbs for religious purposes, singing hymns to an unknown deity in high and low tones. Much has yet to be confirmed and more research must be carried out before more can be written on the subject.
Fateng Leng, Professor of Herbalism and Foreign Cultures at Rivenleaf University