The Deeplands
"Sefra's Winds, this article is incomplete! Maybe you can fill the gaps if you have an idea from your travels, Sehm."
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An old deepland prophesy-disk. The carvings on the disk have been worn down by time but someone has attached a knotted ribbon in an attempt to preserve what was once written on the disk. The ribbon has in turn also seen better days but you can read two things clearly. "Deepland Princess" and "Dandelion."
The nature dwelling Deeplanders are a constant source of inspiration for me as a student of Natural Medicines. One example of their ingenuity is their way of purifying forest water using charcoal to absorb the harmful materials leaving the water safe to drink. The common folk seem to have noticed this practice as well, however they misunderstand the purpose and simply mix charcoal with water believing it to have purifying properties when consumed." -Firo Leng, Professor of Herbalism and Natural Medicine at the Rivenleaf Academy.
Tougher than its tender stalks convey, this chewy mushroom is rumoured to still be used to make a uniquely soft cloth weave by some weavers of the Deeplands. On rare occasion during the full moon, processions of omin have been spotted walking through the forests wearing marble-shade caps on their "heads". It is said that only the spirit naturalist Cavo Linhea knows the purpose of these rare omin rituals.
When the light of the moon shines on a pond of ethereal waters. When the Four Winds gentle shake the jade trees into natures calming waltz. The Jadefin is born in emerald waters, a chance encounter between the sky, the winds, the sea and the earth.
I know that it might be tempting. Deeplanders sometimes carry rare goods. But never attack one anywhere near a forest, it's just not worth it.
A headband made from braided string. A common practice among deeplanders is to wear a looped headband that can be used to bundle firewood to be carried on their backs.
On my latest expedition into The Deeplands I managed to glean another insight from the swamp dwellers. When we walked through the wet marshlands I was continuously assaulted by all manner of bugs, leeches, and other parasites that were after my blood. But when I turned around to my two Deepland companions I was baffled by how the blood sucking critters completely avoided them like someone from the Subo family avoids social interaction. I asked them how they were so untouched and they gave me a few strands of some kind of zig zag grass. The grass tasted like bark but I managed to keep it down and as if The Winds themselves had blessed the air around me, the insects now retreated at my mere sight!
After further research I theorize that when the Hatma grass (which I have named after one of my guides) gets into the consumer's sweat glands, the bug repellent toxin in the grass starts being expelled along with the consumer's sweat.
I must make a note to stock up on more of this herb before my next expedition.
Growing in abundance in the Secluded valley of the Deeplands, the odd cherry tree can also be found in the west and the north of Braided Shore where the fall of its pale cinnabar petals tend to mark the coming of a change in the seasons. Symbolizing dramatic change and promises in the future, but also preparedness and stoicism for what may come makes the flower a token of coming of age and is, therefore, a popular decoration at birthday parties and celebrations in connection with graduations and such ceremonies.
The snapdragon, in the Deeplands commonly known as the Sefrafimble can be found in growing in thickets of abundance in rocky terrain and can also be found rooted on time-worn, sun-exposed stonework. There is a rare species of marble snapdragon that has ever been found growing on graves. Scholars debate why this should be the case. Folk tales abound about the mystic properties inherent in the roots of the marble snapdragon. Most of these stories sinister undertones.
I admit with a small degree of shame that even though I pride myself on my adventurous spirit and rough baking nature my vanity demands that I'm am very careful to maintain my coif in perfect condition.
I adore the fascinating plant and animal life living just beyond the scope of civilization, even if those areas have a tendency to do fierce battle against the integrity of my hair.
On my latest expedition into the Deeplands, I inquired my guides how they dealt with the humid climate interfering with their hair. In response, one of them removed their hat to reveal their hair tied in a very tight, braided bun, perfectly concealed beneath their tight skullcap. I tried on one of their hats, but with my hair as voluminous as it is, the hat could not quite create the suction against my scalp and the hat kept threatening to fall off.
According to legend, So-Idra was the ruler of a short-lived kingdom in the deeplands. During the third age, many tribes formed and grew to towns and towns grew to small kingdoms, such kingdom arose in the deeplands. The name of the kingdom has been lost to the ages after the kingdom was destroyed by another tribe. So-Idra's soldiers were vastly outnumbered compared to their neighbours but when their opponents came, So-Idra used the swamplands around them to their advantage and all but beat back the invading forces. When all hope was lost, So-Idra hid in the swamp, using hidden wisdom to stay under the swamp surface longer than should be possible.
So-Idra roots are as the name suggests named after this king since, like their namesake, the roots hide just under the murky water of the swamps.
When the first explorers settled The Deeplands, they were forced to adapt to the harsh flora and fauna that lived therein. They discovered quickly that fighting against the wilds was impossible so they chose instead to become one with the forests. These were the first Deeplanders.
They lived in harmony with the beasts and plants that made the unforgiving forests their home. They could not keep sheep or goats so they made their clothes from edible silver roots that clung to tree branches, what is now called Sefra's Hair root. Sefra's hair clothes are very resistant to moisture and will keep the wearer dry even in the marshes of the Deeplands.
There is a Deepland myth that tells of a golden apple-spider that is reborn every century from the fruit of a particularly old apple tree. The apple spider is claimed to sing rhymes of foresight while it spins webs of solid gold.
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