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On Northern Fungi: Part 1

Tags: #alchemy  #Matthaeus Belladonc  #Fungi 
  • Member
    July 9, 2018

    Bleeding Crown:BC.png

    Among the less common mushrooms of Skyrim, this particular fungi owns its name to a rather peculiar property which has lead many to believe that it is somewhat related to the bioluminescent Violet Coprinus from Morrowind.

    First of all, I would like you to take a quick look at the general morphology of fungi. Their fruiting bodies, which we know as mushrooms, are often made out of more or less three parts: The stem, the cap and the gills or sponge, which one will depend on the species. In the case of the Bleeding Crown, it’s gills. It is from these gills that the fungal spores will be dispersed.

    What makes the Bleeding Crown such an interesting specimen is that once its gills have fulfilled their function they liquefy into a strange red liquid that will then start seeping out of the mushroom’s cap, hence its name.

    I mentioned before that the Bleeding Crown mushroom isn’t all that common in Skyrim, there is, however, a rather unexpectedly large exception to that rule. These mushrooms seem to be strangely fond of the Falkreath pine forests and it is therefore not unlikely that you’ll find them clustered around trees or scattered around the local cemetery (which has great conditions for fungal growth). For important concentrations of this mushroom in the other holds a budding alchemist may have to delve into local caves and abandoned mines.

    Speaking of Alchemy, the Bleeding Crown has a few rather interesting chemical effects. When it is brewed into a potion with the right reagents it is capable of shielding the user from magic and allows them to make better use of their shield. How? That is an avenue for further research of a more fundamental approach. With which I shall not weigh down this encyclopedia. Regardless, I can imagine that potions brewed from this mushroom could push the scales in your favour when fighting spellswords of all kind.

    On the contrary, when the liquefied gills are used to poisonous effect, they can lead to very situational poisons affecting the body’s immune systems and lowering its tolerance towards other toxic substances. It also leads to an increase in the flammability of organic tissue.

     

    NR.png

    Namira’s rot:

    Known amongst most inhabitants of Skyrim as the nastiest thing you’ll find growing in your cellar, Namira’s rot is infamous for its horrid smell and it’s disgusting appearance. This fungus has a similar morphology to the Blisterwort that is also included into this encyclopedia but is easily distinguished by the strange texture of its cap. The Cap of the Namira’s rot looks and smells like a decaying humanoid corpse. As a result, they are quite difficult to mistake for anything but themselves. A crafty mimicry indeed.

    As a note to amateur alchemists, I recommend alerting your neighbours and the local authorities if you plan on growing these fungi yourself. It would be a shame to have your entire plantation be destroyed by rampaging guards looking for a hidden body. I will extend a similar warning to people who find the mushrooms burgeoning in their cellars; remove them before the smell starts to spread.

    When I came across these mushrooms for the first time I was intrigued as to whether or not they had a deeper connection to the Daedric Lord Namira, besides the clear connection between the decay mimicry and the prince of decay. Sadly, my research came up empty.

    Namira’s Rot is capable of inducing a strong sense of paranoia and fear within those afflicted with a poison made from it. Another poisonous effect that will be well known among those alchemists who think eating random fungi and the like is the best way of learning about them are the severe headaches it causes.

    It isn’t all bad though as Namira’s rot potions have been praised by many a locksmith and the less discrete of thieves for its interesting property to give people more insight into simple mechanic items such as locks. A less niche effect this fungus is associated is its ability to fasten cell division and tissue regeneration. I’ll be honest I’ve always found this to be an odd effect for an ingredient so commonly linked to the daedric prince of decay.

     


    BW.png
    Blisterwort:

    Probably the best-known mushroom of Skyrim, it is well known for its healing properties and how easily it can be mixed with wheat to create simple healing potions. Most alchemists in Skyrim will even ask of their apprentices to start out with potions based off of these mushrooms. With the mentality that If you can’t mix Blisterwort with wheat, you may as well stop trying.

    The strangest thing is that compared to other, far more common, alchemical components such as blue mountain flowers Blisterwort is in fact not a great component for healing potions as it often results in rather disappointing results. Other effects of this mushroom include muscle fatigue and potent psychedelic effects that are often associated with bursts of violence. Blisterwort oil has also often been used to clean the joints of suits of heavy armour making it more effective.

    Blisterwort can be identified by its flat brown cap and long beige stalk. The surface of the cap of these mushrooms isn’t exactly smooth and as such one could imagine that the name comes from the patterns on top. However, I wasn’t able to identify a clearly blister like formation. The name of the mushroom may also be related to this reputation as the mushroom itself shows no signs of blisters or warts. Blisterwort and wheat potions may have been used as a popular remedy to blisters.

    Due to its physical resemblance to Namira’s rot, it can be easy to mistake it for its cousin from a distance, once you come closer you’ll soon discover that despite of the physical resemblances the Blisterwort doesn’t have the same characteristic smell.

     

     



  • July 9, 2018

    Oh, this is just delightful to read, Teineeva. Glad decided not to sit on it any longer. One of my first nature documentaries I watched as a child was one about fungi. 

  • July 10, 2018

    Someone´s been holding out on us. Shame on you! But you lucky you made amends and posted it. :)

    So nothing like shrooms. You think we could spin an Alchemy discussion off this? Cause I would love to discuss the Fortify Block capabilities of Bleeding Crown. Fortify Block. I mean, how in the hell do you explain that? You drink a potion and you suddenly know how to use shield better? Come on!

    So if you had to explain it, like in a story let´s say, trying to make it as realistic as possible, how would you do it? How can a potion increase your skill with a shield for a short period of time?

  • Member
    July 17, 2018

    Shadow Host said:

    Someone´s been holding out on us. Shame on you! But you lucky you made amends and posted it. :)

    So nothing like shrooms. You think we could spin an Alchemy discussion off this? Cause I would love to discuss the Fortify Block capabilities of Bleeding Crown. Fortify Block. I mean, how in the hell do you explain that? You drink a potion and you suddenly know how to use shield better? Come on!

    So if you had to explain it, like in a story let´s say, trying to make it as realistic as possible, how would you do it? How can a potion increase your skill with a shield for a short period of time?

    The way I like to go about that is by thinking what stats would represent what your body is capable of. And what capacities your body has would help with certain skills.

    For example, I described Namira's rot as giving people headaches. I'm not 100% sure since I wrote most of this a while ago but I think that's how I interpreted the effects of a damage magicka potion.

    For a fortify blocking potion, the best thing I can come up with is that it makes you more aware of how you distribute your weight allowing you to block somewhat better by better putting your weight behind your shield or something. The big problem with this approach to fortify skill potions is that these imagined effects should probably carry over to other skills as well, in this case, any other combat skill would reasonably be affected as well.