World Building: Faran Foliage #1
So I know I haven't been updating here very often as of late, but life has been very busy with four kids and the holidays.
This really isn't the place to complain about issues though. You want progress reports or information on the world of Farah. Today, you're in luck. It may not be terribly exciting, but it's somewhat important to the world.
What is this topic, you might ask? Plants. Foliage. Greenery.
Why would I write about this? Well, Farah is somewhat of an alien world, and plants can do a lot in terms of the look and feel of a given location.
But that's only half of why I would want to write about them. In the real world, plants play an important role in our every day lives. They provide food, medicine, and building materials. While they may seem to be something to be regulated to the background of our lives, they are in reality part of the forefront of almost everything we have and essential to our survival.
The same is true on Farah.
As such, I think it's hugely important to give detail into what other people may consider minor details. This post is here to do just that, taking things that I've posted small descriptions of in the glossary, and fleshed them out for you to read about. That is, if you're interested in that sort of thing. This post might not be for everyone, but for others it might give them an idea of what to expect later on. The only way to know for sure is to read on below.
Description
Renni is the short name for the fast-growing renniscuss tree, which when fully grown stands about a meter and a half tall, not including the root. It has a dark color to the bark and dark green, elongated, waxy leaves. It's wood is especially soft and flexible, with the bark becoming the hardest part towards the end of its life. It's root is actually it's largest part of the plant, digging far down into the dirt and rock in search of water.
Despite it's soft wood, it is a rather hardy plant, capable of surviving in a large range of environments. In the wild, it is know to grow in a both dry and wet areas, but grows best in temperate to tropical climates. Renni is also a popular crop among many different areas because of it's ease of care and multiple uses.
Uses
It's super-soft wood makes it ill-suited for most construction or woodworking purposes. However it is extremely buoyant and flexible, so it is used to make things like fish-net floats and corks. It's also a great source of paper fiber, which is highly desirable in well-educated circles.
It's most popular use, however, is to make renni sweets from its root system. Its dark, leathery, bark-like root has a pleasant, sweet taste and keeps relatively well when dried, and thus is popular among the poor since it is easy and cheap to grow in a variety of climates. It is eaten either raw or dried, but occasionally it is used in the preparation of various dishes of Faran cuisine.
It can also be used to produce a type of molasses or refined sugar. The molasses is one of the primary ingredients used in the production of rum, which is a popular drink in many parts of Farah. Sugar is also an important ingredient, and with the renniscuss tree's ability to grow almost anywhere, it's typically produced locally.
There are also some medicinal applications for the plant as well. It's most common use is for it's laxative effect, though this effect only happens when you chew on its leaves. However, one must be careful doing that, as doing so quite often or in large amounts can cause a blood clotting effect. This can be useful for people with blood thinning or bleeding issues, but it is not recommended to do this without the aid of a medical professional.
Agriculture
The renniscuss tree is important to trade, though mostly for what can be produced from it. While many farms produce the trees for its various different uses, some elect to breed different varieties of the plant to better produce different features. For instance, one farm may try to produce larger root systems in order to produce more sugar or molasses, while others may want more of a laxative effect from the leaves.
Paper mills that utilize renniscuss trees are quite common near the bigger cities, as paper has become more of an important commodity over the years with the amount of readers reproducing manuscripts from the old worlds.
This really isn't the place to complain about issues though. You want progress reports or information on the world of Farah. Today, you're in luck. It may not be terribly exciting, but it's somewhat important to the world.
What is this topic, you might ask? Plants. Foliage. Greenery.
Why would I write about this? Well, Farah is somewhat of an alien world, and plants can do a lot in terms of the look and feel of a given location.
But that's only half of why I would want to write about them. In the real world, plants play an important role in our every day lives. They provide food, medicine, and building materials. While they may seem to be something to be regulated to the background of our lives, they are in reality part of the forefront of almost everything we have and essential to our survival.
The same is true on Farah.
As such, I think it's hugely important to give detail into what other people may consider minor details. This post is here to do just that, taking things that I've posted small descriptions of in the glossary, and fleshed them out for you to read about. That is, if you're interested in that sort of thing. This post might not be for everyone, but for others it might give them an idea of what to expect later on. The only way to know for sure is to read on below.
Faran Foliage: Renni
Description
Renni is the short name for the fast-growing renniscuss tree, which when fully grown stands about a meter and a half tall, not including the root. It has a dark color to the bark and dark green, elongated, waxy leaves. It's wood is especially soft and flexible, with the bark becoming the hardest part towards the end of its life. It's root is actually it's largest part of the plant, digging far down into the dirt and rock in search of water.
Despite it's soft wood, it is a rather hardy plant, capable of surviving in a large range of environments. In the wild, it is know to grow in a both dry and wet areas, but grows best in temperate to tropical climates. Renni is also a popular crop among many different areas because of it's ease of care and multiple uses.
Uses
It's super-soft wood makes it ill-suited for most construction or woodworking purposes. However it is extremely buoyant and flexible, so it is used to make things like fish-net floats and corks. It's also a great source of paper fiber, which is highly desirable in well-educated circles.
It's most popular use, however, is to make renni sweets from its root system. Its dark, leathery, bark-like root has a pleasant, sweet taste and keeps relatively well when dried, and thus is popular among the poor since it is easy and cheap to grow in a variety of climates. It is eaten either raw or dried, but occasionally it is used in the preparation of various dishes of Faran cuisine.
It can also be used to produce a type of molasses or refined sugar. The molasses is one of the primary ingredients used in the production of rum, which is a popular drink in many parts of Farah. Sugar is also an important ingredient, and with the renniscuss tree's ability to grow almost anywhere, it's typically produced locally.
There are also some medicinal applications for the plant as well. It's most common use is for it's laxative effect, though this effect only happens when you chew on its leaves. However, one must be careful doing that, as doing so quite often or in large amounts can cause a blood clotting effect. This can be useful for people with blood thinning or bleeding issues, but it is not recommended to do this without the aid of a medical professional.
Agriculture
The renniscuss tree is important to trade, though mostly for what can be produced from it. While many farms produce the trees for its various different uses, some elect to breed different varieties of the plant to better produce different features. For instance, one farm may try to produce larger root systems in order to produce more sugar or molasses, while others may want more of a laxative effect from the leaves.
Paper mills that utilize renniscuss trees are quite common near the bigger cities, as paper has become more of an important commodity over the years with the amount of readers reproducing manuscripts from the old worlds.
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