Below the break you can find three new entries for “Adlar Ashton’s Guide to Alaria” (Tangle Bush, Herbalist’s Kit, and Fey). You can also find the guide in it’s current entirety HERE. These entries are part of in “in universe” guide and aren’t full stories, nor are any of these ones particularly smutty.

Tangle Bush

The wild Tangle Bush is a hazard both feared and hated by explorers. The “living vines” of a Tangle Bush attach themselves to native plant life, hiding their presence as their vines spread through their botanical host. Eventually the Tangle Bush fuses itself to its host, altering its appearance to better blend in with the life form it’s invaded. Before long the Tangle Bush becomes more than a parasitic interloper, it becomes the dominant part of the native plant, unrecognizable for what it is till it’s too late.

Tangle Bushes will respond to the presence of any sentient being, its living vines attacking anyone that gets too close. The host plant will seem to come alive, tentacle-like vines and branches shooting from it to grab and wrap firmly around limbs and body to pull the attacked person into the bush where even more of the living vines will ensnare their prey.

Why a Tangle Bush does this is not understood as the plant itself is not carnivorous. It will continue to constrict its prey as long as they keep trying to break free, and if one fights long or hard enough this can lead to the plant strangling its prey. But if one can manage to calm down and try not to fight the Tangle Bush will ease its grip on its prey, simply holding its victim in place.

Even though a calm mind and body can easily keep a Tangle Bush from harming or even killing someone escape often proves to be impossible without the aid of someone not ensnared. Only with the help of someone to cut you free will a Tangle Bush provide little danger. Being rescued is normally a simple thing, especially since most Tangle Bushes will not attack more than one person at once.

Although Tangle Bushes can be found growing wild in nearly every corner of Alaria they are far more likely to be found in places where magic is strong. Why the plants are so attracted to such places is a mystery, although some guesses can be made. The very nature of a Tangle Bush suggests that at one point in ancient history the curious plant was cultivated with the aid of magic. That cultivated Tangle Bushes are to this day often used as a kind of natural security is near proof they were created for this purpose.

Herbalist’s Kit

These portable kits are usually contained in sturdy rectangular boxes that open to reveal inner shelves lined with glass vials held snuggly in place. Most of these vials will be filled with herbal crafting materials used to brew potions or create simple healing salves. Many empty glass vials will always be present for collecting new ingredients as well as for mixing fresh potions.

A small mortar and pestle are always included in these kits as well as some sort of vessel to hold fresh, clean water. This allows potions and salves to be freshly ground and mixed in water.

Normally brewing such creations would require an alchemist’s station, and even with one most potions would take time to brew. An herbalist’s kit contains a pouch that’s kept empty allowing the vials within the kit to be easily, but snugly, slid within. Runes hidden within this special pouch can, if the user knows how to activate them, heat then “brew” the potion in moments.

This is why herbalist’s kits are so special and expensive. It’s common to see Adventurers and wealthy healers whose work keeps them on the move using them, but more common alchemists who lead more stationary lives will not find the expense worth it.

Although the specific contents of an herbalist’s kit differ slightly from region to region the broad strokes of what it contains are always similar enough for someone from a distant land to recognize and be able to use one.

Fey

In many regions of Alaria Fey are considered little more than a legend. Partially this comes from how few of this race there are left in Alaria. What few Fey remain have mostly chosen to keep themselves hidden away in secret enclaves where outsiders are not allowed. But even when Fey choose, or are allowed, to leave their hidden homes they keep most information about their race secret meaning this entry will be a brief one.

The Fey seems to be an all-female race, although ancient legends suggest this might not have always been true. One legend says the male Fey fell to some dark power and the women banded together to destroy them, leaving them a mono-gendered race. What matters is that since at least The Great Collapse the Fey has been a race made up entirely of women.

Where new Fey come from is a complete mystery. Rumors and legends claim Fey cannot bear the seed of any man, regardless of race. As their lifespans are unknown it is entirely possible Fey, like pure-blooded High Elves, have such long lives that to most races they seem functionally immortal.

If one puts stock into the legends of the male half of their race being destroyed by the female half then this seems a good explanation for the race’s steadily diminishing numbers over time. Fey are rare and they keep their secrets well, but my research DID reveal several members of the race that seemed to be adolescents or young adults, suggesting that Fey still have some way of creating at least a few new members of their race.

Physically Fey can easily be mistaken for small Human women, at least at first glance. They have pointed ears and pretty, delicate features some mistake as Elven. Their delicate, small bodies are something that leads many to mistake a Fey’s age. To an unaccustomed eye a Fey might LOOK like a teenage Human girl, but any time with her will reveal the truth.

Their most distinct physical attribute, and the one most likely to be hidden when out in the world, is their wings. Descriptions vary, but the most common one compares them to dragonfly wings. When in use they flutter like an insect, allowing them to hover in the air and even fly.

Most stories claim a Fey’s wings hang limp down her back like a cape when not in use. A few tales suggest at least some Fey can make their wings disappear when not in use, which would go a long way in helping them remain hidden.

Even with the presence of wings most scholars assume their ability to fly is more a magical thing than a physical act. Even with as dainty and delicate as Fey are (and ALL stories say they are) their flight MUST be aided by some magical means. It is said Fey have a powerful and natural connection to all kinds of magic much the way purer blooded Elves do, so perhaps their ability to fly is tied into this natural attunement with Alaria’s magic?

Their skin tones are very Human-like, with most having “white” skin while lighter-toned, black-skinned Fey are not unheard of. Their hair colors vary far more widely than a Human’s, with seemingly no natural limit on the colors possible.

The shape of the average Fey’s figure is much less diverse. Fey are universally dainty, with slender long limbs and narrow builds. Yet they manage to have, as one poet who extolled their erotic offerings, “womanly curves that will leave one’s mouth watering”.

Some tales and legends present them as prudish or teases unwilling to engage in sexual activity, with some stories even suggesting their race is virginal in nature. What my studies could reveal is that Fey are very much sexual creatures, just not with men.

Little is known for certain about their culture. We know that what few Fey remain in Alaria keep themselves hidden away in what is assumed to be small communities. Those Fey that travel openly always talk about their homes with fondness, making them sound like places of unending peace and comfort. They say their fellow Fey spend their time perfecting their skills as poets, musicians, and artists. They feast and dance and sing, living out lives most would view as decadent in their delights.

Yet these insular communities also seem to be more than prepared to protect themselves. Every Fey, even the most skilled musician or poet, is a deadly warrior. Their dainty, fragile bodies have forced them to rely on speed, dexterity, and stealth, all things their wings make easy. A band of Fey protecting their hidden home is said to be much like a roving band of assassins, striking from the shadows in the night and killing their opponents before their presence is discovered.

The rare few Fey that wander openly through Alaria are almost always found using these deadly skills. Some take up lives as Adventurers, but more commonly you’ll find these Fey as members of the Sisterhood of Righteousness. The organization seems to be a good fit for the Fey as most are at least uncomfortable around men if not outright hostile towards them.