Herbal Ingredients
“These three herbs are virtually identical in appearance, but the careful herbalist can tell the difference at a glance. One makes pasta taste pretty good, the second makes you see beautiful colours and walk funny, and the third has enough lethal toxins in it to kill twelve men, if that’s how you like to spend your Saturday nights.”
- From the introduction to Bestock’s Herbal (1891 A.T.)
Herbalists use a variety of naturally occurring herbs to create herbal mixtures that provide a number of potent effects.
(OOG CAUTION NOTE: Although this list contains plants that may exist in the real world, the properties assigned by the game of Fantasy Alive do not directly mirror real world properties possessed by these plants or their derivatives. Many of the listed herbs are toxic, and it is not advised that you partake in any of these herbs or mixtures thereof without independent guidance.)
Identifying herbs found in the course of one’s adventures requires the skill Herbalist 1. Herbal ingredients may be found growing wild, but are most frequently acquired by use of the Craftsman: Herb Gardener skill (or purchased from reputable growers).
Adder’s Tongue is a fern in the ophioglossum family, with a central, budding, flesh structure, and fleshy, radiating roots. Each plant typically sends up a small, undivided leaf blade with nettled venation, and a spore stalk which forks from the leaf stalk. Herbalists prize it for its toxic properties, as well as its ability to incite rage and quell loose speech. Adder’s Tongue appears in Toxin, Tongue Bind, Lethal Poison, and Berserk mixtures.
Alkanet is an herbacious flowering plant also known as Dyer’s Alkanet. Since the Golden Age, the roots of the alkanet plant have been used in dyes, particularly for its fine red colour, which is insoluble in water, but which does dissolve in alcohol or other organic solvents. Herbalists view it with caution, for prepared correctly, it can cause an intoxicating effect – or help to form one of the more deadly poisons, the Creeping Death. Alkanet appears in Intoxicant, Minor Illness, Leather Skin, and Creeping Death mixtures.
Aloe is the common name for a number of flowering succulents, the most useful of which to herbalists is the Aloe Vera (or ‘true’ Aloe). Many tonics for injury, as well as a general specific against poisons of all sorts, use properly harvested and prepared aloe in them, although its curative properties without preparation are considerably more limited. Aloe appears in Energy Boost, Healing Balm, Slow Death, Wonder Tonic, Miracle Tonic, and Cure-All Mixtures.
Ash is the common name of a tree related to olive and lilac, which appears in the folklore of most of the peoples of Ariel. Although woodcarvers prize the ash for its wood, herbalists value the sticky resin that can be collected from the leaves and inner boughs of the plant, useful for its stickiness and elasticity, as well as a minor toxic effect that can cause a release of adrenaline when properly prepared. Ash appears in Leather Balm, Silk Bag, Greater Adrenal Rush, and Berserk mixtures.
Barberry is famed for its thorns, which are said to have cleaned the coins minted by Marius by his first followers, causing the stem, root, and bark to form a potent golden dye thereafter. It is said to be astringent and unpleasant to the taste and smell, suitable for smelling salts, but herbalists can use it to make compounds making wood more pliable and resilient. Barberry appears in Awakener, Timber Oil, and Hero’s Last Stand mixtures.
Bastit was once thought to grow only in a swamp on land on which tears have been shed; while it does flourish in wetlands, no weeping is needed. A carnivorous plant, Bastit’s scent attracts mosquitos, to the great annoyance of herbalists everywhere that the plant grows. The stem has an oil that has alternating properties depending on how it is prepared; stewed, it acts as a mild soporific, but cut fresh, it serves to get the sanguine humours pumping. Bastit appears in Adrenal Rush, Slow Death, Liquid Serenity, Sleep, and Immunity mixtures.
Bishop’s Weed is the common name for ground elder, a flowering plant related to the carrot, and otherwise known as goutweed. Its leaves are broad and toothed, flowering with five white petals, with a hollow stem, and frequently visited by pollinating insects. Although known as a folk remedy for gout, its uses are varied, and it appears in many common hallucinogens, paralytic potions, sticky sap used in silk bags, and as an ingredient in specifics for poisoning. Bishop’s Weed appears in Silk Bags, Antidote, False Death, Hallucinogen, and Paralyze mixtures.
Bittermourn is a lichen that grows in dark places; pale green-grey, it can appear white, and flakes to the touch. Ground to a dust and infused in teas, some societies in the north use it as a treatment for rheumatism. Herbalists prize it for other purposes: this rare herb promotes mental stimulation, as well as serving as an excellent medium for local anaesthetics and the growth of mould cultures. Bittermourn appears in Awakener, False Death, Tongue Bind, Disease, and Euphoric mixtures.
Blackroot derives its name from its appropriately coloured roots; a perennial herb with wooly hair-like stems, the leaves appear as wings running down the sides of the stems. Bitter to the taste, some villages use it as a specific for gallstones and constipation, but warn that it should be used carefully if at all, as it can cause liver damage in excess amounts. Blackroot is an herbal ingredient in Intoxicant, Minor Illness, Creeping Death, and Disease mixtures.
Bloodmoss is said to have sprung up in those places in the world where Hemulis bled when he was a mortal man; the incarnadine colour of this dense moss supports the story. Used by some healers to pack wounds, it is clearly best used for external use only; the consumption of blood moss can cause vivid nightmares, even before it is mixed with other ingredients. Bloodmoss appears in Healing Balm, Slow Death, Illness, and Euphoric mixtures.
Bullrush is a large, wetland, grass-like plant; although the term is used to describe a number of similar plants, herbalists prize the Grand Bullrush above all others for the creeping rootstalks that are best harvested in late summer through to the first snow. The oils of these rhizomes have different effects based on their preparation and how the oil is extracted, mostly used as a stimulant. Bullrush appears in Adrenal Rush, Timber Oil, Tongue Bind, and Hero’s Last Stand mixtures.
Burdock is brother to the thistle, known for edible taproots and large leaves, and is sometimes used in brewing of cheaper spirits. Often growing in sandy soil, a long-bladed shovel is ideal for gathering the taproots, but different parts of the plant are used in different ways. An oil squeezed from Burdock is useful in tanning. Burdock appears in Leather Balm, Hallucinogen, and Paralyze mixtures.
Caffar nuts are of the greatest interest to herbalists, who borrow the practice of opening the nut after slow roasting from Goblin Caffar-harist chefs. On its own, the roasted Caffar seed is a mild stimulant that can be ground to make a domestic mixture that is very much like coffee, although its full preparation in this manner makes it unsuitable for use in herbal mixtures. Caffar nuts appear in Greater Adrenal Rush, Miracle Tonic, and Berserk mixtures.
Callin is a sweet-smelling herb, with spade-shaped leaves, which has petals that change slightly in colour as the day progresses, starting purple and ending white, shedding the petals after a single bloom. Known as one of the Virtuous Three herbs, an oil derived from the petals of the Callin at the beginning of their bloom serves as a mild analgesic and psychoactive medium. Callin appears in Energy Boost, Cure-All, and Euphoric mixtures.
Cattail is a flowering grass-like plant with a sausage-like head that grows in wetlands, famous for having a number of edible parts, and being used as a specific against burns. The rootstocks can be made into a tea that assists as a mild diuretic, and mashed, as a salve for pustules, wounds, and burns. To the knowing herbalist, all parts of the root are useful, with different tinctures useful for different ends. Cattail appears in Adrenal Rush, Leather Skin, and Hallucinogen mixtures.
Colewort is known in some parts as the greater sea-kale, and is a part of the same family as cabbage, broccoli, and mustard. It has kidney-shaped dark green leaves, and white cruciform flowers. Boiling the flower pods before they open creates a dark paste that has psychoactive and healing potential. Colewort appears in Wonder Tonic, Antidote, Euphoric, and Immunity mixtures.
Coltsfoot is a flowering perennial herbaceous plant with flowers which superficially resemble the dandelion. Its name refers to the shape of the leaves, which are said to resemble the foot of a colt in rough shape. Although once used in folk-remedies for flu, cold, fever, rheumatism and gout, the practice has died out in a lot of the Lakes Region owing to fear that overuse may cause disease of the liver. Syrups derived from the leaves hold the active ingredient, and may be used for shelf-stable storage of the herbal ingredient. Coltsfoot appears in Toxin, Greater Adrenal Rush, and Sleep mixtures.
Culkas is the name of the root of the bramble known in Harodom as Queen Elspeth’s Grace. The root, when boiled, produces a syrup used as an emulsifier in a number of disparate recipes; while easily neutralized, Culkas syrup is mildly toxic, but has been used in some places as an emetic. Combined with other herbal ingredients, this effect may not survive the brewing process. Culkas appears in Energy Boost, Liquid Serenity, Disease, and Lethal Poison mixtures.
Darnell, sometimes known as cockle or false wheat, resembles wheat in its general appearance; it is a grasslike weed that frequently grows in the same places that wheat is successfully farmed. It is in appearance that the similarities end however; raw Darnell is toxic, causing an effect like soporific drunkenness. Herbalists extracting Darnell oil use it for a few differing applications, mostly as a mixing base. Darnell appears in Antidote, Hallucinogen, and Hero’s Last Stand mixtures.
Dog Weed is a gangley thistlelike plant, with yellow or reddish flowers which somewhat resemble those of the daisy. Thriving primarily in drier climes, it has been successfully cultivated in the Lakes Region for its use in poultices and in folk remedies for treating infection, as well as having a calming effect on the gut. Dog Weed appears in Leather Skin, Creeping Death, Disease, and Euphoric mixtures.
Draff is otherwise known as Brewer’s Weed; a thin, reedy plant in the allium family with a large woody bulb, so named because it grows enthusiastically where draff (the malted byproduct of brewing) is strewn. The Draff bulb can grow year round as long as the soil is kept warm and well fertilized. Draff appears in Minor Illness, Miracle Tonic, and Hero’s Last Stand mixtures.
Dragon Tears is the poetic name for small nodules of resin that appear on bared flesh of the Lightning Pine in the dog days of summer, or after the tree is struck by the eponymous weather. Hardening as they cool, Dragon Tears are golden amber and sweet smelling, melting in boiling water to create a honey-like mixture with psychoactive properties. Dragon Tears appear in Leather Balm, False Death, Illness, Sleep, and Berserk mixtures.
Ebur shares its name with a powdered mixture made principally of elephant tusk; this is because the herb has large thorns in the same shape as such a tusk, and dries to make a powder of similar colour, causing some merchant traders to confuse the two when trading in far-off lands without a translator. Mildly toxic but sweet-smelling, Ebur powder is used in some richer households as a pest-control substance. Ebur appears in Adrenal Rush, Disease, Lethal Poison, and Paralyze mixtures.
Ergot is a fruiting black mould that grows on cereal grains; before its properties were identified, the hallucinations caused by ergotism and other toxic effects from the mould, led to accusations of innocent magic-users of necromancy. Ergot appears in Timber Oil, Antidote, Greater Adrenal Rush, and Disease mixtures.
Falsifal, or Fool’s Slipper, is a brown mushroom with a long narrow cap, with white gills, and a dark brown or black stem, which grows in old-growth forests. Cutting into the Falsifal releases a small cloud of spores, with a bitter odour, which tends to be somewhat flammable – avoiding having an open flame when preparing this mushroom is advised. Falsifal appears in Lethal Poison, Berserk, and Immunity mixtures.
Fetherfew, known in some places as feverfew for its use as a treatment for ague and headaches. The ‘Fether’ in fetherfew refers to the shape of the leaves, which have a large central vein and otherwise are feather-shaped, with white petals and a pronounced round circular centre to the flower. A weed, Bestock’s Herbal says “it joyeth to grow among rubbish“, but requires sharp drainage. Fetherfew appears in Toxin, Illness, Euphoric, and Paralyze mixtures.
Flax, also known as the linseed, is cultivated as both a food and fibre crop. Textiles made from flax are commonly known as ‘linen’, and the unspun fibres are also known as ‘flax’ when still raw. Herbalists prize the rarer ‘pale flax’ for its seeds, whose oils have a more pleasant mediating quality on several mixtures. Flax appears in Silk Bag, Wonder Tonic, False Death, and Cure All mixtures.
Harfry may refer to two things; a moss that grows in cemeteries, and a tea derived from that moss which is said to ‘give aid to an unquiet mind’. The moss is delicate, and will frequently crumble to dust if improperly dried, making it easier to use fresh; the tea, once steeped, can be distilled for ‘powdered Harfry’, which preserves most of its desirable herbal qualities. Harfry appears in Tongue Bind, Sleep, and Immunity mixtures.
Hemlock refers to a flowering herbaceous plant in the same family as the carrot, and sometimes mistaken for the often-foraged wild carrot. Consuming any part of this plant raw is likely to cause sudden to eventual exceptionally painful death, and many herbalists reserve specific tools for processing Hemlock if they are preparing it for other purposes. Hemlock appears in Minor Illness, Timber Oil, Toxin, and Cure All mixtures.
Henbane is the common name for a highly toxic poisonous plant in the nightshade family; in some places it is known as the ‘stinking nightshade’ for its potent odour. There are tales of Henbane being used in formulations that caused vivid visions, possibly used by ancient diviners and seers, but if such a formula exists, it has long since been lost to history. Henbane appears in Illness, Leather Skin, Miracle Tonic, and Paralyze mixtures.
Kathkusa is a rare, winter-flowering herb native to the more northerly reaches of Ariel, but successfully transplanted by merchants and herbalists. A succulent, it flourishes in places where battles have taken place, even if they were long past. Chewing Kathkusa root is said to serve as a stimulant for people of the North, but long-term use has caused issues of the liver and digestive tract. Kathkusa appears in Awakener, Leather Skin, Wonder Tonic, and Immunity mixtures.
Lungwort is an ‘evergreen’ herbaceous perennial, that grows in clumps and rosettes, with leaves covered in hairs of varied length and stiffness. The spotted leaves were thought to resemble ulcerated lungs, and thus Lungwort has a storied (but mostly fruitless) tradition as a folk-specific against respiratory conditions. Lungwort appears in Slow Death, Antidote, Liquid Serenity, Hallucinogen, and Berserk mixtures.
Mandrake refers to the Common Mandrake, a non-magical herb that is thought to resemble the much rarer True Mandrake, which only flourishes at crossroads where a body has been left to hang. Common Mandrake can be cultivated anywhere, but requires well-fertilized soil with good drainage. The root of the Mandrake has the shape of a bipedal humanoid, but (unlike its True cousin) does not scream when pulled. Mandrake appears in Greater Adrenal Rush, Illness, Lethal Poison, and Immunity mixtures.
Nightshade is technically a whole familiar of plants, including Henbane and the common tomato, but most herbalists use the term as a shorthand for the Deadly Nightshade, or Belladonna (so named because it was used by ‘beautiful women’ to dilate their pupils cosmetically). Every part of this plant is lethally poisonous; a single leaf is enough to kill an adult human, and five to ten berries will do the same. Belladonna poisoning symptoms include a rapid heartbeat, hallucinations, and seizures. Nightshade appears in Creeping Death, Lethal Poison, and Euphoric mixtures.
Periwinkle is an herbaceous subshrub, with slender trailing stems up to six and a half feet long. The leaves are opposite, and the flowers usually have five violet or white petals joined together at the base to form a tube. Herbalists have been able to determine that periwinkle is not native to this landmass, but have been unable to determine its original origins; periwinkle is sometimes used as a folk treatment for some cancers. Periwinkle appears in False Death, Liquid Serenity, Tongue Bind, Creeping Death, Sleep, Berserk, and Paralyze mixtures.
Saffron is an orchid that usually requires greenhouse cultivation; herbalists are most interested in the long, delicate, golden pistil strands which make Saffron one of the most expensive herbs by weight in all of Ariel. These strands are used to dye fine cloth, and are used in cooking, meaning that saffron growers can command a handsome price for any significant amount of the herb; happily, single strands are all that is required to work potent herbalisms. Saffron appears in Healing Balm, Miracle Tonic, and Creeping Death mixtures.
Spider Venom is descriptive in its name; unlike a great many other ingredients for herbalists, this is not an herb at all, but literal venom retrieved from literal spiders, usually the venom of the Giant Bear Spider commonly found in caves across the Lakes Region. In more humid climes, the Vrek-Eating Spider is cultivated by some herbalists and is reportedly non-aggressive, allowing itself to be milked without killing the spider. Spider Venom appears in Silk Bag, Liquid Serenity, Hero’s Last Stand, and Paralyze mixtures.
Wolvesbane or aconite, monkshod, or devil’s helmet, is an extremely poisonous plant famously used to stave off werewolves. The petals form a cylindrical ‘helmet’, called the galea, usually a deep blue or violet. Skin contact can cause mild to severe toxicity, causing numbness and tingling, feeling of coldness in the face and extremities, gastric complaints, sweating, difficulty breathing, dizziness, and confusion. Wolvesbane appears in Cure All, Hero’s Last Stand, and Sleep mixtures.
Woodrose refers to a parasitic tuber with strong psychoactive properties; it is sometimes called the ‘Flower of the Underworld’. Found in ailing trees, the tree often responds to the presence of the tuber by forming a structure that resembles a wooden rose (hence the name). Consuming the Woodrose is considered a rite of passage in some divination traditions, as consuming it can cause potent disturbing visions, but this can cause considerable harm. Woodrose appears in Intoxicant, Cure All, Hallucinogen, and Immunity mixtures.
Authored by: Andrew Dunlop
Fantasy Alive Lore Team 2026
Copyright © Endless Adventures Ontario