Mara D'Lessio Merrill
The Lesser D'Lessio
Image Credit: Here
Name: Steelbreast Root
Homeworld: Kilia IV
Development Thread: None
Average Measurements: Comparable to a carrot.
Cultivation Requirements: Steelbreast root grows in the rocky soil and cold climate of Kilia IV. It fails to thrive in warmer temperatures and when over-watered.
Distinctions: Above ground, steelbreast presents as a cluster of tough, stringy, green-and-purple leaves. Below ground, steelbreast has a narrow white root, often dividing, and covered in tendril-like protrusions. Steelbreast is crisp and crunchy. It tastes sweet and mildly spicy.
Strengths:
- Increases oxygen uptake, allowing humanoids and other mammalian species to operate at higher altitudes, including Type II-III atmospheres (if the Type rating is due to altitude/rarity/cold rather than contamination or composition).
- A good food for winter survival: somewhat fatty, provides hydration, a bit spicy, quite tasty, doesn't freeze easily, edible when frozen, grows to middling size in very cold climates.
- Spoils very rapidly in warm weather unless dried.
- Somewhat bulky to carry around.
- A quick bite or two won't do it. Take the time to eat the entire root, maybe two, and you'll be good for a while.
Average Growth Cycle: Comparable to a carrot.
Average Life: Comparable to a carrot. Once harvested, steelbreast will keep almost indefinitely in cold conditions or if dried.
Nutritional Value: Steelbreast is somewhat fatty and contains a broad spectrum of vitamins in moderate amounts. It contains almost zero protein, though. In general, steelbreast is an excellent companion to a diet of wild game, and can prevent 'rabbit fever' - an over-reliance on very lean meat.
History: Steelbreast is native to Kilia IV, a mountainous and medieval world which stemmed from a lost colony. Steelbreast became essential to extended travel in the mountains. After Kilia's rediscovery in the New Republic era, tourist and migrant flows carried steelbreast to other worlds. It only thrived in cold regions, making it a bit of a curio crop, favored by smallholders in northern climes. All over the galaxy, steelbreast can be found growing wild in small quantities wherever the climate is right. It's known to pop up on Belsavis and even Hoth. During the Dark Age, steelbreast's origins were entirely forgotten, along with the remote planet of Kilia IV itself.
During her sojourn on Kilia IV at Castle Miriamele, Rave Merrill was known to grow steelbreast in a small garden. After Rave's death, Mara Merrill and her associates kept the garden alive. Although the patch occasionally produces very large roots, no explicit alchemy was involved.
Intent: An aid to survival in cold settings.
