‘can be’ toxic…if misused.
Vets regularly prescribe it for dogs and cats and have for mine.
The key is in the dosage, just giving a dog an aspirin on your own is not a good idea and tylenol (paracetamol) is even worse, that affects their livers if the dosage is not precisely calculated, and different breeds react to it differently, also affecting the dosage.
I would not be surprised if the origins of the root were a form of biological warfare. Some sage (back when magic still ran strong in the world) who hated elves engineering a poisonous version of a root that the elves used as a recreational drug. Sort of like making their version of catnip lethal.
Doesn’t help the story much, but the idea did grow in me. Now to figure out who planted the evidence.
So you are suggesting it’s rooted in biowarfare, created by a magician who had the beleaf that the world was better off without elves. Too bad there’s not a log they could check, but that baron of Greyfort who originated the curse could’ve hired a magician. He was one who was at loggerheads with the elves, however illogical his plaint.
It could also be a creation of the Drow, an attempt to poison their cousins up in the daylight. Or even bred for usage amongst themselves, with the evil twist that it would not kill slaves ordered to test the drink first.
The point is, having such a little thing opens up new vistas for worldbuilding.
Elves in the garden ?
Veggies going missing ?
Giggling parties keeping you awake at night ?
Tired of finding arrows in your trees ?
Don’t delay, act today !!!!
Order our specially concocted ‘Elfbegone’ !!!
Now available in spray, bait blocks and feywine flavour !!!
Order now and get double your offer for triple the price !!
Postage and handling extra
Offer not available in areas where elves are protected.
some restrictions apply, offer void where prohibited, batteries not included, ‘Elfbegone’ contains prattroot extract, company accepts no liability for loss of or damage to gnomes, pixies, brownies or other fairyfolk; not for use on fairy toast, fairy lights or fairy tale books; no warranties express or implied, your results may vary; do not apply during midsummer night, equinoxes, solstices, or days ending in ‘y’.
I think Cpt. Carruthers is either a really good investigator and posseses some potentially uncommon knowledge – usually a rare combination for military people in small and/or remote places, at least in the avarage fantasy settings – or she did take part in the murder and so knew all the necessary evidence that leads to the "culprit". Though I’m guessing the first option, I can’t completely close out the second either.
Also, the Abbot is Heigh on my list too, because and despite he would be somewhat too obvious. He definately knows more than he lets on.
Hmmm. You might be right. That person could be either the murderer, whom he for some reason doesn’t want to get caught, or someone who knows more than healthy about the case, but is not yet on the murderer’s radar. Of course, it still could have been a teamwork as well, and he might have played some part in it too, so he could be protecting someone and saving his own skin at the same time. There might be other options, but I could think only of these. 🙂
She knows to much about obscure things. That means she had the ability to do all of it. As for motive I don’t see being that far off. Perhaps she is following orders which is why she doesn’t feel the need to pretend she knows nothing. Politics is at play, I think.
I imagine it affects all people with elven heritage differently, as the prattroot susceptibility is probably tied to a series of proteins. Cadugan might escape with a mere fever for a few days, or maybe his human genes dominate and suppress the reaction. Or someone who is otherwise human could suffer a severe allergic reaction, thanks to Great Grandpa.
A future murder mystery could use prattroot as a way of killing a human who, unbeknownst to all but a select few and Inspector Cadugan, had an elvish grandmother…
That actually is a possibility: she was exposed to just enough to cause a reaction, which did not happen. That confirmed the belief that "Taurenil" was actually an imposter!
It is pretty strange to say that "it's not common but has some singular properties". It seems to me like it would make more sense to say that of something that *is* common. Something unusual having unusual properties is not really unusual.
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Welp, that is bad. So prattroot is this world’s version of iocaine powder?
Nice Princess Bride reference! 😉
But, Westley/The Dread Pirate Roberts had to build up his own iocaine immunity. Vizzini wasn’t so lucky.
This sounds like a straight physiological issue, as Carruthers describes it.
Like how certain animals like goats can eat poisonous plants that would kill us, and chocolate is toxic to dogs.
Aspirin is also toxic to dogs and cats.
‘can be’ toxic…if misused.
Vets regularly prescribe it for dogs and cats and have for mine.
The key is in the dosage, just giving a dog an aspirin on your own is not a good idea and tylenol (paracetamol) is even worse, that affects their livers if the dosage is not precisely calculated, and different breeds react to it differently, also affecting the dosage.
Dose makes the toxin, as with everything. Just so happens that for dogs and cats the toxin is a dose that humans handle with relative ease.
Guess trees actually don’t like being hugged if plants decide to be toxic just to elves.
I would not be surprised if the origins of the root were a form of biological warfare. Some sage (back when magic still ran strong in the world) who hated elves engineering a poisonous version of a root that the elves used as a recreational drug. Sort of like making their version of catnip lethal.
Doesn’t help the story much, but the idea did grow in me. Now to figure out who planted the evidence.
So you are suggesting it’s rooted in biowarfare, created by a magician who had the beleaf that the world was better off without elves. Too bad there’s not a log they could check, but that baron of Greyfort who originated the curse could’ve hired a magician. He was one who was at loggerheads with the elves, however illogical his plaint.
It could also be a creation of the Drow, an attempt to poison their cousins up in the daylight. Or even bred for usage amongst themselves, with the evil twist that it would not kill slaves ordered to test the drink first.
The point is, having such a little thing opens up new vistas for worldbuilding.
So I guess the next question is how does prattroot affect orcs. Is is also tasteless to them? Lethal or nonlethal or something else?
For them it might be like chamomile tee for us. It would explain why Maula had some around, and why is she the one being accused.
I am loving this line of inquiry.
t!
You’re barking at the wrong tree, the investigation will not branch in this direction. They’ll stick to the present murder mystery.
It probably wouldn’t be fruitful to pine for ancient history long buried in ash.
Elves in the garden ?
Veggies going missing ?
Giggling parties keeping you awake at night ?
Tired of finding arrows in your trees ?
Don’t delay, act today !!!!
Order our specially concocted ‘Elfbegone’ !!!
Now available in spray, bait blocks and feywine flavour !!!
Order now and get double your offer for triple the price !!
Postage and handling extra
Offer not available in areas where elves are protected.
some restrictions apply, offer void where prohibited, batteries not included, ‘Elfbegone’ contains prattroot extract, company accepts no liability for loss of or damage to gnomes, pixies, brownies or other fairyfolk; not for use on fairy toast, fairy lights or fairy tale books; no warranties express or implied, your results may vary; do not apply during midsummer night, equinoxes, solstices, or days ending in ‘y’.
I can just the dramatic ‘DA DA DA !!!!’ from the background music
My main suspect is now Captain Lilianne Carruthers
I agree she’s on the list of suspects, but what about this exchange makes you promote her to number one?
Perhaps Cadugan’s expression on the last panel…
I think Cpt. Carruthers is either a really good investigator and posseses some potentially uncommon knowledge – usually a rare combination for military people in small and/or remote places, at least in the avarage fantasy settings – or she did take part in the murder and so knew all the necessary evidence that leads to the "culprit". Though I’m guessing the first option, I can’t completely close out the second either.
Also, the Abbot is Heigh on my list too, because and despite he would be somewhat too obvious. He definately knows more than he lets on.
My sense on the Abbott is that he’s withholding information to protect someone. Who, or why, I’m still not sure…
Hmmm. You might be right. That person could be either the murderer, whom he for some reason doesn’t want to get caught, or someone who knows more than healthy about the case, but is not yet on the murderer’s radar. Of course, it still could have been a teamwork as well, and he might have played some part in it too, so he could be protecting someone and saving his own skin at the same time. There might be other options, but I could think only of these. 🙂
She knows to much about obscure things. That means she had the ability to do all of it. As for motive I don’t see being that far off. Perhaps she is following orders which is why she doesn’t feel the need to pretend she knows nothing. Politics is at play, I think.
How does something like this affect someone like Cadugan, a half-elf?
If we’re skirting Name of the Rose territory, Cadugan had best watch his step (or wear gloves).
Heheh, I am SO glad you asked…
t!
I imagine it affects all people with elven heritage differently, as the prattroot susceptibility is probably tied to a series of proteins. Cadugan might escape with a mere fever for a few days, or maybe his human genes dominate and suppress the reaction. Or someone who is otherwise human could suffer a severe allergic reaction, thanks to Great Grandpa.
A future murder mystery could use prattroot as a way of killing a human who, unbeknownst to all but a select few and Inspector Cadugan, had an elvish grandmother…
Conversely, maybe Taurenil was actually alive and well until the harpsichord smooshed her, because of a *human* grandparent…
That actually is a possibility: she was exposed to just enough to cause a reaction, which did not happen. That confirmed the belief that "Taurenil" was actually an imposter!
Some very cool ideas here.
t!
I’ve been wondering what the hell is prattroot.
It cost us three kings until we realized that the food tester was immune to poison.
Just promote the food-tester to king!
What?
No comment on the use of "singular"?
t!
It is pretty strange to say that "it's not common but has some singular properties". It seems to me like it would make more sense to say that of something that *is* common. Something unusual having unusual properties is not really unusual.