Pyre Trifoil

Pyre Trifoil, sometimes called the deathleaf, is a rare plant that grows only in isolated parts of Yuriba. It can be harvested into an extremely potent poison.

Traits

Pyre trifoil is a rare type of weed that grows largely in moist, dark crevices which don't see a lot of sunlight yet have sufficiently rich soil to sustain the bloom. It's most common in small knots and clutches in shaded areas of the foothills, typically near hot sprints, where the volcanic soil provides both nutrients for the plant to thrive on and a greater likelihood of rugged, shaded spaces for it to grow. The weed grows in bunches, and five to 10 stems can sprout from a single seed, each one producing several leaves with three rough, dark green 'prong' leaves, shaped like a bird's foot. The leaves are coarse and covered in raised pores. Each stem terminates in a small yellow flower with a black heart.

The flowers are entirely harmless and are actually a favoured food of some insects. However, all species scrupulously avoid the leaves and stem. The leaves are the delivery mechanism for an extremely potent secretion loaded down with coniine, the same chemical found in poison hemlock. Ingesting the plant's leaves and stem is usually enough to deliver a dangerous dose of the poison, which constricts the nerves of the respiratory system, ultimately cutting off oxygen flow to the heart and the brain. Two leaves of the trifoil is usually enough to mortally affect an adult. The weed got its name because eating it inevitably resulted in a funeral pyre for the victim.

Historical uses

The plant has been known since the Lily Civilization and was, much like spearweed, employed as a potent poison. Pyre trifoil essence is difficult to harvest because of the plant's rarity and tendency to wither rapidly when plucked, and it can't be used to coat weapons because its chemical makeup causes it to go dormant when it interacts with metals. It congeals rapidly when exposed to air and can usually only sustain itself in a liquid form. As such, the weed was generally distilled down to its essence, which would then be used to contaminate food or drink.

These days the weed is used by some native healers in combination with other local flowers. When mixed properly and in the tiniest quantities, it is a potent means of slowing internal bleeding, controlling an accelerated heart rate or staunching brain hemorrhaging.