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    Sweet Flag

    Common · Acorus calamus

    Healing · Alchemical · Nutritional · Catalytic

    Terrain Coast, Grassland, Swamp/Marsh

    Description

    Hidden in the coastal silt is a long and thick rhizome from which bundles of long, narrow leaves emerge, resembling iris leaves. From the center of the bundle rises a green stem that looks very much like the leaves. From the stem, a fleshy, brownish-green spadix extends obliquely upward. This is the inflorescence of sweet flag, and at the end of summer, you can see greenish, somewhat dry fruits on it. All parts of the plant have a faint, pleasant aroma.

    Location and Habitat

    rivers, ponds, and marshes, preferring silty, moist soil. It is especially widespread in the temperate zones of Europe and Asia, often found in stagnant or slow-flowing bodies of water.

    Rarity and Availability

    The plant is not rare and is quite easily to find in the wild, especially in lowlands and river floodplains. In some countries, it is cultivated, but in certain regions it may be protected as a native species.

    Folklore & Magic

    • “Tatar Grass” & Water Purification. Tied to myths of invading Tatar horsemen who tossed the roots into water sources for cleaner drinking water. Some claim it literally purifies water.
    • Healer’s Tool & Eye Medicine. Since ancient Greek and Roman times, sweet flag root was valued as a remedy for infections, fevers, and eye ailments. Legendary tales speak of travelers who chewed the root during plagues to ward off sickness.

    Harvesting & Preparation

    • A DC 10 Wisdom (Nature) check or Wisdom (Survival) check identifies sweet flag by its tall, sword-like leaves and distinctive spadix.
    • A DC 10 Dexterity (herbalism kit) check or Wisdom (Nature) check then safely trims and stores the rhizome without damaging it.

    Items & Effects

    • Tatar Purifier (Water-Cleansing Bundle). Characters can craft a small bundle of sweet flag rhizomes to cleanse a body of water.
      • Creation. Requires a DC 12 Wisdom (herbalism kit) check and at least 10 minutes.
      • Use (Thrown into Water).
        • If placed in a container or small body of water (no more than a 10-foot radius, up to chestdeep), the effect mimics purify food and drink on that water only (PHB, p. 270). (This does not affect magical poisons, curses, or corruption unless your GM allows it.)
        • If used in a large river or lake, the effect is local, surrounding the sweet flag within 10 feet.
      • Duration. Lasts 1 hour before the bundle’s potency dissipates.
    • Chewed Root (Disease Resistance). Taking a cue from its rumored prophylactic effects during epidemics.
      • Creation & Use (Oral).
        • No special kit needed to chew a fresh piece. Must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution check (to handle the bitter taste!) to gain effects.
      • Effect.
        • For 1 hour, you have advantage on saving throws versus ingested poisons or diseases.
        • If you are already suffering from a disease that can be cured naturally, you can immediately make another saving throw (with advantage) to shake it off.
    • “Clarity of Sight” Infusion (Fabled Eye Treatment). A rarer usage of sweet flag used in potions or salves for the eyes.
      • Creation. Requires 4 hours of boiling root in a mild solution, plus a DC 14 Intelligence (alchemist’s supplies) check or Wisdom (herbalism kit) check.
      • Use (Applied to Eyes).
        • For 1 minute, you have a +2 bonus to your passive Perception score and advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks involving sight.

    Lore

    Sweet flag (Acorus calamus) belongs to the family Acoraceae, subfamily Acoreae, which unites a small group comprising two genera and three species found in the tropical forests of eastern Australia and in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere.

    In Eastern Europe, this plant is widely known as "Tatar grass" or "Tatar potion." According to legend, sweet flag was brought to Eastern Europe during the Tatar-Mongol invasion— a series of military campaigns by the Mongol army that began in the 13th century and led to the conquest of vast territories in Eastern Europe. The Tatars believed that sweet flag had the ability to purify water. Therefore, on their journeys, Tatar horsemen carried the roots of this plant in saddle bags—two pouches connected by a piece of fabric or strap that was slung over the saddle or horse's back. When they stopped to rest, they threw sweet flag roots into the nearest body of water at their campsite, hoping to make the water cleaner and safer to drink. Since the plant quickly takes root, the shores soon became overgrown with beautiful masses of this fragrant perennial. Being unpretentious, sweet flag spread widely throughout Western and Eastern Europe.

    As a spice and medicinal agent, sweet flag rhizomes were known even in ancient Greece and Rome. Hippocrates wrote about excellent medicines made from sweet flag root. Even the Latin name of the plant is connected to the beneficial properties of sweet flag for humans and comes from the ancient Greek word for "pupil," as the plant was used to treat eye diseases.

    From Witch’s Herbs 5E, p. 96 · Fern Flower Press