Pipe-weed

**Pipe-weed** is a long leaved plant, used for recreational purposes. It is primarily grown and sold by halflings and enjoyed by the youths and more free-minded members of the other races of Sahul. Pipe-weed is usually used by smoking it from a pipe and provides the user with a high that changes their perception and calms the nerves.

While most kingdoms have restricted the sale and possession of pipe-weed in public, they usually do not deem it worth the resources to actively stop it and this apathy has allowed halfling smugglers and criminal syndicates to flourish.

## Description

The Pipe-Weed grows to between 60 to 80 centimetres, with a main stem with a diameter of 10 to 12 centimetres, which has rings of four smaller stems around the main stem of the plant. Each of these smaller stems has four dull green oar-like leaves attached to it, forming small parasols which small animals use as cover against the heat on a hot day.

The Pipe-Weeds prefer to grow in a wet and moisturised environment, which are most often found on small islands and coasts adjacency to the Sea of Resonance where the winds bring moist air deep into the land. Because of this Pipe-weed plantations can commonly be found near the coast of Domuc, an island just of the coast of the main continent of Sahul inhabited by halflings. On the mainland its almost exclusively grown in the north-east in a small strip of land called the smoke-belt.

## Life cycle

### Germination

The first stage of life for a Pipe-weed plant begins with the seed. Once the seed has popped its roots will drive down while the stem of the seedling will grow upward. Two rounded cotyledon leaves will grow out from the stem as the plant unfolds from the protective casing of the seed. These initial leaves are responsible for taking in sunlight needed for the plant to become healthy and stable.

### Seedling

Once the first leaves have grown the plant becomes a seedling, and it starts to develop its long oar like leaves. As a sprout, the seed will initially produce leaves with only one ridged blade. Once new growth develops, the leaves will develop more blades, up to 4 on each stem.

A Pipe-weed is considered a seedling until they begin to develop leaves with the full number of blades on their new leaves. A healthy seedling should be a a darkened tint of green.

### Vegetative

The vegetative stage of the Pipe-Weed is when the development of roots and foliage accelerates.

### Flowering

The flowering stage is the final stage of growth of the Pipe-Weed. Flowering occurs naturally when the plant receives less than 12 hours of light a day as the days get short. It is during this stage that resinous buds develop and harvesting can begin.

During reproduction the male plant will release spores from its buds, which the coastal winds will carry to the flowers of the female plants. Its of high importance to those growing the plant that they have harvested as much as they want, as any fertilised plants will be unfit for recreational use. Smoking fertilised Pipe-Weed causes headaches and upsets the stomach.

Two weeks after being fertilised the female flowers will have developed into seeds, which if not picked of by a farmer will drop under the mother plant, which dies shrivels and dies shortly after.

## Production and uses

Pipe-weed is primarily used for smoking by putting it into a pipe and burning it up. When smoked in this fashion it provides the user with a high that changes the smoker's perception of the world and calms his nerves. Many adventurers are known to smoke the pipe-weed after a long day of adventuring or when they ponder over difficult mysteries.

While most kingdoms have restricted the sale and possession of pipe-weed in public, they usually do not deem it worth the time and resources to actively stop it. This apathy has allowed Halfling smugglers and criminal syndicates to create a flourishing black market in these realms.