Secrets from the Poison Garden: Three New BOTANY Scents
While adventuring through the shadowed lands of Kistar, I found myself at the gates of a most curious place: the Poison Garden. There are gardens best left unentered, paths best left untrodden, but my curiosity has always been stronger than my sense of caution. With lantern in one hand, field journal in the other, and a freshly brewed Potion of Poison Resistance at the ready, I stepped inside. What awaited me was a realm of rare and terrible beauty, where each bloom was as cruel as it was captivating, and every fragrance a secret waiting to be safely coaxed into candlelight.
The Fragrances of the Poison Garden
Adventurers, some plants are better admired from a distance. Foxglove, hemlock, and nightshade are all beautiful in their own right, and all decidedly fatal to the unprepared. In my pursuit of the world’s rarest botanicals, I downed a trusty Potion of Poison Resistance and set quill to parchment, determined to capture their essence without succumbing to their fatal powers.
Alluring as these plants are, the only safe way for mortals to enjoy their beauty is through approximation. Based on my first-hand accounts and extensive notes, the artisans at Cantrip Candles were able to call on less deadly ingredients to bring these candles to life—and I daresay they’ve done an outstanding job! One whiff and I’m transported back to those fragrant garden beds.
Osric’s Discoveries from the Poison Garden
It’s difficult not to become mesmerized by the endless rows of flowers in the Poison Garden, equally beautiful as they are deadly. Though my botanical discoveries were many, the first three I’ve brought to share are perhaps the most special.
Foxglove
Tall spires of bell-shaped blooms rise proudly from the foxglove, each flower a delicate lantern of purple, pink, or ivory. Their beauty can turn a quiet meadow into something almost cathedral-like, as though the very plants were keeping solemn watch.
In magical practice, foxglove has long been associated with communication with the fae and the unseen. Some hedge-witches scatter its blossoms in protective charms, though I would strongly caution against brewing or imbibing it as its power is not meant for mortal stomachs.
Indeed, foxglove is dangerously toxic to humans. The very compounds that make it fascinating to scholars also wreak havoc on the heart if taken internally. Best to admire from afar—unless, of course, you are a tenacious halfling botanist with a mostly trustworthy Potion of Poison Resistance.
For the candle, our favorite artisans have drawn upon gentler kin to approximate its character: a light autumnal floral with herbaceous basil, capturing that balance of sweetness and bitterness foxglove embodies. The result is elegant, restrained, and just a touch uncanny, much like the flowers themselves.
Hemlock
Hemlock does not call attention to itself the way foxglove does. Its stems are tall yet unassuming, its leaves finely divided like delicate lace, and its clusters of tiny white flowers could be mistaken for any common wild carrot. But do not be deceived: beneath that modest appearance lies one of the deadliest plants known to mortals.
In the hands of alchemists, hemlock appears in grim texts as an agent of endings—used in potions of sleep or fatal draughts reserved for executions. Its presence in lore is somber, its role often final. Thankfully, with a good dose of Poison Resistance in my veins, I was able to study the plant closely enough to make careful notes without sharing its fate.
Its toxicity is profound. A mouthful of its stem or seed can still the breath, leaving the victim calm yet utterly powerless. I dare say no sensible adventurer should test such tales firsthand.
The candle inspired by Hemlock does not carry its true danger but instead an echo of its essence: a unique blend of cardamom and carrot seed. The fragrance is bitter and tangy, with a warming undercurrent. It is a scent for quiet reflection, with just enough sharpness to remind you of the peril behind the beauty.
Nightshade
Among the most infamous of poisonous plants, Nightshade carries an unsettling allure. Its glossy leaves form a dense green canopy, from which hang solitary, bell-shaped flowers of dusky purple. Later come the violet, jewel-like berries so enticing that many a curious forager has met a grim fate after mistaking them for something edible.
In magical lore, Nightshade is often tied to visions and shadow work. Some witches claim its essence can part the veil between worlds, though always at great cost. It is an ingredient whispered of in necromantic brews and potions of sleep so deep it edges into eternity.
For that reason, I took no chances, relying on my potion of Poison Resistance as I sketched and noted its every detail. The danger is real enough. Even a handful of berries can still the heart or unravel the mind, and the plant’s alkaloids are as treacherous as they are fascinating.
The Cantrip artisans have managed to capture Nightshade’s essence through more sympathetic botanicals: a musky berry blend enriched with tobacco leaf, amber, and elderflower. Dark, velvety, and complex, it mirrors the midnight gleam of the berries themselves, offering all of their mystery with none of their mortal peril.
Bring Home the Poison Garden
So there you have them: three of the Poison Garden’s most dangerous treasures, reborn in candlelight. Under normal circumstances, foxglove, hemlock, and nightshade are not for handling, tasting, or brewing unless, of course, you fancy a swift trip to the other side. But thanks to the craft of Cantrip’s artisans (and perhaps a little of my fieldwork), you may now enjoy their essence without peril in scent form.
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