Winter 1st, 519AV
Randal stopped on the side of the cobbled pathway and gestured for Ines to follow suit. He kneeled down and said, "What do you know about plants?"
The bat shrugged. She always preferred to eat meat or blood when she could get it, which wasn't uncommon in the jungle. She often spoke to plants to ask for permission or pushed them aside as she hiked, but she didn't pay much attention to the plant itself. "I do not know much." Ines could tell he was about to start teaching her.
"There are more types of poisonous plants in the jungle than I can ever name. Instead, there are guidelines...rules that are a good start. It's best to know what you're going to eat or touch or burn before you do so, but that's impossible here." He leaned over, pointing towards a plant growing wild on the edge of the path. It had long, thick, and spear-like leaves that grew in a layered circle. "This is aloe vera. I'm sure you've used it plenty of times before or had it used on you." He broke off one of the leaves, holding the open end where the translucent, slightly green ooze came out. "Aloe vera is a fantastic plant, and its sap provides many, many benefits. It can soothe rashes and sunburns, which can be especially unbearable in a survival situation. But the skin itself is poisonous." He dropped some of the ooze drippings into his hand, where he massaged it into the reddened skin of his shoulders. "Even useful plants can have parts that are poisonous. A plant can have an edible flower and poisonous leaves - or edible roots and poisonous seeds. You want to stay away from anything you identify as having one poisonous part, again unless you already know what it is."
They stood up and kept walking until Randal stopped them again, this time in front of a tall, flowering tree. He squatted next to its base and pointed to a thick white substance dripping down. "Anything with a milky sap-like this - opaque, which means you can't see through it, and white - you should stay away from. This tree is called oleander, and the sap can kill you. It should never be used for firewood, either. When the wood burns, it makes the smoke poisonous, and it can even poison food that its used to cook. It has beautiful flowers, but you can admire those from afar." Ines nodded.
"If it has any poison, I do not burn?" She asked as she tried to think of any other plants or trees she had seen with milky sap. Usually, she just asked the plant if it were poisonous before she touched it.
"Yeah, it's best to avoid anything that has a poisonous part, for any use." Next to the oleander tree was a mango tree, dripping with green mangos. "Mangoes are delicious when they're ripe and skinned, but many parts of the mango are poisonous." He pointed towards the top of the tree and moved down as he covered different parts. "Most of the tree can cause rashes - the leaves, the sap, and the entirety of the unripe, green fruit can give you a rash. Even the skin and the stem of ripe mangoes can be poisonous to the touch if you're especially sensitive." He dropped his arm, and continued, "You shouldn't burn mango wood, either. It can hurt your eyes and your mouth."
wc: 581
Randal stopped on the side of the cobbled pathway and gestured for Ines to follow suit. He kneeled down and said, "What do you know about plants?"
The bat shrugged. She always preferred to eat meat or blood when she could get it, which wasn't uncommon in the jungle. She often spoke to plants to ask for permission or pushed them aside as she hiked, but she didn't pay much attention to the plant itself. "I do not know much." Ines could tell he was about to start teaching her.
"There are more types of poisonous plants in the jungle than I can ever name. Instead, there are guidelines...rules that are a good start. It's best to know what you're going to eat or touch or burn before you do so, but that's impossible here." He leaned over, pointing towards a plant growing wild on the edge of the path. It had long, thick, and spear-like leaves that grew in a layered circle. "This is aloe vera. I'm sure you've used it plenty of times before or had it used on you." He broke off one of the leaves, holding the open end where the translucent, slightly green ooze came out. "Aloe vera is a fantastic plant, and its sap provides many, many benefits. It can soothe rashes and sunburns, which can be especially unbearable in a survival situation. But the skin itself is poisonous." He dropped some of the ooze drippings into his hand, where he massaged it into the reddened skin of his shoulders. "Even useful plants can have parts that are poisonous. A plant can have an edible flower and poisonous leaves - or edible roots and poisonous seeds. You want to stay away from anything you identify as having one poisonous part, again unless you already know what it is."
They stood up and kept walking until Randal stopped them again, this time in front of a tall, flowering tree. He squatted next to its base and pointed to a thick white substance dripping down. "Anything with a milky sap-like this - opaque, which means you can't see through it, and white - you should stay away from. This tree is called oleander, and the sap can kill you. It should never be used for firewood, either. When the wood burns, it makes the smoke poisonous, and it can even poison food that its used to cook. It has beautiful flowers, but you can admire those from afar." Ines nodded.
"If it has any poison, I do not burn?" She asked as she tried to think of any other plants or trees she had seen with milky sap. Usually, she just asked the plant if it were poisonous before she touched it.
"Yeah, it's best to avoid anything that has a poisonous part, for any use." Next to the oleander tree was a mango tree, dripping with green mangos. "Mangoes are delicious when they're ripe and skinned, but many parts of the mango are poisonous." He pointed towards the top of the tree and moved down as he covered different parts. "Most of the tree can cause rashes - the leaves, the sap, and the entirety of the unripe, green fruit can give you a rash. Even the skin and the stem of ripe mangoes can be poisonous to the touch if you're especially sensitive." He dropped his arm, and continued, "You shouldn't burn mango wood, either. It can hurt your eyes and your mouth."
wc: 581
