The Melange of the Desert

Eoantos 2020, Lylia and Ysharra gave a presentation on the lore, history and industry of perfumes as it relates to the Faendryl, entitled: The Melange of the Desert.

Lylia has tendrils of opium-tainted smoke wrapping themselves around a base of blackish mahogany, creating a haunting silhouette against a velvet-like backdrop of night-blooming jasmine. Clutched by the dark trio of notes is the barest metallic whisper of freshly spilled blood, the twisted melange left untempered against her skin.

Ysharra has an ephemereal corona of niveous airs about her, reminiscent of a moonlit garden at midnight. The distinct redolence of nightcap blossoms is smoothed to silk by notes of white amber and smoky-sweet tobacco flower. Beneath lies a bed of unobtrusive orris root, blended to perfection with soft resins and a myriad of honeyed pale-petaled flowers.

Lylia says, "On the contrary -- you are just in time. We were just about to begin by talking of the nature of perfume and why we crave it so."

Lylia states, "Scent is the sense of memory, evocative and ephemeral."

Lylia says, "We know it on such a deep emotional level that it feels akin to magic. You do not merely smell the scent of honeysuckle, but are transported for a moment to a childhood home where the vines grew wild and you played among them, or perhaps to your first love's perfume."

Lylia smiles quietly to herself.

Lylia explains, "We return to certain scents because we find them pleasant, but we also enjoy the magic, that unique ability to evoke memories that transcend words. The perfumer's art allows us to explore those memories or to create new ones that we can then enjoy again years or even centuries later merely by lifting a bottle's lid."

(Lylia paces as she talks, clearly warming to her subject.)

Lylia says, "But as powerfully evocative as scent is, it is largely unconsidered, at least on a conscious level. We do not even have the vocabulary to describe scent the way we do a piece of music or a painting, yet the composition of fine fragrance is an art just the same."

Lylia continues, "Today, we seek a greater understanding of this art, learning its language and discovering how it is created. We shall look at the effort behind the art and discuss how a simple blossom or branch can become so much more."

Lylia folds her hands.

Lylia asks, "What, then, elevates perfumery from mere copies of nature?"

Lylia raises an eyebrow.

Lylia exclaims, "A flower may smell sweet, but placing it in context is what makes the perfumer's craft something more than mimicry. Give me a rose, and I shall enjoy its fragrance; give me a rose plucked in the Bleaklands and surrounded by notes of ozone and brimstone, and I am transfixed!"

Placing her hand over her heart, Lylia sighs dramatically.

Lylia says, "For those of us who travel far from New Ta'Faendryl or wherever our roots are set, perfume is especially meaningful as it is a way to carry a bit of home with us. What is exotic in the Landing is familiar to Faendryl senses, although happily, some cultivars thrive here too, as Ysharra will discuss."

Speaking to Ysharra, Alosaka whispers aloud, "She really cares about perfumes."

Lylia gazes fondly at Ysharra.

Speaking to Alosaka, Ysharra says, "For good reason."

Lylia says, "In fact, I shall step aside now and welcome her to share more about local ingredients and the harvesting thereof. Her Agrestis roots run deep although she has transplanted herself in rich new soil, and she can teach us a great deal about growth."

Lylia beckons Ysharra closer with a slow curl of her forefinger.

Ysharra grins slowly.

Ysharra strides over to stand before Lylia.

Ysharra turns around.

Lylia takes a few steps back.

Ysharra smiles.

Nadier says, "Scents are their own special type of mystic."

Ysharra says, "Good evening, everyone, and welcome. I can't promise to be brief, but I will be poetic, for my subject lends itself to it by its very nature."

Ysharra kneels down.

Ysharra forages briefly and manages to find an orris root!

Lylia nods in agreement at Nadier.

Ysharra forages briefly and manages to find an iris blossom!

Ysharra stands up.

(Ysharra holds up a small, brown clump of woody stem that is coiled into a fleshy bulb with a few leafy green tufts extending out of the top. She drags her thumbnail down one side, splitting the clump open to show the multiple rings. She then holds up the brilliant white blossom in her other hand, running her finger across the wide, frilled petals.)

Ysharra explains, "This is called orris root, though the term is somewhat misleading. It isn't a root at all, but a rhizome, a stem that grows partially or fully under the ground. This particular stem is from this flower, the bearded iris, one of the largest and most versatile perennials in the whole Elanith continent, not to mention one of the hardiest."

Lylia gazes with interest at Ysharra.

Ysharra continues, "Plants with this rhizome structure- the ones with stems underground- tend to be easy to grow in almost any environment, as they require less water and fewer soil nutrients than most flowers."

Ysharra instructs, "The iris plant is what commercial gardeners call a keystone, as it is used not just as a cut flower due to its great beauty and large blooms, but the orris here is used to flavor food, form the base of fine perfumes, and it and the bloom itself can be used in herbal and medicinal teas."

Ysharra says, "Irises have even been known to be used as currency under barter systems, exchanged for food, services, and even left as offerings for the Arkati. While it is probably most associated with Oleani, due to being a cultivar rather than a wildflower, it s been found in shrines to the guardian of River's Rest, Aeia, as well."

There is a loud explosion nearby as glass windows shatter and flames erupt from within a nearby shop. Townspeople scream as a shadowy figure rushes away. Moments later some town guards and local citizens throw water from buckets on the flames and extinguish them.

Ysharra says, "Pardon my spells fading, I did much of my writing at a table- oh, my. I hope she's all right."

Ysharra says, "The Faendryl have been growing irises ever since they reclaimed the land from the wastes of Rhoska Tor. As mentioned, they grow with relatively little effort or need, and they are a tame flower, despite their arresting beauty and scent."

Ysharra continues, "One can grow them next to the blooms that will be used in the scent and tea industry; chamomile, roses and so on, without these huge beauties taking over. Their vibrant color and curved petals are great attractors for honeybees, so you'll often find them planted around hives."

Ysharra suggests, "Irises have a myth given to them by the Nalfein, in their intricate bouquets, the presence of an iris means the message contained is authentic. Thus, the telltale bloom means "Believe." Fanciful as it is, I prefer to think of them with the slightly more evolved meaning, Believe in me, where irises line the path to stability, beauty, and mastery."

Ysharra says, "After all, the Faendryl share cultivation of the iris and orris root with the Landing here, where they are grown all over the city and available in the florist just over the bridge."

Faerinn says, "The town is taking so many small doses of explosions it should be immune soon."

Lylia accepts Ysharra's orris root.

(Lylia traces her finger along the split in the root before pocketing it.)

Lylia absent-mindedly drops an orris root into her cutwork leather satchel.

Ysharra forages briefly and manages to find a sprig of jasmine!

(Ysharra holds aloft a cluster of tiny, amber-throated white flowers. The slender tendril flutters in the small breeze, the petals delicate and full of rich scent. The leaves are a deep evergreen, with a waxy shine.)

Ysharra reverently says, "Here is one of my personal favorites, the jasmine blossom. The petals are not the showy skirts of the iris, true, but I bet all of you can already smell the honey-tinged sweetness of its aroma."

Ysharra says, "Jasmine is used extensively in tea, perfumes and oil, and a cultivar often referred to as "night-blooming jasmine" is particularly special to the Faendryl. Dried, ground and turned into a resin, night-blooming jasmine is often used as a ritual component of Summoning the Igaesha, the smoke demons who are used for divination."

Ysharra continues, "In truth, night-blooming jasmine is more a jessamine plant than a true jasmine flower, but their scents and growing regimen are similar enough that the name is being well-used. Night-blooming varieties are drought-hardy and love warmth and direct sun, so they are very easy to grow in New Ta Faendryl."

Ysharra says, "The plant grows in columnar vines that can be trained over nearly any boundary, making them ideal for privacy, another virtue the Faendryl value. As the sun goes down, the long, slender blooms open, making the night air rich with their heady scent."

Ysharra forages around briefly but doesn't seem to find anything useful.

Ysharra says, "Even I have my failures, and I grew some of these."

Lylia admits, "You should see me try; I am utterly hopeless."

(Ysharra turns toward the gathered with a small, curled sprig laden with trumpet-shaped deep purple, near-black flowers. The blooms that are fully open show hints of a white throat. The sprig is also covered with a number of protruding woody spines, while the leaves are oval-shaped and sage green.)

Faerinn forages briefly and manages to find a sprig of mournbloom!

Ysharra says, "You have a different harvest."

Ysharra quietly says, "The mournbloom also plays a popular and starring role in the world of commercial gardening. Unlike the jasmine here, it does not like to be in direct light, and thus makes a good plant to put upon the ground, close to your gum lac trees or cypress, for it enjoys shade and protection."

Ysharra says, "Out of the ones I've showed you today, this is the most delicate, despite being both a cultivar and a wildflower. Mournblooms require more water than most pollinators, and in demanding such, they have given us something unusual in return."

Ysharra adds, "You will note the color is unlike nearly any other flower in the forest, field and swamp. The theory is that they started off a blue color much like their relative the violet, but the darker varieties were selected by us gardeners so much that eventually it evolved into what you see now. The mournbloom used our aesthetic to propagate itself much as a rose uses its scent for the same."

Ysharra says, "Speaking of scent, the mournbloom is used much like the other two, in perfumes, teas, and decoration. It gets its name from the sylvan tradition of covering the bier of a loved one, as when the bloom is caught in the breeze, the wind causes it to peal out softly, sounding like a grief-stricken sob."

Ysharra continues, "The mournbloom's scent, however, is far more robust than its lore and history. The oil distilled from the mournbloom s petals, spines and leaves becomes a thick fluid that has a sharp, earthy and spicy aroma to it."

Ysharra concludes, "It can be watered down to a more delicate note, but if used as a base, the statement is bold and aromatic. Perhaps the more recent association with Mularos has lent some of its tang to the flower's melange. You will find this bloom tattooed upon the skin of many of His adherents."

Speaking to Lylia, Ysharra says, "Thank you, my friend. Please, take my root from my hands, and carry on with your observations and teaching."

Lylia nods at Ysharra.

Lylia says, "Thank you, my dear. I am glad you brought up base notes earlier as that is key to understanding how fragrances are built. Most of my family are Spicers, but they supplied many Perfumers with ingredients, and I learned something of their craft."

Lylia explains, "Perfumers discuss scents in terms of three categories: base, heart, and top notes. Most balanced fragrances contain all three types of scents, but as in visual art, sometimes a bit of dynamic imbalance is more exciting, and a fragrance may have only one plangent top note soaring high above a collection of base notes, although --"

Lylia lets out a long, contemplative breath.

(Lylia trails off, her hands still raised in mid-gesture, and smiles ruefully.)

Lylia confesses, "I am getting ahead of myself in my enthusiasm for the subject, I think. Let me go back a pace and discuss what 'notes' are to perfumers."

Ysharra grins at Lylia.

Speaking to Lylia, Ysharra says, "I know the feeling."

Ysharra chuckles.

Lylia nods in agreement at Ysharra.

Lylia says, "The base notes are the underlying foundations of the fragrance, typically resinous or animalic compounds that have such staying power that millennia-old jars of perfumed oils are still redolent of them. They have intense staying power and can be almost unpleasantly strong in their raw state."

Lylia continues, "Heart notes are the scents that predominate in a perfume and can be quite varied. Floral, herbal, fruity, and spicy notes fall into this category. Some perfumers further divide heart notes into upper and lower registers, but I shall leave these arcane mysteries to a member of the Perfumers' Guild to discuss."

Alosaka quietly asks, "They have a guild?"

Lylia says, "And top notes are those fleeting flourishes your nose first encounters when you breathe in a perfume. They do not last long, and they are not meant to as the evolution of a fragrance is part of its charm. Citrus oils, light florals, and other volatile botanicals are often used as top notes."

Lylia says, "They do in New Ta'Faendryl, yes. All part of the Emporion, our traders and crafters."

Speaking to Alosaka, Ysharra says, "They're part of the Emporion in New ta'Faendryl- heh."

Speaking to Alosaka, Ysharra says, "What she said, only with greater clarity, as she is known for."

Lylia explains, "Many in my own family are spice merchants."

Speaking warmly to Ysharra, Lylia says, "You flatter me. Not that you ever need to stop."

Nadier says, "Mine were as well. Interesting."

Lylia says, "Vintners, Spicers, Perfumers -- we all share a few things in common."

Speaking to Nadier, Lylia says, "We should talk about it later, see who we might know in common, and gossip shamelessly."

Lylia flashes a quick grin.

Lylia notes, "The journey from vine to bottle is even more complex for fragrances than it is for wine, and I shall touch on only a few of them. I suspect some are guild secrets that even my cousins could not pry loose from their contacts."

Speaking to Nadier, Ysharra says, "My uncle is a plantation owner, he grows much of what I just spoke on, and what the Imperatrix is detailing. Beekeeping, as well."

Nadier says, "I would enjoy that."

Speaking to Nadier, Ysharra says, "And spiders."

Lylia says, "I am most familiar with maceration and enfleurage, both of which smell magnificent as they are happening. Maceration is a bit like making tea, only with oils or wine to extract the scent. It is also one of the earliest forms of gathering fragrance ingredients, being well suited to the desert wastes and extreme heat of Rhoska-Tor."

Tabubu quietly says, "I never though to compare being a Vintner to perfume but Eii."

Speaking to Raelee, Lylia says, "Which reminds me, I have set aside some freshly imported tea I think you might enjoy."

Speaking to Lylia, Raelee asks, "Oh?"

Lylia says, "Resins and gums -- the 'tears of the desert' such as opoponax, olibanum, and myrrh -- lend themselves well to maceration. Placing them in heated oil and burying the sealed pot in hot sands for a few weeks results in a thick honey-colored liquid that forms the essence of many traditional Faendryl fragrances. I still adore these intense scents myself."

Lylia says, "The jasmine flower Ysharra has plucked for us would be ideal for the other method I mentioned, enfleurage, which involves layering fragrant petals or herbs directly on an oiled surface. The delicate blooms give up their fragrance to the oil below them, and when they are spent, the perfumer changes them out for a fresh layer."

Lylia says, "It is a time-consuming but poetic means of extraction."

Lylia says, "Rather dark, too, if you think of all the flowers that must expire for even a dram of fragrance oil."

Speaking to Lylia, Ysharra says, "But their nature makes them vie for it. It truly is an epic life and love."

Lylia says, "The use of base, heart, and top notes parallels the evolution of Faendryl perfumery during our post-Exile history in New Ta'Faendryl, in a sense. We took what the desert had to offer us, the tears of myrrh and sandalwood dust, to transform it into scent."

Lylia says, "As we brought life to the wastes, we cultivated flowers and herbs that found their way into our fragrances, forming the heart notes that still bewitch wearers today."

Lylia adds, "Top notes of citrus zest are the newest arrival both in fragrance and in our gardens."

Lylia says, "In one bottle, we can catch the very breath of history, if you look at it the right way."

Ysharra says, "Citrus is the only way you can stomach eating the wasteworms."

Lylia says, "Of course, we are no longer reliant solely on what we cultivate ourselves. Ysharra and I and many others in our local Enclave are proof that the Faendryl are travelers and traders. Blending in local ingredients that grow well here in the Landing adds novelty to the depth and character of traditionally composed fragrances."

Lylia says, "When I visit New Ta'Faendryl again, I bring something of the Landing with me to remind me of here, using a little of scent's magic to remind me that this, too, is home."

Speaking wistfully to Ysharra, Yardie says, "Citrus is quite nice, honestly."

Speaking to Ysharra, Faerinn asks, "Because of the smell?"

Speaking to Ysharra, Faerinn asks, "Or because they are so basic?"

Yardie smiles quietly to himself.

(Lylia brushes her hand against a jasmine blossom, leaving it unplucked.)

Speaking to Yardie, Ysharra says, "I agree. The variety and the way they breed is quite magical."

Lylia says, "I think that with this, we are ready for a few questions..."

Nazarr asks, "What is opoponax?"

Nazarr says, "I've heard of myrrh before, but not opoponax."

Lylia says, "Opoponax is a kind of resin that comes from a scrubby desert bush, ranging in hue from pale as flax to rich as honey."

Ysharra says, "They're similar, I believe, but I'll let the spicer's daughter answer fully."

Nazarr says, "Thank you."

Lylia says, "It has an astringent quality both in fragrance and on the palate, and it is rarely used in foods as it is mildly toxic to most. Here we run up against the difficulty in describing fragrance."

Lylia says, "We tend to talk of them in terms of what they smell like, but some things just...smell precisely like themselves."

Lylia says, "It smells of the desert to me."

Nadier says, "My home is the desert."

Faerinn says, "Mine is in the dessert."

Lylia begins chuckling at Faerinn!

Nadier asks, "The Cherry on top?"

Ysharra says, "Balsamic would be the closest thing I could imagine, to it."

Speaking to Nadier, Faerinn says, "You know it."

Ysharra asks, "Anyone else have any questions for us?"

Ysharra says, "Or any other observations, teases or rumors to spread."

Lylia asks, "And if there are no other questions, then I would ask one you, if you wish to share -- Do you have a favorite scent, one that is evocative of a particular place or time?"

Chamorr heartily asks, "Can regular folks make perfume?"

Alosaka says, "Freshy washed cotton."

Nakaira rasps, "I doubt my accustomed aromas to be to the tastes of those gathered here."

Nadier says, "That was my question as well."

Lylia says, "I have tried it as an amateur, but I have not produced anything I would be particularly proud to wear. It may be that I just lack the art of it."

Speaking to Alosaka, Ysharra says, "I like that clean smell, as well. It has a sensate appeal to it, from knowing how soft and cool it will feel, when you hold it."

Lylia says, "Certainly, not as cobblers or weavers ply their trade here, but I would be fascinated by it if it were something we could make into more of a local industry."

Nadier says, "Perhaps if one studied alchemy..."

Tabubu quietly asks, "Perfume press?"

Chamorr heartily says, "So the only way to get perfumes is to but em."

Speaking to Nadier, Raelee says, "Which leads to a question."

Tabubu quietly says, "Something simular to how wine is made, perhaps simple scents."

Lylia says, "Yes, at least here and now."

Speaking to Chamorr, Ysharra says, "I hope very much that the answer someday will be yes. I would enjoy learning such a trade. I have made some ink, but that's relatively simple. I have an octopus."

Lylia asks, "Yes, Magister?"

Speaking to Ysharra, Yardie repeats, "An octopus."

Speaking to Ysharra, Raelee asks, "How often is the process approached alchemically versus simply chemically? As in... what can be gained when mana is added to the process?"

Ysharra removes a tiny goldfish bowl from in her grey tapestry hip-satchel.

Ysharra removes a dwarf octopus from in her goldfish bowl.

Speaking heartily to Ysharra, Chamorr says, "He makes da ink, you dip da quill."

Ysharra shows Yardie her dwarf octopus.

Speaking to Yardie, Ysharra says, "Meet Stretch."

Speaking to Nadier, Lylia says, "It is a bit like alchemy, yes. And a bit like cooking, and a bit like distilling spirits, and a bit like an artist manufacturing materials and composing a painting with them."

Speaking to Chamorr, Ysharra says, "I have to mix it in with ground beetle shells so it'll dry, but yes. You have it essentially."

(Yardie glances at Stretch, then at Ysharra.)

Speaking to Raelee, Lylia asks, "In making inks, you mean?"

Speaking to Yardie, Ysharra says, "He's a very good octopus and has been helping me with my correspondence for a quarter century."

Ysharra nods at Yardie.

Speaking to Lylia, Raelee says, "In crafting perfumes. Ink, I am more familiar with."

Ysharra put a dwarf octopus in her goldfish bowl.

Oeath says, "Well if ambergris can work maybe some other creature.....parts? will."

Ysharra says, "Maybe, I don't see why not."

Tabubu quietly asks, "Or scented inks for tattoos?"

Ysharra says, "My favorite perfume uses the night-blooming jasmine I mentioned."

Lylia says, "Yes, some scents are almost certainly imbued with magical properties as well. But that would be for a master perfumer to discuss, and they keep their secrets close."

Nadier says, "I can not seem to find an exact blend I would like."

Rivienne says, "Imagine some magically imbued inks."

Ysharra says, "Also, my other favorite is the tobacco flower."

Rivienne says, "That interests me very much."

Speaking to Nadier, Lylia says, "That is one of the reasons I have a shifting jar of scents."

Speaking to Nadier, Nakaira rasps, "Would you like to try mine?"

Lylia draws a fingertip along her obsidian amphora, and a faint auroral glow emanating from the liquid within follows the trail of movement.

Nadier says, "I would like sandalwood with amber some ash from a rowan tree and a touch of rose."

Lylia says, "Speaking of magic and fragrance."

Speaking to Ysharra, Yardie says, "Tobacco is always good."

Ysharra says, "It has a smoky scent to it, much like the mournbloom. It takes some getting used to, it's a dramatic smell."

Speaking raspily to Nadier, Nakaira concludes, "You would not like to try mine."

Speaking to Nadier, Lylia says, "That sounds quite beautiful."

Speaking to Ysharra, Lylia says, "I enjoy a bit of drama in my fragrances."

Lylia dryly remarks, "I am certain you are all shocked."

Speaking to Lylia, Ysharra says, "I might like a little musk, indeed."

Nadier says, "My mother wore that blend but I do not know where she aquired it. It was long ago."

Lylia repeats, "Shocked."

Ysharra says, "The darker the juice the sweeter the berry."

Ysharra examines her fingernails.

Speaking to Melikor, Ysharra says, "Yes, I'm aware I'm invisible in snow."

Ysharra snickers at Melikor.

Lylia says, "I brought along a few demonstration flasks."

Lylia grabs a translucent water sapphire flask encased in electrum webbing from inside her cutwork leather satchel.

Lylia carefully places a translucent water sapphire flask encased in electrum webbing on the ground.

You sniff delicately at the water sapphire flask, and detect the faint scent of narcissus, dahlia, and larkspur amid delicate amaryllis.