The Creature Compendium

A rare and extremely delicate flower found only during the full moon, these plants can grow anywhere in the world.

Category: Plant/Nocturnal

History

Moon drops are associated with the fae, often appearing in faerie circles and at their feasts and celebrations. They are also associated with prophetic visions and the future. Traditionally, a potion made with moon drop blossoms can assist the drinker in seeing the future.

Traits

Moon drops are small white flowers that grow in clusters low to the ground. They glow in the dark, and in dark enough situations the petals show additional glowing patterns, though these aren’t always visible to normal human eyes.

They can grow almost any place in the world, being incredibly tolerant of both heat and cold. They are usually found along paths or in grasslands, but can also be found in forests, deserts or even city sidewalks. Moon drops are difficult to kill, as their root systems go deep, and they are fairly resistant to weed killers. They prefer places with a large amount of light.

To bloom, moon drops require moonlight. They will absorb the light over the cycle of the moon, blooming during the full moon. The blossoms will die by the time the moon has waned to a half, and the plant will go dormant and appear to die entirely for a year and a day. At that point, the leaves will sprout again, and the cycle will begin again. Moon drop flowers live for three to five years.

Moon drops can provide prophetic dreams if properly distilled. Making a tea or even wine from the petals will give the drinker visions in their dreams, which can be hard to interpret. Using the roots will provide a stronger, clearer vision, but the concentration can be addictive, and drinkers will often struggle to separate past, present and future. This stronger drink has been used by prophets and oracles, and consuming it for long enough will result in permanent prophetic abilities, but these cannot be turned off or ignored, so this is not recommended. The leaves do not have any prophetic properties, and are in fact highly poisonous.

Moon drops are often sought out by the fae, who may set up party grounds around places where the blossoms grow. The fae are largely immune to the effects of the prophetic visions, only receiving a mild euphoric sense of the future, so moon drop wine is a popular beverage at these events. It should be noted that a human drinking this wine at such an event will likely have hallucinations instead of dreams, as it is impossible to sleep at a fae party.

Many other magical species seek out moon drops for their prophetic properties, mostly other nocturnal creatures such as pooka. They often eat the blossoms outright, which has a strong but very short effect on some species (humans will not experience this).

Moon drops spread their seeds at the full moon, which resemble dandelion seeds with a mild glow. They can survive for many years before landing and rooting.

Weaknesses

Moon drop flowers can be killed if they are deprived of light (sun or moon) for a full moon cycle. If you have them growing somewhere you don’t want them, or are concerned they will lure in something dangerous, cover the plant entirely with a bucket or tarp.

Consumption of moon drop tea or wine made from the flowers is not dangerous, though people who consume it long term are known to become more attuned to the magical world. This can be a benefit or a detriment, depending on your perspective. This effect will fade over time if you stop drinking either substance.

Tea or wine made from the roots is addictive, and the effects can be permanent if the drink is consumed for long enough. As the visions this will produce are vivid, uncontrollable and will increase in length and frequency over time, neither root wine or tea should be consumed. The visions will, however, be clearer and less up for interpretation.

The leaves of the plant are poisonous in all forms, and should not be handled directly. The poison acts as a paralytic, stopping the heart and lungs. It can be stopped with immediate medical attention, but is usually deadly. For this reason, it is highly recommended that any plants growing in a yard or personal property should be killed.