Stormvine
A light blue plant easily spotted by its visible flow of electricity, this vine is quite powerful when harvested correctly- and with great care.
Colloquial names: Zap plant, Aerie’s Friend, Eel Cradle, Lightning Vine
Physical Description: Stormvine is an amphibious plant, unique in its ability to grow both on land and underwater. Stormvine instead grows near areas of electrical instability, or where lightning has struck. No two Stormvine growths are the same, each resembling a living bolt of lightning- a bright blue glowing herb, fractals sputtering outward. It has the ability to absorb and discharge electricity, and thereby must be gathered with care. Its shocks are not fatal, but prolonged handling of the plant without proper equipment can result in lasting injury to motor functions, and burns to the body. Thick leather gloves must be used when harvesting this vine on land, and this is doubly true when harvesting it from water. I fortunately did not find this out firsthand, but I will spare you description of the injuries of those who did. Stormvine has even been able to thrive as deep as the Lightless Reaches of Vash’jir, using the charges created by electric eels that nest in its blooms to gain its characteristic zap. The vine is also found in Mount Hyjal, sharing a beneficial relationship with the moths around the great tree. It is able to land safely on the plant without being shocked, reasons still unknown, while it feeds on the nectar. If you’ve never seen such a thing occur, I highly advise doing so if presented the opportunity. It’s a rather delightful interaction to observe.
Described Usage: Stormvine is a versatile reagent in alchemical practice, ranging in application from poisons to enhancers. It is used alchemically to create, most notably, Deathblood venom, colloquially referred to as “lightning in a bottle”. To create this elixir, one part rock salt is added to two parts water in a metal basin. A length of the plant is then extended over with glass pincers, specifically crafted for this purpose alone. Due to both the saline and the metal, it will will strike into the bowl like a living bolt of lightning, disintegrating on impact and infusing the solution. This process is known as “striking” in alchemy. It is then placed into a vial and imbibed. The venom is nontoxic to the user, and is actually rather invigorating, apparently. It creates an electric current throughout the nervous system, rendering anything that touches the wielder stunned or burned. The Wildhammer Dwarves seem fond of this concoction both for themselves and their companions- I’ve seen more than one vial being mixed into a trough of Gryphon seed. Deathblood venom can be used functionally as an intravenous drug to cure shock, poisonous, strokes, and heart attacks- most commonly when the heart stops or a seizure occurs. It must be applied carefully, as the shock can and will travel to anyone making contact with the afflicted. Rubber gloves should be used upon injecting, but this is not always possible. A glass syringe will also do the trick.
Stormvine can be used in similar measure and mixed with other reagents for various effects- swiftness, strength, and even luck in finding treasure. The Tol’vir are fond of the former, striking the vine into the liquid pooled in a reed known as Whiptail. The segmented, liquid-filled reed can be easily struck with the vine and cut, making a self-contained, natural reed flask commonly sold at marketplaces in Uldum. It is also assumed that because of its electrical charge, it works best for potions of treasure finding by increasing nervous system activity. For alchemists skilled in transmutation, one would use the charged properties of Stormvine with the focus of a Philosopher's Stone to send electric particles through a jasper, transmuting it into a Dream Emerald.
