R A ' K A T H A
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: To create a species of tree native to Ra'Katha, to further expand on the lore of the planet.
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- Canon: N/A
- Permissions: N/A
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- Name: Shajamai
- Origins: Ra'Katha
- Other Locations: The Shajamai is a plant species native to Ra'Katha, and is not naturally found anywhere else.
- Classification: Tree
- Average Growth Cycle: Shajamai trees grow quickly, maturing from seed to adult tree in a couple of years. However, after they have matured Shajamai trees can live for exceptionally long lifespans, the extent of which is not known. As a Shajamai tree continues to age, it will continue to grow in size and mass as well.
- Viability: Adapted to Ra'Katha's harsh climate, the Shajamai requires less water and is more resistant to harsh weather conditions than other typical members of its genus. That being said, the Shajamai tree still requires a higher amount of water than usually present on Ra'Katha,
- Description: The Shajamai tree, a plant native to a planet that hosts conditions so harsh it would be thought impossible that a species such as the Shajamai could've existed, evolved, and in some locations, thrived. Found only on the desert planet of Ra'Katha, the Shajamai tree is noticeable for its colorings, longevity, bioluminescent eaves, and the properties of both its bark and leaves.
An easily recognizable tree on Ra'Katha and anywhere in the galaxy, despite the fact that the Shajamai is found growing naturally only on Ra'Katha. Evolving over centuries under the harsh conditions of Ra'Katha's desert biome, the Shajamai is able to weather harsh conditions and droughts better than most flora of its stature and kind. Despite that, the Shajamai still requires a high amount of water to thrive, higher than is usually present in most areas on Ra'Katha; thus, the dispersion of the tree outside of cultivated gardens and cities are small clusters around oases and water holes.
The Shajamai tree is perhaps unique to Ra'Katha in both it's coloring, longevity and the bioluminescent leaves that allow it to literally glow during the desert nights. Most vegetation found on Ra'Katha, and not that there is much to begin with, are often drab mixes of greens and browns. Their evolutionary heritage that suggested aesthetic is the least valuable commodity on a planet so barren that plants must fight for every droplet of water and inch of humidity to survive. Yet despite that, the Shajamai with its beautiful palette and richness of color stands as a bright outlier on the drab deserts. Its bioluminescent leaves are also unique, giving off a faint pink glow during Ra'Katha's nights.
Colorful aesthetics are not the limit of the Shajamai's abilities and properties, however. The tree has a wide range of nutritional and medicinal properties, centered around the pink leaves of the tree and its rich brown bark. When dried over the course of several days and then steeped in hot water, the leaves of the Shajamai tree are combined to make an aromatic tea drunken by most on Ra'Katha.
- Average Height: 7.62 meters
- Average Length: N/A
- Color: The leaves of the Shajamai are bright pink and are bioluminescent, giving off faint light when there is none. Meanwhile, the bark of the tree is a rich brown.
- Nutritional Value: Various properties of the Shajamai tree exist; the leaves, when collected, dried, and steeped, can make a tea of notable taste and calming quality.
- Toxicity: To species that are unable to digest substances such as leaves and barks, the tree would be toxic; however, the Shajamai presents no aggressive toxins.
- Other Effects: The tea produced by Shajamai leaves can be used as a soothing drink, to calm nerves or simply to relax. Meanwhile, a powder made from the crushed bark of the Shajamai has a wide variety of healing properties, usually applied as a poultice on flesh wounds to prevent infection and to stimulate an organic's natural healing cells.
- Distinctions: A tree can be determined to be a Shajamai by its leaves; the leaves of the Shajamai are bright pink and have luminescent qualities that allow them to naturally glow and give off light.
- Desert Living: The Shajamai is adapted to living in harsh conditions of the Ra'Kathan desert, meaning that it can easily survive in that ecosystem or on planets and environments that are similar to that of Ra'Katha's.
- Nutritional Value: The medicinal properties of the Shajamai's bark, as well as the tea-making potential for the leaves of the Shajamai, means that it is a tree that not only looks good but tastes good.
- Sparsely Populated: In any other given ecosystem, the Shajamai tree would be considered almost near-extinct. The Tree is found only on Ra'Katha, and even then there are only a few thousand individuals living on the planet.
- Where's My Desert: Adapted to living in Ra'Katha's harsh climates has its benefits, but also has drawbacks. The Shajamai is poorly equipped to live in high-humidity, low-temperature climates where the tree could freeze or drown.
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
The Shajamai tree of Ra'Katha evolved on the planet since life first floundered, becoming its unique own specimen before the first people, the Wan'anteen, arrived on the planet. The tree serves an important role in the heavily-religious culture of Wan'anteen, a species of near deity level. The recipes for using its bark and leaves as medicine and drinks were ones created by the Wan'anteen, and Shajamai trees inhabit all the holy places of the primitive tribal people.
The Shajamai tree is also important in the culture of the Dejoka'ar, but not so much in religious terms. The tree is one of the only growing things on Ra'Katha that is naturally beautiful, and palaces new and old are adorned with the bright pink presence of the Shajamai's leaves and rich brown of its trunk. The medicinal properties are also widely used among the technologically-advanced culture, and the tea made from the leaves of the tree is a widely-consumed beverage, on the levels of caf in most other cultures. The wide canopy of the leaves provides a welcome source of shade from the harsh Ra'Kathan sun in cities such as Saltuhn
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