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Book Information The Humble Fanik Goc
ID	8531
Collection	Solstice Summations

The Humble Fanik Goc

by Healer Norasa Onmar

A herbologist's thoughts and theories about the Fanik Goc

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When you study to become a healer, there is an unspoken acceptance that the perks of this profession would be few and far between. Medicinal research is so often undercut by magical remedies—if one can find or even afford one. The rural and downtrodden could gain more use from a poultice of wickwheat and bleeding crown than any visit to the local, or usually not-so-local, temple. With nothing to be said of the extortionary tithes these "healer-priests" expect.

That being said, when I was approached to accompany the Stirk Fellowship to Solstice, I was ecstatic. Finally, recognition for what those in our trade are capable of. Our knowledge of herbology and our ability to examine and extract use from even the strangest and most unfamiliar of plants makes as vital in efforts such as this. Of course, Solstice being a verdant, tropical island certainly had an effect on my decision. I knew the journey would be treacherous and the work grueling, but I hadn't expected a simple root to so capture my attention. Fanik goc, its name Jel for "fated mud," is a plant I am quite familiar with. I've seen it used in dream-wallow rituals in Murkmire, sold as a pickled treat in Shadowfen, even gifted as a window hanging in Blackwood. And, while it is commonplace in the regions of Black Marsh, I was quite surprised to find the plant growing here on Solstice. A tropical island is as different from a swamp as sand is from ash. So, I dug in to find more.

Fanik goc is primarily a root. I've cultivated a few in my time, but I've never seen them progress beyond their knotted and bulbous root structure. I had theorized for some time that we herbologists were simply unable to meet the environmental needs of the plant, but Saxhleel healers assured me that wasn't the case. And, because it offers no dietary or seasoning benefits, it remains uncultivated. But that's exactly how our scaled neighbors want it to stay.

Fanik goc holds a certain esteem within Saxhleel culture and the Tide-Born, Argonians native to Solstice, are no different. Tide-Reader Suhath, the religious leader of Shell-Tide Village, explained to me that fanik goc is primarily used during their rites of chukka-seis, a Saxhleel coming of age tradition. During this tradition, the fanik goc is muddled into a brew that transports the imbiber into a dream-wallow, a type of active dream, or vision.

Dream-wallows are not uncommon, but there's a divergence here worth noting. In Murkmire, the dream-wallow is seen as a sort of communion with the Hist. On Solstice, however, the Hist plays no part in the ritual. Suhath simply said that the Hist had long been silent on the island of Solstice, and their beliefs and rituals reflect as much. He also explained that the name instead translated to "fated sand," revealing a curious inflection in Jel denoting wet or dry.

Still, how curious it is to find the swamp root on this island. An island, which I have since confirmed, still harbors at least one Hist tree, though it is currently beyond our reach. With this in mind, humor an old haler [sic] and herbologist's musings.

I posit that the fanik goc is an indirect product of the Hist tree. Not a fruit, seed, or sporeling exactly, but a side effect of its presence. It has been some time since I've examined a Hist tree, as the Saxhleel are, unsurprisingly, protective of them. But the fanik goc features similar striations in color. Its outer skin, when dried, is not dissimilar to the smooth bark of the Hist, with smaller, more delicate furrows and creases. And, while there is a distinct absence of the Hist's orange sap, its use in dream-wallows points, perhaps, to similar alchemical qualities.

You'll note a distinct caution to my suppositions. Any scholar of plants would do well to speak of the Hist with equal parts curiosity and suspicion. Do I believe the fanik goc is a sapling of the Hist, inert or otherwise? Not necessarily. Am I making note of this thought so that I may capitalize on any discoveries made after the publication of these notes? Most certainly.

Until then, I will keep a keen eye on the humble fanik goc.