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Surviving the Lost Desert: Flora!


by _kyndle

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     Hi there! I’m Io, your friendly neighborhood guide, and I hope you’re enjoying your visit to Sakhmet. I hear you want to start a trek across the desert? It’s a more beautiful journey than most would think, but it’s definitely quite treacherous if you’re not prepared. Today we’re going to talk about 4 fruits that naturally grow in these conditions, and how they might make or break you trip! You might be surprised by how much life you can actually find growing out in these harsh conditions.

     We’ll start with one of the most common fruits of the desert, the Bagguss! Easily recognizable by their distinct light green color, this is a common fruit here in the Lost Desert, and can often be won at games like Fruit Machine. I’m sure you’ve smelt plenty of Bagguss out in the stands of the market, since they are filled with a disgusting, stinky gas when ripe. I recommend picking these up before the start of your journey, because if you open them up and let the gas out, you can let them dry on your pack in the sun while you walk. As soon as they’re dry, they have an unexpected, but delicious, chocolatey taste.

     If you come across these throughout the desert, you’ll be able to pick them to make your own treats. Be careful though, you don’t want to pick it before it’s ripe, because it may pop in a nasty and explosive way, which would be such a shame because the Bagguss needs the full time for the gas to develop for that rich chocolatey flavor. Alternatively, you can exploit the Bagguss’s explosive nature if you’re in a pinch - if you light it with a fuse you can make a fantastic makeshift bomb.

     I would recommend every traveler set off with at least one Bagguss, even if you don’t like the taste. You never know what you might end up with a case of Bloaty Belly, especially while traveling and eating strange new foods, and the Bagguss contains a special chemical that can help cure it. All you need to do is boil the Bagguss for a full day, or until it turns into a thick, smelly goop. It doesn’t taste too good, but nothing soothes the stomach like some boiled Bagguss.

     Next up, we have every desert traveler’s favorite fruit, the Gobi! This is a long yellow and green root, vaguely resembling a tendrily carrot. You may have noticed that it’s unbearably hot out there, so even seasoned travelers are going to be careful about dehydration and body temperature. The Gobi fruit has saved many adventurers’ lives, because it’s filled with a cool juice, even when it’s been out in the sun for a while. If you have any space in your pack, stuff it full of these!

     Out in the desert, you’ll have to recognize them by the top leafy bit, which will protrude out from the sand. If you dig a little, you’ll find the full fruit underground. If you ever see these on your trek, I recommend taking the time to pick a few, since you never know when you need an extra source of water. Even better, you can boil one of these to make a particularly refreshing tea.

     Once you’ve cut open the Gobi, though, be careful what it is contact with. It’s so hydrating that it can mess up your other foodstuffs, and no one wants soggy bread or a drippy knapsack. Always make sure to have some sort of waterproof bag to store your opened Gobis.

     The next plant we are going to discuss is one of my favorites because of its versatility, the Cheops Plant! Most people know the Cheops because of its red berry, which is delicious and tastes like cherries. The juice of a Cheops plant is very refreshing, so I can’t recommend it enough for a long trek. Like the Gobi, you’ll have to dig these out of the sand and will have to recognize them by their leafy part.

     The Cheops can also be distilled down into medicine! If you extract the oil, you’ll find that many citizens will buy it off you to cure their various ailments. It’s not really understood what Cheops Oil is for just yet, but I’ve used it on anything from achy legs or a headache, and it seems to soothe it a little.

     My favorite thing about the Cheops Plant though, is that the skin of the fruit is super tough once it has dried out, making it a particularly useful fruit if you can find it. I’ve used them as makeshift water jugs, backpacks, or as a really shoddy source of shade or armor if you wear it on your head (make sure you carve some eye holes out!). There’s nothing quite like the feeling of accomplishment you can get by living fully off of the land you are wandering in.

     Last but not least, let’s talk about the Ummagine! This fruit is actually pretty interesting in that you’ll be unlikely to find it out on your trip. That’s because it grows so far underground that it’s almost impossible to just happen upon this root vegetable. Luckily, it can still benefit your journey if you pack smart, so make sure you pick it up at the market before you leave.

     I recommend taking dried Ummagine in your pack before you set out, since it’s a wonderful sweet and chewy snack. It’s a great source of efficient calories, which is exactly the kind of food you want to take along. A very yummy food, it’s great cooked in a variety of ways - grilled, fried, or baked, so feel free to explore your different options before you head out. My absolute favorite Ummagine snack is having it baked into a lovely fluffy cake.

     More importantly, you will probably want to take at least one flask of Ummagine juice along with you. Not only is it delicious and healthy, but it will restore strength and stamina in a pinch. Save it for when you encounter a nasty nest of Cobralls!

     Speaking of Cobralls, that’s all I have to say about Lost Desert plants, but tune in next time to hear about the fauna you may encounter in the desert! Nothing quite separates a great trip like proper preparation.

     

 
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