Sweetwater Gourd

The Sweetwater Gourd is an ancient plant, dating back to the time before the Primordial War. It was native to the inner reaches of the island-continent Okeanos, where it grew from vines that climbed the native trees. A thirsty plant, the Gourd required large amounts of fresh water to survive, having great difficulty surviving close to ocean waters... a good portion of this water was returned to those who harvested the plant, however: the gourds it produced, white and bulging at the base, were hollow and filled with clear and sweetened water.

For the inhabitants of Okeanos, this water was a luxury, used as a refreshing drink and to create Cachasa, a sweet liquor that some savants have believed to be the ancestor of Rum.

When Okeanos was broken, the large trees and inland areas where the Sweetwater Gourd flourished vanished in an instant. Demanding now-scarce fresh water and a complex system of lattices or poles to grow, only the most prosperous mortal settlements kept up cultivation… the god of the Sweetwater Gourd, Palantao of the Gentle Gift, was personally involved in teaching humans the best methods for keeping his plants in existence within Creation. Some hope emerged when the Solar Deliberative raised a new landmass and chose the gourd as a plant to introduce into the landscape, though it remained difficult to grow, and production of Cachasa was resumed to supply thirsty Solar courts on the Blessed Isle and River Province. When this island-continent was broken in turn during the Usurpation, Palantao struggled to keep surviving islanders growing his gourds, ensuring they were associated with good fortune and prosperity, the emptied gourds employed to mark territory and serve as nests for Martins.