Shield moss

Shield moss was an appropriately named species of moss that grew and was cultivated for export by the hardy folk of Mornbryn's Shield.

Description
When fresh, Shield moss was bright blue-green color. Dried up, it turned gray. The moss was still quite valuable even in its dried state.

Use
Shield moss was highly prized for its medicinal properties and popularity among the nobility. Amnian and Waterdhavian perfume makers paid a hefty coin for Shield moss as it was a secret ingredient used in the production of the fanciful fragrances.

Food & Drink
The noble folk of bigger cities of Waterdeep, Calimshan, and Tethyr fancied Shield moss as a fashionable dish. The moss was served deep-fried and smeared in various sauces or even wine-and-peahen gravy.

This dish was an acquired taste. The deep-fried moss was brittle. Elminster Aumar once described the experience of eating Shield moss as dining on brittle corn chips, crunching on hard dried noodles, or chewing on a mouthful of twigs.

Pricing & Trade
Circa 1365 DR, a handful of Shield moss was going for 4 gp in the markets of big cities, more when properly cooked and sauced. When merchants and traders traveled to Mornbryn's Shield, they often arrived by boats and barges and purchased Shield moss by a boatful. Depending on the season, production, and bidding competition, a barge full of Shield moss was worth between 50 and 70 gp.