Kerius Kelp

Kerius Kelp is a form of marine algae that is native to the Azorean homeworld of Sudran. This kelp is used for a variety of purposes, ranging from food to textiles. It reproduces by releasing spores, which germinate to become male or female gametophytes to start the life cycle over. The name “Kerius” originates from the Old Azorean dialect and can be roughly translated as “Life”.

Kerius Kelp thallus (or body) grows in four main parts: stipes, blades, holdfasts, and gas-filled bladders. The stipes are basically the elongated stems of the kelp. The leaves, called blades, are connected to the stem and absorb sunlight for photosynthesis. The holdfasts are a root-like structure that anchors the kelp to the ocean floor. The gas-filled bladders (Pneumatocyst) keep the kelp blades floating towards the surface and usually grow with two or three per thallus of the kelp. The overall color of the kelp varies from green, red, yellow, brown, and combinations of these. The color hue is generally lighter in the earlier stages of life and darkens as the kelp matures.

Kerius Kelp grows both in artificial farms and in the wild. Farm-grown kelp is the mainstay “grain” diet for most citystates. Such farms are generally located outside the citystate itself, and mature kelp is transported into the citystate for processing. Wild Kerius Kelp grows in large “kelp forests”, which are natural habitats for a variety of marine fauna and even other flora. Noteworthy kelp forests include Silman Vale to the east of Edel Citystate, the – Forest surrounding – Citystate, and the Murmidean Expanse that occupies the whole of Sudran's northeastern hemisphere. Other kelp forests exist, though on a much smaller scale, and are usually classified as “kelp beds”.

Each part of the Kerius Kelp is used in some way shape or form. The stipes are woven into clothing, bags, rope, etc. The blades, being rich in fiber, carbohydrates, and several different vitamins, make up a staple diet for most Azoreans. Since they lack a specific taste, the blades are often eaten along with fish and/or vegetables. The holdfasts have no nutritional value, but they can be dug up to be carved into various trinkets and knick-knacks. Carbon gases inside the bladders can be extracted for a variety of purposes, though a more common practice is to gift them to spawnlings as toys. The reproductive spores can be refined into an herbal medicine used to supplement the body's immune system. This herbal medicine is manufactured and distributed under different labels from several corporations in each citystate.