Flora of Skyrim, Volume III: The Ominous Deathbell

by Froa Giantborn

Despite what the rumors about it might say, deathbell is not found at the sites of unfortunate deaths. It doesn’t lure travellers to their dooms, either. And contrary to the belief of my contemporary, Agneta Falia, they don’t increase the skill in alchemy. So how did this purple flower come to be so misunderstood?

Perhaps most importantly, the flower has entirely negative effects when consumed. The user is slowed, weak to poison (which can also be made from deathbell), weaker physically, and is injured. This leads many to believe that it causes death just by proximity, which is false. These negative effects most likely developed as a defense mechanism to stop animals from eating the flowers. This hasn’t entirely worked, however, because it has been set back to growing only in the swamps of Hjaalmarch, where alchemists don’t often venture. There used to be deathbell dotting the landscape of Skyrim’s plains, but it had been picked to the point that it couldn’t spread its seeds. This is because for it to produce seeds, it needs to grow to maturity, at which time to flower withers and the small seeds inside are spread by the wind. But since very few people traverse the marsh, it has been able to keep a steady population there.

The location in the marsh has led to rumor, as well. People believe it only grows near dead bodies because it can often kill the unwary, but also because the swamp itself is full of the dead. The many monsters of Hjaalmarch often kill and leave their prey, and thus, deathbell often grows near death, purely by chance.

The poisonous effects of the deathbell mean it’s rarely used at all in cooking or baking, except by master chefs. It is seldom used in small amounts to create texture in a small dish by the truly great, due to the unique, velvety texture of the petals. If too much is consumed, once will feel as if one has drunk far too much ale, and it is best to induce vomiting.

Although the poisonous aspect lessens it’s cooking appeal, it strengthens the potions or poisons in which deathbell is used. Most potions with deathbell are stronger (or believed to be stronger), and therefore worth more. The author of The Herbalist’s Guide to Skyrim was not the sharpest sword on the rack, but she really mistook deathbell. She wrote in her most recent book that it could increase one’s skill in alchemy, which is completely untrue. It has also led to the unfortunate deaths of more than one alchemist, who ate too much in an attempt to master their craft. There is no plant in all of Skyrim that can increase someone’s skill upon consumption! So, don’t try to brew your own skill potion. I hope that this has been informative for you, and that you no longer believe the nasty rumors associated with this rather mundane flower. You can also enjoy my previous volumes about snowberries and juniper. Next in my series: The Well-Used Tundra Cotton.