Blithe

First Appearance and Context

Blithe is first mentioned when avout inspecting a meadow for plants of The Eleven discover a patch that looked like it and uproot and burn it on the spot. In late-summer dryness the fire spread into surrounding grass before being contained; the incident was later treated as accidental during an internal inquiry. Separately, a liturgical account about Saunt Bly relates that a group of slines he influenced stopped consuming blithe.

Description and Role

Blithe is referenced as a plant or herb associated with severe restrictions inside the concent. When suspected, it is destroyed immediately as per the burn-on-sight practice tied to The Eleven, with occurrences logged in the Chronicle. No physical description has been provided in-text beyond a patch in a meadow that was mistaken or identified as blithe. Outside the walls, it is known—at least in stories—to be consumed by Sline.

Relationships and Functions

• Treated as belonging to, or handled under the rules of, The Eleven within maths (burn-on-sight; record the occurrence).
• Consumption is attributed to Sline in accounts; one story holds that they became surly after ceasing to use it at the urging of Saunt Bly.
• Encounters are to be written into the Chronicle as part of standard documentation.

Current Status

Blithe remains a proscribed substance in mathic practice. Confirmed cultivation or permitted uses have not been described. Mentions so far are procedural (eradication when found) and anecdotal (consumption outside the walls).