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Neberum, aka "bitter-sweet"

A ubiquitous fungus with unique properties, neberum is used by beast folk and humans alike to prevent pregnancy. Neberum grows easily in any dark, damp areas, and in every region, including the arctic, albeit sparingly. It's a toxic fungus, and raw ingestion will make most individuals sick.

Females ingesting raw neberum typically experience painful abdominal cramps and nausea, with occasional vomiting. Males, however, experience severe abdominal cramps, diarrhea and vomiting, often with blood in both. Females rarely die from ingestion, while males could expire from severe dehydration.

It has been noted that only the bird-like Peryava can ingest neberum raw and benefit from its contraceptive properties. No other race or breed of beast folk seems to share this ability.

The mushroom cap is about the size of a man's fist, thick and relatively flat, though particularly impressive specimens may have an intriguing, phallic shape. It has a specific and unusual combination of colors. The cap is deep purple, like a fresh bruise, with little veins of green throughout. The fins and stem beneath the cap are as black as the night sky, and quite glossy, even when desiccated.

To prepare the "bitter-sweet," the neberum is placed into a container of boiling water and allowed to dissolve, though some prefer to crush the caps either before or during boiling to hasten the process. Once the cap has melted in the water, the water becomes blue-green, with an underlying wave of purple, depending on the angle of the light as it strikes the liquid.

The concoction is quite foul-tasting, and many have tried to create a more palatable mixture, with limited success, hence the "bitter" in "bitter-sweet." If consumed shortly after sexual intercourse, bitter-sweet seems to confuse the female's body into believing that she is already with-child, and so pregnancy cannot occur. This allows for regular sexual intercourse without fear of impregnation, the "sweet" in "bitter-sweet."

It should be noted that consuming the tea of neberum before sexual intercourse does not seem to have an effect. The hormones released during sexual intercourse seem to inspire the desired response from the toxins within the neberum. It should also be noted that resting for a period of six or more hours after sexual intercourse will also cause the neberum to be ineffective. Brew the tea at your bedside and drink it while it's hot!

This "pregnancy confusion" lasts for approximately one day, and one or two doses is often enough for the semen of most humans and beast folk to succumb to her body without being utilized. Once the neberum has begun to create "pregnancy confusion," it can be drunk in perpetuity to retain the effect, once every twenty-four hours.

Ceasing the regiment for even one hour past the initial twenty-four will return the user's fertility! The regiment must then begin again, after the next sexual intercourse!

For those who don't wish to drink bitter-sweet daily after coitus, remember that it has been noted that certain breeds of beast folk, who have copious emissions and a high degree of potency (horses, ponies, bears and similarly well-endowed beast men), require a daily regiment after sexual intercourse!

This lasts from four to seven days to ensure the bitter-sweet's success. Failure to maintain this regiment could allow for the body to "remember" that it is, in fact, not pregnant. Given the nature of certain beast men, a considerable amount of semen may be trapped inside of the uterus or crevasses within the vaginal walls, leading to an unexpected pregnancy at a later date.

There are no known side-effects, and no long-term health problems associated with drinking the tea of neberum. Many young ladies have used the tea to remain "pure" until their marriage, only to later give their husbands a dozen children or more.

The tea of neberum does not prevent sexually transmitted diseases! Be mindful of your partners, ladies.

This is a presumptive entry, for consistency's sake. If you're reading this to learn about neberum, you're either an alien to Morveria or have been dwelling beneath a rock. Sincerely, the Morveria Bestiary & Botany Society.