I could not have produced this book without a lot of help and it is only right that I should acknowledge those who made this book possible.

First, I have to thank Okaasan and the staff at La Casa for giving me a place to live and providing me with all the equipment and support for my botanical research. In particular, I want to thank my dear friend Elpis for typing my scribbled notes, proofreading and helping me find my voice. My strength is in observation and research, not self-expression. I could not have done this without my dear Elpis.

Imzadi was also an invaluable assistant. A skilled cook (and working on a book of her own right now) she helped me define the smells and flavors of the plants, as well as suggesting some of the uses for the edible plants.

Lastly I want to thank the D'ni Restoration Council and the Cyan Game Company for the exploration of the D'ni ages that they made possible. It is my dearest hope that this little book gives something back and furthers the exploration of the D'ni civilization.

With humility and joy,
Sophrosyne
May 2008
La Casa, New Mexico

When Okaasan asked me to write a foreward for this herbal handbook I was puzzled at first. Who was I to be undertaking such task? I have no creditials to offer, other than the odd puttering around my very weedy garden. But I was honoured to be asked and upon reading Sophrosyne's work, I am very impressed. Sophrosyne has the heart of a true explorer, one that looks at the world -- any world -- with childlike wonder and still has the questioning mind to probe deeper. She has not only explored the many ages created by the D'ni, but has taken examples of the many plants into her laboratory at La Casa and performed the detailed research to uncover hidden properties.

It has long been known that every medication used on the surface owes its creation to a botanical compound. Even if synthesized later, the original chemical structure was found in nature, such as heart medication from Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) and a chemotherapy drug from Pacific Yew (Taxus brevifolia). Herbal medicine has been used throughout time and from all parts of the world. There is no reason to believe that the ages of the D'ni should be any different. We may never know if the D'ni used their plants for food and medicine, but the commonalities between the D'ni and humans, and the seeming corrollary evolution of their flora and fauna, suggests that they may well have studied nature as we do.

There will always be concerns about bringing alien species into a new environment and I have had a chance to visit La Casa's gardens and greenhouses. Under Sophrosyne's management, the plants thrive, but are carefully managed and controlled. I feel confident that the discoveries will benefit us all, and that the policies established at La Casa to prevent the escape of any alien plant or animal into the surrounding are well-considered and strictly enforced.

We all look forward to the day when we can return to the Cavern, but until then, places like La Casa and researchers like Sophrosyne give us a taste of URU here on the surface.