The Medical Holy Land of the Ultima Segmentum, the New Agricultural World

Benchmark

Ultima Segmentum, Loki Sector, the agricultural world Laern.

Ivos Jovan walked out of his infirmary before the star's light had brightened the sky.

The "Cultivator" looked at the mist-shrouded mountains before him. Today would be a long farewell.

Ivos arrived at the foot of the mountain, at the edge of the drifting mist of reproductive spores, and spoke to the three waiting "Cultivators."

"Let's go." His task today was to teach the three "Cultivators" how to tend this treasure trove covered in medicinal plants.

The "Cultivator" Ivos bent his knees and lowered himself, brushing his hand over the Mandrake growing from a tuberous plant. Faintly, he heard screaming in his mind.

Ivos had once been a favored guest of many nobles on the hive world Agathon, and he knew Mandrake could calm Warp corrosion and ease the tinnitus and headaches of voidship crewmen.

In reality, however, ordinary crewmen almost never obtained Mandrake, even if they were aboard large Transport Ships whose holds were filled with the plant.

Navigator and Astropath families bought Mandrake in vast quantities, leaving the output of the only five producing worlds unable to meet the demands of the Imperium's nobles.

Among those five worlds, Lord Nimrod's domain, Triken IV, was one of the two greatest producers.

But Triken IV's output was supplied only to Lord Nimrod's allies, chiefly Navigator families such as Visher's.

There were other noble houses as well. Lord Barton Drake, who had extended him a helping hand, drank a cup of black tea mixed with Mandrake leaves every time before sleeping and after waking aboard a voidship.

After Ivos was recommended by Lord Barton and joined Lord Nimrod's command, he learned that in the Ultima Segmentum, on Mankora, the world where the Legion Librarium was located, Mandrake was also planted across wide