The Maono Mhosa - The Mwandishi Dreaming Plant

The Maono Mhosha commonly called the Mwandishi Dreaming Plant, is a succulent that is abundant in the desert biomes of the Bara Kusini and an important economic resource traded primarily through Al-Wāāt ul'Ihāt Kathira, but is broadly harvested and is traded from many locations along the Mchanga Hasira, The Twin Seas Coast.  The plant favors altitudes of more than 500 meters (1650 feet) and grows in rich sandy soils. Maono Mhosha plants grow into large succulents, with spiky fleshy leaves, that can reach over 2 meters (7 ft) in height. Maono Mhosha sprout a stalk when about five years old that can grow an additional 5 meters (16 ft); they are topped with red or pink flowers. 

Thaumaturgical Use

Maono Mhosha is used broadly in the the Thaumaturgic manipulation of Manyoya feathers by Mwandishi Feather Scribes. The resin crystals are heated in pipes and incense burners and inhaled by the Mwandishi to attain a trance state where they can "write" or dreamscribe the feathers, mixing dreams and past life momories in a half way place in the Mahali Mizuka. Combining previously dreamscribed or necromanced feathers. Additionally the trance state allows skilled Mwandishi to find pathways to imbue the Manyoya with chymicals and animal extractions to pass complex magical abilities on to end users with varying levels of interaction with the Mahali Mizuka. These processes once learned can be reproduced from memory or notes not requiring a thaumaturge to enter a Maono Mhosha induced trance state to scribe feathers. 

The use of Maono Mhosha in these Thaumaturgic manipulations takes a great toll of users health, and over years users deteriorate mentally, and over time lose the ability to discern the difference between the waking world and the Mahali Mizuka. Many Mwandishi ultimately are lost to the Mahali Mizuka leaving their wasted bodies behind to wander the Mahali Mizuka as Unyoya Mzuka, Feather Ghosts, falling deeper and deeper into what is assumed to be a dreamlike madness of the soul. 

Harvesting

Maono Mhosha hasn't been successfully cultivated at scale - though individual plants are often succesfully grown in gardens, in all cases the prized sap lacks the chymicals that make the plant of interest to Thaumaturgy when removed from it's natural habitat. The plant is wildcrafted in it's natural habitat where the heart leaves are first incised with a multi-bladed tool. This lets the Maono Mhosha “gum” ooze out. The semi-dried "gum" is harvested with a curved spatula and then dried in open wooden boxes and then heated into its final resinous crystal like form. It is then generally wrapped in cloth and stored in cedar boxes before sale.