The Wiki for Tale 4 is in read-only mode and is available for archival and reference purposes only. Please visit the current Tale 11 Wiki in the meantime.
If you have any issues with this Wiki, please post in #wiki-editing on Discord or contact Brad in-game.
Flax
Flax is a vital crop used in the production of textiles. Flax's main products, tow and lint, are processed in order to make canvas, linen, and rope, all goods fundamental to the Egyptian lifestyle.
Flax comes in many varieties. Anyone may receive a packet of either Old Egypt or Nile Green flax seeds from any School of Art and Music. You may go back a few minutes later and get more, which may provide the other variety. Rumors of the acient are that through crossbreeding, it is possible to design even more potent flax strains.
Cultivation
To grow flax, plant a bed of flax plants using the "Plant" menu, on grass. Flax will not grow on sand. After a short while, green flax shoots with blue flowers will appear in the bed. Shortly afterwards, yellow weeds will appear. Weed the flax bed by selecting the appropriate menu option. Depending on the variety of flax being used, you may need to water the flax when you weed it (using one Water in Jugs), and you may need to weed the bed several times. Eventually, the flax will complete growing and you may harvest it. There are no signs that the flax is ready for harvest except more flowers grow in the flax bed. The best way to tell is to click on the flax and see.
To get water, you need Jugs, which you can get by signing up to learn the Pottery skill at a School of Thought.
Flax grown in the above manner will not produce any seeds. To grow Flax Seeds, plant a bed of flax but do not weed it. Shortly after weeds appear in the bed, the flax will go to seed. You will see more of the yellow weeds. You may then harvest seeds from the flax up to 5 times before it finally dies. When the plant dies, it will leave more seeds on the ground.
Take care to not use up all your flax seeds when growing flax; you should always keep at least a few in reserve to grow more seeds. If you do run out, you can go back to a School of Art to get a few more seeds.
Pollution
Among other species of flax, Nile Green will produce pollution around the ground where it is grown. It doesn't seem to affect only the exact spot, but the general area, perhaps the whole coordinate area up to a range of 2-3 in each direction. (Needs independent verification)
Pollution is probably not the right word for it. Where NG has been planted in quantity, Old Egypt flax subsequently planted may yield no flax and a message about poor soil (poor soil is not the same thing as pollution). JulianJaynes 01:33, 31 December 2008 (EST)
Nile Green: In a 4x4 coordinate area in Sinai, 3362,4114 I began planting NG and harvested 180 or so before I started getting only seed.
I planted over 500 NG and didn't lose any flax (3420,4382 Sinai)--Ferns
I have harvested over 3000 Nile Green and am still getting regular returns. (FB 3898, -431) --Andara
I just got no flax and a poor soil message in main after a couple of weeks with no difficulties. I planted NG in the area often, but I couldn't tell you how many beds. JulianJaynes 21:37, 28 December 2008 (EST)