Blanched Mandragora

Historical Background
Mandragora is the scientific name for the Mandrake plant. They are a member of the Nightshade family and for centuries the resemblance of their roots to humans has been noted. Mandragora has been widely used for the alkaloids in them, which served as an early form of anasthetic. In Medieval times, it was used to make love potions and its fruit was supposed to help promote pregnancy. Folklore said when the plant was pulled from the ground, it made a scream like that of a person. Mandragora in other folklore were small dolls or figures given to sorcerers by the Devil to act as familiars for them, or small humanoid creatures animated by alchemists to act as lab assistants.