The Vaakumsarboretum
The complete name of the Arboretum is Vaakumsarboretum Grüsen-Gewächsnymphenburg.
A true marvel of bio-engineering, the arboretum is both a magnificient garden, and the source of most of the food and clean water on board. Any person on board can visit the public garden. The arboretum is very cramped, but judicious use of light & trompe l’oeil give impression of infinite space.
The ceiling is in plasteel, allowing to see the void, but it includes many projectors, that can give the illusion of a tru sky. Many grav plates are used here, allowing floating plants and fountains, reversed waterfalls, and to create biomes very closed to each others.
The most popular sections usually are :
the Garden of the Righteous :the entrance and main way to the Temple Shrine, as well as the graveyard . Fresh rose & cherry petals fly permanently there, in an everlasting spring full of blossoming flowers and –mechanical- butterflies. There is a large lake, the Lake of judgment, where the corpses are thrown in ritual burials. It is perhaps a coincidence that one of the major protein hydroponic farm lies just under said lake.
Harashim hanging garden : an oriental-like garden, with floating fountains and trees, surrounded by turquoise & gold ceramics. You can know if someone was there as he will still smell jasmine, honeysuckle or rose a few hours later.
the Winter garden, always under snow and frozen, used extensively by people looking for a calm place to meditate.
the Underwater garden. Alguas, corral, fishes surround visitors. Prestigious guests are even allowed to go underwater and to fish.
The Forbidden ForestA quarter of older gardens have been reserved to the Lady-Captain, to create her hunting preserve. There is even a stable to allow venery.
Hidden under the public gardens, lies the true garden: an hydroponic tropical jungle, where barley, hops, rice and wheat are produced intensively under fruitrees. Bio-enginereed bees ensure pollination of all plants on board and produce honey. Water from all the ship is purified trhough specifics bacteria and algua, converting wastes to proteins. Even the garden above is useful, rejuneving soils, producing fertilizer for the crops, and helping renewing the air inside the whole starship.
With these crops, the Forlorn Hope produce its own alcohol. Available to the crew - expensive enough so they can't drink daily - are light beers and just before combat or great ceremonies a shipbrewed schnapps.
In the Forbidden forest, there are special crops of grappes, dedicates only to produce wine and champagne for the Rogue Trader, as well a special liquor, the Warrantmeister. the recipe is a secret well kept, using 150 different herbs, as well as solid gold leafs.
