Ironwood

Properties

Material Characteristics

The material is a very sturdy, dark reddish brown wood, sometimes of a red so dark, that some have considered calling it Bloodwood.

Because it can't be cut by normal means and only harvested from the lower levels of an Onauru Tree by employing an elvish technique called woodforming, the surface of ironwood items is unusually smooth and covered in a sheen, much like a droplet of water that was pulled from a lake, almost as if the wood was covered in a layer of varnish.

The further down on a worldtree the Ironwood has been pulled, the deeper red and the more sturdy it is.

Physical & Chemical Properties

Ironwood is both very dense and at the same time just as sturdy and flexible as steel. Unlike most wood, it will sink in water, and it is also not flammable. The Hall Harad, for example, a giant Lnghouse which serves as the hall of kings in the City of Amn, is built from ironwood and is said to have both witstood the Plaguedragon attacks which initiated the Dark Times, and also the millennia which have passed since then. This of course only holds for the Walls, and not the roof which is covered in reed.... but it is impressive nonetheless.

Origin & Source

Ironwood is harvested from the lower layers of World Trees. Once a world tree has reached a certain height, normal wooden structures won't suffice to support it anymore. This is when the tree begins to incorporate iron into its bark and wood, at least on the lower levels, which thus turns more and more red over the centuries, until it is so sturdy, resistant and inflammable, that neither fire nor steel can harm it anymore. This is when only the elvish technique of woodforming can be employed to harvest and also manipulate it (as long as it is alive).

Life & Expiration

No one has ever measured the deterioration time of Ironwood, for the purposes of most cultures on Ardu, ironwood items are, quite literally, made for eternity. Hence they are also sought after.

History & Usage

Everyday use

Ironwood is used by elves to create weapons or woodarmor, which are always very expensive and sought after. It is also used for jewelry and other mundane items of which the owner wishes that they withstand the test of time. Irownwood items are almost always of great personal meaning to an elf, and returning ironwood items to their rightful owners, or their families, in case the rightful owner has perished, is considered a great deed in the service of the respective family.

As for weapons, the Norn mostly use it to create either blades or longbows which are famous for the sturdiness and strength by which they propel an arrow. These "Norn-Bows" can double as a staff, provided the string is cut, which leads Norn to first raining down arrows on their approaching enemies, before, usually in the last moment, the string is cut, which, n the hands of a trained Norn, transforms the deadly distance weapon into a an equally deadly melee weapon.

Distribution

Trade & Market

There is no "official" market for ironwood items, as they are usually of too big a value to the owners to be sold. Some Norn tribes have created wooden coins however (usually featureless discs made of ironwood) which are used for payment. In themselves these coins are too little to be used for anything else, but their rarity provides them with an inherent value which barely diminishes over time. Because they are also more stable and at the same time lighter than gold, they are a popular "currency".

Ironwood staff

by cyrgan

Ironwood staff, hanging from the wall of a caldavian hunter. Estimated value is about 100 gold pieces.