Blackwood

Blackwood, harvested from the tree of the same name, is an ashy grey coloured wood found on trees in the forests of Elvara and The Kingdom of Errolone. It is notoriously hard to carve and requires a specialist woodworker, thus it has become a status symbol amongst Malvarri nobles.

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Properties

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"Despite its name, the Blackwood tree produces fine wood which is a bleak grey in colour. It is more the colour of ash than the colour of night."

Linus Bamba— Head Botanist at the Malvarri Herbalist College

The Blackwood tree produces an extremely dense lumber which is resistant to fungus, rot and wood-eating insects. Its density also provides it with a certain resistance to heat and fire. Because of this, the wood is considered to be of the highest quality consequently, the Blackwood Tree has the most expensive lumber of any other tree in Astaeria.
Due to it’s properties and its rarity, the lumber requires a specialist woodworker (who are few and far between). The more intricate the design, the less talent you have to choose from. However, its durability will ensure it lasts more than a lifetime.

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A Fashionable Material

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Blackwood is very popular amongst Malvarri nobles. Everything from carriages to ornamental carvings, dining tables to doorways can be found in any reputable noble’s household. The more Blackwood the noble owns, the richer they are.
Because of the popularity of blackwood, especially in recent years, as well as the deliberate felling of trees in The Elvara Forest, the tree is near extinction on the continent. This has further increased the price of the lumber, consequently increasing its prominence as a status symbol.

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