Grimwillow
Grimwillows grow deep within the swampy recesses of Lochmalan. Incredibly tall and hauntingly beautiful, the trees are for the most part left undisturbed by humans and other ancestries. While grimwillow wood can be used to make some of the finest wooden armor and bows, you will rarely see them in use as the tree and any materials from it are a serious taboo amongst the denizens of Taisunia and Lochmalan in particular.
Basic Information
Anatomy
The bark of the grimwillow has a silver sheen caused by miniscule hairlike fibers. These fibers are incredibly soft and was initially thought to be used for textiles. Unfortunately, these fibers meld into a single layer as they dry, producing more bark. The heartwood of the willow is pliable but incredibly tough, requiring incredible pressure to break while the outer layers are more dense and durable. The wood is a deep ochre in color. The canopy is made of thin tendril like branches that droop under the weight of deep green leaves. During harvest, the leaves turn a deep scarlet that, combined with the silvery bark, produces a surreal and haunting visage.
Genetics and Reproduction
While those unfamiliar with the grimwillow believe the name is derived from the almost supernatural appearance during harvest, the true source is much more sinister. The fruit of the grimwillow is filled with tiny seeds similar in color to the flesh of the fruit. These seeds have tiny burrs which allow the seed to catch along the digestive tract of the consumer. Once there, the seed sprout roots that trace along the various veins and arteries of their host. These roots stay incredibly thin and drink slowly to allow the host to survive for extended periods of time before succumbing to the parasite and being used as fertilized for the grimwillow.
The grimwillow is able to produce these berries through cross-pollination, or as the season grows late, asexually.
Growth Rate & Stages
The major stages of growth have developed different rates to provide the best chance of success. The initial seeds develop slowly, avoiding choking off the blood supply to the host and allowing the host to continue to move. This can take a week or even up to a few months. As the plant does not rely on any form of photosynthesis at this stage, leaves are not produced with all resources going entirely to extending the roots. These roots also tend to grow horizontally across the body so they are likely to be close to the ground when the host falls dead to the ground.
When the host dies, the blood flow stops triggering the next stage of growth. The roots grow directly towards the ground while a thin sapling shoots skyward. This sapling splits into three to four leaves that have used the host material to produce a pungent scent of rot, decay, and infection. This all happens within a day to reduce the risk of scavengers engorging themselves on the plant's primary food source.
The smell dissapates after seven to ten days, during which the sapling continues to grow in height. The roots meanwhile begin composting the host material providing a rich bed of fertilizer for the newly forming grimwillow tree. After this, the grimwillow follows a similar growth pattern to most trees.
Grim willow trees can live up to 45 years, and they begin producing fruit around year 3.
Additional Information
Uses, Products & Exploitation
While rarely used due to the taboo around the grimwillow, there are a few byproducts that have been developed from various parts of the plant.
Grimwillow Bark
While the thin follicles were unusable as a textile, others realized that the bark of the willow, when dense enough, could produce a flexible wooden plates. There is said to be a circle of druids that still use this today as it is similar in strength to steel.Grimberries
The fruit is said to be tangy yet sweet and very delicious. The risk of being devoured from inside has made this into a unique delicacy used to impress by the foolhardy where it is eaten as a pudding or even raw and cleaned. if even one seed survives the cleaning process, however, the consumer could die at any time in the coming months leading many to develop severe paranoia.Grimwood
Grimwood is useful for bow manufacturers and yurt housing due to the elasticity of the wood. Only a few dozen bows have been seen to exist. Additionally, hags have been known to occasionally use the fruit as punishment for failing to fulfill a bargain. As such, hag hallows often have at least one grimwillow of fruiting age upon the premises.Geographic Origin and Distribution
The only known location is southeastern Lochmalan in the swamps near the border of Dakshinaatl. There has been some rumor and concern that the tree has spread into the jungles of their neighbor.
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