Gorgonwood

"I'm pretty sure the stuff comes from those awful pools in Prunyth. It's good for the Balatar though, so I'm not going to question it. Even if I can't stand the damn smell."
~Ellayne Warbough, Sheriff of Alcedene

Effects

Weapons and armor made from gorgonwood are half the weight, if the original weapon is metal.
If a weapon normally made of wood is made from gorgonwood, the superior material is the same weight, but the wielder can reroll 1s on the damage die.
Armor made from gorgonwood floats, and the wearer doesn't need to tread water to float. This makes it especially popular with the Wupan Privateers.

Properties

Material Characteristics

Gorgonwood is a special petrified wood from Prunyth. It resembles the petrified wood found in most of the forests there, but it retains some flexibility and is therefore infinitely more useful.

Origin & Source

Working with gorgonwood is the highest honor of the Carpenter's Union

History & Usage

History

Gorgonwood is a relatively recent technology, first gaining widespread use around 839. Every ten or fifteen years or so the Carpenter's Union works out a new use for it and it becomes that much more common.

Everyday use

Gorgonwood is sometimes used in construction, but more often for weapons, tools and armor.

Refinement

The Thrush makes this material from her lair in Prunyth by regularly donating her blood to a gorgon pool that supplies several canals throughout her personal orchard.

Distribution

Trade & Market

Only the Carpenter's Union makes this material, and they're the only ones that regularly sell it.

Type

Wood

Odor

Gorgonwood smells faintly of brine

Color

Gorgonwood has a distinctive red-gray color