Deadwood

Deadwood is a pale, silvery white wood that comes from Deadwood trees. The trees are named such as they never grow leaves, always appearing dead year round. They get their energy and nutrition from the soil and by absorbing the souls of whatever dies around them.

Properties

Material Characteristics

The trees resemble spiky oak trees with no leaves and a pale silvery white bark. When a living tree is cut, it oozes a thick, blood red sap that sometimes stains the wood. This gives the appearance of the tree bleeding and contrasts sharply against the pale wood. The cut wood itself looks like any regular wood other than it's strange hue.

Physical & Chemical Properties

Deadwood is incredibly strong for a natural wood, however it isn't used for construction partly for several reasons. For one, it's a very rare and scarce tree, only recorded in two locations in Meintalia. There's also a lot of heavy superstition abounding about the tree, with many people believing that they are sacred to the God's and should not be harvested, mainly as they appear to bleed when cut. But the biggest reason it isn't used in construction is that it is an incredibly useful material when enchanting. It holds on to magic more efficiently than any other material save Soul Steel, which combined with it's durability makes it a highly sought after and valued material for crafting magical items. It takes much less work and magical energy to imbue Deadwood with enchantments, the wood even ambiently absorbs magic, and it holds onto these enchantments at full strength for a much longer period of time than most other materials.

Unenchanted Deadwood yearns to absorb magic. It can be used to craft cages or shackles that dampen magic, creating binds or prisons that prevent whoever or whatever is caught within them from casting.

History & Usage

Cultural Significance and Usage

Because of it's ability to siphon and absorb souls, many smaller cultures believe that dying near Deadwood trees is a form of immortality and a way of giving back to the natural world. These cultures believe that their ancestors are a part of the tree, that the tree isn't just feeding on the soul but housing it in a sort of afterlife. As such, the trees are highly revered in these cultures and protected as homes of their ancestral spirits, not to be used for materials. When a branch or twig falls from the tree, it is considered a gift from the ancestors of whoever finds the shed wood. In these instances, the wood is often used to carve into a token or, if large enough, equipment such as weapons and shields to be used by the family of the founder in honour of their ancestors. These ancestral gifts are often enchanting, either with warding magic or necromantic magic that allows them to commune with their ancestors.

Type

Biomaterial

Rarity

Incredibly rare

Odor

Rotting wood

Color

Pale silvery white

Related Locations

• Deadwood Grove