Soapwood Token

In Ztavayë superstition, the mere gaze of a Mabnyë is thought to bring about illness and misfortune. In the north of Ztavsk, the most popular form of protection against the evil eye of a mabnyë is what is known as a soapwood token. Despite the relatively high cost of these tokens, northern Ztavaya are more than willing to pay the price for peace of mind.
Soapwood, also known as bog willow, despite the name, is not a tree but a woody perennial plant that grows abundantly and predominantly in the wetlands of Ztavsk. These plants are known to produce a slippery, bitter-tasting, mildly toxic substance with antibacterial properties not dissimilar to soap that forms a thick foam when agitated in the presence of water. Traditional northern Ztavayë cleaning methods make liberal use of soapwood, leading to a deep cultural association between soapwood and ideals of cleanliness and purity.
Northern Ztavaya believe that by carrying a piece of soapwood with them at all times, specially prepared to amplify its cleansing and purifying properties, the token could counteract the evil influence of the mabnya. This amplification is done in a variety of ways but the traditional method involves carving a protection spell into the piece of wood that is meant to be used as a token. This may seem to be a rather simple process, but in order to preserve the wood's purported protective properties, craftsmen cannot use dried pieces of soapwood that have had their sap and soapy fluids removed. This, plus the relatively small size of the average token (roughly 3cm x 4cm), makes carving soapwood tokens a laborious task. This is reflected in the price of the final product.
Another contributor to the price of soapwood tokens is the fact that, traditionally, they are worn in small pouches. These pouches are handmade with needle felted asca fleece harvested from a special sort of asca that has only been fed soapwood leaves and berries all its life. These pouches are designed to be strong but porous so as to allow the soapwood's soapy fluids to soak into the fibers.

Item type

Clothing / Accessory