Blue Maple

A long time ago a lot of superstition surrounded these trees. As their leaves grew brightly blue in the summer, fading to a dim deep purple in the autumn, all kinds of legends spread throughout the lands. Many believed that they were a blessing from the gods, a show of good fortune surrounding them. Others thought their growth was an ill-omen of dark times and would uproot the trees wherever they were found. Both of these theories were strengthened by the tree's unnatural ability to ward off smoke. Surely such powers were proof of their connection to the divine/fiendish. These theories were long forgotten after it was discovered that the leaves of the trees harbored the ability to contain magical energies.
The blue leaves absorb smoke and take on the latent magical characteristics of whatever produces the smoke in the first place. This discovery sparked a mass investigation into the characteristics of the tree. As mages across the republic realized the implications of being able to harness the energies of everything that could be burned they started buying every leaf they managed to come across. In turn, this sparked a massive increase in the cultivation of the trees. Where there had previously been a cultural ban on growing, and harvesting, the trees there was now a rapidly growing industry surrounding them. Many powerful mages helped in creating large forests to supply their demand.
Now the market surrounding the trees have stabilized. The area surrounding Evergreen is littered with forests made of the blue trees, yet they become increasingly uncommon the further south one travels through the country. Every town, however, has at least one orchard of Blue Maple. The smoke-absorbing nature of the leaves are good enough for most farmers to want to invest in them.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Beyond their blue leaves, there is no difference between The Blue Maple and any ordinary maple tree. They usually grow to a height of 11-50 meters.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Photosynthesis

Biological Cycle

Sheds their leaves in early autumn and starts growing them again in early spring. The leaves are usually harvested right as their color starts to turn from blue to a bright shade of pink. If the leaves turn purple they retain their ability to absorb smoke, yet they can no longer do the same with any magical properties of the burnt material. As such the price of leaves drastically increases during the winter months.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

It is unknown if the Blue Maple has any sensory capabilities.

Conservation Status

Although the Blue Maple is abundant throughout The Republic, the rapidly expanding growth of the trees forced druids across the land to take measures to conserve several species it used to contend with.