Ironwood Flesh of the World Tree

This is a passive body cultivation defensive skill of the [Yggdrasil's Progeny] skill set that works to strengthen the body from the inside out. At the gas stage, the bones are hardened to the strength and flexibility of the hardest woods. At early liquid stage the bones are hardened further and the organs of the body are made tougher than the toughest plant fibers. At late liquid stage the bones are hardened further, the organs made tougher, and the muscles and ligaments made stronger than the strongest of vines. At middle solid stage the bones are hardened further, the organs made tougher, the muscles and tendons made stronger, and the skin made more durable than the most durable of barks.

Effect

Strengthens the body from the inside out.

Side/Secondary Effects

While this is a passive effect of a natural affinity ki being funneled into the body and forced into a interlocked ring like structure that is made stronger the more it is compacted, like the growth rings of a hardwood tree.

Manifestation

The bones will first become incredibly strong while remaining flexible, then the organs will become tougher and harder to pierce, then the muscles will become stronger and more resistant to being cut, then finally the ki will be infused into the skin in criss-crossing bands that will make it much more durable while remaining flexible.

Gestures & Ritual

At each new phase energy has to be added in the correct pattern to start hardening the biological systems.

Applied Restriction

If there is problems in the way the foundation of the skill is laid down, the fault will become a weak point that may grow or shrink throughout the layers, but either way will cause catastrophic failure that will be extremely hard to heal if exploited. Since this is a skill that uses mature affinity ki, it will provide only slightly more defense than normal against poison or acid types of damage (though may become resistant to poison, acid, and other corrosive affinities if acclimatized to them) and is weak to fire, plasma, and other affinities that burn the target.