Thornwood is taken from Karora's Tree of Souls. The wood continues to live and sometimes grow after it is taken from the tree in a special magical ritual, and is most commonly used for the crafting of
Embereki bows. Thornwood is notable for it's ability to reattach itself to the source tree long after having been cut.
Embereki Longbows
Thornwood bows are said to have personalities of their own that only their user can understand. Each Embereki has their very own bow crafted for them when they come of age. These bows sprout leaves and thorns and can be used as melee weapons in addition to being powerful missile launchers. Thornwood bows must be watered, and this is a solemn duty of the Embereki as they are each only entitled to a single bow of thornwood make. The bows are returned to the tree with the death of their masters, they simply are held up to the tree, and a vine grows from each end to secure it. A
speak with dead spell can reach an Embereki's soul by targeting their bow on the tree, provided the remains of that particular elf was buried at the tree's roots. There are stories that have never been officially confirmed of these magic bows protecting their fallen masters by sprouting massive thorns and lashing out at attackers of their own accord.
Thornwood Armor
Extremely rare due to the Embereki protecting their sacred tree, thornwood armor has similar properties to the bows. It takes nourishment from the blood of those that wear it, and sprouts thorns and new wood wherever it is cut or damaged. Thornwood armor grants the ability to speak with plants, and on rare occasions has led to the reanimation of it's wearer as fungoid zombies bound to the will of the Tree of Souls.
Living Houses
All along the massive Tree of Souls, thornwood can be shaped into buildings. Occasionally, the tree grows these itself for it's caretakers depending on their needs. For instance, it is well-documented that when a caretaker has a child, a new room grows itself into their house. Anyone that dies inside of a thornwood home is absorbed into the tree by unknown means, and an abandoned home goes back to it's original shape as part of the tree.
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