Everwood Trees

"A tree that does not grow where it is wanted, nor fall where it is feared. It stands, waiting, until the time comes for it to burn no-matter how many centuries it has to."

The Everwood Tree is both a prized resource and a lurking hazard, its naturally vibrant hues making it appear almost unreal amidst the wilds of Everwealth. Its wood is sturdy, its leaves shimmering in golden-olive brilliance, and its presence is unmistakable. However, the tree harbors a deadly secret, its leaves, coated in a syrupy oil, ignite with startling ease, sending crackling, liquid embers in all directions. Wildfires fueled by Everwood are the stuff of legend, turning whole swathes of land to cinders in hours. Despite this, the tree remains a coveted material, its timber sought for its resilience and its oil harvested by alchemists and artisans alike. Those who work with Everwood must do so with caution, for even in death, the tree does not go quietly.

Basic Information

Anatomy

The Everwood Tree is a towering, thick-trunked giant, its bark an unusual blend of amber and brass, catching the sunlight with an uncanny sheen. Unlike most hardwoods, its grain is dense yet pliable, making it a dream to carve, shape, or reinforce structures with. However, it is not easy to harvest, its sheer durability means only well-tempered axes or saws will cut cleanly through it, and those who attempt to burn it down quickly regret the decision. Its leaves, fragile in appearance, ripple with shades of bright olive and golden lime, shifting slightly in tone depending on the season. A closer inspection reveals the thin coating of syrupy oil that makes the tree both valuable and deadly. This oil, while useful in alchemy and crafting, combusts violently when exposed to flame, spitting fiery droplets that cling stubbornly to any surface. Attempts to smother such a blaze often fail, the flames spreading further rather than dying out. Even the tree’s roots hold to the land with unnatural tenacity, digging deep and binding the soil together like an unseen net. Some say that even after a fire claims an Everwood, its roots remain beneath the earth, waiting for the next generation to sprout from the ashes.

Genetics and Reproduction

Everwood seeds, when scattered naturally, can take root without issue. However, the tree resists forced cultivation. Saplings rarely survive when planted by human hands, refusing to thrive in settlements or farmlands. Some believe this to be a magickal deterrent, but most accept that the tree simply follows no master but its own.

Growth Rate & Stages

Everwood trees grow at a deliberate pace, taking decades to reach full height, but once mature, they stand for centuries. Unlike lesser trees that wither with age, the Everwood remains vibrant, its colors unfading, its bark unyielding. The only thing that seems to bring an Everwood low is fire, and when it falls, it does not fall alone.

Ecology and Habitats

The Everwood favors deep, untamed places, the heart of the Grandgleam Forest, forgotten hills, and the edges of ruined settlements where nature has reclaimed the land. Its presence is often seen as a sign of time’s passage, a slow erasure of civilization as the wilds creep back to swallow what was once man’s domain. It does not flourish in cultivated fields nor along the edges of towns. Everwood refuses to be farmed, appearing only where it deems fit, as though mocking those who would attempt to make it their own.

Dietary Needs and Habits

The Everwood requires deep soil and access to underground water sources. Some claim that the tree’s roots dig deeper than any other, pulling from reservoirs long forgotten beneath the earth.

Biological Cycle

Unlike deciduous trees that shed their leaves seasonally, the Everwood keeps its foliage year-round. Leaves fall only when aged and drained of their oil, making them safe to handle after they have detached. However, the tree does not regenerate lost bark or limbs quickly, once damaged, it remains wounded, another reason why fully mature Everwood stands unmarred and pristine. In times of drought or cold, its oil production slows, making the tree less volatile. But in spring and summer, when the sap runs thick and rich, one careless flame can turn a grove into an inferno.

Behaviour

It is not alive in any true sense, but the Everwood does not behave like other trees. It grows where it should not, stands where it is least expected, and burns in a way that defies reason. Some old woodsmen swear that Everwood never dies, that its roots linger, waiting, even after the last ember fades.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

It does not move, does not think, does not react. And yet, its placement is always deliberate. It grows where it chooses, and it will not fall before its time.

Scientific Name

Arbor aureum

Origin/Ancestry

The Everwood Tree predates the Schism and perhaps even the first men of Everwealth. Lacking true magick, its only anomaly is its unnaturally vivid hues, as if nature sculpted it with uncommon precision.

Conservation Status

Abundant in the deep woods and untamed places of Everwealth, yet dangerous enough that few are willing to plant it intentionally.