Iron Wood
Summary
While there are a number of flora species that adapt and exhibit exotic properties, Fauverngarz's Iron Wood 'trees' certainly rank among the tops of many lists. While vaguely tree-like in having a trunk, branches, and eventually a canopy, the actual plant itself is made of different functional layers. Beneath the bark, the inner core of the tree is a lattice-work of red, orange, and semi-fleshy growths that are minerally and mana rich, principally in iron and other trace elements. This magma-like interior is where the plant actually grows, building upon itself to higher and higher heights. As it does so, older growth is pushed out, gradually cooling and forming the bark-like layers. Ruptures sometimes form, letting the interior gush out more violently over the cooling bark. While sometimes this leads to new branches, it can also result in hollow, tube-like holes in the uneven surface. The generally freezing cold temperatures of Fauverngarz work quickly, solidifying the ruptured excess into the 'iron bark' the tree is hence named after. Over time, erosion and other factors smooth out the bulbous, stalgamite-like, appearance into its more tree-like analogue many people see it as. Hence, the age of an Iron Wood can be measured in its height and general appearance alike. More mature Iron Woods eventually grow out their branches. These iron-hard growths have a natural self-sharpening aspect to them, becoming deadly bladed weapons to anything. Their leaves are, thankfully, somewhat normally flexible and fragile, but it's a short distance from leaf to bladed branch. Their mushroom-like canopies are both expansive and spacious, creating hot bubbles of mostly insulated air within. Because of their thermally-active nature, a lot of heat-seeking forms of life are attracted to them as well. Many kinds of smaller creatures make their homes on and around the Iron Wood itself, a source of heat and protection for most, a hunting ground for others. People, in times of desperation or otherwise, have flocked to the Iron Wood trees for safety and as a resource. Giving both heat and metal alike, they're highly coveted things that invariably lead to conflict with Moratahn, Wytche-Queen of the Iron Woods. The titular caretaker of the Iron Wood trees, Moratahn's timeless guardianship has seen her put against countless people. Unable to surmount her, many instead chose trade and barter for Moratahn's permission instead. Certain Iron Wood trees would be signaled out, then allowed for lumbering–something ostensibly good for any forest, though Moratahn remains silent on that idea. Of all the trees, she cares for the oldest ones the most, and so more often deigns to give out the younger growths instead. Cultivating them is seemingly impossible, at least outside of Fauverngarz. Iron Woods do not respond to other environments at all, and their saplings seem to want something in particular. While most attempts were ultimately abandoned, certain botanists and others have continued to try. The Iron Wood's ability to create metal mana is extremely desirable, and an effective way of acquiring metal in otherwise depleted areas. In other words, while the trees thrive in metal-rich grounds, they can also survive successfully in metal-poor grounds. It is a paradoxical trait of theirs, and a hot subject of study. It is no surprise mineral-poor Fauverngarz has engendered such a form of life, and the ideas of the Iron Wood have ever proven attractive. The longer-lived species in particular have histories of sojourning to Fauverngarz for one reason or another. Cultivators from Nerzin, and metal-aligned mages are those most attracted to the Iron Woods. They're often place perfects for their sensibilities, and so suffice for training, studying, and growing more powerful. An endless source of headaches and troubles for Moratahn, the wytche people, and everyone else in Fauverngarz.
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