Witchwood
Witchwood is a hardwood deciduous tree typically found in the western regions of the Junn Steppe but small groves of the trees can be found as far east as Imesse and Cobal. This variety of tree can handle extreme cold but does not survive well in particularly wet soil or areas of heavy rainfall. The trees are extremely slow growing and no one is quite sure how old they can grow to be. Several specimens are thought to be more than 1,500 years old.
Witchwood trees can grow to be very tall under the right circumstances, but most seem to reach heights of between 60' to 90'. The tallest specimen known currently is the tree growing within the Witchwood Henge found in the Ward of Lomar in the Kingdom of Cobal. It towers over the tallest of the henge stones at a maximum height of 135'.
Basic Information
Biological Traits
The leaves of the witchwood tree are small, round and thick and are grown in a bipinnate manner similar to sumac. These leaves, once mature, contain a psychoactive chemical that produces a state of altered perception when steeped in boiling water for more than an hour. These leaves and their mind-altering effects are the source of the tree's moniker: witchwood.
The wood of the tree has a wavy and dense grain that makes it very heavy and particularly difficult to split with a knife or axe. Witchwood is much prized for the making of quarterstaffs, bow staves, spear shafts and tool handles for this reason. The wood is dense and quite resistant to rot and decay. When properly dried, the wood burns very hot and with very little ash produced.
The seeds of the witchwood are much prized by the Junn Harr for the excellent flour that can be produced from them. The flour has nearly 40% more protein that wheat flour and as the seeds are encased in tough coats, they store amazingly well and can be kept for as long as three years in dry storage with no spoilage. The bark and dead leaves of the trees produce a high quality and very potent tannin that is a major contributor to the legendary leather products that the steppe people are so justly famous for producing.
Additional Information
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Mostly found in the western regions of the Junn Steppe but some specimens can be found as far east as Imesse and Cobal.
A witchwood savannah of the western Junn Steppe
A solitary witchwood on the western frontier of Imesse
