Ironwood

Properties

Material Characteristics

Ironwood looks much like one would expect wood to look. Which is to say that it is grainy and somewhat fibrous. Unlike many other woods and wood like substances, Ironwood is very gray in color with a tinge of purple with a bit of a sheen to it no matter how polished it has been.

Physical & Chemical Properties

Ironwood as its name implies is as hard as iron and many times as much flexibility, when treated correctly, than iron itself. Further when treated the Ironwood can become far more rigid than regular iron, similar to diamonds.

Geology & Geography

Ironwood is cultivated across the Realm of Alpha. It is the primary building material for nearly everything across the realm, and as such is grown across the realm.

Origin & Source

Ironwood grows much like any tree. During its life as a tree the metallic wood is as playable and burnable as any other wood. The trees do however grow very wide and very tall, much taller than any other tree on the realm.

History & Usage

Cultural Significance and Usage

Ironwood is used for more things than any other substance on the Realm of Alpha and may be one of the most used substances in all of the Realms. As such cultivating the trees is considered a highly valued trade. The tree has its own holidays associated to it and many nations have risen on unexpected boons of Ironwood growth.

Refinement

Ironwood functions much like anyother wood when not treated. However if infused with mana and heat the Ironwood takes on its namesake capabilities. Often pieces of Ironwood are crafted pre-treatment then treated for ease of crafting. The process of steeling the Ironwood takes around three hours of work by a trained specialist. Further if you instead expose the wood while infused with mana to intense cold you can bring out other but similar properties.

Reusability & Recycling

Once turned to its more metal like state reporpusing the Ironwood tends to be rather hard. Ironwood can't be forged like other metal like substances and as such most of the time the best that can be done to a broken or no longer usable piece of Ironwood is to grind it into small particles and use it as fertilizer for future plants, which works well for the new plant.

Color

Gray