Fury of Aerðs
Story Weaver
- Intent: To formally codify the Yronwood trees found in the Northern hemisphere on Islimore.
- Image Credit: WildJaeger
- Canon: N/A
- Permissions: N/A
- Links: Lupo, Islimore
- Name: Yronwood
- Origins: Northern Islimore
- Other Locations: The Yronwood trees are primarily found within the northern tracts and valleys of Islimore, though given their hardy nature, there is a strong possibility that they could be successfully cultivated on other planets with a colder climate.
- Classification: Tree
- Average Growth Cycle: Yronwood trees have a slow growth cycle, taking several centuries to reach full maturity. Seedlings emerge after a decade, young trees can be identified after 50 years, and full maturity is achieved around 300 years.
- Viability: Yronwood trees require a cold, mountainous environment with rich, mineral-heavy soil. They thrive in areas with moderate to low sunlight, heavy rainfall, and harsh winters. Once harvested, the wood maintains its properties indefinitely, though the freshness of the sap for crafting purposes only lasts for a short six months.
- Description: Yronwood trees are tall and imposing, with thick black bark and dense dark-red foliage.
- Average Height: 91 meters high, 9 meters wide
- Average Length: N/A
- Color: Black bark with dark red leaves; veins within the wood contain a black metallic substance.
- Nutritional Value: When steeped in hot water or consumed, Yronwood leaves can produce a good amount of vitamin c. It is not uncommon for sailors or locals to have an abundance of the dried leaves on hand.
- Toxicity: The sap can cause mild irritation to those who may be allergic, but is otherwise non-toxic.
- Other Effects: The sap can be refined to create lightsaber-resistant jewelry and accessories.
- Distinctions: Yronwood trees are distinguished by their black bark and the unique veins within their wood that contain a substance comparable to cortosis, making items crafted from the wood exceptionally resistant to energy-based weapons. Many legends would claim that this sap has mercurial and magical power and when combined with Lunaris, the creations are worthy of The Gods. The wood they produce is also extremely hearty and on its own, rumored to be nearly as strong as metal. It takes the work of master craftsmen to turn the trees into items of use. Shields, ships, spears, swords, made from the Yronwood oft sell for nearly five times their more common counterparts.
- Exceptional Durability:
- Yronwood trees produce wood that is nearly as strong as metal, making it highly resistant to damage and wear. This characteristic ensures that items made from this wood, such as shields and ships, are incredibly sturdy and can withstand significant force.
- Energy Weapon Resistance:
- Thanks to the unique veins that contain a cortosis-like sap substance, wood and crafted items from Yronwood trees are naturally more resistant to energy-based weapons, including lightsabers, and nearly impervious when coated in its natural sap.
- Long-lasting Material:
- Once harvested, the wood maintains its structural properties indefinitely, making it a good long-term investment for any craftsman or user.
- Versatile Crafting Uses:
- Yronwood is not only used in crafting weapons and armor but also in high-end decorative arts. While the refined sap is mostly utilized in enhancing weapons and armors, it's also used in making jewelry and accessories that are both beautiful and functional.
- Slow Growth Cycle:
- The extremely slow growth cycle of the trees makes them a rare and expensive resource, with each Yronwood harvest treated with great reverence by the Northern Lupo. This slow renewal rate means that it can be easily exploited by over-harvesting, leading to a critical depletion of this vital resource and threatening both its availability and the ecological balance of its native habitat.
- Specific Habitat Requirements:
- Yronwood trees require a very specific set of environmental conditions to thrive—cold, mountainous regions with rich, mineral-heavy soil. Small disruptions to the environment can cause stress to the trees, causing them to produce with less vigor and resulting in smaller, less viable variations that cannot withstand the test of time. Many different life forms are also folded in and among these trees, below and within and about them. Without these trees, there would be a significant reduction in the wildlife of an already scarce, wintery landscape.
- Harvesting Difficulty:
- The sheer size and density of the Yronwood makes it challenging to harvest and process due to the Northern Lupos use of more natural methods that preserve the integrity of their sacred forest, giving those with access to more advanced technological tools that can more efficiently cut and transport these massive trees, potential to monopolize the market and take control of the resource.
Over the northern tract into the mountains and down into the valley lies the ancient, black, Yronwood forest, a timeless sentinel of Islimore, its origins shrouded in the mists of antiquity. The Yronwood trees, with their obsidian bark and unparalleled resilience, are among the sturdiest found not only on Islimore but arguably in the entire galaxy. This exceptional wood is highly prized and revered, much like the Wolfswood in the south, and holds a significant place in the cultural and legendary heritage of the Northern Lupo clans, particularly Clan Kanaka.
Durin I and Legends of the North
Durin I, the legendary founder of Clan Kanaka, is an iconic figure in Northern lore, revered as the greatest of Northern Alphas. Before earning his title as Durin Oath-taker, he was simply known as Durin, a sworn shield and champion to Thorir The Great, the first of Lupo Anasi of Islimore. Durin's legacy is heavily interwoven with the Yronwood trees, particularly through a famous legend involving his encounter with the great boar, Vidar.Excerpt from Durin I and the Great Bore:
The hero Durin prayed to The Gods for help turning first to Rænör. Durin knew the tale of how Rænör had used his harp, in place of his steel to win the affection of his love Cérmæ and begged The Rikki Faðir use of his magic harp. As benevolent a god as there was Rænör agreed but the use of a God Tool was not freely given, Durin would have to prove his worth in the hunt.His prey was Vidar the great boar. Six feet tall at the shoulder, weighing two tons, skin harder than steel, thick white fur covered in the marks of hundreds of blows that failed to kill the beast, and tusks the size of a man’s arm, Vidar was one of the great beasts from The GodTime, forebearer to all wild boar the packs feast on until this day. Over and over they clashed steel splintering and shattering on the strong skin of Vidar, his razor-sharp tusks biting deep into Durin’s own body drawing sleek slashes of blood in the snow.
Weaponless and bleeding, staring into the unfeeling eyes of his foe, and his back pressed against the thick trunk of a Yronwood tree, Durin snapped off a branch and pointed it at Vidar. It was long and thick and if he’d had the time would’ve fashioned a fine spear but one thing the hero Durin did not have was time. Vidar charged. Durin’s blood covered his hands and the shaft of his tree branch spear, he said a prayer to Rænör and thrust his spear forward to meet the charging God-Beast. To his amazement, the dark obsidian wood glowed with a brilliant golden light as it pierced Vidar’s flesh driving deep into the boar’s heart and turning it to stone. It is said in the north that the great stone beast can still be found in the deepest part of The Wilds, the golden spear stuck evermore in the stone until Durin returns to claim it.
And so it was that Durin claimed possession of Rænör’s harp.
Economic and Cultural Impact
The Yronwood forest has been the lifeblood of Hardhaven for centuries, providing the timber for their halls and ships, the fuel for their forges, and the solace for their souls. Without the Yronwood and the mines, Hardhaven, like many Lupo Clans in the south, would at best be a shadow of its former self, at worst, a whispered memory of a time long past.But the importance of the Yronwood goes beyond mere economics. It is a cultural touchstone, a symbol of the Northerner spirit and the unyielding resolve of the Lupo clans. It is a reminder of their history, a testament to their enduring bond with the land and the gods. For as long as the Yronwood stands, the heart of the North will endure.
