Ironwood

Ironwood is a magical type of lumber popular among mages for crafting extremely durable wooden items. Some cultures call them "axe breakers."

## Description

As a tree, Ironwood is rare, having been magically cultivated but requiring wilderness and deep forest to thrive. The appearance of the tree varies from region to region, but often manifests as a magical variety of mahogany, legume, witch hazel, oak, or other hardwood tree. It can be told apart from the non-magical varieties by detecting the magic within it through a Detect Magic spell, though those who are especially sensitive to trees such as Dryads can easily tell them apart at a glance as it has a different "energy."

Using a "Talk to plants" spell can also be used to discern an Ironwood, if the tree is asked.

### Magical Properties

Ironwood is innately magical. Though it is a wood, it functions like steel in terms of its strength, durability, weight, and that it does not burn.

## Habitat and Creation

Ironwoods are extremely rare, but can exist wherever hardwood trees are found. Any seeds they spawn will only create regular trees, however, as it is the tree itself that has been made magical through outside forces. The method of creating ironwood trees seems to be kept secret among various magical communities, but has existed for thousands of years, since they have been found in forests all over the globe.

The fact that ironwoods do not grow in sheltered, tended magical gardens suggests something about the magic itself in that it needs wilderness to exist. It is also suspected that magical leylines may be required for their magical growth, as they are often found over where they run through the earth, and leyline water seems to seep up towards their roots.

Many pureblood family bloodlines seek to cultivate such trees upon their properties, if they have the wildland space to do so.

## Harvest

It cannot be harvested by typical lumbering methods; it is nicknamed "axe breaker" for good reason! Cutting down or even breaking off a branch of such a tree requires use of a Transmute Wood spell or else special steel-cutting saws. However, most ironwood trees are also jealously guarded by those who either own the land (regardless of how wild the forest may seem) or, sometimes, by wild creatures and species such as forest trolls, nesting winged sirin (harpies), centaur, minotaur, and even sphinx in more arid regions. **As a matter of ethics and perhaps survival, take care not to cut down someone's home.**

### Crafting with Ironwood

Working with this steel lumber requires use of a forge to heat it to where it will be malleable enough to carve, and then using woodworking tools, which is necessary for detailed work. However, it can also be reshaped quickly with a Transform Wood spell.

The **Transform Wood** utility spell is cast using the command, *"Lignum sculpere"* while holding the mental image of the intended new shape in your mind. You must touch the wood you intend to change; the amount depends upon the caster's magical training (game off: first years can only change around 1 cubic foot at a time, while 9th years can change up to 15 cubic feet worth of wood at a time). **The artistry and complexity depends on your craftsmanship** (game off: a separate roll made with your Tinker bonus after successfully casting the spell).

Note that while this spell is permanent for Ironwood, trying to use it on any enchanted or warded wood items or even upon magical plant creatures is much harder and only works for up to a minute at most (game off: it only lasts 1d8 rounds on wood creatures who may also try to shake off the spell as a Mental effect at the start of their turn each round). For this reason, most magical buildings and many carts and wagons used by mages are warded to protect them from sabotage.

## Known uses for Ironwood

Ironwood itself can be enchanted just like any other crafting material, making it a wonderful albeit expensive for making armor, inflexible weapons, unbreakable wagons, doors, fireproof homes, hurricane-proof window shutters, and indestructible childrens' toys.

It makes terrible archery bows unless extra enchantments are done to allow the wood to bend, but if successfully crafted, those bows usually have an extremely high draw poundage and a substantial range.