Flesh Oaks

Plant Type

Oak Tree

Rarity

Common

Description

These trees, while common, are only found within the colder regions of the realm, sticking to areas in which sunlight is less present throughout the year, and in which rain or snow is a constant. Also refereed too as Reapers blood, these oaks have an haunted appearance of flowing red, in which their bark will be either darkened black or bleached white, with the wood its self being a violent blood red, often swirling in strange patterns or variations between pieces of bark. These trees stand an average of 26-30 feet in height, but dependent on their resources can grow much bigger. The leaves of these plant are a constant obvious red, while the shades of red can vary, this seems to be the only color these leaves present within the wild. While it's appearance is quite notable, this oak is most well known for its "heart" or the pulsating like movement the wood seems to create while alive. During the day this strange glow, or movement can be passed off as just a trick of the eyes, but at night, it is almost impossible to miss. The rise and fall of light within the inner layers of this tree makes it appear almost like a heart beating within a creatures chest. Due to this fact, the Flesh Oak has often been refereed to being cursed, but no evidence has ever suggested as much.

Location

The Flesh oak is only found in areas of low sunlight, such as the northern regions of the realm, or under massive canopies of trees. While these trees are capable of growing in the south, they have been known to smell, as if rotting if not kept in cooler temperatures. Almost as if the tree is forever decaying while it grows. The flesh oak is one of the few trees capable of surviving in the far north, seeming almost unaffected by the extreme colds, but its growth within freezing temperatures is notably slower than in the southern regions.

Development

These trees start out just as strangely as they end. The seeds of this flora can only sprout from the body or corpse of a animal or of another plant. The oak will continue to grow from the decaying matter until the tree can establish itself, and take root into the surrounding soils. The growth from this point on will be the same as any other oak until the time of its death. When this oak's life has come to an end, it will begin to decay like a corpse, rotting and smelling as if a large animal had died in its place. New oaks can sprout from its decaying matter allowing multiple generations to survive within the same area.

Properties

• The appearance of this tree is notable from afar, either having a black or white outer shell with an interior pulsing red. This pulsing is seen better during the night.
• In areas where it is not cold, this tree can release a rotting smell around it, much like that of a corpse, however in colder climates this will only occur during its death.
• The tree itself takes [2 OOC Months] to reach maturity, and the fruit [maximum of 3], blossoms once it reaches maturity, and every [2 OOC months] afterwards.

Material Properties

• When armor made of Flesh oak covers a wound, alchemical treatments act one turn faster on it but poisons act one turn faster as well if applied in the covered area.

Alchemical Properties

• The sap from this tree, which is notably a sickly dark red, can be used as a coagulant for alchemy, such as mimicking the affects of blood or similar.
• The fruit of this tree is stated to taste like the flesh of a herding animal, but will send anyone who eats it into a comatose state, healing the body entirely except for lost limbs, over the duration of [5 OOC Days]. The fruit itself has no effect on someone who is already dead.

The World of Aethius • The Multiverse of Aethier