Desert Bloodwood Trees
Desert Bloodwood Trees are tall and strong with dark reddish/brown bark and umbrella-like foliage crowns. A mix of dark reddish-brown and dark green leaves and blood-red, seven-petal flowers with yellow centres and the flowers are grouped in numbers of seven as well. The flowers bloom after the rains.
The Bloodwood Trees of Flatwood Forest in the desert of Ayrith are precious and jealousy guarded. The trees have multiple uses, and the locals believe that every part must be used for a practical purpose or sacrificed back to the land. Anyone who makes frivolous or decorative items of the wood is exiled as it’s believed that the making and possessing of useless items curses the individual and their nearest and dearest. Trees felled for wood are cut down in a ritualistic ceremony giving thanks for the bounty and every drop of sap, bark, flowers, roots, leaves, and wood are all used. Certain trees are protected from being felled as they are farmed for sap. The goods are all used and sold locally- thought of as belonging to all and the money gained by trading the goods is put towards the benefit of the whole village.
History & Usage
History
The trees are thought to have been watered with the blood of the fallen in the Ernesh Conflict and that is why their sap and flowers are blood-red and the trees are so revered.
Everyday use
Sap
The blood-red sap of the trees is collected and turned into a black or purplish red dye.
It can also be mixed with fat to make cosmetics for faces and bodies.
No local herbalist would be caught without a supply of sap as it is good for curing issues with the blood. The gummy sap can be applied directly onto open wounds or sores as it has antiseptic properties. If it is fully dried it can be ground into a powder, mixed with water, and used to wash the wounds.
Wood
Used for high-quality furniture. It polishes up very nicely and is easy to carve/assemble. It Doesn’t shrink much when dried and is very durable. It works well for creating flooring, boats, etc.
Cultural Significance and Usage
Children dream of working with the trees. The reverence the adults around them hold for the trees has given any job to do with the tree’s great status. The priests who hold the ceremonies, the woodcutters, carpenters, healers, and water gatherers are all highly esteemed. Those who are less esteemed are the merchants who travel with the goods on the trade route as children cannot understand why anyone would want to leave this sacred area. Working with the precious blood of the trees is an honour and most children just want to make their parents proud.
Manufacturing & Products
Roots
The roots are drained of water and collected for the town’s drinking supply. The roots are then dried and pulverised to be used in a variety of medicines. They create a very gentle wash that helps with eye problems or can be added to a tincture to aid stomach problems.
Flowers
Used in salads, teas and tinctures. Also used dried as part of a tree cutting down ceremony.
Leaves
The leaves are dried and made into various teas and tinctures.
Type
Wood
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