Ashen Tree

Not to be confused with ash trees. Ashen trees are magical, but not extraplanar, flora found in the midlands. Overall, the trees are extremely hardy. Their wood and leaves are exceedingly dense, tough and rapidly self-healing. During the founding of the midland city states, copses of trees were either built around or avoided entirely: it was considered impractical to attempt to uproot them. By that point, most ashen trees were thousands of years old and several dozen feet in diameter.   Dilith is naturally concentrated within ashen trees, resulting in their self-repairing nature. Their growth rates are linked to how much they can funnel dilith into themselves- after the initial 'setup' phase where they grow like ordinary trees, nearby dilith reserves are exhausted. They then must rely on rainwater etc. for minute concentrations, growing over millennia. This isn't the only magical aspect to the trees, as they exist in a natural state of superimposition, consequently also significantly increasing their density.   Note that this means introducing more dilith to a tree can have a significant impact on its growth rate. Typically, the tree's only source is rainwater and such. Introduction of foreign organic material to the soil (i.e. human sacrifice) would be one way to give it easily accessible dilith to draw upon. This tradition was more prevalent in the culture before the Fire-based city states.  

Midlands

Said to be known as ashen trees after an early fire breather destroyed a forest. Once the smoke cleared, all that remained were certain extremely tough trees, covered in the ashes of their surroundings, yet unharmed.   Much like diamonds, ashenwood can be set on fire at sufficient temperature. Due to its incredible density and immense rate of regeneration, it burns indefinitely. The city-state of Whitewood once had a tradition where every noble would light a torch as a rite of passage, and would have the torch displayed above their tomb in the catacombs with their passing. Those incapable of lighting their torch would be considered unworthy, and cast out of the main family.   Along with the obvious connotations of strength and stability, the region's literature has long portrayed the tree as a symbol of humanity's fallibility: something even their great lords of fire cannot conquer and sweep away in an ocean of flame.   According to legend, one lord of fire ordered an ashen tree chopped down and a weapon crafted from its wood. The act of felling the tree was said to have taken years: using the soft iron and bronze available at the time, the tree would regenerate almost as quickly as it could be cut away.  

South

In the southern jungles, ashen trees have a hard time taking root due to the unstable terrain. Once one does, however, it's likely to become a fixture for a long, long time. In the midlands, ashen trees' growth rates are heavily logarithmic, falling off rapidly once the nearby dilith has been absorbed. The southern jungle's constantly shifting terrain means that trees in the region do not run into such a limitation, allowing them to grow indefinitely. They're often the only islands of relative stability within the wilder regions, and some are large enough to build entire settlements upon.  

Material Properties

Dull gray, extremely dense wood with self-healing properties stemming from high dilith content. Ashenwood has a very high stable imbuement state, essentially a 'natural' enchantment. Mechanical properties are similar to spring steel, although slightly softer. Historically, the primary reason for ashenwood's rarity was the monumental effort involved in working with it. Rasps and files made of shattered diamond were the only tool that could hold their edge remotely close enough to actually work with the material unless one wanted to spend the overwhelming majority of their time re-sharpening their tools. To cut down an old, massive ashenwood tree with a trunk several feet in diameter would be an exercise in futility- only smaller branches could ever be pruned for use.   The saving grace for ashenwood work came in the form of Abyssian trade: while unwilling to sell weapons and armor made of Alvahedi, their export of tools such as saws and files were highly valued amongst master craftsmen. Many alvahedi toolsets are passed down through generations of Midlander artisanal families.