Yoži-Volën

The Yoži-Volën are the roots and branches of the Volan Tree, which dwell in the Volain Forest. They are chiefly known for their flexibility, which they possess when a steady flow of nutrients is being funnelled through it. When deprived of nutrients, these branches/roots die, becoming extremely durable and stress-resistant yet losing all of its malleability. It is this duality in profile that has allowed it to see use in such applications as construction, rescue operations, and industry.

Structure and Physiology

The interior of a Yoži-Volën is filled with numerous tunnels that typically run the entire length of the branch/root. The walls and internal components of these tunnels are semiporous and made of a complex of carbon molecules locked in a gel-like matrix. Beyond this is the outer layer, that is, the bark of the tree, which is made of a thick layer of silicon dioxide and is peppered with various features based on its location on the tree. If it is a branch, its bark is very irregular, although the exact degree to which it is depends on the amount of wind it experiences, and it is adorned with small spine-like leaves attached. If it is a root, it is much more smooth and is specially equipped with small pores. Some of these pores also appear with fist-sized clumps of material called Tdëtap, which are collected separate from the Yoži-Volën and are valuable in their own right.

It is naturally favorable for the carbons to come together, forming a very stiff, unmoving lattice, but the gel renders this process of attraction and bond formation very slow. If the branch/root is flooded with nutrients, which most often includes silicon, its interactions with carbon take precedence, breaking the order of the carbon lattice. The resulting carbon-silicon bond results in a much more flexible composition; for roots, this allows it to reposition itself, thus allowing it lock roots with othre nearby trees and move around to search for more nutrient-rich areas, while for branches, this allows it to retain its structural integrity even during strong winds. Of course, the flood of nutrients is not only composed of silicon, but the resulting disorder of the lattice allows these other nutrients to bypass the lattice. During the initial nutrient collection in the roots, the nutrients enter through the pores and are able to access the tunnels directly. Upon reaching the branches, the nutrients are able to access the spined leaves directly, whereupon they help mature it to make a complete seed.

When a tree loses access to nutrients, the carbon-carbon bonds are allowed to manifest. This results in a quickly-spreading ossification of the branch/root, creating a bone-like, skeletal material that is extremely dry and stiff in nature. The rate at which a branch becomes dead depends on the amount of carbon molecules involved; an average branch ossifies at 5 cubic centimeters per day. If a branch is found that is partially ossified, around 20-40%, it can be rejuvenated by flushing it with a solution of silicon. However, if mostly ossified, it is not salvageable at all, and will become permanently frozen in this state. If a branch segment's internal component is entirely ossified, the leaves become so weak that they fall off, and for roots, their pores gradually thin until they become shut. However, Tdëtap still persist regardless of the health of the root.

Harvesting

The predominant means by which Tdëtap and the Yoži-Volën are harvested is by searching amongst naturally-grown Volain Trees and selecting a particularly suitable root or branch to be cut off. Whatever the body part, the tree's wound is covered with a silicon-oxygen paste immediately afterward and the segment is hooked up to an engine, which promptly floods it with a solution of silicon and keeps it alive. If it is a root, the soil around it must be cleared before cutting, and the Tdëtap is only removed once hooked up to the machine, as the torrent of water greatly weakens its bonds to the root.

Another way one harvests Yoži-Volën is artificially, in which a full-growth root or branch has a suitable length of its tip cut off and hooked to an engine. This engine pumps it full of nutrient-rich solution until this segment is fully grown, whereupon the tip is cut off and the process is repeated. This solution is unique in that it contains a substantial amount of carbon, which is severely poisonous to Ibrófeneðs and is mainly used to replenish the carbon lattice that is needed to widen it. The tip that is cut off must be sufficiently long and wide such that its carbon lattice has ample means to replenish itself. Otherwise, the required carbon threshold is so high that the resulting segment is so brittle and weak that it serves no productive use.

Use and Applications

Alive

Two-Engine Setup

The uses for living branches or roots is limited due to the need for a continuously supplied flow of nutrients. Most commonly, the setup involves a length of root/branch whose tip and base have been removed and replaced with an engine at both ends, such that the solution is run through and collects in the other engine whereupon it can be rerun through again. The engine is wired to shoot the solution through at a really high speed, such that the silicon has the bare minimum amount of contact needed to keep the branch/root alive, and the rest of the silicon can be used in future washes. Often times, the two-engine setup is also connected to other branches/roots and engines, creating a chain of flexible string-like material that is used in such applications like bridge supports.

Other times, the thinner straits at the tip of each length are favored instead, and many of these such smaller lengths are fused together using strong binding pastes to create a fiber-like string whose width is around 5-10 cm. These strings have no need for engines, and their fuseability comes from the sheer cross-sectional area available. Since the tunnels gradually diminish and coalesce into one as the segment gets thinner, the branch/root at the very end affords as much as 150% more area with respect to the width.

From there, the fibers can be joined together in a multitude of different ways. One such use involves forming a massive tube some 100-200 cm wide made of these strings laid lengthwise along it. Upon further structural sheathing with multiple flexible metal platings, this can serve as an effective pipeline capable of exacting sharp turns and changing its direction when needed.

One-Engine Setup

A One-Engine Setup involves the use of a Yoži-Volën whose closed tip is still intact and attached to the segment in question. These are less-commonly used than the two-engine variant, and are mainly for applications involving the growth of the segment. One very important use is in rescue operations in tight and/or maze-like environments like caverns. In this case, the trapped individual punctures a bag of nutrient-rich sediment, and, as the root is flooded by nutrients from the engine, it is naturally attracted to the bag that the individual is holding. This does not necessarily mean that branches are rendered useless; in situations where one must climb up to a certain height, the use of branches, whose spined seeds leave behind thin protrusions resemblant of ladder grips, allows for easy ascension.

This use of nutrients to direct the growth of a root is very useful, particularly in securing structural components. With dexterity, and using a length of root thin enough, one can form sturdy knots, and upon finishing, cut off the nutrient supply, killing it and rendering it permanent.

Finally, a very obvious use is in the industrial production of roots, and less often branches, to form desired shapes and conformations. Oftentimes, the various applications of Yoži-Volën require the segment to be perfectly straight or curved in a particular manner, and one can ensure the right proportions by growing it via an engine instead of foraging for a lucky natural match. This artificial growing method will often make use of molds, cages, and wires to limit its growth passage. From there, it can be used in whatever applications the maker desires, which spans those for both the alive or dead variants.

Dead

When dead, the Yoži-Volën's applications switch to a much more structural approach, with all of its uses taking advantage of its highly-resistant nature to reinforce particularly sensitive or important objects or structures. The predominant formation is a thick, shaft-like formation, which is used as a structural column or as the basis for a wall structure to surround and enclose an area.