Goblyn's Garden

Goblyn's Garden is an Official GemStone IV Document, and it is protected from editing.

Goblyn's Garden -- which currently resides in the Lich's Landing caverns below Wehnimer's Landing -- includes three species of trees that are not commonly found in Elanthia. Horticulture is a passing interest of Goblyn's (along with poisons, "fine dining", maiming, creating works of art, and other various pastimes that she refers to as her "hobbies"). Her interest in horticulture lies specifically in cross-breeding plants and other materials via either mundane methods or magical tampering, or in some cases a combination of both. The results vary wildly and are often abandoned projects, but she has taken a particular liking to the three noted trees below, enough so to include them in an essential part of her garden. Note that because these are fairly unique trees, where the methodology to arrive at their specific species currently requires materials, magical methods, and manual intervention that would be difficult to impossible for the typical Elanthians to perform, their bark, wood, and other materials are not available for use in cosmetic alterations.

Clotted Weeping Willow Tree

The Clotted Weeping Willow is a modified variety of weeping willow tree.

Origin: Unmodified weeping willow trees are abundant in Elanthia. Modification to achieve this particular form of weeping willow is the result of mutation whilst germinating in the Shien'Tyr valence.

Growing conditions: Clotted weeping willows are nothing more than mutated weeping willows. Germination must take place in the Shien'Tyr valence in order to introduce the mutation -- what causes it is unclear, though that should not be surprising given the valence's nature. Additionally, successful germination has an extremely low success rate. (Goblyn refers to her first batch of these particular seeds as a "happy accident" given that the mutation and successful germination were completely unexpected.) If germination is successful and the seeds' makeup has mutated properly, they can then be grown to maturity in any relatively dark environment. Adults have a significantly longer lifespan in chilly conditions.

Characteristics: The clotted weeping willow typically grows to 65-75 feet tall. The snow white-hued bark of the tree is smooth and unmarred -- and is very difficult to cut into. The branches are lilting, with a pendular curve, and carry long strands of vibrant crimson leaves that are exactly the same in shape and size as a generic weeping willow's. The tree regularly leaks an especially thick -- so thick as to come out in clumps, a bit like clotted blood -- cinnabar-hued sap (thus lending this species its name).

Thew Bark Tree

The Thew Bark Tree is a species of tree found in another valence and modified to grow in Elanthian soil.

Origin: The unmodified tree is found in a valence that sees infrequent travel and does not currently carry an Elanthian name -- possibly in part due to its conditions that don't play well with living beings. Modification to allow growth in Elanthia is the result of magical tampering via a combination of elemental and chaos magic.

Growing Conditions: Growing conditions are very specific if the tree is to thrive in Elanthia: a cutting from one of the original trees must be magically prepared and then grafted into the flesh of a living warm-blooded source, where the source must remain alive until the beginning stages of root growth are complete. Once that occurs, the flesh may be cut away from the living source as long as care it taken to avoid lopping off any of the infant roots. The cutting, along with the flesh, must then be planted in soil rich with decomposing flesh. (Goblyn posits, however, that it's often more convenient to just kill the source and plant it along with the seed). Throughout the process, the specimen must always reside in cold, dark conditions -- magical light will generally not cause harm, but actual Elanthian sunlight will kill the seeds and tree.

Characteristics: The thew bark typically grows to roughly 25 feet tall when cultivated in Elanthia. Its roots are thin and stringy and slimy, somewhat like ultra-thin squid tendrils, and will burrow as needed in order to suck up nutrients from the soil. The tree's flesh-like bark is somewhat squishy and riddled with decay, and, while technically edible, it is not something that would see widespread use as food given that it tastes like especially sour, and somewhat acidic, putrefied flesh. Mature trees are adorned with up-turned claw-like branches that support abundant numbers of leaves which look dead due to their dry texture and dull amber tone. The tree's blossoms look like matted balls of brittle grey hair. The tree oozes a sickly yellowish green sap (though in turns, it can be greenish yellow before the tree reaches maturity, and again if it has grown sick and is dying), and the sap gives of an utterly rank smell.

Jet Chokecherry Tree

The Black Chokecherry Tree or Jet Chokecherry Tree is a modified variety of chokecherry tree.

Origin: Unmodified chokecherry trees are abundant in Elanthia. Modification to this particular form of chokecherry is the result of utilizing a blend of magic that Goblyn is loathe to explain on various chokecherry subspecies and then going through a specific series of grafting unions over several generations of the resultant trees.

Growing Conditions: Black chokecherry trees can grow anywhere that generic chokecherries grow in Elanthia, though they can also grow and thrive sans sunlight once germination is complete.

Characteristics: The black chokecherry tree typically grows to roughly 16 feet, in-line with generic chokecherry trees. Its roots are typical of other chokecherries, though are naturally slightly darker in hue. The bark is typical of ornamental, specially cultivated cherry trees rather than chokecherries -- a silky paper-like layer that winds around the trunk and is segmented vertically every few feet -- though here it has a distinctive dark cherry red hue. The branches support leaves that are a shiny ebon color split with matte black veins. The chokecherries produced are small in size and vivid, dark black-red in hue. When ripe, the fruit is somewhat sweet and extremely tart, with an astringent, bitter back end. Additionally, unique to this species of tree, the fruit is toxic when consumed in a manner that causes choking and irritation of the throat, eventually leading to bleeding from the lining of the throat, and in some cases, asphyxiation and death. The tree's sap is silvery black, and if it is consumed by sentient beings, it will cause the consumer to try and choke the life out of anyone and anything around him or her.