Klysmar

Klysmar is an Official GemStone IV Document, and it is protected from editing.

Klysmar (cliss mahr)

Common to the coastal lands around Ta'Loenthra, The klys tree is a mid-sized tree with a trunk just wide enough for an adult elf to wrap his arms about. The tree boasts a multitude of branches that spread out from the trunk like a layered wooden canopy. The most distinguishable characteristic are the pale bluish green leaves. In addition to the unique color, the large rubbery leaves grow in groups of three. Each leaf has six small veins fanning out from a thick center spine. The dark silvery green bark is thick and hard, protecting the very soft pulpwood inside.

The softness of the wood does not allow for this tree to be harvested for use in buildings, weapons, or other items that require a hard, sturdy material. However, due to an interesting combination of location and life cycle, the wood is transformed into a material perfect for the creation of instruments. Once a year, the tree sheds its bark to promote growth, leaving the soft underwood to the mercy of the elements. The rich sea air has a chance to penetrate the trunk and branches, developing a mineral-hardened material. In a few weeks, the tree renews its protective barrier, and the minerals it absorbed from the sea air are used as nutrients to support growth for the coming year.

The master musicians and craftsmen of Ta'Loenthra discovered that while the soft wood is unusable for most projects, the exposed mineral-rich wood is an exceptional base for the art of instrument making. It is easily cut into thin strips and re-softened in water to be flexible, excellent for creating beautiful instrument bodies or ornamentation. Once dried, the wood regains its hardened form. Master musicians covet instruments crafted from this material due to the natural resonance and beautiful grain. The wood can be dyed, but the natural silver-green shade will cause the grain to stand out through the new color.

Klysmar wood is only used to craft the finest instruments Ta'Loenthra can produce and can only be manipulated by a master craftsman who has worked with the wood for an extended period of time. It is rare that craftsmen would agree to export any of the precious material. Sufficient amounts of the wood must be provided when asking a craftsman to create such an instrument, and only a Loenthran craftsman would be able to manipulate it.