(Scientific Designation: Quercus contorta | Common Names: Twisted Bur Oak, Iron Bark, The Grave Drinker | Charles’s Ledger: Variable-F02)
Botanical Profile: The Biological Scavenger
Habitat: Upland Dead Zones and marsh fringes where chemical runoff is highest.
The Ever-Dead Appearance: Skeletal and leafless year-round; it does not photosynthesize in the traditional sense.
Bio-Accumulation: Filters heavy metals and toxins from the soil, concentrating them into its wood. It "drinks" the lead and rust of the "Ages Past," effectively turning pollution into structural reinforcement.
Charles’s Note: "It is a tree that feeds on our ancestors' garbage. It takes the lead and the acid we left behind and weaves it into a skeleton that can stop a bolt."
Physical Characteristics: The Iron Bark
Structure: Limbs are twisted in erratic directions, often recoiling back toward the trunk or the earth as if protecting itself.
Bark Composition: No longer organic cork; it is a bio-accumulated metallic ore. It is dense, heavy, and functionally ballistic-grade.
Void Acorns: Large, metal-rich seeds covered in defensive burs. These are too heavy for wind dispersal and rely on seismic tremors or heavy foragers to move.
Sap: A thick, acidic black tannin.
Performance Specs: Material Science
Iron Bark Tools: The wood is harvested for high-heat applications and heavy-duty tools (spades, knives, cookware). It is naturally heat-resistant due to the metal concentrations.
Metal-Eating Ink: The acidic sap is used to create permanent, ebonizing ink that can etch into scavenged metal.
Seismic Weaponry: Used for high-tension crossbow frames and reinforced stocks that can survive the recoil of heavy-grain projectiles.
Charles’s Audit: The Grave Constant
"The Weeper looks at the stars, but the Bur Oak looks at the graves. It drinks what we threw away—the lead, the acid, the rust—and turns it into a limb that cannot be broken. It’s not just a tree; it’s a filter for a world that’s trying to poison us. Two, three, five, seven... respect the weight of the wood." — Charles, The Analyst
Ballistic Bark:
Provides Damage Reduction (3) against non-magical piercing and slashing attacks.
Heavy Metal Density:
Weapons made of Iron Bark deal an additional 1d4 bludgeoning damage on top of their standard damage.
Toxic Wood:
Burning Ever Dead Oak produces a toxic cloud. Creatures in a 10ft radius must make a DC 14 CON save or be Poisoned.