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Originally posted by Christopher_Rowe

Thanks, Red Walker!

Here's an interesting bit of information to add into the search filters.

In FR 16, Hazuth is described as a "drop-off point for bluewood and other goods from the northern half of Dambrath."

The only reference to "bluewood" I can come up with is that's is apparently a (non-magical?) material described in YA3SIGTO*, Unapproachable East, where it's described, according to a review I found, as "a new[sic] special material, is also introduced in this chapter. Bluewood is used in the construction of weapons and armor and gives the item the same hardness as an equivalent item made of metal but at half the weight."

What can people tell me about bluewood (not in games mechanic terms, in Realmslore terms)?



*Yet Another 3.0/3.5 Supplement I Get to Order!

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Originally posted by Christopher_Rowe

I'm looking for anything I can find on the Dambrathan city of Hazuth. I think this might be the first time the name has been typed at the Keep!

From what I've been able to find so far, the city entered the Lore in FR16 The Shining South (did the nation itself enter earlier?). This source, from what I've found so far, remains the best for Hazuth, with perhaps 200 words of fairly detailed description at page 30.

Thomas M. Reid's 2004 book, Shining South,[b] doesn't seem to contain a mention, though the city is included in the map on page 95.

According to this year's [b]FRCG, all of the cities of Dambrath except Purl were put to the torch when the Arkaiuns successfully threw of the Crinti yoke during the Spellplague. The map shows that the ruins of the city were not effected by the various oceanic inundations and withdrawals have changed the coastlines, and are still situated on the eastern bank of the River Ammath where it enters the sea (p. 115).

I'm interested in anything I can find about this city, in gaming or fiction sources, particularly "civic geography" details. A map would be fantastic, but I suspect one doesn't exist.

Most of the Dambrathan cities that have been described were along the Bay of Dancing Dolphins, so knowing their character is only a little helpful, unfortunately. As was spider-haunted Cathyr, Hazuth was somewhat different than its sister coastal cities (it had a significant halfling population, for one thing).

Anybody got anything?

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Originally posted by Christopher_Rowe

What can people tell me about bluewood (not in games mechanic terms, in Realmslore terms)?

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Originally posted by Christopher_Rowe

Thanks, Red Walker!

Here's an interesting bit of information to add into the search filters.

In FR 16, Hazuth is described as a "drop-off point for bluewood and other goods from the northern half of Dambrath."

The only reference to "bluewood" I can come up with is that's is apparently a (non-magical?) material described in YA3SIGTO*, Unapproachable East, where it's described, according to a review I found, as "a new[sic] special material, is also introduced in this chapter. Bluewood is used in the construction of weapons and armor and gives the item the same hardness as an equivalent item made of metal but at half the weight."

What can people tell me about bluewood (not in games mechanic terms, in Realmslore terms)?



*Yet Another 3.0/3.5 Supplement I Get to Order!

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Originally posted by The Red Walker


If you want the skinny on Bluewood, you should fire a question at Ed in his ask Ed scroll.

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Originally posted by Christopher_Rowe

Thanks for the suggestion! At this point, I might as well wait for my Unapproachable East to show up!

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Unapproachable East pg. 58

Bluewood: Volodni craftsfolk often fashion armor and weapons from the wood of blueleaf trees grown with care, sculpted with wood shape, and then magically treated to be as hard as steel. A bluewood weapon has the same hardness and characteristics as a normal metal armor or weapon of that sort but weighs half as much. Bluewood armor and weapons created in this fashion are considered masterwork items and gain the appropriate bonuses.

Bluewood items have the following additional costs:
Light armor +300 gp
Medium armor +600 gp
Heavy armor +1,200 gp
Shield +300 gp
Weapon (1d4 or 1d6) +400 gp
Weapon (any other) +800 gp

The process of treating bluewood to harden it requires ten days of work by someone knowledgeable in the process. This is either a volodni with 10 ranks in Craft (alchemy or wood-working), or a non-volodni with the same skills and 2 ranks in Knowledge (local—volodni).

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Originally posted by Christopher_Rowe

I wonder if bluewood trees and blueleaf trees are the same.

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Bluewood (sic) trees are also referred to as mathiri in the lore. Does that word show up in Unapproachable East?

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Originally posted by Kyrene

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Originally posted by Christopher_Rowe

I wonder if bluewood trees and blueleaf trees are the same.

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No. To obtain wisdom, one must read with care.*

*Re-read the quoted section, Chris, it makes a clear distinction between "bluewood" and "blueleaf".

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Originally posted by Christopher_Rowe

It seems to me, from what you've written, that the wood of the blueleaf tree is referred to as bluewood. But that doesn't mean there couldn't be regional differences in the name of a single species, even among the speakers of a common language. Thus my follow-up question. Again, thanks.

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Volo's Guide to All Things Magical pg. 59

In addition, the Realms possesses more than a few apparently unique types of trees. These include: beetle palm, blueleaf, calantra, chime oak, duskwood, felsul, hiexel, laspar, phandar, roseneedle pine, shadowtop, silverbark, suth, vundwood, weirwood, and zalantar.

pg. 61

Blueleaf: This species is found north of Amn from the Sword Coast to Impiltur, although a rare few blueleaf trees have been seen growing in Chessenta, Turmish, and the Border Kingdoms. Blueleafs (not "blueleaves") grow close together in thick stands and reach 40 feet in height, but rarely attain trunk diameters of over 8 inches. Blueleaf trees have many small branches that begin about halfway up their trunks; branches grow in spiderweblike swirls around the trunks.

These delicately built, but supple, trees are instantly recognizable when in leaf because of the eerie, gleaming blue color of their many-pointed leaves*. Blueleafs bend in high winds or under heavy ice loads rather than breaking, and when curved entirely around like hoops, they form snow tunnels that provide ready shelter for winter travelers—and hungry hunting predators. They yield beautiful leaping blue flames when burned and are thus prized in many inns and taverns, where their light provides moody illumination for taletellers and minstrels in the late evenings. Their sap and crushed leaves yield a vivid blue dye which captures almost all of the glow of the living leaves and is much favored in the making of cloaks in the North.

Blueleaf is a durable, neutral wood popular for use in magical items, which it neither aids nor hampers the enchantment of, and as a material component. If it is the sole consumed material component in a spell (that is, not counting a holy symbol or item to be altered but not used up by the casting), it can reduce the casting time by 1 to a minimum of 1.

* Elminster: Ye would call the leaves of blueleaf trees electric blue in hue and in shape might term them ragged maple leaves.

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