Description
The Masterwork Branchery is built around and within a cluster of seven massive oak trees that form a natural chamber in the Ancient Heart, their trunks so broad and their arrangement so fortuitous that they create walls and support beams without a single tree being felled. The floor is packed earth covered with fine wood shavings that are swept and replaced daily, providing cushioning underfoot while absorbing oils and keeping the air fragrant with the scent of fresh timber. Above, the intertwined canopy creates a living roof that filters sunlight into a soft, even illumination perfect for detailed work, while gaps between branches allow smoke from the treatment fires to escape naturally. Living branches have been trained over decades to grow into natural weapon racks, hooks, and storage alcoves, the wood shaping itself to cradle valuable tools and finished pieces.
The secret of the Branchery lies in its unique treatment process for creating Heartwood of the Grove, a material that transforms ordinary timber into something extraordinary. The process begins with the careful selection of branches and saplings that have died naturally or been offered voluntarily by awakened trees, ensuring no living wood is taken against its will. These raw materials are then submerged for precisely thirteen days in treatment pools hewn from single pieces of granite, filled with a preparation that has been refined over generations. The bath consists of water from the deepest part of the Crystal Streams, mixed with dissolved minerals gathered from specific rock formations, sap from trees over five hundred years old, and essences extracted from certain mushrooms that grow only on wood in the final stages of returning to the earth. During the soaking period, the cellular structure of the wood undergoes a fundamental transformation as the minerals penetrate deep into the grain, replacing moisture with crystalline deposits that harden the fibers without making them brittle.
Following the bath, treated wood is slowly dried over specially prepared coals made from the heartwood of trees that died at least a century ago, their charcoal burning with steady, even heat that contains trace magical properties absorbed during their long lives. The drying process takes another eleven days, during which the wood must be rotated every six hours to ensure even heat distribution. As moisture leaves the timber, the mineral content concentrates and bonds with the remaining cellular structure, creating a material that rings with a clear, almost metallic tone when struck yet retains the subtle grain patterns and organic beauty of natural wood. The finished Heartwood of the Grove is noticeably heavier than untreated timber, its surface taking on a deep, rich luster ranging from amber-gold to dark coffee-brown depending on the original species, with a texture that feels almost like polished stone beneath the fingers.
The workshop itself is arranged to support every stage of weapon creation. One area holds the treatment pools and drying racks, tended constantly by specialists who monitor temperature, timing, and material quality with religious precision. Another section contains the shaping stations, where master weaponsmiths work with tools of bone, antler, and carefully preserved metal implements passed down through generations. Here, Heartwood of the Grove is carved, shaped, and refined into weapons, the material's density requiring exceptional skill but rewarding that effort with pieces of incomparable quality. Bows crafted here possess draw weights that would shatter normal wood, yet bend smoothly and return to true without taking a set. Quarterstaffs and clubs ring like bells when struck together, their hardness allowing them to parry metal blades without splintering. Spears and arrows fly true, their perfect grain alignment and enhanced density providing superior penetration.
Along the northern wall, a gallery displays finished weapons awaiting delivery or serving as exemplars of the craft. Each piece represents weeks or months of labor, from the initial treatment of raw materials through the final polishing and balance adjustments. The weapons are graded using the traditional system, with most production falling into F-grade or E-grade quality depending on the base material and the craftsperson's skill. Testing dummies made from layered bark and dense padding stand ready for quality verification, their surfaces scored and battered from proving the effectiveness of each new creation. Reference materials carved into wooden tablets document grain patterns, treatment variations, and design innovations, creating an ever-growing library of knowledge that ensures each generation of weaponsmiths builds upon the discoveries of their predecessors.
Benefits
The Masterwork Branchery produces superior wooden weapons made from Heartwood of the Grove. These weapons are naturally F-grade or E-grade quality and possess hardness and hitpoints of their grade, plus they count as cold iron weapons for bypassing damage reduction. These weapons sell well due to their superior quality and durability. The facility generates 2,000 gold per month from weapon sales and special commissions. This structure generates 15 Prestige.