Ebony, dark wood of Zuman and Mandara

Ebony is a dense black wood which grows only on the isle of Zuman, and throughout Mandara. Ebony is dense enough to sink in water, and hard as metal. Its fine texture, and very smooth finish when polished, make it valuable as an ornamental wood. It can also be enchanted. Scholars believe the ebony trees in Zuman contains some of the strong connection with the very earth they grew from. Druids favor ebony and similar materials for armor or decoration, as they can commune easier with the nature when close to it.


Uses

Ebony has a long history of use, with carved pieces having been found in Ancient Zephyrian tombs. By the end of the 10th century, fine cabinets for the luxury trade were made of ebony in South of Eboracum. The wood's dense hardness lent itself to refined moldings framing finely detailed pictorial panels with carving in very low relief, usually of allegorical subjects, or with scenes taken from classical or religious history. Within a short time, such cabinets were also being made in central Eboracum, where their makers became known as ébónists, which remains the Eboric term for a cabinetmaker concerning the dark wood. It is very rare and the availibility is next to none, so the material is nigh priceless on open markeds. It could be used to make musical instruments, the black pieces in chess with the white parts being ivory.

Crafting
It requires a skilled woodworker that knows the ways of shaping and carving the dark wood into a desired shape. Tribesmen of Zuman and Mandara are rumored to posess this kind of knowledge.