The Drachenwald Nuttree is a tree not only known for its golden bark in the spring and summer months but also for the highly sought after Drachenwald Nutteggs that grow from its branches. A delicacy for years and primarily enjoyed by the upper class; the Drachenwald Crisis severely damaged the existing population of Nuttrees. In the years since, the plant has slowly been recovering but remains rare despite the protections it is now given by those who deal its rare nuts across the world.
History
The Drachenwald Nuttree began as a local good enjoyed by those of Dragenthal and the Drachenwald region specifically. The first historical records of the plant are shortly before the Cataclysm when House van Sherburne gifted samples of the plant’s nuts to the then Regalian King. There is no exact date for the plant’s discovery. After the Five Family Rebellion, the ascension of the van Sherburnes also gave rise to the Nuttree’s profile, and it spread across the Drachenwald forest regions over the next two centuries. However, the tree became seen as a symbol of the extravagance and absurd wealth of the van Sherburnes in the lead up to the Drachenwald Crisis. When the Crisis began, the plant was destroyed first by the early Baron’s Army, and then the later Baron’s Army, formed after the Bloodbaths of Inner Drachenwald. Hundreds of Drachenwald Nuttrees burned down, often destroyed by the very people who derived an income from exporting their byproducts elsewhere in the Regalian Archipelago. By the end of the Crisis, upper-class chefs across the Archipelago despaired as they believed the plant to have been rendered extinct. Within the next fives years, however, the plants slowly re-emerged into the public consciousness. Since then, the plant has been guarded by mercantile interests, and this has largely succeeded despite the Regalian Civil Strife and other recent conflicts between the various Drachenwald barons. The plant’s nuts are still extremely expensive, and only the upper class could ever hope to enjoy this product.
Appearance
The Drachenwald Nuttree is a thin, vertical tree standing as high as twelve feet. It has pedate leaves and thin, golden brown bark on its trunk. The leaves of the tree are bright green in the summer and spring until autumn, when they fall off which is also when the bark of the Nuttree grows to a significantly darker brown color. The tree produces the small but highly valued Drachenwald Nuttegg, which are small walnut-shaped nuts with a smooth golden shell. They are harvested in the summer after small yellow flowers have bloomed on the Nuttree. They are often found to be on their own though small groupings of up to four nuts are possible. The tree’s themselves are often solitary but can also grow in small bunches of up to four.
Uses and Abilities
The brown interior of Drachenwald Nuttegg contains a soft, sweet paste-like substance that is usable in a variety of dishes. From cakes to fillings in chocolate, Nutteggs are always a delicacy in any sweet treat.
Trivia
The former Emperor, Justinian II, was one of the rare few that disliked the plant’s taste. As such, under his reign, Nutteggs were rarely bought by the Imperial Court.
Drachenwald Nuttree bark, the only substance that many were able to pull from the damaged and destroyed trees after the Crisis, were used in a variety of carvings by local artisans. Some of the older Dragenthal now families have them as symbols of the Crisis.
