In this world, there are many tools one may use to direct magic. One of the most well known of these is the wand. Of course it is a common saying that "The wand chooses the wizard", with all wands having a degree of awareness with which they select...
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Hickory is a type of tree, comprising the genus Carya, which includes around 18 species. Five or six species are native to China, Indochina, and India, as many as twelve are native to the United States, four are found in Mexico, and two to four are from Canada. Several hickory species are used for products like edible nuts or wood.
One of the densest woods in the United States, hickory wands are solid, uncomplaining, and hardworking. The wood is noted for being exceedingly loyal and incredibly stubborn (most would say pig-headed). Hickory wands select equally stubborn, hardworking masters who tend to be uncomplaining. Interestingly, cooking spells cast with hickory wands give food excellent flavor. They are prized in China, Indochina, and especially the United States.
Hickory trees are known for their strength and resilience. Their wood's combination of hardness and flexibility makes them a good wood for making bows or other instruments requiring great durability. A hickory wood wand owner can often make it through pressuring situations without much discomfort. They may indeed have little tolerance for the complaints of others. They often have strong opinions and care little about offending others which can make them abrasive. Nevertheless, they will bend their behavior to match their core beliefs before they accidentally cause harm and can be counted on to come through when it truly counts. The wand desires a master with integrity and, although not always obvious, a nurturing side. Hickory wands generally do not go to dark wizards but when they do the wizard is a great threat, inspiring fear in their followers while still bringing forward their greatest lethality. More commonly Hickory wands are found in the hands of teachers, the type all the students complain about but remember fondly.
Though the wood is stiff and dense, it retains flexibility. As such, it has been used for baseball bats in the past, bows, walking sticks, and various other athletic equipment. Likewise, its owner is strong-minded but flexible. They will hear the other side of an argument or issue, even if they do not agree one bit. Their patience seems near-endless, and pairs well with their persistence. They always finish their projects and do not like to start another project while in the middle of a current project. They do not like to procrastinate either, to the potential annoyance of their friends. They adore social gatherings and chatting people up. This love for socialization can distract them from their projects or goals. They also do not like to be alone– silence freaks them out.
This wood is talented at magic to do with the smoke, preserving, necromancy, and weather prediction. It is one of the best woods for resisting spells to do with impact and pressure. The shields made from this wood are dense and may absorb the impacts of spells to make themselves stronger. Hickory wands are more powerful than other hickory wands nearby. It is also more powerful under the moonlight, especially that of the crescent moon. This wand will change colors to predict significant changes in weather, or the timing of the changing of seasons.
