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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Lignum vitae is a trade wood, also called guayacan or guaiacum, and in parts of Europe known as pockholz, from trees of the genus Guaiacum. These trees are indigenous to the Caribbean and the northern coast of South America and have been an important export crop to Europe since the beginning of the 16th century. They can also be found in Florida. In the wizarding world, according to magical fiction, Lignum Vitae holds a special place in wandlore due to its reputed connection to the mythical Merlin, one of history's greatest fictional wizards. The wood's magical properties, as described in folklore, have been revered not only because of its density and strength but also for its association with loyalty and resilience in those it chooses to bond with. It is said, in these magical tales, that Lignum Vitae enhances spells of healing and protection, capable of amplifying defensive charms and producing powerful healing effects when used with certain elixirs. The wood, known for promoting loyalty, is particularly effective in strengthening the bonds between magical individuals during spellwork, making collaborative magic remarkably potent. However, due to its rarity and endangered status as documented in historical records, Lignum vitae remains exceptionally scarce, adding to its value and mystique among wandmakers and collectors alike.
Said, like English Oak, to be the wood of Merlin's wand, Lignum Vitae is a heavy, dense, and powerful wand wood, which rarely chooses a wizard or witch. The lore claims that Merlin's wand was made from Lignum Vitae and that Vikings who traveled to America returned with the wood, which became Merlin's wand. Interestingly, Lignum Vitae wands do not do well in the hands of Slytherins (as Merlin was reputed to be) and with Horned Serpents at Ilvermorny, as the wood prizes loyalty and hard work before ambition and cunning. Indeed, it is believed that it is this loyalty that makes Lignum Vitae wands – which can be cast in or near water – able to perform one of the most incredible pieces of magic. Lignum Vitae wands, when given a core of Thestral hair (or hair from another Omen Horse), are capable of briefly putting a soul back into a body, for one day. The making of such wands is incredibly rare, even rarer than the making of Lignum Vitae wands, and the incantation is so long lost that this story is believed to be naught but a myth. It is also worth noting that wands or Lignum Vitae "die" completely with their wizard, and cannot be re-cored and passed on unless the wand is passed on willingly in the witch's or wizard's lifetime.
