Silverleaf

Amongst the silverleaf trees

Silverleaf is a variety of tree growing in the Deep Forest of Yew. It first came to the attention of the Britannian populace in the years following the end of Ultima VI and was last seen in the realm around the time of Ultima VII.

Description

Silverleaf trees could be identified by their silver-tinged leaves and their pale, almost white bark. Their pulped roots were long used in the preparation of a meal considered a delicacy throughout Britannian eateries, and the demand for such a dish caused extensive logging of the species. After their discovery by "Big Ben" following the conclusion of the Gargoyle War, the next two centuries of harvesting left natural stocks severely depleted by the early Age of Armageddon.

Unbeknowest to most of humanity, these trees were the home to a small intelligent simian race known as the emps, whose way of life came under threat as their habitat fell to continued logging. The Avatar, in exchange for knowledge as to how to contact with the enigmatic wisps, took the emps' complaints to the primary silverleaf logger of the era, Ben. Confronted with the destruction he had inadvertently caused to the creatures' habitat, the woodcutter gladly signed a contract drafted by Salamon, guaranteeing that he would cease cutting the trees.

Following this agreement, prepared silverleaf rapidly disappeared from the markets of the kingdom, and where it was available, it was grossly expensive. Sadly, it seems likely that this halt on logging came too late to stop the eventual extinction of the silverleaf tree, and decades later, when the Avatar returned to the realm for the last time in Ultima IX, no trace of these plants or the creatures who once lived in them remained

Lore

“	I wonder why everyone has become so crazy for these special trees. I doubt even one so insane as Lord British's Chuckles would pass these off as any sort of precious metal, though if anyone would, we all know it would be the man who carries so much weight with Lord British (the weight of wine bottles, that is). – from Trees and Then Some! (Ultima VII: The Black Gate)

Trivia

• Despite apparently being delicious, silverleaf meals have no effect on satiety, and will not reduce the hunger of party members who eat them.
• In Ultima VII Part Two trees near the home of Morghrim in the Northern Forest bear a strong resemblance to silverleaf, although it is uncertain if these specimens belong to the same species as those in Britannia. Given the Forest Master's past as the keeper of Elerion, it may be possible that they may be intended to be offshoots of a tree once found on Pagan.

Gallery

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  Silverleaf tree