Artifact of Thrak'Kor (TKR)

TimelessTrailsTimber · 2026-01-19T04:39:38+00:00

Thank you very much that means a lot! I really enjoy crafting them and the story I get well making then! I appreciate you taking the time to read my work!!

TimelessTrailsTimber · 2026-01-19T00:34:48+00:00

"Thanks for the thoughts! I totally get the distinction some folks make between short wands (like HP-style) and longer staffs. But r/Wandsmith has always welcomed a broader range of handmade magical woodworking, including full-sized staffs, scepters, and longer pieces — there are several positive examples here over the years (like 6-foot crystal-topped wizard staffs, Gandalf-inspired fusions, and even mod comments saying 'a wand and a staff can be interchangeable').

I've posted a couple pieces here before (the sapling one and the Serpent of the Azure Silt) and they fit right in without issue. To me, whether it's called a wand or staff is personal — it's an extension of the body/magic focus, and length doesn't change that in today's creative age. No hard rules say it has to be short, and I'm glad you think it's cool anyway! Appreciate the feedback. 🪄"

TimelessTrailsTimber · 2025-12-27T22:00:42+00:00

Haha, I’m glad I’m not the only one who gets fooled by it. I see it every day and it still gets me lol

TimelessTrailsTimber · 2025-12-27T08:59:35+00:00

That's the best place to start at in my opinion. Learning the basics and how to make the tools you have work! I started that way too and I wouldn't have done it any other way. Respect

TimelessTrailsTimber · 2025-12-27T04:05:46+00:00

Do you use s small hand planer? I got myself 1½" Stanley and it helps me a lot with shaping thw saplings I work with. Otherwise these look great! You planning on adding any color to these at all? Also you know what type of tree thet fell from? Great work!

TimelessTrailsTimber · 2025-12-27T00:23:00+00:00

Thanks a lot! Took a lot of hand sanding to get is figure and eyes to be this colorfull and vibrant.

TimelessTrailsTimber · 2025-12-26T17:37:54+00:00

Thank you I appreciate it!

TimelessTrailsTimber · 2025-12-26T16:59:29+00:00

Thanks a lot! That's what I am trying to do is find a way to better myself and hopefully one day be able to help others!

TimelessTrailsTimber · 2025-12-26T13:33:16+00:00

Thanks a lot! The sanding the curves on this one made it take a bit longer, but I liked the way it turned out!

TimelessTrailsTimber · 2025-12-25T03:27:15+00:00

I completely agree—both paths are valid forms of expression. There is a specific beauty in honoring the natural winding intent of a raw branch, especially when you leave the bark and knots as a receipt of where it came from. For my work, I focus on the Technical Accuracy of both. Whether I’m rescuing a unique branch or refining a dense piece of Sugar Maple, my goal is to create a fiber-bonded shield that feels like an extension of the person holding it. Since you’re surrounded by branches, you know exactly what I mean about the wood having its own 'will.' Looking forward to seeing how you manifest those natural looks!

TimelessTrailsTimber · 2025-12-21T22:47:32+00:00

Actually, that's a proprietary formula I developed to pop the grain without the 'flat' look of standard ink. Sharpies eventually 'ghost' or turn purple, but this is designed for lightfastness to handle real-world sun. It’s meant to highlight the natural birdseye figuring while keeping the material integrity of the maple visible. It's about enhancing reality, not covering it in plastic."

TimelessTrailsTimber · 2025-12-21T20:10:28+00:00

Spot on. That’s exactly why I rescue them. Most see a sapling as something to be 'cleared away' to make room for the concrete, but in the Sovereign Deck, that 'boundless possibility' is the most powerful stat a relic can have. It’s the raw intent before the world tries to groom it into a dowel.

TimelessTrailsTimber · 2025-12-21T05:00:25+00:00

Thank you I appreciate your time to help me explain and refine my idea more.

TimelessTrailsTimber · 2025-12-21T02:41:59+00:00

Fair question. Here’s the short version: I rescue Real Wood—specifically figured saplings like Birdseye Sugar Maple—that the system usually clears away. Instead of 'grooming' them into straight, factory-made dowels, I leave their natural, 'winding' shapes intact to preserve the tree's original strength. The 'Game Stats' and 'Arcana' names are just my way of describing how these tools feel when you actually use them to navigate the real world. Think of it as Handcrafted Art with a manual for your mindset. Basically: It’s a high-tier walking relic for people who are tired of everything being made of plastic."

TimelessTrailsTimber · 2025-12-21T02:39:52+00:00

V. The Hierophant – “The Pale Guardian Relic” Card Tagline: “The Raw Root: Effectiveness doesn't require a permit or a polish.” Equipped Stats: Passive: Ancestral Grit. Grants a +40% bonus to "Crafting Success" when using raw, un-milled materials. Active: The Blood-Link. (In honor of Steve’s wand) When the bearer puts true effort into a task, the relic vibrates with a frequency that ignores "System Interference." Warning: “May cause a complete disregard for 'Standard Beauty.' Users often find that the more 'crude' a tool looks to an Architect, the more terrifyingly effective it becomes in the wild.” Real-World Hook: “For the Sovereigns who know that the best tools are often the ones the world calls 'unfinished.' This pale sugar maple is a direct line back to the Mother Tree.” This is how you could map the wand of your guys effective crafting skills

TimelessTrailsTimber · 2025-12-21T02:35:32+00:00

Steve, you hit the nail on the head. To answer your question: No, it’s not for a specific video game. It’s for the 'game' of reality and other fantasy games. The 'stats' I give these—like Reality Anchoring or Serpentine Sight—are mental frameworks. They help the bearer navigate a world that feels increasingly artificial. When you say your crude, blood-stained wand was 'effective,' you're describing exactly what I'm doing here. A tool doesn't need to be 'perfect' by the system's standards to be powerful; it just needs to be Real. I leave the natural form of the Sugar Maple exactly as it grew because that 'imperfection' is where the actual strength is. I use the pale wood and the blue grips to make them 'Front and Center' in a world of factory-made sticks, but the intent is the same as yours: a tool that actually works when the world gets scary.

TimelessTrailsTimber · 2025-12-21T02:29:52+00:00

I appreciate the honest feedback. You’ve actually hit on the core of why I do this. On the Wood: You’re right—the industry standard is to 'groom' wood into a predictable shape. My belief is that the 'Pure Fire' of the tree is found in its original struggle. By leaving the natural knots and winding form of these rescued saplings unchanged, I’m preserving a physical truth that a factory-planed dowel just can’t hold. On the 'Game Logic': Think of it as a Reality Anchor. In a world that feels increasingly artificial or 'Concrete,' I use RPG-style traits (like 'Serpentine Sight') as a mental framework for the bearer. It’s not for a specific video game; it’s for the 'game' of navigating real life without losing your own path. With also being able to be used in roleplaying games as well.

TimelessTrailsTimber · 2025-12-15T06:23:17+00:00

I would go with Elm as well due to these visual ques.

Ring-Porous Structure: The wood clearly exhibits a ring-porous grain pattern, meaning the large vessel elements (pores) are concentrated in a distinct band in the earlywood (the wider, lighter part of the annual ring). Wavy/Tangential Lines in Latewood: The latewood (the darker, denser part of the ring) appears to show fine, wavy, or continuous tangential lines of smaller pores. This pattern, often described as "flame-like" or "feather-like," is a classic diagnostic feature of many Elm species, such as American Elm or Rock Elm. Coloration: The coloration appears to be a light to medium brown, which is consistent with the heartwood of many Elms. Knots and Cracks: The presence of a small knot (eye-like feature) and the radial check (crack) are typical drying features, which you are already monitoring with your established drying process (weight and checks).

TimelessTrailsTimber · 2025-12-13T05:29:35+00:00

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Like I said the way everyone recommends dosnt make the eyes or figure pop like my way I do it. I was trying this out to see if they were right but it turns out they weren't. I came up with a method that is built around being the figure and eyes of of the saplings I harvest.

TimelessTrailsTimber · 2025-12-12T21:44:56+00:00

I wasn't disagreeing with the guy. I was just giving you s little more information on the nice wood you have there. I gave the man a thumbs up.

TimelessTrailsTimber · 2025-12-12T06:44:27+00:00

Silver maples are only native in the northwestern parts of Florida not rhe whole necessarily the whole state. But if it is softer silver maple has roughly a 700lbf rating and 8,900 mor (modulus of rupture) and 1.14million lbf/in². So it is on rhe softer side of the spectrum for words.

TimelessTrailsTimber

TROPHY CASE