Cheknee Sap

If there is one thing in Aldan that all its inhabitants agree its to never go near a cheknee tree. This tree is a bane for many but at the same time it is one of the most valuable substance in Aldan for it use in candy making, naval craft and woodworking, yet it is one of the most expensive materials that would make several people tighten their belt to afford it. Reason for that is that this tree only found in the heartlands near Arone Town, growing this tree by the dozens and harvesting its sap.

A cheknee tree is a large 12 meter long and 3 meters wide, with amber almost orange bark and purple leaves, this tree is very difficult to grow as it requires specific environmental conditions in order to grow to it harvest able size. The sap of Checknee tree hardens the moment it touches any surface other than a cheknee tree's bark. Scholars speculate that the oil on the bark prevents the sap from sticking to the surface nourishing and growing its bark in the process. The people of Arone town wear specialized equipment that is made out of the bark of the cheknee tree to avoid being stuck to the tree and lose a limb or worse. But that is not the end of the trouble, as the sap of the tree has a very sweet sent it often attracts insects and sometimes a few owlbears that are attracted to the smell. The way it is harvested is quite simple, with the use of cheknee tools that imitated the chekene tree bark and wearing of protective equipment that prevents them from sticking. it takes about 12 weeks to successfully harvest all of he three enough to get a few gallons. However, once processed the amount would only be able to fill a few jars, of the processed sap and once the sap had been harvested the trees harvested are then cut down, as without the sap the trees are prone to disease and other maladies.

After, harvest the sap it is then processed into syrup through boiling then mixed with sugar, lime or even its own bark. Sweet cheknee syrup is often used for candy making having a thick viscous consistency and sweetness that would make a 5 year old run around the village for weeks without sleep. While it is used to make various candies it is often used as the base for the moon cakes used in the spring song festival.

If mixed with lime it creates a off white paste that works like strong wood glue, often used in furniture making amongst other crafts. It guarantees that anything made with this glue it will maintain its shape for 10 years without breaking, unless extreme force is applied. Wood workers use it one jar of sap for years as due to low production it is often used for higher paying jobs. A substitute glue is often used for more more commonly made furniture.

In naval craft, the bark and sap are mixed together to create a clear liquid that often works as coating for ships preventing any leakages when sailing the seas. This mixture additionally prevents barnacles from forming as the bark and sap mixture coating the ship prevents any creatures from sticking on the wood and slide off harmlessly. An additional benefit of this coating is that it prevents ships from being damaged by reefs but it weakens the coating every time it happens. This coating needs to be re-applied every 10 years or else it will start to lose it potency, like the cheknee trees themselves after being harvested.