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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Araucaria araucana, the monkey puzzle tree or Chilean pine, is an evergreen tree growing to 1–1.5 m in diameter and 30–40 m in height. It is native to central and southern Chile and western Argentina. Araucaria araucana is the hardiest species in the conifer genus Araucaria. Because of the prevalence of similar species in ancient prehistory, it is sometimes called a living fossil. It is also the national tree of Chile. Its conservation status was changed to Endangered by the IUCN in 2013 due to the dwindling population caused by logging, forest fires, and grazing. One of the greatest concentrations of them can be found in Conguillio National Park, found in the provinces of Malleco and Cautin in the Araucania Region of Chile.
They have probably been around when dinosaurs roamed the earth. The leaves overlap each other, covering the branches, and even look a bit like a dinosaur's scales. The trees you see today are all young, with branches all over their trunks. When the trees mature, these bottom leaves fall off, leaving most of the straight trunk, which can grow up to 130 feet, bare. The monkey puzzle tree can live for hundreds of years, maybe even thousands.
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Monkey Puzzle Tree is an ancient wand wood. They are heavily prized all across South America, especially in Chile and Argentina, as well as in North America, with American wizards of Chilean descent. Though rumored to be unlucky by muggles (or no-majs), monkey puzzle trees are an auspicious tree in wizarding lore, and the wands made from them equally so. The reason for muggle's distrust of this tree is due to this tree being a shelter for spirits and ghosts, as it naturally protects against evil ghostly entities and other beings. This wood is a handsome light brown with a yellow or red hue with a swirling pattern. As it is endangered, only a couple dozen wands are made new each year.
Monkey Puzzle wands are very satisfying to use, with a pleasing weight to the magic they cast. Monkey Puzzle wands do best with cores of a dragon or similarly reptilian creatures, though they can do well with Phoenix and other Firebird cores. Due to the tree's sacredness to Mapuche Native Americans, many Monkey Puzzle wands in existence were made and shaped by Mapuche wixes who have chosen to adopt Western wandmaking practices. Such wands are often beautifully carved and are highly prized, for this, and their rareness, but are rarely traded outside Native groups at this point.
Its owners are quiet, playful, and curious. Full of wanderlust, they love to travel. If they are not traveling or exploring, they are probably planning and/or fantasizing about where their next adventure will be. They keep to themselves–it may surprise people how much going on these witches and wizards have in their heads. They have admirable hardiness, physically and mentally. Allergies are uncommon, and they can adapt relatively easily to most climates. Any drama in their lives is dealt with calmly and rationally— they tend to not let their emotions get the best of them. They also would rather cut drama or potential problems off at the root, rather than allow them to develop any further.
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Not the best about discussing their feelings, these people either push away negative feelings as soon as they occur. Or they might have a coping mechanism of some sort. Alcoholism may be an issue. There is talent in magic to do with barriers, hexes, and spiritual protection. Ghosts may come to them for protection against deadly creatures or spirits. There is often talent in warding off malicious entities as well. They are excellent for Transfiguration, Care Of Magical Creatures, Herbology, and Astronomy.
Sunset orange, jungle green, and deep brown sparks flicker from this wand during spell work. Its magic smells of worn stones, beet juice, and sweet clover. This wand is stronger during the summer solstice and could purify evil entities during this period. A bit sensitive, this wand likes temperate climates (not too hot, not too cold), and will perform more weakly in areas with more concentrated pollution of any sort. Because of this, wands of monkey tree puzzle wood can be used to track the major source of pollution in an area. As the bond between owner and wand grows, silver tendril-like markings wrap themselves around the wand. These markings shine bright when the wand senses a malevolent being or entity nearby.
