Kaya Yew

The kaya yew was a rare evergreen tree that once grew in wooded areas of the eastern Blessed Isle. It was in high demand throughout the previous ages, and had a number of uses, particularly as the wood in boards for the game Kayago. Even at its height, the tree was rare, its wood rich yellow-gold in colour, smooth-textured, and when struck with stone producing a single sound described by many scholars as 'perfect'. It was also said to 'conduct insight', a feature vital for a game as complex as Kayago.

Demand for kaya yew wood, first for Kayago boards and then as an exotic component to maintain magical technologies, was intense during the Shogunate, the last two kaya yew cut down by an ousted daimyo as he retreated from his former domain.

Some scavenger lords excavating the tombs of Anathema encounter vials of 'kaya oil' amongst cooking utensils, thought to be derived from the tree.