| Class: | Microbe symbionts |
| Hab: | Endostial; within bone |
| Fre: | By hosts' population |
| Num: | Innumerable within bones of host |
| Lair: | 100% |
| Size: | Microscopic |
| Move: | Microscopic |
| Def: | Protected within host's body |
| Att: | None (chemical; carbon micro-spike vs. other microbes) |
| Int: | None |
| Spec: | Carbonizes living bone tissue |
| Posns: | None; by host |
Bone black is a condition found in many of the larger flying creatures, from dragons and rocs to giant bats and pterosaurs. It is also found in smaller fliers whose mass would appear to be too great for their wings to support, such as winged horses. It is especially common among those that enjoy a diet rich in raw carbon, such as coal or ash, but bio-carbon sources are also satisfactory for the symbiotic complex of microbes that cause the bone black effect.
Ebonization occurs as the microbes replace a large portion of the more usual calcium-based mineral lattice of the bones with a carbon-based lattice. The result is a bone structure both lighter and stronger than that the beast would have had without its bone black symbionts.
In some cases, the bones are nearly completely replaced, while in others the carbon forms a network of vein-like threads weaving over and through the remaining, rather spongy, calcium bone. Often the teeth are also blackened, appearing as though carved of obsidian.
Ebon bone is a prized material. It is very hard, requiring careful crafting, but the results are beautiful, taking a high polish. Carved ebon bone is commonly used in place of cast or smithed metal where such metal might not be suitable. It has a tensile strength as high as steel but, when bent, returns to its former shape. It is also not susceptible to rust or magnetic influence and it a good electrical insulator. Ebon bone is strong enough to take and hold a keen edge and so can be used for blades. Being strong and light, it is prized for armor crafting. Still, the bulk of the market is ornamental, as a compliment to ivory.
Buoyant bone black does more that transform ordinary bone in to a far lighter and rather stronger material. Buoyant bone black actually transforms the internal structure of the bones in to a new form that gives as much buoyant lift as the original bone weighed. As the bone black covers and converts the bone, it makes of the interior a honeycomb latticework, of walls thin but strong. Within this latticework, the spaces created are filled with a lifting gas.
In most cases this is an inert gas, such as helium, but in some cases it is inflammable hydrogen. These bones may play a part in some creatures' fire-breathing abilities, or at least result in reports of severe wounds resulting in spontaneous combustion.
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