What to know
- Plague Wood drops from tainted trees in Cursed Swamps areas, identifiable by red spots.
- Smelt Plague Wood into Essence Arborum at a furnace to unlock Enchanting Table recipes.
- Build the table using advanced materials before crafting Ingot Arborum there.
- Ingot Arborum requires specific swamp-sourced ingredients at the completed table.
In Windrose, progressing to advanced crafting involves venturing into the Cursed Swamps for rare resources like Plague Wood, which kickstarts the path to the Enchanting Table and powerful ingots.
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Primary Resource | Plague Wood from tainted trees |
| Smelting Station | Furnace or Large Smelting Furnace |
| Unlock Mechanism | Craft and loot Essence Arborum once |
| Crafting Station | Enchanting Table (late-game build) |
| Final Product Use | High-tier gear and upgrades |
Finding Plague Wood in Cursed Swamps
Head to the Cursed Swamps biome, marked by plagued areas with a Wood Plague meter on screen.

Look for trees with visible red spots amid the tainted environment—these are the tainted trees that drop Plague Wood logs alongside normal wood when chopped down.

Any plagued zone works, not just specific spots; cut the fallen logs like regular trees to harvest the wood efficiently. Expect drops from plague enemies like crocodiles as alternatives in these zones.

Crafting Essence Arborum to unlock recipes
Access a basic Furnace or upgraded Large Smelting Furnace at your base.

Place one Plague Wood into the furnace input slot—it smelts directly into one Essence Arborum at a 1:1 ratio. Craft at least one batch and interact with or loot the Essence Arborum in your inventory; this action unlocks the Enchanting Table recipe permanently in your crafting menu.

Prepare multiples upfront since the table build and ingot recipe both demand two each
| Rewards from Essence Arborum crafting | Amount per craft |
|---|---|
| Essence Arborum | 1 (from 1 Plague Wood) |
| Recipe Unlocks | Enchanting Table, advanced ingots |
| Progression Gate | Required for table construction |
Building the Enchanting Table
Once unlocked, gather materials for construction:
- 3 Mire Metal Ingots (smelted from Ancient Scraps and Quagmire Powder)
- 10 Hewn Stone (crafted from basic stone at workbench)
- 10 Plant Fiber (from jungle shrubs)
- 2 Essence Arborum.
Place the station under a roof within bonfire range for functionality—it has 3000 HP as a refining station. Interact post-build to access enchanting crafts like Ingot Arborum.

How to craft Ingot Arborum
Interact with the completed Enchanting Table to open its menu. Confirm these ingredients in inventory:
- 2 Essence Arborum
- 1 Mire Metal Ingot (or 2 in some batches)
- 1 Tainted Bile (dropped from Plague Crocodiles in swamps).
Select the Ingot Arborum recipe—the craft completes instantly, yielding one ingot for endgame uses like enchanted gear or ammo.
Step 1: Prepare furnace
Build or access Furnace/Large Smelting Furnace; ensure fuel like wood or coal.
Step 2: Smelt Plague Wood
Insert Plague Wood; wait for Essence Arborum output and collect to unlock table.
Step 3: Gather build mats
Farm Mire Metal Ingots, Hewn Stone, Plant Fiber; smelt extra Essence Arborum.
Step 4: Construct table
Build at base under cover; verify placement in bonfire radius.
Step 5: Acquire final ingredients
Hunt Plague Crocodiles for Tainted Bile; stock Mire Metal Ingots.
Step 6: Final craft
Open table menu, slot items, craft Ingot Arborum.

| Ingot Arborum Rewards Table | Quantity | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Ingot Arborum | 1 | Enchanting Table craft |
| Unlocks further | Advanced bullets, rings | Subsequent recipes |
| Gear upgrades | Heavy-duty weapons/armor | High-tier stations |