Over the millennia, the willow trees that are cultivated for their healing bark have obliged with shedding their bark. Thus the willow gatherers are part of the Wood Guild. Willow grows wherever there is water, and gathering and drying the bark is part of the Wood Guild job. Some markets prefer the bark in strips. It is intensely bitter, but the effect is stronger. Strips of willow bark are often known as variations of warrior bark for obvious reasons.

Most of the time the bark is ground and sold to be added to steep or various teas. The Wood Guild is assiduous in quality control, as for a time in the past poisons were administered as willow powder, causing this pain reliever to go out of fashion in many places. There are still many places that will not buy the ground powder, but insist on strips of bark. (There is also an element of thrift: a powder can be consumed once. A strip of bark, if properly dried after use, can be used again, until all the virtue is gone.)

In cases of sickness or wounds, willow bark is often steeped with listerblossom, which tastes less bitter.

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