First, he cultivated an encircling hedge of bracken and vines to guard the heart of Santoff Claussen. The ground around the village, rich with stardust, proved to be a fertilizer like no other, so thick vines sprang up, spreading as Ombric directed. They twined and twisted into a nearly impenetrable hedge, a hundred feet high, barbed with thorns the length of spears.

In spite of the thorns, however, strangers more interested in rumors of treasure than in learning made their way to Santoff Claussen. Like most master wizards, Ombric could conjure up diamonds and gems of eye-popping splendor as he pleased. He used them in spells and elixirs. Once used, they lost their gleam and had no further value. Yet rumors of his untold wealth persisted. Indeed, there was treasure in Santoff Claussen! It was just not the sort the treasure seekers coveted.

Nicholas Saint North and the Battle of the Nightmare King Chapter 2