Stone on Eastern Islands
The richest people in the world build monuments from this stuff. Where do you get it and what special properties does it have?
Good quality stone is rare on the Eastern Islands. The most of the islands are very small, and even the acricultural land is sparse. The most important source or durable stone for building material is Der Fem (West Island). It's importance can be seen in that even the Zeribian name of the island means 'Stone Island'.
The stone is used for elité recidences, temples, statues of kings and other monuments. Lower quality stone and dirt is used for building large platforms that support the elité recidential areas above the common people's homes.
The stone is traditionally quarried with stone tools, and then transported to the construction sites over the open ocean in wide rafts. Because the process is so difficult and prone to accidents, the price of stone is high. Reusing old stone from monuments and buildings is common, which can be seen in monuments that have decorations of different art styles, that have been added over the centuries. Remote sites have to also be protected against illegal stone looting.
Cultural significance
The Zeribians place a high value on preserving your memory for the next generations. The islands are filled with lush rainforests, so wood is plentiful. The houses of the common people are made of wood and reed, materials that deteriorate and disappear quickly. On the contrary, one can find sites of centuries old cities in the forest, where the statues of the ancient leaders are still standing in unnerving silence.Political significance
Many important conflicts have been initiated for the access to the stone resources. On of the motivations for Zeribian Revolution of Der Fem was to take back the quarries on the islands. The Zeribians also colonised Irin i heš for the rich new mines, leading to the cruel enslavement of the native Caač people.
by Tuisku
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