Uritz Wood
"It may be expensive, but a ship build from uritz will still be sailing a century from now." - quote from an Uhartekoan lumber merchant
Much of the wood used for shipbuilding is harvested from one of the Floating Forests that float with the currents around the Great Ring. There are many species of plants and animals live in this biome, and many of the trees that grow there are not found anywhere on land. One of these is the Uritz tree, which is known for its dense and oily wood, which many consider to be the finest shipbuilding material anywhere.
Like all trees in the Floating Forests, the Uritz is significantly larger underwater than above. The largest trees can reach over a hundred feet tall, and their rootmass will extend to nearly ten times that depth, making a significant part of the forest's conjoined and tangled root reef. Fish, crustaceans, and mollusks make their home among the roots, and the tree will also often have tree octopuses and sweetwater frogs living in the branches and in the pools around the base.
Properties
Material Characteristics
Uritz wood is dense and hard, and is highly resistant to rot, fungus, mildew, and insects. It does not shrink or expand when the moisture level changes, which makes it ideal for many shipbuilding purposes. It can be used for both structural elements of the boat and for boat interiors, as it is easily shaped and worked. This flexibility is one of the reasons it is so highly sought after.
Distribution
Trade & Market
The Uritz is found only in the Floating Forests, which are notoriously difficult to harvest. The largest fleet of logging ships is based in the Kingdom of Herria, and thus there is more Uritz wood available in the lumberyards of the Biluzik Archipelago than elsewhere.
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