A record of Karfori’s Pine, circa 1140.
The indomitable Karfori’s Pine can be found all throughout the grasslands of Karfor. They can tower over 120 feet tall when they reach their full size and are between three and four feet wide. They also grow very straight, and they do not tend to have many branches. Much of Karfor’s dominance of the western coastal trade, despite it being surrounded by such a vast expanse of desert, can be attributed to these trees.
The heart pine of this tree is an excellent wood for the construction of ships, bridges, and also for building lumber. It’s comparable in strength with oak, but it is far easier to work. The straight and branchless shape means that a Karforian shipwright can produce two boats in the same time that others might make one. This efficiency allows the region to stand on its own two feet against areas of Eitador with a lot more trees and a lot more money.
Foresters in Karfor, like most who regularly venture from their towns and villages into even the fringes of the savannah, wear something called the arkas aɣeggad. This is the traditional footwear of the Karforian population. It is designed to protect from the deadly bite of the kharediaq wyrm, a snake that lies in the grasses of the savannah. The arkas aɣeggad consists of a soft and tight leather boot that comes to the mid-thigh, accompanied by hardened leather pieces that can be lashed around the calf and shin for extra protection. They are most commonly made from the hide of the large horned native cattle, although pigskin is regarded as more fashionable amongst merchants and nobility.
So important to the trade in Karfor, and so valuable an export, are the Karfori’s Pine, that many nobles in the region not only encourage the hunting of boar and wild pigs but also have a generous minimum price for pork. Hunters of these animals must always be paid above a certain amount for any pig meat they bring back from their expeditions to sell, and it is thanks to this that many pork dishes have become local staples. It is said that if left unchecked, a single hog can consume as many as eight-score pine saplings in a single day.
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