The woods of the world

The Woods of the World by Telim'binar Di'atharian

The woods of the world, at least those that are of any significant use to carpenters are quite plentiful, ranging from light colored soft woods to hardwoods of the deepest hue. The Woods of Avlis, in so far as concerns Carpenters can be broken down into three distinct categories. Common woods, in other words those woods that are plentiful all throughout Southern Avlis, Rare; those woods that are harder to come by, and Regional; those woods that can be found in a particular region, these tend to also be rare woods as well.

For the purposes of this treatise, I will combine Regional woods in the rare woods chapters but will note if they are regional or rare. also they are more or less listed in order of rarity.

Chapter 1 - common woods:

Avlissian Poplar - common wood -

Most common is the Avlissian Poplar ..The sapwood of the Avlissian Poplar is creamy white and may be streaked, with the heartwood varying from pale yellowish brown to olive green. The green color in the heartwood will tend to darken on exposure to light and turn brown. The wood has a medium to fine texture and is straight-grained; has a comparatively uniform texture. It has excellent strength and stability, a medium density wood.

Common hickory - common wood -

Common hickory, is just that... Common. Its sapwood is a light brown, the heartwood a bit darker. Over time they tend to discolor equally but with no loss in strength. It is much harder than poplar and as such its workability is reduced, however it is a very flexible wood with a coarse texture and relatively straight grain.

Southern Oak - common wood -

Southern Oak, found only in the southern reaches of Avlis and relative to the Kurathene Oak. Growing to heights of 50 feet or more with massive trunks the southern oak tends to have a silvery grain coloration. The wood's texture is coarse and characterized by open pores. It's Light brown to a dark tan. Sapwood and heartwood have similar colors and grain patterns. Sapwood tends to be lighter in color. Characteristicly stiff, making for powerful self bows but not usually found in composite types. Excellent for staves and handles.

Southern Mahogany - common wood -

Southern Mahogany is Characterised by Straight, tight, interlocking grain sometimes rough surface, and its uniquely dark coloration, the Southern Mahogany is the hardest and most sought after of the common woods, when worked properly it can be useful in all manner of wood products.

Chapter 2 - Rare Woods

T'nanshi Ash - Regional Wood -

The T'nanshi Ash sits on the edge of rare and common woods, it is a regional wood and by that fact alone is more rare than say southern Mahogany, however it is not all that uncommon in T'nanshi. It is a Straight grained wood with a coarse, even texture that is a Dark grayish brown both in sap and heartwood. Excellent bendability and durability. The T'nanshi Ash like most trees in T'nanshi grow to phenominal heights, but its rather slender trunk makes it unsuitable for the support of the canopy system throughout that nation. It can be found in all manner of goods and is quite popular with those fashioning composites due to its flexibility.

Mchekian Rock Elm - Rare, Regional Wood -

Mchekian Rock Elm, like much of the flora of that region has been nearly clearcut to extinction, a few specimens remain of course in remote locales or areas where farming is impossible. This wood is very easy to bend though is somewhat prone to warping if not protected properly. Its wood is a light tan color similar to but slightly darker than the Avlissian Poplar. It is what wood-workers call a "cross-grained" wood; that is to say, the fibres are closely interlaced in a way that makes it less liable to split. Also popular as a composite componant, like all of the popular woods can also make an excellent self bow.

Ferrell Beech - Rare, Regional Wood -

The Ferrell Beech, not too surprisingly found in and around Ferrell only was once a highly desired wood by the charming folk of that nation, its light coloration and lovely graining made it a highly desirable wood for furniture and all manner of wooden goods. because of this it was nearly farmed to extinction...it is quite rare now with examples found in remote locations, the people of ferrell have decided that the beech tree is no longer to be abused for such goods, but they have yet to attempt any kind of replanting of the specie. Some overflow to the edges of tnanshi has occured.

Avlissian Maple - Rare wood

Though rare, this maple can be found throughout the whole of Avlis. Light pink to reddish brown in color. It has very small regular pores that require no filling and a hard texture that makes it difficult to work. Not uncommon is a twisting of the grain in some specimens that resemble birds eye's when finished. This is called birds eye maple and is common in the use of musical instruments for its attractive appearance.

T'nanshi Yew - Rare, Regional Wood

This tree is very nearly revered by the elves of Tnanshi, it is incredibly rare and lovely, its qualities for use in making bows is well known. This tree will never be found anywhere on the beaten path, always found in deep remote wooded areas usually singly though occasionally in pairs. Its grain is nearly silver in color with little difference between heartwood and sapwood, making it a suitable choice only for knowledgable carpenters who can tell the difference by feel. Makes the most superb self-bows but has also been used to good effect in composite types.

Elven Hornebound - Rare Wood

Though found primarily in T'nanshi, this is not technicly a regional wood, specimens have been indentified on the borders of Jechran and Galdos as well as in remote portions of the Kurathene, Brekon and Tyedu. Of all woods of interest to the carpenter, none is as rare as this. Renowned for its strength, this tree, though more rare than the Tnanshi Yew, isnt as well regarded, its grain is coarse and quite dense and is very difficult to work. It has been called Ironwood and stonewood.