Barac

A natural fiber used for making rope, paper, and canvas.

Barac, also known as Belu hemp, is a natural fiber obtained from the leaf stems of native plantain trees grown as a commercial crop in Anvil. Due to its strength it is largely used for making fabric and rope, but it's also used for pulp to make paper.

Ropes

Barac rope is incredibly durable, flexible, and much more resistant to salt water damage than traditional hemp, making it a favoured material used in seafaring for fishing nets and ship lines.
The rope is made from multiple twisted strands of barac which need to be bound with twine at the ends to prevent fraying or unravelling, and it is stored in large coils to prevent kinking or becoming tangled.
Belu is the biggest producer of rope in Anvil and its uses can be seen from the most ancient of rope bridges to the modern aerial cableways that hoist carriages up over mountaintops using pulleys.

Rope Spotting

Rope spotting is a common game to keep children entertained during long travels. The rules are simple: look for ropes on your journey and point them out! Bonus points for different sizes, colours, textures, and uses.

"Today I saw a rope on a boat, and a lady was walking her goat with a rope, and there was a well where the man was pulling up water with a bucket on a rope, and then there were lots of people in the square and they were all standing around a wooden platform looking up at a frame with some ropes, and then ma pulled me away and we stopped playing."

— child reciting their game of rope spotting

Paper

Barac fibers can be made into pulp and processed into a type of strong, stiff paper that is less suitable for books but makes excellent packaging, and different weights of paper can be produced based on the thickness of the fibers used.
With the improvement and availability of printing methods, wallpaper is in large demand for decoration in vibrant colours and repeating patterns.

Textiles

Barac fiber is also used to make canvas for sails, and when it's woven it has a texture similar to linen. It's used in rugged workwear clothing and military uniforms for good durability, and is also used to make bags and large sacks.
Painters use barac canvas stretched over a frame for their masterpieces, and the material has completely replaced the practise of painting upon wood.

Related Locations

• Anvil, the unyielding lands
• Belu