Vaskr Tree

In the forests of Enga, the most thriving tree is the Vaskr. Towering and ancient, these trees are the main source of lumber for the Jarldom’s and beyond. Living for thousands of years, and growing to truly gigantic sizes both in height and trunk width, these trees are the true elders of Enga.

Basic Information

Anatomy

• The trunk of the Vaskr is columnar in shape, growing almost directly straight toward the sky unless on uneven ground. In those instances, it will grow toward the sky until its trunk size fills in the difference.
• As it matures, lower branches routinely die due to lack of sunlight, and mature Vaskr trees usually have no branches below a height of 70-160 ft. Younger trees, those less that 125 years old, usually retain most of these dead branches.
• The bark, which can grow up to 2 ft thick at the base of the trunk is fire resistant, fibrous and furrowed, and colored a deep brown with slight relish hues.
• The leaves are evergreen and awl shipped, roughly 1/4 inch long. Arranged roughly spiral shapes along the shoots on branches that average 125ft long and 7-12 ft in diameter.

Genetics and Reproduction

• All Vaskr trees begin as a seed. Large, mature Vaskr can produce 2-400 thousand seeds per year from cones grown primarily near the canopy. Large mature Vaskr Trees can produce up to 15,000 cones in one year. The cones are relatively small, only 1 or 2 inches in length.
• These seeds float out on the wind and land up to a 1/4 mile away depending on the wind speed and elevation of the tree. The time of year, typically late fall, when the Vaskr are shedding seeds is referred to as the “Flotti”.
• If they land in a favorable location and the soil is good they will germinate the following year during the spring.

Growth Rate & Stages

• In healthy trees, there is 1-2 inches trunk growth per year with up to 4 feet of vertical growth. Vertical growth is usually faster and slows once they are in full sunlight, after which they put on more trunk volume with a slower vertical rate of approx. 2 feet per year.

Ecology and Habitats

• Found primarily in the valleys and mountainous regions of Enga, though they are fastest growing on the plains where they have more sunlight and higher rainfalls.

Dietary Needs and Habits

• Vaskr Trees require large amounts of sunlight and water. In mountainous areas, the trunk warmth during the day is usually enough to melt snow cover to provide adequate watering above the snow line.
• The trees regularly out competes smaller species for space, and space between mature trees can be 30-60 feet in the deep forests.

Additional Information

Uses, Products & Exploitation

• Almost all wooden structure on Enga are made from Vaskr trees. The wood itself is excellent for construction, very resistant to decay and easily shaped. It sits somewhere between a hard and soft wood.
• Vaskr sap is used to coat objects that need to be fire resistant. Often it is used in Longships and other water craft as a sealant.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

• Found everywhere on Enga.

Symbiotic and Parasitic organisms

• Beetles, ants and other insects can prey upon the trees, though they rarely cause enough damage to kill a mature tree.
• Birds, and small climbing mammals make homes or nests in the trees. This usually aids in seed dispersal as the animals carry seed or consume them, leaving the seed itself in their droppings.

Lifespan

3,000+ Years

Average Height

150-375 ft.

Average Weight

More than 1 million pounds.

Average Length

Trunk Diameters between 20-50 ft.

Average Physique

Canopy can be up to 125 ft from the trunk.