Our people have been victims of wars all too often but this has made us strong. The sorrow of our ancestors has given live to the Forest of Tears and thanks to their sacrifice we flourish. — Priest of Rostora Island
Rostora island has never been a large player itself but has been a frequent battleground during the wars between
Anderia Island and Deska Island. This has not made life easy on the island during long periods of time but its inhabitants have persevered. It is a common belief that these battles are the reason why the Forest of Tears came into existence on the island.
It is, however, mostly known for its great products such as olives, the tree resin
Etik and clothing materials such as cotton.
by kefkejaco with inkarnate
Extra Information
Continent
Central
Elervir Isles.
Geography
Warm temperate in the south and some forested areas.
Controlled by
Hadrili Samo, member of the Elervir Council.
Resources
Olives,
Etik, Cotton, Flax, Wool
Important Landmarks
Forest of Tears
Geography
The climate of Rostora Island is rather warm in general which makes it an ideal location for the growth of various products. Since ancient time the island has been known for its many olive trees. The northern Forest of Tears, however, grants the island a very unique product.
Landmarks
Forest of Tears
The Forest of Tears lies in the northern part of the island and those who visit it quickly find out why it is given this name. Within the forest there is a large amount of
Etik trees. The most curious characteristic of these trees is their regular discharge of resin which used to occur once each season. When this discharge occurs the resin forms into a long tear shape which can sometimes even become half a meter long. Walking through a forest and seeing these tears can truly be a magnificent sight.
The inhabitants of the island have found a way to make precise incisions that trigger this event once a month. The resin then takes about 10 days to harden after which it can be harvested. It is used in a variety of desert but also in the alcoholic Estika drink.
According to the mythology of the island the forest is a representation of the sorrow of all the ancestors who came before. The island had been the frequent battleground of many conflicts which made pain a large part of its early history. Some belief that the spirits from those who perished live on the
Etik trees.
Resources and economy
Agriculture
Rostora Island has a great variety of agricultural products. It is the largest producer of olives within the
Elervir Isles and is also known to produce some premium olive oil from them. Rostoran olive oil is a favorite for cuisine around the isles and also further away it has gained quite some fame.
But of course the island is also famed for its
Etik resin. The resin of these trees is quite delicious and although it has a hard texture it quickly softens to a gum like substance when chewed. This has made it quite popular for use in various deserts. Besides the
Etik resin can also be used to create
Estika alcohol.
Clothing Materials
For most of its history the island was known to produce a large amount of wool and flax which could then be used in various clothing. The island itself used this mainly to create some luxurious rugs and exported the rest to the other islands. With the introduction of cotton to the island the majority of the production has switched to this plant.
The cotton is farmed in great amounts but is not worked into clothing on the island. Most of the cotton is shiped to the other regions in the
Pavan Empire such as
Osanem where it is worked into clothing in large factories.
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