Itsasloratza (it͡s̪as̪loɾat͡s̪a)

"I'm not sure what kind of ship Itsa was in her past life; I think she's sprouting a third mast, so maybe it will be easier to tell then. But she's fast and smart and can take me anywhere, and that's why I love her." - Izar Ibarzabal

The stories of the sailor folk hero Izar Ibarzabal would not be what they are without his amazing living ship, Itsaloratza. She is a specimen of the Wavewood Tree, the living reincarnations of ships that sometimes appear out of the Middlesea. Izar describes meeting Itsaloratza as follows:

"I had escaped from the turtle-worshipping pirates of Chelone, but the storm had tossed my little boat deep into the Middlesea. What's worse, that dinghy had a leak, and I was bailing just about every waking hour. Finally, I couldn't keep up and it sank out from under me, leaving me floating in some of the most dangerous waters you'll ever see.
That's when I spotted a bit of green on the horizon. I thought it might be a Floating Forest, and made for it as fast as I could swim. Faster than I expected, this living ship had come alongside me - she'd noticed me too, and came to my rescue. A vine was cast over the side to me, and I hauled myself aboard. I thought I'd find a crew, but it was just Itsa. I didn't know then what a treasure she was; I've never been the same since." - from "The Journals of Izar Ibarzabal"

Description

"She's the most beautiful thing afloat, especially when she's in bloom. When I first met her, she had these huge blue flowers blooming all along the rails - it's why I named her Itsaloratza - it means Sea-blossom. - Izar Ibarzabal

Itsaloratza is a living tree, which has grown into the shape of a sailing vessel. She has multiple masts, and huge sail-leaves. She's still a young wavewood, and only measures about fifty feet from stern to stem. Her hull has roots growing from it that filter nutrients from the water, and that she can use to adjust her speed - when Itsaloratza wishes to move quickly, she can draw her roots along the length of her hull to reduce her drag. She can operate entirely independently of a crew, maneuvering her sail-leaves to catch the wind. According to the tales of Izar Ibarzabal, she's also able to repel boarders quite effectively through the use of her branches and vines, hurling troublesome pirates over the side with a well-timed blow.

Personality

"Some people think ships don't have a personality. That's just stupid - and it's doubly stupid when it comes to Itsa." - Izar Ibarzabal

Itsaloratza is playful and likes to prank people she likes. She's been known to wake people up with a sudden splash of seawater, or to suddenly rock in order to move someone where she wants them to be - in one of the stories, Itsa continuosly shoved two young sailors at each other until they took the hint and fell in love. She's also a quick judge of people and very ready to refuse passage to anyone she doesn't like or trust. Izar trusts her judgement - if Itsa doesn't want someone on board, they aren't sailing on her.

Nickname

Itsa

Owner

Izar Ibarzabal

Species

Wavewood Tree

Floating Friends

In the tales of Izar Ibarzabal, he is always accompanied by at least two companions. The first is Itsaloratza, of course. But there is a third partner to their adventures; the Tree Octopus Urkorrika. The tree and the octopus may seem like unlikely friends, but they are as close with each other as any two creatures might be. Urkorrika lives in the branches and rigging-vines of the tree-ship, and helps out by eating any insects that bother her. When Istaloratza is particularly displeased with someone, she's been known to drop Urkorrika on their head - nothing conveys annoyance like an angry octopus trying to eat your face. You can read more about Tree Octopuses here.

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