Anything which links in Caladraland with the wider world gets my vote. But I'd add a couple of snippets, to which Peter and Philippe might wish to add.
Caladraland *may* (YGMV) be a little funny at the moment. Ever since the Pharaoh had an unfortunate encounter with a lass with a rather sharp scimitar, certain older mythic trends have been pushing themselves to the fore in Caladraland. Older practices of volcano worship centred on a Lodril/Caladril/original Caladra (and this is too long to get into here...) are reasserting themselves now that the Pharaoh isn't around to help preserve a far more amenable Volcano Twins Cult. This is the essence of the Glorantha: Introduction to the Hero Wars vs. Tradetalk/Tales of the Reaching Moon/Pyramid/Different Worlds paradigms (basically violent volcano god vs. more symbolic twins cult).
Trade is perhaps supressed through internal conflict, to which must be added the depredations of the Ditali, and Greymane's whopping great rampage through the area in 1618. So... and I am *finally* getting to my pertinent point...
Hardwood lumber may be gained through rather more opportunistic means. Lunar expeditions, independent operations, etc. The problem is, these don't necessarily know the myths and spirits of the Caladran rainforests, which is a problem in of itself. But IMG Caladran hardwoods do not take well to being removed from their homelands.
To use a real world example, have you ever tried taking a wooden artifacts from an equatorial or tropical climate to dreary old temperatre Europe? The wood does not react well to differences in temperature and humidity (if precautions aren't taken), and can warp and crack. I sadly have a couple of examples of this on my mantlepiece.
One can appropriate similar effects for rather different mythic reasons. For example, Caladran trees are a product of the warm, fertile heat of Caladra and the lush fertility of Asrelia. They adapt to this magical environment, and grow strong under the Vent's gaze. Cut down a tree and remove it, and you not only sever the link to Asrelia and the humid forest warm mists that are her life-giving breath, but deny it the strengthening glow of Caladra's fires. In time it will crack, wilt and die.
'Lava-scarred' (sorry, I use Peter's phrase at every opportunity) Volcano Priests know of charms to seal a little of Caladra and Asrelia's strength in the wood, but in these times of trouble they give their magics rarely. So any supposedly strong woods collected by the Lunars via Karse may seem fine and dandy, but at a critical moment you could have a lot of knackered siege machines. That old Volcano Priest wandering around the encampment might be able to tell Jorkandros this, if only he could speak New Pelorian. I wonder if he's had a bath yet...
By the way, on the issue of coal, this is a very Caladran thing too, being one of the few benefits Moray and Telerio gained on their truly cocked-up Quest for Flamal. According to Chuck, the Twins traded this to the Mostali.
Cheerio,
Stu.
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