Nereidslock

It's not a chore to weave when it's with this.

— awed weaver

Nereidslock, also known as seathread, shawlweave, ëarelanya, or Amphinome's locks, is a thread or textile woven from shawlsnare amphyllum. In its rawest form once derived from shawlsnare, it is a blue-green fibre that is surprisingly fluffy to the touch. When weaved into yarn or thread, it loses some of its signature colour, becoming a pleasant light colour in shades of blue to green.
Due to the inherent strength of the seaweed from which it is woven, nereidslock is fairly strong, though spinning it into thread or fabric does reduce the strength of the overall material. Combination approaches with unrefined strips of shawlsnare have previously been practiced to create sturdy, lined baskets for storage. Nereidslock is reasonably absorbent, but takes a long time to dry even in thread form - however, it does retain its shape well, and stays relatively wrinkle-free.
Somewhat uniquely, nereidslock does not alter its shape or size when exposed to water; any water it absorbs serves to strengthen the weave rather than expanding it. Though this defied scientific understanding for many years, it is generally accepted now to be the result of shawlsnare's latent absorption of ambient magics.

History & Usage

Everyday use

I'm not going out of the aerosphere unless I'm in nereidslock or the like! I don't need my bloody knickers shrinking themselves onto my private parts again!

— offended undine

Despite the plentiful nature of shawlsnare in coastal communities, spinning nereidslock is only common in communities where access to easier fibres like cotton, flax, and ramie is scarce. The process of obtaining shawlsnare's fibres to spin into weaves is considered an unnecessary complication, and the fibres are harder to weave than many others.

Dress made from nereidslock by Hanhula (via Midjourney)

Still, for those communities that do lack access to better substances - mostly across Iskaldhal, where the techniques to work with it were first developed - nereidslock is a massive boon.
The blue-green fabric can be woven into beautiful satins and embroidery materials useful for decorating traditional finery or creating large memorial tapestries, or knitted into layers of padding for the biting cold. When there is little else available, the sea provides.
Aquatic fey seem to also have an inherent love for items made with nereidslock, and many can be found wearing it even upon their home planes. The capricious creatures seem to greatly appreciate the name of the material and oft imbue it with their own magics of protection and whimsy - caution is always advised if any item of nereidslock is offered by a fey creature.
Of course, this is also simply standard advice. The fey are dangerous, even if pacified with offers of beautiful clothing.

Underwater communities, like those in Laminaeles, are the main proponents of nereidslock and rely on its production more greatly, in combination with other forms of seaweed and shell clothing. The fabric's water-based properties mean that it is uniquely suited for those that dwell underwater, and shawlsnare is cultivated in huge farms in these communities.
Many in Laminaeles have turned to more automatic, magical methods of producing nereidslock from shawlsnare in recent years, granting seamstresses and designers new opportunities for advancements in fashion at a far more rapid pace than is usual. Naturally, this has only increased appreciation of nereidslock.

Refinement

When they started setting out baths of acids and lye, I thought they were setting up to kill me. Turns out they were just running low on cloth. Soon put me to work!

— castaway, new to Iskaldhal

Nereidslock is harvested from shawlsnare, which is then broken down into its fibrous form through two major steps. Firstly, acidic salts dissolved in water are applied to the ribbons of shawlsnare and allowed to absorb into its lengths before it is placed in the sun to dry. When fully dried, the shawlsnare's texture is notably different as the acids break down its protective coatings.

It must be thoroughly washed and dried before the second major step, where a solvent paste needs to be created. This paste is typically a mix of lye, gravel, ikloros fragments, and seawater, combined with a pestle and mortar. It is left on only long enough for the shawlsnare to break down into its fibrous form, which takes an hour at absolute maximum, and is then washed off.
When in this form, nereidslock is ready to be processed. Spinning it on a wheel or with a spindle, much like common weaving with cotton and flax, is typically the best way to refine the fibre into nereidslock thread.
To produce a weave, a loom of some kind is required. Some variations do exist in the forms of nereidslock weave (or nereidsweave, or shawlweave dry-spun cloth is rougher with less shine, and wet-spun cloth is smoother with more of a shimmer to it. Shorter lengths of shawlsnare can also be used to produce rougher, quicker fabrics that are somewhat stronger; these are prized for tablecloths and kitchen towels.

Weaving Nereidslock by Hanhula (via Midjourney)

Blends of nereidslock and other textiles are common in border settlements to retain the benefits of both materials. In particular, blending nereidslock with cotton adds a welcome amount of elasticity that is otherwise absent.

Manufacturing & Products

Cotton's faster, aye, and softer on the hands. But gods, nereidslock is pretty, isn't it?

— weaver

Like other fibres, nereidslock can be woven into many different kinds of shawlweave. Dry-spun and wet-spun thread make some difference in what can be done, as can the lengths of fibre involved, but the basic principles of fabric weaving remain consistent.

Woven Nereidslock by Hanhula (via Midjourney)

Nereidslock velvet is not as soft as silk velvet, but retains a shimmer that cotton velvet does not. Plain-woven nereidslock canvas, woven from particularly thick yarns, is used for stronger, utilitarian purposes - it is the base canvas of many sea-dweller paintings. Loosely woven gauze serves as a medical dressing and as an underlayer for many higher-class fashions.
It is nereidslock's unique properties that help it stand out from other fibres; the magic it innately holds does allow it to be enchanted somewhat more easily than other fabrics. By contrast, it degrades faster in areas of antimagic.
Nereidslock dyes fantastically, taking natural dyes into its fibres with its water absorption properties and retaining the colour even when dry. It can be lightened with further applications of lye and acid in a manner similar to how it was originally be broken down, though care must be taken with this to not damage the material.

Some choose to paint directly onto the fabric and trust that it will absorb the patterns over embroidering them, which can work very well. These patterns last without fading, making these painted garments especially valuable.

Nereidslock by Hanhula (via Midjourney)

Type

Textile

Rarity

Common

Odor

Neutral

Taste

Bitter and vaguely salty

Color

Naturally blue to green

Common State

Solid

Related Species

• Shawlsnare Amphyllum

Nereidslock's Names

Nereidslock has many alternate names. Some are directly from shawlsnare amphyllum, the base species from which nereidslock is derived, or refer to the sea and its fabrics.
Of the more interesting names, Ëarelanya is simply an Elven term for 'sea-thread', used by the snow elves who regularly trade for it.
Amphinome's locks instead refers to the nereid Amphinome, who with her sister, developed sustainable methods for farming and living in the Luari ocean centuries ago, and is renowned for her great beauty and her shimmering blue hair.

Elaborate nereidslock dress by Hanhula (via Midjourney)

Dwarven Tradition

Coastal cities and towns in Gildómar often braid woven forms of nereidslock into their beards and hair, selecting fibres that grant their hair the best chance of having an oceanic gradient.
It's seen as a way to symbolise their connection to the sea, and supposedly grants them good luck when sailing.
Very few coastal Gildón sailors will sail without some form of nereidslock in their hair or jewellery!