Aranis Silk

“There is no material more prized than Aranis Silk. Luxury furs, cottons and leather have absolutely nothing on Aranis silk. I'd trade everything in my wardrobe for an Aranis silk dress. Finer, stronger, more lustrous than any other silk available. They're sacred, you know. It's said that if your fate is woven in Aranis silk, the Weavers rewrite your fate to something far more fortunate.”
Madame Dewdrop, Celebrity Seer and Better Pig Enthusiast

Properties

Physical & Chemical Properties

As well as being incredibly lightweight and hard-wearing, Aranis silk has been found to be several times more effective at stopping bullets and stab wounds than any modern synthetic fabric. Ancient monarchs were thought to occasionally have armour made from Aranis silk, but it was such a rare fabric that only one such example remains.
Those fortunate enough to have any of the material will often save it for something important. Wealthy Tapestrians who are especially devout will pay huge sums to ensure their children have Aranis silk tapestries from birth. Some will even consult temple seers to request a second tapestry, with Aranis silk as the main component. Whilst this practice is intensely controversial, certain celebrity seers have been known to perform the ceremony in exchange for a generous donation to personal temple funds. Of course, the practice is officially denounced as predatory by the main body of the Tapestrian faith, but this has not stopped some of the more desperate from seeking this kind of intervention.

Origin & Source

Aranis silk comes from the powerful, deadly, and very fertile Arani – a species of half humanoid, half spider creatures. They are only found in the Creeping Forest, and have never been reported in any other location on Saga. This, combined with the danger inherent to tracking them down, and the likelihood of becoming impregnated with an Aranis egg, means that there are few examples of Aranis silk garments in the world today. Moreover, any attempts to replicate the material with a synthetic creation have thus far failed. Any Aranis silk which can be harvested is usually done so by local residents of villages beyond the creeping forest, some of whom risk their safety to gather some silk to be sold on to foreign buyers. The amount of silk necessary to make a full dress would give the silk collector enough money to retire on immediately.