Blow-Worm Glue

The glue of blow-worms is an incredibly sticky gel secreted by the blow-worms of the Haglands. These tunnelling predators reach a length of up to five feet, and the thickness of a strong man's thigh. Coated in a slippery slime exuded from their skin, they slide through the marsh and bog until they detect vibrations through the watery soil. Raising their heads above the surface, the worms spit glue at their prey, immobilising and sometimes suffocating it. Then, they move in to feed, exposing lamprey-like mouths as they tunnel into their prey.
Blow-worm glue is thick and viscous, bonds swiftly to many surfaces, is slow to set completely, and remains bonded even after drying in a solid which retains a degree of pliability under extreme rigours. It is extremely useful and valuable, despite the hazards of gathering it. Some enterprising Haglanders have discovered that blow-worms are less likely to attack when well fed, and that their slick slime reduces the bonding ability of even their own glue. As a result, they have begun the risky business of farming the blow-worms.
The fact that the worms tunnel makes keeping them in one location a tenuous effort at best, made harder by the fact that there is little stone within the Haglands proper. Only the mountain range dividing the Haglands from Zardis has limited quarries, so the stone must be brought cross-country, deep trenches dug and stone walls built beneath the ground, in an effort to keep the worms within.
The farmers wear oilskins underneath thin, easily-torn cotton cloths dipped in the slippery slime. Should a worm spit glue, the combination of slime and tear-away upper layers usually buy enough time for the farmer to flee out of range. The worms are kept well-fed, reducing the chances they will either spit or depart their pen.
As a worm is feeding, the farmers cautiously approach. If they time their advance correctly, they will be able to 'milk' the worm of its secretions, both slime and glue. They remain liquid for long periods when stored in airtight jars, and have a wide range of applications. Blow-worm glue is itself a key component of the alchemical Sovereign Glue, an even stronger adhesive. Attempts to duplicate its properties via other means have all failed, making blow-worm farming a profitable, albeit risky, venture.