Webi Silk

Webi silk is an incredibly strong fibre produced by the Webi people of Arachnarium. While primarily used for building webs, hunting and traversal by Webi, they are able to weave it into a textile used in their clothing.

Properties

Physical & Chemical Properties

Fresh webi silk is sticky but will dry within around 10 minutes unless the webi creating it chooses to make it adhesive, in which case, the stickiness will be retained for around 5 days before drying and requiring replenishment. Sticky silk, when woven into a web can be strong enough to entangle small birds and squirrels.
When woven together, Webi Silk produces a highly resistant, elastic and lightweight fabric with an off-white colour. Like this, it uses are limited, though it can be improved by interweaving more layers of silk, reducing elasticity while making it easier to work with, or incorporated into other materials, increasing their strength. When woven into clothing, it can make it highly resistant to damage, making it a popular material in the construction of lightweight and flexible armours.

Origin & Source

This silk is produced by the spinnerets in the 6 hands of Webi. Each Webi can produce around 2-3 m² of standard multilayer woven silk per day, given optimal health and diet, women tending towards the higher end thanks to their larger size.

History & Usage

Industrial Use

There is very little industrial usage of the material, its production is inconsistent and taxing on its maker, any industrial-scale implementation would be horrific and cruel to those involved. It is primarily used on a small scale, usually by the Webi themselves or by independent tailors who incorporate it into their work.

Refinement

Once woven, it can be easily dyed, usually by soaking it in ink or other pigments.

Environmental Impact

While Webi silk is hard to reuse in any useful manner, it is fully biodegradable. While it is fairly resistant when woven into larger objects, tattered silk can be shredded and added to compost where it will break down quickly.

Distribution

Trade & Market

Since it is produced exclusively by Webi and the amount produced by an individual is fairly low, it is decently valuable off-world. A decent number of Webi use their silk production to make money on the side, either by making commissioned clothing or producing sheets of silk

Type

Biomaterial

Value

Equivilent to ~€15-25 per m² (dependent on quality)

Color

Off-white (undyed)

Related Locations

• Arachnarium

Related Species

• Webi