S
tone silk is one of the specialized Kendarian silks, spun exclusively within the weaving houses of Kendaria. The threads are spun from rock moth nests and infused with the element of the ground. The silk threads are spun thick and wound on thick, short spools before being infused. The thicker threads and dense spooling help with the elemental infusion of the thread.
by Kydra_Hunter
Appearance
Each type of Kendarian silk is differentiated from the others by color and marking. Stone silk is spun in shades of grey and brown, to reflect the element locked within. Spools of the thread are then wrapped in a waxed cloth marked with a stone moth. The markings on the side and top of the wrapped spools make for easy identification without unwrapping them. A standard spool size is based on the physical size of the spool, rather than the length of thread on the spool. Having quick and easy identification of the type of thread in a spool helps to prevent surprises with what length of thread is being purchased.
Thread
Stone silk thread is the thickest of the elemental silk threads. It is spun intentionally loose to help with aligning the prismem within the silk. Despite the loose spinning, the thread has a very high tensile strength once infused and is very difficult to break or fray. While much of the thread is woven into fabric, some stone silk thread is sold by the spool. Much of this thread is used throughout the cities for reinforcement for any large fabric structures. It lends itself to strong flexible connections between fabrics and other materials.
Cloth
Stone silk cloth is woven into sheets of repeating geometric patterns in alternating rows. The patterning helps to align the prismem fragments in the thread into bands across the completed fabric. These patterns are broken only by silhouettes of the rock moths whose nests are used for the thread. The moth pattern is woven into the fabric as of the color used for the rest of the fabric. The colors are often selected so that the moth pattern appears like a shadow on the cloth. While some color may be added for patterns, stone silk cloth is predominantly woven in shades of grey and brown. Added colors tend to stay within neutral tone ranges and very rarely include bright colors.
Cord
Stone silk cord is similar to thin ropes. The thread is twisted to tighten down the thickness. Once thinned, six of these twisted threads are woven together into a tube. The most common cords are left hollow, but it is possible to order specialty cord with a core woven into it. While more difficult, it is also possible to feed material into a hollow cord if done slowly and carefully. Stone silk cord is used in some modern machinery. The two largest projects using the cord are modern airships and the vast fognets beneath Chronwhorl.
Mercantile
Stone silk is an exception to the rules surrounding the sale of Kendarian Silk. Unlike other Kendarian silks which are only sold to the Duskarm merchant family, stone silk is regularly sold directly to the Battle Order of the Decerning Gaze as well. The silks are used in layers of lighter armor for warriors. The ground element woven into the fabric greatly increases its strength and durability, while maintaining the supple nature of woven fabric. Both the thread and weave are thicker when made for the ground element than for other elements, so the cloth is thick and heavy. While the method of creating stone silk fabric makes it more resistant to the fading effect, the cloth must remain covered as much as possible to preserve the potency of its effects. For warriors, this is typically the middle of three fabric layers. Some warriors will stitch the hem of the top and bottom layers together for increased protection from ambient Radiance, while others prefer the silk to occasionally show through with movement.
