Prey of giant spiders, cocooned in giant spider silk.
Spidersilk or spider silk was a fiber produced by various species of spiders,[1] as well as some spider-like creatures such as aranea, driders,[2] and chitines.[3] The term also referred to the processed form of the fiber, which was used for various textile purposes in the Realms.[1][2]
Description[]
In its refined state, spidersilk lost the inherit stickiness found on spider threads.[1] Armor and clothing fashioned from it tended to be rather quiet[1][2] and lightweight.[2]
Availability[]
- Some in the land of Chult manufactured spider silk from the local spiders and would refine their threads further with the aid of potash.[4]
- In the Hordelands great amounts of spidersilk was found in Khopet-Dag, owing to the many giant spiders that lived in the mountain range.[1]
- In the Duthcloim district of Menzoberranzan, Sh'aun Darnruel sold exquisite gowns of the finest spidersilk to the matron mothers.[5]
History[]
In the Year of the Shield, 1367 DR,[note 1] the House of Al-Kamari of Huzuz was experimenting with spider silk, even though the yield was low and the overhead was high. Mu'izzi al-Kamar gifted a vest and sash of spider silk cloth to Khalil al-Assad al-Zahir, while his sibling Dakim ibn Mu'izzi was working on a bedspread for him.[6]
In the Year of the Ageless One, 1479 DR, drow used a hot-air balloon made from spider silk in the shape of a massive arachnid as they evacuated from Ithimir Isle off the coast of Akanûl. Webs from the balloon carried a cocoon as big as a small house, in which was transported an arambarium mother lode. Alongside it, hundreds of spiders and giant spiders carried ettercaps and undead miners and deployed webs that were caught by the winds and pulled them into the air to follow the balloon. Their destination was a portal to the Demonweb Pits.[7]
Usages[]
- Fine carpets were sometimes made of spidersilk by master craftsmen in the Underdark.[8]
- Chemises made of spidersilk were common nightwear among female nobility in the Blade Kingdoms.[9]
- Cloaks were a common clothing item for spidersilk use,[10][11] including the magical drow cloaks known as piwafwi.[12]
- Spidersilk refined from the threads of giant spiders were commonly used by drow for bowstrings.[13]
- Spidersilk was commonly used by drow as tripwires for traps.[14]
- Robes.[3]
- Rope could be made with spidersilk[1][15] that was was exceptionally strong and lightweight. Such a practice was done by both some surface dwellers[1] and drow.[15]
- Spidersilk armor, a common form of armor in the Underdark, was typically made with specially treated spidersilk of aranea or driders.[2]
- Spidersilk jerkin, a mysterious variety of light armor worn by drow kinslayers.[16]
- Tunics.[3]
- Paper.[17]
Spell Components[]
- Some Halruaan spells required the silk of Halruaan glass spiders as a material component.[18]
- The silk of a phase spider was a material component for the spell wardmist.[19][20]
- The silk of a red spider was needed as material component for the spells nerve dance[21] and stonefire.[22]
- Older versions of the Banite spell stone walk required a piece of spidersilk that was at least a 1 foot (0.3 meters) in length in order to cast.[23]
- A small ball of spidersilk was needed to cast the spell viscid glob.[24]
- A simple strand of spidersilk was needed as a material component for the spells crown meld,[25] Merald's meld,[26] Oswald's mending,[27] streamers,[28] and zone of sweet air.[29] The spell wondrous web in particular required six whole strands of spidersilk.[30]
Notable Users[]
Individuals[]
- The drow goddess Lolth favored the guise of a lithe drow woman dressed in a gossamer gown woven from spider silk.[31]
- Dreydre Freth owned a magical set of chainmail armor made from spidersilk, known as drow spidersilk armor.[32]
- Kyleena Moonglow, a wild elf chieftain in the Delimbiyr Vale, wore silken armor made from polished treebark and Chultan spidersilk.[33]
- Neheedra Duskryn owned five dresses made of spidersilk that had been shaped by drow magic.[34]
Races & Sentient Creatures[]
- Chitines typically dressed in loose robes and tunics made of their own silk.[3]
- Nixies were said to utilize the silk of giant water spiders.[35]
Regions & Settlements[]
- The drow city of Menzoberranzan had numerous bridges made of hardened spidersilk connecting its many stone structures.[36]
Religions[]
- The Church of Tiamat's clergy were known to wear diaphanous, multi-hued cloaks of spidersilk evocative of wings for ceremonies.[10]
- The Shadoweirs, a Mielikkian order in the High Forest, wore for ceremonies cloaks that were woven by dryads from spidersilk and dyed green.[11]
Other[]
- Spider rods could shoot strands of spidersilk out at targets from up to 100 feet (30 meters) away.[37]
Appendix[]
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Notes[]
- ↑ Canon material does not provide dating for the Al-Qadim campaign setting. For the purposes of this wiki only, the current date for Al-Qadim products is assumed to be 1367 DR.
Appearances[]
External links[]
- Spider Silk article at the Neverwinter Wiki, a wiki for the Dungeons and Dragons: Neverwinter MMORPG.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 David Cook (August 1990). “Volume I”. In Steve Winter ed. The Horde (TSR, Inc.), p. 70. ISBN 0-88038-868-4.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Bruce R. Cordell, Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel, Jeff Quick (October 2003). Underdark. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 66. ISBN 0-7869-3053-5.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Bruce R. Cordell, Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel, Jeff Quick (October 2003). Underdark. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 7. ISBN 0-7869-3053-5.
- ↑ Cryptic Studios (July 2017). Neverwinter: Tomb of Annihilation. Perfect World Entertainment.
- ↑ Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 229. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
- ↑ Tim Beach, Tom Prusa and Steve Kurtz (1993). “Gem of Zakhara”. City of Delights (TSR, Inc), p. 52. ISBN 1-56076-589-5.
- ↑ Bruce R. Cordell (June 2012). Spinner of Lies. (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 19. ISBN 978-0-7869-5995-2.
- ↑ Black Isle Studios (August 2002). Designed by J.E. Sawyer. Icewind Dale II. Interplay.
- ↑ Pauli Kidd (November 1996). The Council of Blades. (TSR, Inc.), p. 16. ISBN 978-0786905317.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Eric L. Boyd (September 1997). Powers & Pantheons. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 136. ISBN 978-0786906574.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Julia Martin, Eric L. Boyd (March 1996). Faiths & Avatars. (TSR, Inc.), p. 113. ISBN 978-0786903849.
- ↑ Brian R. James, Eric Menge (August 2012). Menzoberranzan: City of Intrigue. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 89. ISBN 978-0786960361.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (2019-01-24). What are bowstrings made of? (Tweet). theedverse. Twitter. Archived from the original on 2021-07-04. Retrieved on 2021-07-04.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (July 1991). The Drow of the Underdark. (TSR, Inc), p. 18. ISBN 1-56076-132-6.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Christopher Perkins, Adam Lee, Richard Whitters (September 1, 2015). Out of the Abyss. Edited by Jeremy Crawford. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 11. ISBN 978-0-7869-6581-6.
- ↑ Obsidian Entertainment (November 2008). Designed by Tony Evans. Neverwinter Nights 2: Storm of Zehir. Atari.
- ↑ Larian Studios (October 2020). Designed by Swen Vincke, et al. Baldur's Gate III. Larian Studios.
- ↑ Elaine Cunningham (April 2000). The Magehound. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 71. ISBN 978-0-7869-1561-3.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (1993). Volo's Guide to the North. (TSR, Inc), p. 226. ISBN 1-5607-6678-6.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (1994). Volo's Guide to the Sword Coast. (TSR, Inc), p. 228. ISBN 1-5607-6940-1.
- ↑ Tom Prusa (1993). The Shining South. (TSR, Inc), p. 19. ISBN 1-56076-595-X.
- ↑ Thomas Reid (October 2004). Shining South. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 50–51. ISBN 0-7869-3492-1.
- ↑ Julia Martin, Eric L. Boyd (March 1996). Faiths & Avatars. (TSR, Inc.), p. 42. ISBN 978-0786903849.
- ↑ Bruce R. Cordell, Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel, Jeff Quick (October 2003). Underdark. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 63. ISBN 0-7869-3053-5.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood, Eric L. Boyd (1996). Volo's Guide to All Things Magical. (TSR, Inc), p. 22. ISBN 0-7869-0446-1.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood, Eric L. Boyd (1996). Volo's Guide to All Things Magical. (TSR, Inc), p. 20. ISBN 0-7869-0446-1.
- ↑ Black Isle Studios (August 2002). Designed by J.E. Sawyer. Icewind Dale II. Interplay.
- ↑ Thomas Reid (October 2004). Shining South. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 51. ISBN 0-7869-3492-1.
- ↑ Cook, Findley, Herring, Kubasik, Sargent, Swan (1991). Tome of Magic 2nd edition. (TSR, Inc), p. 73. ISBN 1-56076-107-5.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood, Eric L. Boyd (1996). Volo's Guide to All Things Magical. (TSR, Inc), p. 23. ISBN 0-7869-0446-1.
- ↑ Brian R. James, Eric Menge (August 2012). Menzoberranzan: City of Intrigue. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 20. ISBN 978-0786960361.
- ↑ Stormfront Studios (2001). Designed by Mark Buchignani, Ken Eklund, Sarah W. Stocker. Pool of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor. Ubisoft Entertainment.
- ↑ Ossian Studios (June 2018). Neverwinter Nights: Darkness over Daggerford. Beamdog.
- ↑ Christopher Perkins, Adam Lee, Richard Whitters (September 1, 2015). Out of the Abyss. Edited by Jeremy Crawford. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 109. ISBN 978-0-7869-6581-6.
- ↑ Doug Stewart (June 1993). Monstrous Manual. (TSR, Inc), pp. 328–330. ISBN 1-5607-6619-0.
- ↑ Christopher Perkins, Adam Lee, Richard Whitters (September 1, 2015). Out of the Abyss. Edited by Jeremy Crawford. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 191. ISBN 978-0-7869-6581-6.
- ↑ Sean K. Reynolds, Duane Maxwell, Angel McCoy (August 2001). Magic of Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 148. ISBN 0-7869-1964-7.