Hlad't

Nearly all fabric in Badiseta is "woven" from hlad't, a type of dirt found in the northern edges of the region. When mixed with water, the mud becomes easily manipulatable, allowing color and other effects to be added to the material. The durability, prevalence and ease of recycling the material makes it the most common sight in the region. Individuals wear it as nearly all their clothing, it is used to decorate homes both inside and out, and is often found as decoration for aneen and their wagons.
Badisetans understand that the dirt is the detritus of an older civilization, and though they grasp its technological origin, it is incidental to the utility of the material.

Properties

Material Characteristics

In its natural state, hlad't is analogous to dry, course earth. Often used by animals in dirt baths, the material manages to be fine, but heavy, allowing it to fall off skin easily. However, when it is mixed with water and treated carefully, the mud can be shaped into fabric of varying weight. When dried, it manages to mantain its new form. If dyes are mixed in, hlad't holds the colors without fading. It can also be lightly glazed and still retain its flexibility.

Physical & Chemical Properties

When warmed over 100 degrees, the material seems to move when touched. Though it is waterproof, it begins to weigh down under heavy rain. It takes several days of submersion under water for the material to reverse it into mud.

Origin & Source

Found in the northern foothills, hlad't seems to be some nanotechnological detritus that reconstitutes itself over time.

History & Usage

Cultural Significance and Usage

Though some materials around Badiseta are made of something other than hlad't, it is mandatory that any draperies around the familial shrines be made of hlad't. As the shrines are meant to sustain the memories of ancestors, it is viewed as uncouth to use easily degradable materials on them.

Type

Nanomaterial

Common State

Hlad't is usually found in the northern foothills, usually a few inches under the surface as another layer of earth. It seems to replenish on its own, though no one is sure how.