Straw Dung Cloth, the reality of poverty in Capital

Jihm wakes up before dawn, he is awaken by the clang and clatter of the smithy whom he rents a bed from in the rafters of his workshop, as the smithy begins to prep for his day. Jihm stretches and shakes out his blanket of straw dung cloth, wraps it around himself before reconnecting the mismatched buttons to their holes. The material is acquired from allowing an Urok to eat excessive amounts of straw, then taking its dung and pressing it near flat until cold, this makes a flexible and waterproof material, that will itch like crazy on bareskin unless hardened and calloused from living rough. Jihm works for a Straw Dung man, his job is to go to the various Urok farms outside the city limits and collect up as much dung as he can in his hand cart. When he gets back to the workshop he lays the straw dung out flat on the ground, placing heavy, flat stones on top to press it. This will be left for a week to cool and harden before Jihm removes the heavy stones and cuts the strawdung into shape, a elongated rectangle. Another boy, younger than Jihm will then cut the holes into it for the buttons and stitch the buttons on opposite, a year ago this was Jihms job, but as he has grown he can now use the handcart and lift the stones.
This is the tale of just one of Capitals many impoverished children, forced to work in terrible conditions rather than run around our various parks and play.

Properties

Material Characteristics

It looks exactly as it sounds, a flattened mass of dung and straw mixed together and partially digested, flattened down.

Physical & Chemical Properties

about as water and wind proof as holding up a plank of wood over your head

Life & Expiration

Through wear and tear, or particularly hot conditions a straw dung cloth shirt can be expected to last 6 months, beyond that it will be falling apart.

History & Usage

History

Once used by Ulusi hunters, who would plaster the raw straw dung onto themselves before a long hunting trip, allowing it to dry on their person as they walked, it kept them well camouflaged, hid their smell and prevented them being soaked in the rains of the Ulusi plains. some who came to Capital began using the old techniques to make themselves clothing as they lacked the money to buy any.

Type

Biomaterial

Odor

due to the dung being hardened it is largley odour less, however in summer it becomes eye watering to the wearer.