Web Cutter

Ghynzuan silk is the Empress of all silks. It is stronger, softer, and smoother than any other silk out there. It is also far more expensive due to the dangers involved in cultivating it. Every year web cutters are injured or die while doing their job.

— Excerpt from Fabrics Around the World

Web cutting is the profession of cutting down the webs produced by Makuro's to make Ghynzuan Silk from them. It is a well paid job, but also a very dangerous one. Most web cutters work in the Makuro farm in northern Ghynzua, but there are still a few left who work independent by harvesting webs in the wild. These small family businesses are slowly disappearing because the younger generation is less willing to face the danger of harvesting webs in the wild even though wild silk sells for even more money than cultivated silk. Web cutters also face the same social stigma that the makuro keepers face. Albeit to a lesser degree.

Sleeping Beauty

Makuro's are gigantic and highly poisonous. This makes them very dangerous for the people harvesting their webs. This is no different for the domesticated makuro. They are more used to people, but they still see their keepers as a possible food source. Web cutters will always work in groups of at least four people. Two web cutters, one keeper, and one guard. They will start with locating webs in good condition. Then they need to locate the makuro who's web they want to cut down. It is then fed a fish or piece of meat cured with a strong sleep medicine. While the cutters cut down the web the others watch out for signs of other makuro. It is also vital to take into account that some makuro's are known to feign being asleep. Once the web is taken down the team watch the sleeping makuro from a distance to make sure it is not attacked by other makuro while asleep.

Social Stigma

Despite the popularity of ghynzuan silk, keepers and web cutters are faced with a social stigma. This comes from the fact they work with makuro, who are one of the many inflicted species found in Ghynzua. The inflicted are seen as vile and evil, even though not every species is dangerous. This has it's effect on the people working with makuro's. It is one of the main reasons as well why there are very few women who become a keeper or web cutter. It is seen as highly inappropriate for a women to work with inflicted. While most lower class families will accept it for the males in their household.

Alternative Names

Cutters

Type

Agricultural / Fishing / Forestry

Makuro Farm

There is currently one makuro farm in Ghynzua at the southern edge of the Mammoth Tree Woodlands in northern Ghynzua, with a second expected to open within a year further to the east. Because makuro's only weave their webs in the mammoth trees of the north these woodlands are the only location where the silk can be cultivated. The makuro's at the farm can no longer be considered wild since they where bred at the farm. This does not make them any less dangerous though. The farm itself is a fenced in area with a treeless parameter to prevent the breeding makuro's from escaping, and wild specimens from getting into the farm.

Mammoth Tree Woodlands

The northern mammoth woodlands stretch over a vast territory running up into the mountains past the northern borders of Ghynzua and into the territory of The Northern Clans.