Greater Western Giant Silk Moths
One of the most profitable and successful species to have been found, extracted, domesticated, and now most prevalently used from the Butterfly Wings Rainforest is the Greater Western Giant Silk Moths, or more commonly, Silken Giants.
Silken Giants were first discovered by pilgrims of Aerion who sojourned into the forests for both exploration and contemplative meditations. The discovery story goes that while a young acolyte was praying by the Glass Lake deep in the forests. It was sunrise and the light that barely pierces through the waxy green, blue, and violet leaves of the trees surrounding the lake created an effect of dancing lights upon the water. Deep in their concentration and prayer, they thought "This is such a beautiful place, I wish there were others to take in this scene with me." The acolyte then heard a burst of light laughter coming from something within earshot, yet not they could not see a single soul nearby. Then another burst of laughter from a different direction, then another. Confused and bewildered, the acolyte shouted "Who are you? Show yourselves!'
A voice replied "Laughter is showing, laughter comes from joy. Joy is beauty. Beauty is art ~~and magic~~"
Even further confused, the acolyte shouted again "I do not know what you mean by your riddle. Show yourselves!"
"Create that which is beautiful and that which makes you happy. And from there, laughter and will follow. You shall never feel the pain of loneliness again."
The acolyte opens their eyes from their deep meditation to see a flock of moths dancing in the colors of the early morning sunlight. As the creatures pass through the different colored lights, the which of their silken fur transformed into the various colors of the refractive light. The acolyte held out their hands and one of the creatures, the size of both palms placed together, landed. They found that the creature was tame and responded to touch easily, and soon after, another came and landed upon their shoulder, then another. Before long, the acolyte had managed to bond with six of the creatures and they followed them back to their camp, and then their home in the Western corner thereafter.
The Silken Giants feed on the colorful leaves of the various trees and plants of the rainforest. Many farmers of these moths will grow a number of species of trees and plants to keep their moths happiest, though some looking to cut a few corners have found that the vibrant purple leaves of the rumfig trees are sufficient enough to sustain a flock of Silken Giants. Every two weeks, their silken fur is ready to be groomed by gently brushing the soft outer layer free of the creature. This does not hurt it at all, and it takes hours for a new fur to start to regrow. While it does take hundreds of sheddings to create one bolt of moth silk, the creatures, when properly fed and cared for, can produce silk for u number of years. The average lifespan is roughly 20 years, and a moth will reproduce dozens of young over the course of a lifetime.
Caregiver of the moths is considered a noble profession and an art in and of itself. People of the Western Corner love these moths, not just for their silk, but also for their companionship and their symbolism. Silken Giants are a common focus of paintings, statues, and tapestries across the Western Corner, and their origin story is a very common subject matter for ballets, plays, and symphonies as well as art pieces.
These creatures are prized among everyone across the corner, and it is not uncommon that one is gifted to noble children as pets as well, which quickly becomes a treasured member of the family.
These creatures not only provide holy symbolism for the Corner, but they also provide a key luxury good which creates a hefty profit as well as substantial jobs for merchants across the Western Corner.
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