Alreian Silk

As the name suggest, Alreian silk is silk from Alreia. It is a very finely woven fabric, often embroidered with very small beads in the shape of flowers and insects. Alreian silk weaving dates back many centuries, approximately to 2000 BD, and is a skill highly regarded in Alreian culture.

The use of silkworms for the production of silk, as is common in certain parts of Erumir, is seen as great blasphemy in Alreia, since it kills the silkworm pupa and thus ends the life of a holy creature akin to a butterfly. Instead, Alreian silk is made from plant fibres.

Woven Plant Fibres

Many different types of Alreian silk exist. They differ not only in type of plant used, but also in weaving technique and usage. The most common Alreian silks are Jilboa silk, Luflea silk and Pluora silk.

Jilboa silk

Jilboa silk is the most common silk made throughout Alreia. Made from the stems of the jilboa, a false nettle, this silk is often compared to linen. It is coarser than the other silks, but still finer than actual linen. It is mainly used for the production of regular garments, and often not embroidered until after the production of the piece of clothing.

Luflea silk

Made from the iadosa, a flowering plant from the nightshade family, luflea silk is a fine but affordable silk. Luflea silk is often woven into large fabrics and embroidered with delicate patterns. The fabric is then used in its entirety to produce clothing or decorative tapestries, curtains and pillows, in which the embroidered pattern can be fully appreciated.

Pluora silk

Out of all Alreian silks, Pluora silk is the most luxurious and fine silk. It is made from purper lotus fibre which has a natural softness and lightness to it. Because of this, beads are often not embroidered upon the silk, but woven into it. This is a laborious process, and the most expensive pieces of fabric can take up to a few years to be produced.

Trade

During the past few decades Alreian silk as become a luxurious item in many Namdan countries, and is highly sought after. Luflea silk has become one of the main export products of Alreia, as many nobility from Garyiala, Utrea and Aventarle like to decorate their homes with silk decorative curtains. In Garyiala, one of the centres of fashion, pluora silk is used for garments for the extremely wealthy.