Gildsilk

"The councilor took their seat, their cloth robe that a moment ago stopped above their ankles, now draped across their lap. It was a strange material, a rich sepia upon first glance but when the light bounced of it just right, it would radiate a brilliant shine that seemed to bathe the room in a golden glow, like a summer dusk."

Background

Gildsilk ('Gild cloth', or simply 'Gild') is a luxury material prized by lords and royalty alike. Harvested and spun with fibers from the 'Gildstalk' mushroom.

Due to the very specific conditions required for growing Gildstalk domestically it is seen as a symbol of status to have clothes made from Gildsilk. Only ever warn to the high-end events.

Gildstalks (like many fungus) grow best in dim, humid environments. What makes Gildstalks especially difficult is the fact that fruiting body (where the fibers are collected) only grows during a short window between the Winter and Spring seasons.

During the autumn and winter seasons, the fungus enters a hibernation period of very slow growth, sudden changes in temperature during this hibernation can kill off the entire mycelium network. Forcing farmers to resow and start again.

During the entirety of spring and majority of summer it focuses on dispersing spores and growing wide-reaching mycelium networks.

Gildstalk Lifecycle

Mycelium networks grows out in wide-reaching radius around a central point (often connecting with other Gildstalk networks), this process is slow and can take many years for Gildstalk to bear fruit.

Once Mycelium reaches proper size and nutrient intake, mushrooms grow out trumpet-shaped bodies.

One the trumpets are fully formed and ready to release spores, they grow hair-like fibers covered in spores, the spores are loosely attached, this is so when wind comes and blows on the fibers, they are released and travel on the wind to lay new mycelium networks.

These 'spore fibers' are what farmers collect and weave into fabric.