Rattlebug Resin

An innovation as old as Isturoth itself is the creation of resin by processing the chitin of the Rattlebug. The resin has dozens of applications and has become a vital part of the industry and economy of Isturoth.

Properties

Origin & Source

As previously stated, the resin can be found in the exoskeleton of the rattlebug, an arthropod that is more like a crustacean than an insect. Within it's hard chitin are the materials that eventually form a resin that can be used in a variety of applications in everyday life.

Process

Once the rattlebug has been caught, the shell is peeled away from the unusable and inedible flesh and boiled in water for a number of hours. Legs are often crushed and thrown in too. Eventually, all that remains is the jellied chitin, which has now become transparent.
The jelly is then treated with hot mineral acids to demineralise the solution, then it is left to cool and harden. This crystallised matter is ground down to a powder, where it is then sold. It will not perish in this form unless it gathers moisture, so it must be stored in a warm and dry place.

History & Usage

Everyday use

After acquiring an amount of powdered resin, it must be combined with equal parts alcohol and oil. Once it has been mixed, it has a definite shelf-life of a few weeks, even in a sealed container. In this form, it can be brushed or smeared as needed.
Some of its applications include:

• An adhesive - The oldest known use of the resin was to craft tools from stone and flint.
• Embalming - It is a vital ingredient in the fluid used to embalm bodies (see Isturian Inhumation).
• Incense - Resin is used in many religious ceremonies and burned in holy places.
• Medicinal - Isturians have long used rattlebug resin as a disinfectant, but it is also valued for its medicinal properties.
• Varnish - While wood furniture is not too common, the resin makes an efficient coating.
• Waterproofing - Resins is extremely useful to waterproof ships and buildings.
• Ornaments - Many Isturians craft decorations with the resin, mixing it with other ingredients.

An Isturian rattlebug.

Type

Biomaterial