Lauba

Even from grime, silk can be drawn

Softer than the light of the moon, at first I think it's a trick of the light. How can the coarse leaf of the Kava become such a refined fabric? I follow the master through his study, into the sacred heart of this factory. I want to learn how a pearl like this can be drawn, even through the basest mud.

— KCDR Fabien, Order of the Sacred Leaf

Half-mystical and half-craft, the creation of lauba fabric from the common leaf of the Kava tree has long been regarded with a sense of awe. While it may take skill for a jeweler to polish a refined jade, it is another thing entirely when these grasses are turned into silken fabrics.

Description

For the fabric bore with it the light of a shimmering fire... the light of the moon striking water... the pale of the dawn beckoning before the sunrise.

— A description of lauba cloth to peoples across the Sea of Alessia

Lauba fabric shines in the sun like one would imagine silk, only with the slightest hinge of tourmaline. Like the Kava Wood derived from the same plant, it displays impressive strength for its weight. For this trait, it has been employed as a type lightweight armor, although its high flammability discourages this use.

Manufacture

████████████ the council decided that ██████ was worthy of state protection due to █████████████████████████████████████████. Thankfully, the Guild has been prudent in safeguarding information from outsiders. Containment of the craft in a special government agency, the Order of the Sacred Leaf, has been established.

— Leaked proceedings

Most details about the manufacture of this material is jealously guarded, although a few details have been revealed about the process. Firstly, not every leaf is made equal, and the Order of the Sacred Leaf has hundreds of adepts searching for leaves that were "of the correct magical and physical quality." Criteria are not widely circulated, but it is estimated one in every hundred leaves are chosen.
Next, a complex process that involves various degrees of alchemy, enchanting, and physical shaping turn these leaves into the finished product. It is understandably vague what ingredients are used or what processes are used, most of these were made secret and will stay secret. Certain █████████████ will be ████████████████████████.

Dyed and finished lauba cloth

Type

Biomaterial

Color

Naturally silvery green, can be dyed

Related Locations

• Salt Plains
• Salt Range

Related Species

• Kava

Related Professions

• Woodsman

The Sacred Leaf

The Order of the Sacred Leaf is the trade guild and monastic order dedicated to perfecting the manufacture of Lauba. It is directly subordinate to the government of the Baiqiang Union, and trade secrets are jealously kept.