Mantali Silk

The finest, most luxurious material she had ever felt slid between her fingers. The urge to rub it against her cheek competed with a rising ire. Silk this fine could only have come from one place.

— From Mage Rising: Book 1

Silk from Mantalos is widely considered throughout Valayo to be the finest, most high-quality silk in the world. While demand for it is high, it is not often encountered outside of Mantalos, owing to its high cost and banned status in some countries.

Unique Properties

The island nation of Mantalos greatly values arts and craftsmanship and is one of the only places that combines artistry with magic at a grand scale culturally celebrates artisinal magic.
As such, is is one of the few locations where artisans can learn to weave lesser and average runes into a variety of clothing items, including its famed silks. These runes are typically minor spells of protection and/or healing.

This is a one-of-a-kind, hand-woven, piece. You see these lines here? These patterns? Those are runes. Not just any runes, either. Normally, only low-level enchantments are woven into fabrics. This has mid-level protections, somehow.
And if I were to guess, I’d say this particular silk is superior grade, which is reserved for Mantalos’s wealthiest patrons and almost never shared with outsiders. I’ve never felt anything this soft. Who gave this to you?

Superior Silks

Artisans love to work with the best, and Mantali artists are no different. It is believed the absolute best silks are reserved for Mantali leadership and affluent families. It is rumored these finest silks are not only hand-woven, but embued with slightly greater magic than any other fabric is capable of holding.

Limits

Thin, soft materials like silk are very limited in the types of runes and the amount of magic they can hold. A woven healing spell, for example, would do little more than marginally improve natural healing speed.
A rune of protection would offer very little, if any, real protection from danger, only able to deflect the most rudimentary, low-level spells. They are generally incapable of defending against physical damage of any sort.

Value

High: Luxury good

Rarity

Uncommon to rare

Color

Undyed: white, creamy off-white
- Dyed: any color, though Mantali artisans favor natural dyes, especially indigo

Location

Mantalos

Magic is a wonderous, glorious thing and is at its best when used in the pursuit of creation and beauty.

— Mantali Minister of Magic

Demand

The luxury and high price of Mantali silk, along with its quality and rarity, push demand for the silk in some areas.
However, in other countries, this luxury competes with derision for Mantalos's beliefs and lifestyles.
For example, people from Salaris believe it to be shameful to wear enchanted fabrics, as any witch should be able to cast the sort of low-level magic stored in those items.

A complete waste of time and energy. Enchanted silk won't protect you from anything more than the most basic spells. It just can't hold higher-level magic.
Any witch worth their salt wouldn't be caught dead in spellbound clothing. And nomas could never afford it.
I really can't understand why the Mantali bother.

— Salarian

The Mantali view magic as an artform, and therefore blending it with the production of luxury goods is an artisitic expression and display of cultural pride. The fact that these minor runes offer little real aid is unimportant to the Mantali.

Trade & Market

Mantalos primarily trades with members of the Magic Freedom Coalition and MATA (the Magic Alliance Trade Agreement) members, though each country's appetite for this particular good varies quite a bit.

by hcraven

Necros

Aside from royalty, the market for Mantali silk is very low in Necros. Very few, even among the nobility, can afford the luxury.
Historically, Necros enjoyed more of the fine silk, but this country has been hardest hit by trade wars with Salaris.

Eldahi

Eldahi does purchase more of this silk than Necros, but there is not much demand for it among the Eldahi people. In part, this is due to the production of local silks; while of lesser quality, the Eldahi value and desire the local sources.

Rhovan

Rhovan is the greatest consumer of Mantali silk. It is often featured in the decadent, extravagent costumes of the annual galas celebrating Blood Fest.

Prohibited

While most countries still purchase the more common, mundane textiles, like cotton and jute, from Mantalos, some nations prohibit the sale of certain luxury items from Mantalos, including its famous silks.

SETA (Salaris-Everath-Torverath Alliance)

In retaliation for the Mantali Incident, in which four Torvae missionaries died, luxury goods from Mantalos are under strict embargo in Torverath and Salaris.
As a member of SETA, Everath also prohibits trade of luxury goods from Mantalos. Because of trade routes, this essentially cuts the island nation off from unrestricted trade with the eastern continent.

Paltetia

Mantali silk is also banned in Paltetia. Their government claims this is due to a threat that Mantalos poses to national security. It is really because of Mantali artisans' penchant for embuing their silk with magic and the Paltetian government's desire to keep all things magic secret.

Valayo

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