Aeyagra: Grabber Grass
Properties
Physical & Chemical Properties
When grabber grass is blended together and dried, it forms a porous, squishy substance. Grabber grass is normally a faded orange, but the material it produces is a pale white. It cannot resist large amounts of friction, but its insular properties are exemplary. It is odorless and tasteless, but it will make one's mouth dry and numb after time. Regardless, it is safe for human consumption, though its dietary value is minimal.
Origin & Source
Grabber grass isn't actually a plant but rather a fungus, a parasite that leeches off trees. They tend to prefer the bark of the trunk rather than the roots, but they lack the rigidity to reach tall enough heights. Instead, they wrap around the tree into adolescence, then squeeze nutrients out of the tree. In Unterritory, where aeyagra originated, the trees are thick and sturdy enough to withstand the pressure, secreting just enough nutrients for the grabber grass to survive.
Because grabber grass can't live without a host plant, it cannot be grown in a field, or farmed like most other crops. This meant that for a time aeyagra could only come from the forests of Unterritory. Later farmers introduced aeyagra to their own forests, often leading to snapped trees, deforestation, and the endangerment of some species. It became a pest, but at least one that provided some bounty. The damage to the lumber industry outweighed the benefit to the new insulation industry, but aeyagra once introduced became a permanent installation.
Because grabber grass can't live without a host plant, it cannot be grown in a field, or farmed like most other crops. This meant that for a time aeyagra could only come from the forests of Unterritory. Later farmers introduced aeyagra to their own forests, often leading to snapped trees, deforestation, and the endangerment of some species. It became a pest, but at least one that provided some bounty. The damage to the lumber industry outweighed the benefit to the new insulation industry, but aeyagra once introduced became a permanent installation.
History & Usage
Everyday use
Before Welkwu's industrial reformations, aeyagra was used by locals to keep their houses and rooms warm. Walls were padded with the stuff before being sealed with more rigid material. Being wholly natural material, Welkwu couldn't mass produce it or get enough to meet demand. Still, small quantities of it were used in mechanical parts to prevent objects from heating up or cooling down, or later to keep electric circuitry away from particularly vulnerable parts.
Type
Biomaterial
Related Locations
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