Need help with an alteration. Does anyone have any idea what the tensile strengths of any of the silks in the realms are? Either in real terms (can be withstand xMPa) or relative (spidersilk has a higher tensile strength than nightsilk)?

Not quite. Spidersilk is half the weight of normal silk.

Watersilk is not actually a silk. It's silk-like, but not a fabric in the typical sense of the word.

And as Reene said, steelsilk is the strongest of all of them, but it's not a decorative fabric..it's used to reinforce containers and seams.

GM Reexa


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Currently Reading: The Florabama Ladies' Auxiliary & Sewing Circle by Lois Battle; The Blood Flows Like A River Through My Dreams by Nasdijj

>>Does it have any special properties that make it recognizeable as nightsilk?

Its black. <nods and looks full of information>

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Caraamon Majerye,
Gor'Tog Barbarian Extrordi...Well somewhat average
Hunta Talna Kortok, built by Gor'Togs, for Gor'Togs
http://www.angelfire.com/rpg2/caraamon/home.html

I was under the impression that Nightstalker Silk was the strongest of the silks and one of the strongest materials available which is why you have to provide them for alterations.



-Teeklin

"You take people, you put them on a journey, you give them peril, you find out who they really are. If there's any kind of fiction better than that, I don't know what it is." -Joss Whedon

Nightsilk is much of what you said, Reene. It's a specialty spidersilk that's woven by a very specific species of spider, and thus more difficult (and dangerous considering the location of said spider) to harvest. But it, like spidersilk, can be dyed. Not all of the more special silks are that versatile.

Moonsilk has a very specific hue to it. Firesilk has a special weave that requires a certain look to things made from it.

Oh and then there's...oh but that's not out yet. Nevermind.

GM Reexa


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Currently Reading: The Florabama Ladies' Auxiliary & Sewing Circle by Lois Battle; The Blood Flows Like A River Through My Dreams by Nasdijj

>>Nightsilk is much of what you said, Reene. It's a specialty spidersilk that's woven by a very specific species of spider, and thus more difficult (and dangerous considering the location of said spider) to harvest. But it, like spidersilk, can be dyed. Not all of the more special silks are that versatile.
>>GM Reexa

Can't breath! Forum credibility failing! Aggggg! <insert death sounds ..... for forum credibility>

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Caraamon Majerye,
Gor'Tog Barbarian Extrordi...Well somewhat average
Hunta Talna Kortok, built by Gor'Togs, for Gor'Togs
http://www.angelfire.com/rpg2/caraamon/home.html

For pure strength, steelsilk probably wins.

But as far as durability goes, I'd guess spidersilk/nightsilk just because it's bound to be more up to taking extreme stress without just ripping apart or snapping. Part of the reason silk is so strong IRL is because silk fibers can stretch and bend without breaking, right?

Useful resource on RL spider silk: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider_silk

And a description of what DR's "spidersilk" is, taken from the Profiles in Magic book on Demosel:

"She used a series of unknown magics upon an alchemic formula she had developed, and triumphed once again. This was the creation of "spidersilk," a special material that was extremely durable, but also quite light-weight. A shrewd businesswoman with an eye towards fortune (the very same Path she walked, after all), Demosel went into business with her spidersilk, and gained a respectable amount of wealth from the material. The magic process involved in its creation, she kept a secret, which was shared with none."

So eh... take from that what you will.

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Rev. Reene

"...What's happening to your tea is happening to everything everywhere. The sun and the stars. It'll take awhile but we're all going to end up at room temperature." - "Arcadia"

<<Which is why I always thought Nightstalker silk was stronger than steelsilk.>>

Nightsilk/spidersilk are both very strong but steelsilk is at the top of the list.

GM Reexa


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Currently Reading: The Florabama Ladies' Auxiliary & Sewing Circle by Lois Battle; The Blood Flows Like A River Through My Dreams by Nasdijj

Delicate in appearance, not necessarily in strength. There are things that can be described as delicate but aren't necessarily weak.

GM Reexa


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Currently Reading: The Florabama Ladies' Auxiliary & Sewing Circle by Lois Battle; The Blood Flows Like A River Through My Dreams by Nasdijj; Home Before Midnight by Virginia Kantra; Blood Kin by Judith French

Yes, if you can supply enough stormsilk. I've heard there's only ribbons made out of it so far, so you'd probably need quite a few. :)


~GameMaster Nhia
Elothean Champion Duo
Weddings Team

"I was married once in an online fantasy game. We were thinking of having children, but it would have severely drained my power crystals." -- The Simpsons, comic book guy

This would beg the question of what exactly stormsilk is. I can't recall if this has been answered before.

Since I'm the weaver of this marvelous fabric I can answer that. Stormsilk is a woven material and not suitable for use in embroidery or anything requiring individual threads. The weave is silk with spun platinum and tarnished silver metal threads used in the warp giving it the stormy appearance. It's a medium weight material similar to samite. The fabric appears to crackle with electricity when the light catches it so it holds a certain appeal to those who wish to control that element.

Since so far there has only been enough of the fabric woven to be used as an accent trim on other garments you really wouldn't be able to make an entire garment of it. Someday that will change as skilled craftsmen learn how to create this complicated weave but until then it remains rare and pricey.


GM Alvy