Tut-krogh Caterpillar

The tut-krogh caterpillar is a caterpillar whose silk Madam Kulp makes into cloth and garments at Madam Kulp's Silk in Argentum.¹ The silk is stronger than ordinary silk, though not industrially strong, and makes very durable garments.¹ As far as Madam Kulp knows, the ones she breeds are the only tut-krogh caterpillars in the Silver Vale.¹

Appearance

Grub-like caterpillars about half a foot long.¹

Behavior

Tut-krogh caterpillars are friendly and like to be petted, gently, since they are delicate.¹ A petted caterpillar makes a little rumbling trill, like a cat purring.¹ Madam Kulp’s crawl over her and all about her tent.¹ By Nightdeep 1714 PSF they had grown skittish, which they had not used to be, and became anxious whenever she walked past the Xungoon or Tyenmo stalls.¹

History

The caterpillars are not native to the Vale. Madam Kulp’s ancestor brought them north in the immediate aftermath of the Starfall, and her family has bred them since, as long as it has lived in Argentum.¹ They might be the only ones in the world, she says, if the Sorrow has taken the others.¹

Session 19

When the party came to Madam Kulp’s tent on 9 Nightdeep, 1714 PSF, the first two caterpillars Hazel gathered let her pet them, and the rest fled in terror and hid under tables and curtains.¹ Hazel calmed them with gentle petting and fresh leaves from her bag.¹ Madam Kulp keeps about twenty in her tent, and every one has a name.¹

References

Footnotes

1. Session 19 ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³