Odrun Fell

The Thornwell Hatchery is the oldest breeding structure still active in the Barley Fields. Generations of handlers have followed the same handling traditions that have remained unchanged since the founding of Odrun Fell. The managing temperature, pheromone balance, and diet are all carefully balanced in order to create silk strands that are used in both armorweave and noble garments. New Barley tenders must complete a year of training here before being trusted with their own clutches. The broodmasters who run it are tight lipped and tattooed with the sigils of their lineage to show their bloodlines.

The hatchery is a dome-shaped structure formed from ribbed carapace and amber resin, its surface crawling with living moss to regulate humidity. Thin threads of spider silk are stretched across open windows like translucent curtains. Inside, rows of softly pulsing egg sacs are suspended in woven cradles above steaming nutrient pools. The scent is earthy and faintly sweet, and the only sound is the slow clicking of tiny mandibles.