Buzz-off

Small, biting insects are a nuisance across many of the Islands, and in some cases are the cause of sickness and disease. Over the years folk have come up with a myriad of ways in which to try and combat this problem, and the inhabitants of the Crescent Archipelago are no different. Their solution comes from a certain aquatic creature which inhabits the waters around their islands, or rather their egg cases.   The Flat Mooley lays it's eggs in the many rocky pools which are scattered across the coastlines of this island chain. They attach them to the undersides of rocks with a small tether and after the eggs have hatched the empty sac remains behind, still attached to its rocky anchor. These empty sacs can be harvested easily during low- tide, and is usually the job of the children of the village. The Flat Mooley doesn't seem to have a particular breeding season so the sacs can be collected all year round, apart from during the wester storms as the seas become too rough.   Once the sacs have been removed from the water and begin to dry out they give off a rather stringent smell, it isn't a rotten or decaying kind of smell, but is still rather potent. It is this smell that makes these egg sacs so useful to the islanders. Once completely dried out, they can be crushed into a powder and used to make a variety of substances useful for fending off both sand flies and midges. It can be made into a slave which can be rubbed into the skin, or infused into lamp oil or candles for use in homes and food storage areas. Once it has been processed in this way the smell diminishes somewhat, but it is still quite obvious when someone is wearing or burning it. As a slave it is used sparingly as prolonged use can cause the smell to be absorbed by the skin, and it can take several weeks of non use for the smell to dissipate completely.