Difference between revisions of "Crem"
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{{item
|world=Roshar
|universe=[[Cosmere]]
|books=[[Stormlight Archive]]
}}
'''Crem''' is a type of sediment on [[Roshar]] carried by [[highstorm]] rains.{{wob ref|10899}}
==Overview==
Crem is a light brown, sediment-like substance. It falls along with the heavy rains during [[highstorm]]s; however, the lighter rainfall during the [[Weeping]]s does not carry it.{{book ref|sa2|81}} Consuming it can cause sickness, making highstorm water unsafe to drink; however, after about a day, it will settle on the bottom of the container, leaving clean water above.{{book ref|sa1|16}} When dried, it can turn into dust.{{book ref|sa3|71}}{{book ref|sa3|82}} "Cremslime" - the mud formed of water mixed with crem - has an unpleasant stench.{{book ref|sa1|60}}
Highstorms cause crem buildup on all structures, whether unnatural or natural, such as buildings, plateaus, and even corpses.{{book ref|sa1|69}}{{book ref|sa2|51}} Unless cleaned regularly, everything on Roshar eventually becomes covered with crem, and any overhangs will grow crem stalagmites.{{book ref|sa1|25}}{{book ref|sa1|69}} In fact, the entire continent is slowly "migrating" leeward, thanks to the highstorms depositing crem as they travel.{{wob ref|5712}}
Despite being above the storms, even [[Urithiru]] has some crem built up on the [[Oathgate]] platforms.{{book ref|sa2|86}} At this point, it's unclear how it got there.
It is used when deworming fields to close the holes after removing worms,{{book ref|sa1|16}} so that no new worms could infest the field again.▼
==Applications==
===Ecology===
Crem is utilized by native [[Roshar]]an flora as source of nutrients, as well as structural reinforcement. [[Jella]] trees absorb crem to strengthen their wood against [[highstorm]]s.{{book ref|sa2|45}} [[Shalebark]] feeds on crem, and [[lavis]] polyps grow from seed-crem (which can be presumed to be crem mixed with lavis seeds).{{book ref|sa2|52}}{{book ref|sa3|5}}
===Human uses===
Crem is one of [[Roshar]]'s most versatile materials. Historically, humans have used it in construction, in the form of bricks.{{book ref|sa1|19}} Crem-brick buildings can be found even in the present day, and some cities, such as [[Kharbranth]], have walls plastered with crem for insulation.{{book ref|sa1|3}} [[Singer]]s, too, utilize crem and stone as building materials.{{book ref|sa1|45}}
Crem has to be filtered out of stormwater before it's drank, as consuming it can cause sickness. For this reasons, the people of Roshar use storm cisterns, which can filter it automatically.{{book ref|sa2|40}}{{book ref|sa3|10}} The crem filtered out of water is often used as clay - among others, the people of [[Sesemalex Dar]] are renown for their expert crem pottery.{{book ref|sa1|16}}{{book ref|sa1|55}}
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In scholarship, crem can be used for dating, by measuring the strata and the crem buildup. However, this isn't practical in areas that experience strong winds, as crem pools unevenly there.{{book ref|sa2|68}}
==In culture==
Crem is a go-to derogatory term for most Rosharans, and features in a number of insults, such as "cremstained", "crem-crusted" or "the crem of something".{{book ref|sa1|60}}{{book ref|sa2|50}}{{book ref|sa1|14}} The small crustaceans of Roshar are collectively called [[cremling]]s; this, too, is used as an insult.{{book ref|sa1|60}} However, while it is generally considered a nuisance, some people find crem superior to [[Shinovar]] soil, if only slightly.{{book ref|sa2|i|3}}
== Notes ==
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