Pearlwrights
The people living in coastal Ytvía in southern Jælondis have long relied on the Þargolid Sea for food and other resources, among which are large, irregular pearls obtained from giant shells at the bottom of the sea. Traditionally, craftsmen known as pearlwrights1 use this material to make armour, shields, helmets and such for elite warriors or -more recently- wealthy clients from all over Borgalor, as the process is lengthy, requires complex alchemical mixtures and the pieces are often custom-made.
In addition to giant pearls, those in Nof in particular use smaller, flattened ones to craft a kind of scale armour. Pearlwrights often work closely with blacksmiths to create weapons and other gear that goes with the panoply, as the material is less suited for weapons.
Once treated with the different mixtures, a pearl armour provides decent defence against most weapons and in particular magic attacks, both cast spells and strikes from arcane martial artists.
In addition to giant pearls, those in Nof in particular use smaller, flattened ones to craft a kind of scale armour. Pearlwrights often work closely with blacksmiths to create weapons and other gear that goes with the panoply, as the material is less suited for weapons.
Once treated with the different mixtures, a pearl armour provides decent defence against most weapons and in particular magic attacks, both cast spells and strikes from arcane martial artists.
Perception
History
While remains of pearl armour have been found in ancient tombs predating the arrival of Lowland Dwarves in the region, these were made by carving rather than molding the material and lacked most of the alchemical ingredients used today. Dwarves migrating from the Qug Mountains brought with them their own tradition of carving intricate objects out of stone2, obsidian, bone and horn, and applied these skills to this new material, and different regions developed their own styles of pearl armour over the next centuries.
In certain places, particularly Nof and Keqallía, pearlwrights became and remain an almost exclusively dwarven profession, while elsewhere they are more diverse.
Ytvía's location in southern Jælondis allowed pearlwrights to access ingredients from as far as Þjaris and eastern Ójom and, later on, Örkraz and the Southlands, to eventually perfect their alchemical mixtures for treating the pearls throughout the process of making armour, such as making them pliable enough to be molded into a helmet or greaves and then tough enough to withstand blows from swords or arrows.
In certain places, particularly Nof and Keqallía, pearlwrights became and remain an almost exclusively dwarven profession, while elsewhere they are more diverse.
Ytvía's location in southern Jælondis allowed pearlwrights to access ingredients from as far as Þjaris and eastern Ójom and, later on, Örkraz and the Southlands, to eventually perfect their alchemical mixtures for treating the pearls throughout the process of making armour, such as making them pliable enough to be molded into a helmet or greaves and then tough enough to withstand blows from swords or arrows.
1Original icelandic: perlusmiðir, singular: perlusmiður.
2Including, appropriately enough, cave pearls.
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