Why is Everything Armor Plated?

Expedition

The Fractured Pack continue their expedition through the Ulgos Jungle to find eclectic threats despite all have armor plated hides.

The Fractured Pack continued on their journey in the Ulgos, dropping lower into the valley as they veered from the mountains. Night brought with it the first rest in the jungle and sudden vulnerability. Anna and Buck suspended themselves, hammocking 10 ft off the ground. Hali built up a mound of dirt creating a surrounding ditch. Broxon drank and stayed awake, too paranoid at the knowledge of giant bugs in the jungle to sleep. The paranoia was wellfounded too, as Hali's construction had sent reverberations deep. It took time, but an entire colony of giant centipedes crawled from the ground to feast on the party. A helterskelter start of awakening allies, splattering bugs,and climbing cliffs led the party to the thought that they were handling the situation well... until a huge mother emerged from the soft ground, shadow and chill leaking from between the chitin plates.
  Blows fell and arrows were shot. Hali got snatched up in it's maw as Broxon launched himself from the cliff to hammer down blows on the giant armored beast. Flames thrown against it were snuffed of their heat. Broxon's blows in close proximity sapped life from his arms. And then Hali was squeezed in the maw, consciousness taken from her, and was swallowed. The mother of the hive recoiled and turned, beginning to burrow deep. Broxon's maul became a shovel, throwing loose dirt with heaving swings. Buck dashed forward as Fluffins scrambled to aid. The beast burrowed slow but burrowed none the same. The only thing keeping it near the surface was it's sheer size but soon it would be long gone with Hali digesting in it's gullet unconscious. In a mad flurry of last second action, Buck shoved Venom Cloak into the chitinous back and split it open as Broxon dove headfirst through slimy tissues to grasp at Hali, pulling her out to Anna's waiting aid.
  Buck ran forward, producing an odd bone needle no one had seen in his healer's kit before. Finding and appropriate section along Hali's spine, he used the needle to mix his physical skills with an arcane manipulation of soul to increase the healing done, not only for Hali but for himself as well.
  After their interrupted night of sleep, the Fractured Pack continued their rest well into the morning under Hali's continued watchful gaze, even Broxon eventually falling to sleep after the endeavor.
  The next day of travel brought the party to an area of the jungle cleared out of foliage. The place seemed generally devoid of color, a grayed filter to the ground and surrounding trees. Buck discovered the desaturation was from a soft ground dust over the place. At the outskirts, some of the leaves had flaky hard edges that broke off when handled. The general crushed dust of the area combined with the discovered hoof marks shadowed in the soil led the party to a single conclusion: gorgons. The area seemed to be caused by a circling and charging duo of a territorial bout, with one going back uphill to the northeast and the second going downhill towards the rivers.
  Knowing that they would be passing in the general direction of the riverside creature, Broxon took it as a challenge. The party tentatively agreed, willing to track it so they met the creature on their terms instead of having a chance of being blindsided. If it was one, they would fight it. If there were more, they would attempt to pass by. Fate did not smile upon the party that day. Buck stalked further ahead guiding the others through Hali's sendings. As he descended near a subcreek before it joined the greater river, Buck found the metallic, monstrous bull. Unfortunately, he also found it's mate, and it's adolescent offspring. Before Buck could call it in, one of the Gorgon's smelt his differing scent to the rest of their known environment (Legend Lore: Buck got a natural 1 on Stealth. This was the only roll that would get him under the Gorgon's Passive Perception).
  The pair of grown gorgons began to charge toward Buck as the adolescent darted to the side as a wild card. Anna took to wing to deal with the lesser as her friends took on the greater pair. Broxon Charged in to take the brunt of the gorgon rush as Buck retreated. He didn't retreat far enough as the first bull gouted out its green gas over both the dwarf and the shifter. Broxon pressed on through as Buck began to slowly stiffen. The Shifter managed to pull a vial of oil he had earned in his DulKag harvesting job and place it on the ground in case the worst happened. And it did. Unable to fight through the toxin, Buck petrified. As Broxon continued to tank the blows of the metallic bulls and smash in with multiple explosive blows with Basher's Consolation in quick succession, Hali ran forward to tend to Buck. She took up the oil and dashed it over the statue before the concrete had cured, curing the ailment, curtailing any curses to come.
  Broxon slayed the first of the bulls and temporarily drew the attention of the last one. Seeing its companion go down and hearing the offspring felled, it would not run. Arcing around the dwarf after it's initial blow, it attempted to rush to Hali and Buck to gas and gore the pair. As it fled, Broxon landed a heavy blow on it's flank causing it such pain for it to rear it's head around to geyser Broxon with the gas instead... and the gas began to take hold. It then finished closing the distance on the pair. As Broxon's mobility was taken from him, solidifying over, he had a single play. Activating the Density Warp Full Plate, the folding of space brought him to the beasts flank, swinging down with the hammer with such force that the snapped of his body sent the growing stone across his skin to explode off in a cloud of dust not unlike the foliage seen before. In unison, the companions felled the final creature with everyone still walking.
  The Fractured back continued their travel northward. With Broxon's inability to swim, they would want to get to the final junction of rivers in the valley before crossing. Best only deal with that problem once. Near the end of this second day through the jungle, the part found an area of ancient stone ruins while looking for a safe campsite. Within the largest section still upright was the opening of a gateway through the wall fragment. Within it, the party could see a flame dancing, the profile of a woman's form in it. As they approached, the figure turned away and disappeared.
  Fully approaching the stone ruin, Buck's arcane sight identified conjuration magic in the archway. Hali supposed theoretical hypotheses. Broxon proved to be more of an experimental scientist. Stepping through the wall's gateway, the dwarf disappeared in an instant. Hali attempted to send Byakhee but could not see what was on the other side. One by one, his companions committed themselves to join him.