Wyvernscale Riding Leathers
Wyvernscale leather makes for a fine look while traveling through less-safe regions. The thin scales tend to darken quickly and often display other colors in their final form. The most important benefit of the armor is that of its protectiveness. Light enough to easily move within it and yet possessing inner qualities that are retained after the initial phases of the crafting. To wear armor fashioned from the hide of the very aberration that met its doom upon one’s blade is to quietly tell all in sight that the wearer has at least one good story. Wyvernscale is hard to work with and requires boiling for softening. Unsurprisingly, it turns out that boiled wyvern hide is the foulest fragrance aside from bedding down in the tank-sewers.
Such suits are very rare as the work involved in obtaining the hide, surviving the same and then finding an armorer with the knowledge of curing such a disagreeable skin makes it an uncommon thing. Amongst the families closer situated to the rocky crags frequented by the winged killers—it may be that such a harness would be seen from time to time. But in the South, it is likely that few if ever were even aware that such was possible.
Wyverns boast a two ‘layer’ hide which can be taken advantage of by the lucky and valorous hunter. The external layer is coated in a series of jagged scales that naturally fall very flat as necessary to avoid interfering with flying and hunting. These scales are far thinner than one would expect though and they do little more than impede a cutting edge.
To bolster this parchment-thin defense, the vicious brutes have benefited from another aspect of their body's efficiency. The skin underneath the scales is flecked with pebble-like deposits which help to absorb the blows. These inner tissues underneath the hide are insulated by a thick fleshy inner band that serves to keep the creatures warm in high altitudes and the peaks which are their favorite haunt. These almost fatty tissues can then firmly grasp the small protrusions that form naturally and without harming the beast.
This two-stage approach explains much of the agile and acrobatic melee employed by the beasts. Their scales and hide take advantage of glancing blows and moving with, in and out, of combat. A deft leap at the right moment can turn a brutal slash into a poor blunt strike. With the lighter scales, this movement is possible and favored by the beasts. A strong direct hit is the only sure means to put these creatures down for good.
It is that same combination makes for a warm and sturdier pair of traveling leathers for protection against harm and the weather. As if to bless the very idea, a well-crafted set are nearly waterproof once stitched and set right.
Item type
Armor
Base Price
Rarely Sold
Raw materials & Components
Wyvernscale
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