Wendigo Pelt
A fur pelt from a Wendigo. Used for apparel designs and is extremely hard to come by, making it a luxury item to gather.
Physical Characteristics
Wendigo pelts are matte black and short to longhaired (depending on age) that absorb a good portion of light. It is fairly dense similar to beavers' but is more slick and wet looking having a closer appearance to that of leather. Its texture is very velvet-like, having a smooth side and rigged side when stroking the pelt.Gathering
These pelts are skinned off the bodies of Wendigoes killed by Trappers. Using standard skinning techniques is the best method to extract and preserve the fur. Wendigo skin is tougher to skin through due to the lack of fat or meat on the creature and would take patience to get a clean pelt from the corpse. Many trappers or skinners find it often difficult to get a full clean single piece of the pelt as its skinny and lanky physique (and also lack of organs) does not give rounded edges to the body, mainly comprised of just bone.Manufacturing/ Products
The pelt is cleaned and scrapped, then boiled to disinfect any contaminations or bacteria. Once dried, the edges of the pelt are clean-cut to create a perfect rectangular sheet, with the offcuts being used as strips for other uses. Wendigo fur is dominantly used within the fashion industry as a luxurious material. Its most common form of attire is dress jackets or coats to show off the material in its prime. But Wendigo fur can also be used to create scarves and hats (though less likely popular). Most of these products are found in renowned tailor shops on the eastern coasts of the US and even Britain. The largest retailer of Wendigo products is Maurienne Furriers, located and distribute out of Woodend, Montana, which only manufactures around 4 to 5 coats/jackets a year.Cultural Significance
-Native Ceremonies
Few native tribes within the upper Midwest of the United States would use Wendigo pelts for ceremonies, mainly involved with funeral-related events or any pre-war rituals. The reason why wendigo fur is significant to the idea of death within the circles of native tribes is that in their legends, Wendigoes were once humans who were cast out of their mortal form and cursed for consuming human meat, altering them into a blackened demon that's only emotion it can ever feel is starvation. Their sheer primal force and rage are symbolized in their fur, to gift native warriors the same rage as a hungering Wendigo.-Fashion Oddity
Because of their extremely low supply, Wendigo coats and jackets are highly sought after by upper-class families to assist in their status in the Western World. Because of their outrageously high price, customers who ever get the opportunity to obtain such material are regarded as very successful and well-financed amongst peers. These furs are rarely seen in everyday life and are almost exclusively worn at formal events and debutantes.
NoMeansNo: Rarities 1980-1995 by Nomeansno
Wonderful article. I like reading about how its rarity makes it so much of a luxury as well as how the natives use it. It would be interesting to see if there’s any conflict between the two groups since the pelts are so scarce.
Adazuri: A shonen-inspired magitech fantasy world home-brewed for 5e.