Lore:Crafting Motif 50: Telvanni Style

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Crafting Motif 50: Telvanni Style

by Ivela Telvanni, Vivec City

A guide to crafting armor and weapons in the Telvanni style

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So, good-looking, you wish to show your allegiance to House Telvanni? Then you must dress the part, dear thing. You know what we say: "The powerful define the standards of virtue." And so our House Council has appointed me their Mouth Costumier in order to define our standards of virtue in cloth and clothing, in arms and armor. And I hereby define and decree the look of House Telvanni to be both distinctive and awe-inspiring.

AXES

The blades of our axes resemble sharp-edged shelf or bracket fungi, and in fact, they may be made of forge-hardened ferrofungus if metallic ore is unavailable. The blades are no bigger than they need to be: Telvanni warriors wield their weapons with precision and finesse, and instill proper awe by their use rather than mere appearance.

BELTS

Telvanni war-girdles are thick and strong, and distinguished mainly by the overlapping plates they support at front and rear, protecting the abdomen and small of the back. These flexible plates are shaped like the woody fruiting bodies of bracket fungi, displaying radiant patterns of spore gills.

BOOTS

The terrain of the Telvanni lands is rugged, so the soles of our boots must be thick, albeit with flexible uppers. For the heavier armors, where the boots are actually sabatons, overlapping metal plates protect the instep, the forward ends pointed upward. This echoes the upward-pointing shape of the pauldrons, as well as evoking the pointy-toed shoes of our Master Wizards.

BOWS

Though magic is of course the Telvanni range weapon of choice, House thralls may be armed with bows, so it's just as well to specify their appearance. We provide our archers with simple recurved bows faced with protective metal in overlapping mushroom-cap shapes. Quivers are decorated to match.

CHESTS

Telvanni chest armor is layered, of flexible leather topped with stylish overlapping plates of chitin, ferrofungus, or metal, in shapes inspired by shelf fungi or toadstool caps, and scored with spore gill lines. Lacquer overpainting is optional, but can be used to express your inner kagouti.

DAGGERS

Our dagger is like a long, curved athame, albeit with the hooked end that makes it distinctively, deliciously Telvanni. The swirling patterns on the metal tang between hilt and blade resemble both an unfolding spell and our glorious House symbol.

GLOVES

Our gauntlets display the same contrasting nature as the rest of our garments: guar hide covers the hand and fingers, leather sufficiently thin and pliable so dexterity isn't compromised, while the back of the hand and forearm are protected by rigid plates with the shape and spore gill lines of shelf fungus.

HELMETS

Telvanni helmets cover the entire head, and come in two distinct variations: hoods of mail fronted by rigid faceplates for lighter armor, and the "mushroom-mask" full helms, with their unmistakable toadstool silhouette, to accompany heavy armor. I, for one, can't look at the helm of a Telvanni heavy trooper without feeling a proud shiver of awe!

LEGS

Instead of cuisses, a Telvanni warrior's legs are protected by kilts of mail that fall from hip to knee. Inspired by our Wizard Lords' robes, these are both stylish and practical—and frankly, I find them exciting. A Dark Elf in a kilt? Yes, please!

MACES

The mushroom-cap maces borne by Telvanni sentries resemble the fungal scepters of our House Councilors, though larger, and with a head heavy enough to crack an escaped slave's skull like an eggshell!

SHIELDS

Our heart-shaped shields are constructed of overlapping plates of chitin or ferrofungus, with a brazen central boss displaying the sorcerous symbol of House Telvanni. Rigid but light, their edges are reinforced with steel for added protection.

SHOULDERS

The overlapping plates of our pauldrons contribute the points of their upwardly-flared ends to the distinctive silhouette of our Telvanni armor, particularly at the heavier weights. Oh, those broad-shouldered Telvanni troopers! I'll take two.

STAVES

The finial of a Telvanni spell staff is surmounted by our House symbol wrought in gilded silver, so that even when one of our mages isn't wearing the Telvanni uniform, there's no need to guess which House the wizard belongs to. Enchanting!

SWORDS

A Telvanni sword has one long curved edge, its point backed by a hook or barb useful for dismounting riders or toppling heavy knights. Traditional Telvanni swordplay emphasizes the cut over the thrust, so the point isn't used much. As with the dagger, there are swirling spell patterns on the metal tang between hilt and blade.

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