Armor

Metal is not a usable material in Rhunyen, due to corrosive qualities the mists have on it. Hides, plants and other minerals are used. You can download the Weapons & Armors List with RizerGS specs here, or just read the basic descriptions below.

Silken (undercoat armor) -- Shiran silk is notoriously strong if tightly woven. Simply assembling this fine silk in many layers and different angles, then put atop a bit of quilting, It offers little real protection, but aside from cheaper armorers who use other woven materials, Silken is the preferred undercoat for most true armors, since it breaths well, washes easily, and doesn't break down over time. It cost more, but it's worth it.

Hide -- Any basic boiled animal hide, or heavy furs. Commonly worn by anyone if they don't have true armor, but are traveling in the wilds or doing physical labor.

Hensha Ringlet (flexible armor) -- Made from the ceramic ringlet forged from materials in the Yellow Lands. Very tough, slightly heavy, but flexible. It does erode over time -- especially in moisture -- and needs regular maintenance, including drying. Properly maintained, it lasts for years. Typically just worn as vest or full longskirt.

Prang Ringlet (flexible armor) -- Made from cross-cut stalks of a very tough tubular plant the Prang call Riso (similar to bamboo). Very light, very flexible, quite tough, and needs little maintenance. Properly maintained, it can last for decades... though it gets ugly over time. Typically worn as longvest and often as sideleggings.

Mossen Weave (soft armor) -- Made from a undercoat of Shiran silk, then covered with living Mossen. Very light, fairly tough, very flexible, and provides great camouflage. It's downsides are that it' slightly musty smelling and needs regular exposure to light water/mist. It also can get infested with bugs if untended. Properly tended, Mossen armor never wears out. Typically just worn as vest or full longskirt, sometimes as leggings.

Crusted Skappa (soft armor) -- Made from the crystalline deposits left over time by the Rhunyen mists. The quality varies from place to place. Crusted Skappa is crushed into fine crystals, then mixed with colors and glue -- and any other ornamentation -- and adhered to the surface of various clothing. Skappa armor is quite light, provides modest protection, but slowly cracks and peels over time. Proper maintenance can give it years of life.

Hardened Skappa (hard armor) -- While made from the crystalline deposits of the Rhunyen mists, Hardened Skappa requires crystals of rarer quality than that used for Crusted Skappa. Such crystals are found only in a few locations in Rhunyen. The are carefully assembled on a fitted mold, then slow heated and treated with a Zanzu mixture until the crystals fuse into a hard shell -- usually in pieces that are worn atop a fabric undercoat. Unless pierced (quite hard to do), Hardened Skappa will last a lifetime with no care. If pierced, the piece must be discarded, or risk shattering. Hardened Skappa is heavy and restricts movement.

Light Hoshen Chit (flexible armor) -- Made from a clever use of wood chips (various varieties), scored and glued atop material. Often painted, and assembled in layers, Hoshen Chit is quite tough, though it is slightly heavy and does restrict movement just a little. It can be easily repaired using any hard wood.

Lacquered Hoshen (hard armor) -- Made exactly like Light Hoshen Chit, but then lacquered with resins, it become a very hard armor. It's notably heavier, and does restrict movement, but is tremendously durable and requires almost no maintenance, save occasional touch-up.

Korgant Shell (hard armor) -- Made from the carefully trimmed pieces of a Korgant's carapace that's boiled, then polished. It offers almost as much protection to Hardened Skappa, but at half the weight. The downside is if pierced, it must be treated or the shell will rot from the damaged spot out -- the smell is terrible if rotting.