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Crafting Motif 106: Silver Rose Style
A guide to crafting armor and weapons in the Silver Rose style
Like our namesake, the liveries of the venerable Knights of the Silver Rose have grown haler and more beautiful with each generation, tended by collective wisdom and guidance of our order. Here I record the essential elements of form and function in our arms and armaments as dictated by Prior Theirric Sarazen, Knight-Commander of the Silver Rose, 2E 579.
AXES
- These curvaceous axes are not the decorative pieces that their gilt and filigreed beards might lead you to believe. Beneath their brilliant veneer lies a skeleton of Daggerfall steel capable of sundering the armor of a mortal foe as surely as the pure silver on their surface can cleave the spawn of Oblivion.
BELTS
- The six-point belts of our uniforms embrace the hips sensually, locking securely in the rose emblemed buckles like the vines of a climbing rose clinging tightly to its purchase. This design holds all long doublets, tabards, and tassets firmly in place during the rigors of vigorous exertion.
BOOTS
- The Silver Rose prefers tall, slender boots made from supple leathers often found in the shops of Wayrest fine clothiers. Although less durable than dense hide or hardened leather, the flexibility of the material is second only to Elven gossamer. It also provides more comfort beneath plate mail on a long march.
BOWS
- Our bowyers almost exclusively work in Wrothgarian mahogany. Their techniques for shaping this notoriously rigid wood are so refined and subtle that they would appear—to the untrained eye—like a potter shaping clay. Hewing and sanding carefully along the natural grain coaxes an impressive springiness to the normally inflexible wood.
CHEST PIECES
- As a renowned and honored Knightly Order of High Rock, we emblazon our sacred rose proudly upon our doublets, jerkins, and tabards for all to see. It is the symbol of our nobility: regal, yet dangerous. The red, black, and silver of our uniforms and our banners are both a badge of our authority and a warning to our enemies as we cross the battlefield.
DAGGERS
- The dagger is not the primary tool of a knight, but it is an invaluable tool for carving out the cancers of those vile Daedra who seek to pervert our precious world. The silvered steel blades are tapered to a fine point to allow entry into the narrowest gaps of armor or hide while retaining the strength to force those weak spots wide open.
GLOVES
- While the construction of our gloves is not vastly different from other knightly orders, Silver Rose gauntlets are consecrated at the temples of all Eight Divines. These blessings are to safeguard our warriors from Daedric influence when claiming their relics on the field of battle.
HELMETS
- Most of our infantry and cavalry favor the elegance of a visored sallet, to provide exceptional protection while allowing for greater visibility and comfort when needed. This greatly contrasts near complete encapsulation of the head by our heavy barbutes and, unlike many other such helms, ours possess three reinforced arches along the skull capable of withstanding a two-handed hammer blow.
LEG GREAVES
- Much like our boots, Silver Rose greaves are fashioned from extremely supple leathers that allow for the greatest ease of fit and range of motion. The addition of hardened leather reinforcements on the flanks provides adequate protection from the most common angles of attack, especially for our cavalry riders.
MACES
- Unlike our swords and axe heads, which are silver-plated steel, our warhammers are forged from a unique silver and platinum alloy created by the order's metallurgist, Viccaro Baumont in the late first era. While not as durable as steel, and quite costly, they have proven especially effective at shattering even a Clannfear's dense skull.
SHIELDS
- Every shield produced by our armorers is truly a work of art unto itself, each bearing elaborate engravings that would be the envy of any silversmith in High Rock. The annealed steel frame provides ample protection to both the wielder and the detailing, while the softer silver provides a certain amount of ductility that prevents shattering.
SHOULDERS
- Secure shoulder armor is important for even our most lightly armored combatants when it comes to rear-line regimented combat and garrison defense. From these positions our knights can present their most well defended front to the enemy without encumbering them needlessly. The tradeoff in protection is more than made up for by the mobility granted to react to flanking maneuvers.
STAVES
- Silvered-steel staves are the primary tool of our battlemages, allowing them to withstand a melee and deliver bone-breaking strikes on mortal and Daedra-tainted foes alike. The silhouette of a rosebud represents the potentiality of magic waiting to bloom in the hands of a mage.
SWORDS
- Swords of the Silver Rose must be constructed more sturdily than those seen among other knightly orders. Full tang, tapered blades are mounted into heavily reinforced cross guards to prevent the entire blade from being snapped off in clashes with monstrous foes like Ogrims and Daedroths. Even a broken blade is better than none.