Dragon-Slaying Equipment
"Why are we polishing armor no one wears?""Because we're being punished for the newbies we sent on the Dragon hunt.""Okay, yes, but, who in their right mind honestly believes those overgrown lizards are still out there?""We did when we were new.""It's tradition then!""Maybe this is tradition too. Just like these armors.""I joined to wear the armor, not to clean it."
In a time long after the Adrakian Empire's fall, the ancient tools for slaying Dragons are now ceremonially worn and carried by higher-ranked members of the Order of Speared Light as recognition for their rank. Once, the armor and weapons were worn by members out on a Dragon hunt. However, Dragon hunts are rare due to the species being extinct.
Most of the armor and weapons originally made to combat dragons have long since been melted down for reshaping in other weapons, tools, or armors or smelted entirely to reuse different metals to make better steel or jewelry.
The History
Origins
The armor was originally the model of average armor stolen from Adrakian soldiers, or worn by defectors who turned to support the end of the Empire.
From the early days of Saint Antral's Rebellion, the Adrakian Empire had fought with flame and acids from the Dragons and the battle mages riding wyverns; the people had no protection from these powers.With the blessings of the true gods, the Saint approached the incoming attack. After the battle, while her garments were only spared around the blessed runes, the false-silver necklace she wore as a gift from a departed ally had melted only in part and remained otherwise intact after the poisoned spray. Raising her fist to the air, she declared the false-silver as blessed by the gods into a form of protection from the vile Dragons who sought to subdue the world. The metal was from then on called Antral's Silver.
Upon discovering Antral's Silver protective properties against the poison spew of the draconic enemies and resistance to their flames, suits of armor were plated in the material. These suits became the armor worn by those who would combat the dragons directly due to the material being difficult to acquire.
It is uncertain how many dragons were slain and how often the tales had been embellished in the retelling. The more ardent followers of the Saint would gather the best of the dragon-slayers and found the Order of Speared Light with the mandate to continue the vigil against draconic influences that may weave their way back into the lives of Thydians.
The Last Dragon Hunt
Tales differ as to which of the Dragons was the "Last" of their kind. For example, some claim the last Dragon had betrayed their kin and allowed a Thydian victory as a distraction before being hunted down. In contrast, others claim the final "Dragon" was no more than a pack of wyverns. However, storytellers agree there were increasing gaps between times when people reported a Dragon sighting, which adds to the confusion of when the last Dragon was hunted.
After one of these final hunts, most of the sets had been melted down or reshaped to make tools or jewelry for others because the threat of dragons had ended, bring about a celebratory event. The surviving sets had been held by the Order "in case" there were still dragons hiding in the far corners of Soplas and Corive beyond.
The people need not fear enemies coming from above anymore, and so we lay down our weapons of war and protection to make art and tools for the people.
Modern Use
As dragons are gone, the armor has primarily been in storage, except for ceremonies and events celebrating the Saint where members of the Order would don the armor and showcase the techniques for fighting Dragons with illusions and dramatic performances. However, the armor is not stored in a museum or shrine, as some individuals still report seeing Dragons around Theydim.
Unlike the ancient days when every Dragon-slayers would gear up and ride out wherever a sighting was reported, a handful of younger members of the Order investigate most reports in the modern age. Upon the returning member or their written report stating the validity of the sighting, a senior member would deal with the Dragon.
An infamous hazing trial for newer members is to send them out of wild "Dragon Hunts" where they would investigate the report - few of which were reports at all. This trial is frowned on by the higher ranks as it tends to lend credence to the growing rumors of the Order being "incompetent, irrelevant, troublemakers who are too busy trying to dream up the past back into reality."
Ceremonies and Events
Dragon Hunt Reenactments - Once a year, for the first week of Spring, often coinciding with the Spring Fair, members of the Order would armor up and re-enact various famous Dragon hunts. These reenactments would begin with the Death of Coryduin and Kotzuiyrn and generally end with the local region's believed Last Dragon Hunt on the last day of the week. Usually, only Capital had the honor of having Order members performing in the armor unless one of the other Arlings had put in for the Order to demonstrate elsewhere. The "Dragon" in the reenactment is usually a wooden construct or magically crafted illusion.
Promotion within the Order - A less flashy and dramatic ceremony than the reenactments, members of the Order head towards the Estopti Temple of the Speared Light when promoted through the ranks. During the ceremony, the highest-ranked members wear the armor to represent the traditions and manners of the past, while the members being promoted wear modern armor to represent the future. Both groups carry the shields to embody the uniting oaths and vows made to create the Order before the promoted members step up to join those who once stood where they do.
The Thydian Civil War
During the Thydian Civil War, the Order has sided with the Capitolist Faction and their leader Tilde Magnusdotr in her bid for the High King's crown. This has led to some of the members routinely appearing on the Capitolist's side of the battlefield wearing this armor for the first time since the Last Dragon Hunt.
However, those wearing the armor tend to be of higher ranks and rarely directly in battle. In battle, most of them wear more modern armor and cite the weight as a motive for preferring to not fight in the relics and risk their destruction.
To Members of the Order
There have been reports of a Dragon freezing a town to the north of Felkhath City. Take caution, as this may be some kind of trap from our High King's enemies from this war.
The Arle Nunciel Great-Cook has not sided with any faction yet, so we cannot afford to upset him or his family.
Investigate these reports while investigating the old Adrakian ruins.
The Materials
The armor has a platinum alloy coating, granting the wearer some extra defense against acids and fire due to the nature of platinum. However, like steel, one does not want to be caught out in the middle of a field during a thunderstorm as platinum conducts and attracts electricity.
Under the platinum alloy coating is steel, though modern armor tends to use better quality steel than these old ancient armors of the Order of Speared Light.
[pSome armorers have offered to make modernized versions. However, the scarcity of platinum would mean other suits would have to be melted down first as iron and steel semi-liquify at lower temperatures than platinum.Our traditions are core to who we are as an Order. Without them, we're no better than religious mercenaries. We have a purpose to our actions - purpose, and tradition.
The Armor
"I know no one wears it, really, but it looks so nice.""It does look nice, but other than the shield, really, your chainmail is just better quality.""I sat and wasted three days on one patch before giving in and admitting to the armorer that chainmail making not for me. And then she made me wear it anyway. It's not good chain.""Still better than this stuff. The only reason it's not been melted down is because the others are so hidebound-""Who is hidebound?""No one in particular, sir! We should go check on the shields!"
Appearance
While modern armor has higher quality steel, the old dragon-slaying armor is maintained and worn more often for ceremonial events by high-ranked members.
The head primarily protects the top of the head and the face, while chainmail protects the wearer's jaw, neck, and back of their neck. Modern armors do not use a full-face covering, preferring to protect the head and have chainmail protecting the neck and jaw while providing a nasal to keep vision unrestricted.
The armor has two pairs of pauldrons, one larger outer pair, and a more functional-appearing under-pair of pauldrons. The two sets are believed to grant the wearer some protection from a dragon's bite by providing extra pieces to bit into and allowing the wearer to potentially rip off the outer pauldron and still have their shoulder protected.
Most armor protection assumes combat is from the front or above, as the intended opponents are generally large flying beings, ranging from Wyvern to Dragons themselves.
The pieces use corded ties or leather straps with holes for metal rivets to go through for size adjustments. When the suits are paraded out on the modern battlefield, some soldiers have heard members of the Order grumble about their elders refusing to allow them to at least use their own chain under the plates.
Pieces of these armors' "fashion" have stayed in use, even as the armor is generally found wanting when compared to modern suits. The chest designs are very similar in shape, though the front attaches to the back with straps along the sides and a piece of solid wood acting as the hinge piece holding the front and back together at the shoulders.
Forgeries
Most forgery attempts use silver-coated steel. However, silver tarnishes and is a very soft metal, leading to the fakes revealing themselves.
Possession of these forgeries can be punishable with hard labor to the Speared Light.
Theft
Individuals outside of the Speared Light who possess any of this equipment are prosecuted for stealing said equipment. There have been cases where pieces have been lost, found, and passed down in generations. Generally, those cases go before the Order's highest-ranked clerics. The owners are then ordered to relinquish the object back to the Speared Light.
People go out of their way to help you if you're in this stuff and just say you're on your way to investigate rumors of a dragon. The locals are so easy to fool.
The Weapons and Wieldables
Unlike the armor, the weapons and shields used to hunt down Dragons stayed in use against non-draconic forces due to their more flexible usage. The armors, however, tended to use more metal than was needed against people who weren't house-sized or larger flying reptiles. Most surviving weapons had been kept in the houses of older Thydian nobility before they were donated to the Order.
Types of Weapons
Shields
Spears and Polearms - The true average weapon of the armies, a spear and polearm benefit from striking from a further range than swords while generally allowing the wielder to keep most of themselves protected behind a shield. These weapons were usually made of wood with an iron or early steelhead. These were also the primary weapon of the early Order members, granting them their name.
Swords - The "average" ideal weapon for self-defense, when the polearm failed, the wielder would have to resort to short-range combat, and a sword was a good weapon in those situations where there was control over where to strike.
Maces and Warpicks - Scales, like sheets of plate, offer protection from slashing or stabbing except at precise points. However, like sheets of plate, scales are not impervious to weapons intended to smash and bludgeon their way through to the soft flesh underneath. The heavy, narrow heads of a war pick allow for a lot of force to break through the scales and plate.
Archery and Magic - The Order, before its creation and after, did not create specialized bows nor arrows. Magic as a weapon against Dragons or a shield for the user varied and were often the tools used to determine a dragon's weakness.
Unlike armor suits, the shields stayed in use longer due to their shape and used against Dragons and magic. Magic had advanced under the Empire and showcased itself as a weapon to change the shape of battle. The shields having their platinum coating gave some magical resistances.
The large heaters in current use owe some of their design to these shields, even as they "squared off" the corners and widen the tapered end. The point allows the shield to dig into the ground should the wielder behind the shield need to take shelter or provide more leg cover against magical attacks.
Nice start :D I read it since it's already published :p A few ideas to expend: "Dragon hunts are rare due to the species being extinct." XD that would indeed make it difficult! Though I'm intrigued by the "rare" since this imply some are still going on despite the absence of dragons… How common and expensive were the amours since they're made with some platinum? Does the platinum have special properties to protect against acid and fire? Or is it magic?
People do report seeing dragons from time to time (even if there aren't any dragons still around, supposedly). There are Dragonblooded individuals who look like they could be of any species before slowly developing draconic traits (scales, wings, so forth) when they get older, so they "count" as dragon hunt targets. Platinum is acid-resistant itself, which is some of why it's a popular material for jewelry and has a higher heat resistance than titanium, iron, silver, and gold. [URL:https://www.sharrettsplating.com/blog/durability-platinum-plating/]Source here about the heat resistance Platinum itself is a rare material, adding to the difficulting of making the suits with their coating, so they're very expensive, which is some of why in the days after the last dragon was hunted down, the suits were melted down to make other tools or things. I am lead to the understanding that armor-and-weapons-melting in "peacetime" was common via being told of a song in French about exactly that. Most of the time in the current time period, the armor is worn by high-ranking members of the Order of Forged for ceremonial purposes because it's very flashy and pretty.
I didn't know about those properties of platinum, but I know how rare it is. Really the ultimate status symbol :D Do people attempt to make replicate in silver or white gold? Melting anything in metal is rather common, which is why we don't a lot more stuff left from antiquities/Middle Age etc. Weapons and armours style and technique also change over time, so people would want the updated versions.
The forgeries are generally made with silver or shiny shiny shiny shiny steel, but the forgeries generally wind up showing their true status faster than the real sets. But yes, these are quite the status symbol among the Order, and the rarity is part of why they're not worn often. The more modern armor sets worn by the nobility who can afford plate or similarly high-metal demanding armors are slimmed down to reduce weight and have been improved as the armorer smiths have re-learned how to make armor of this quality, but with the much more superior steel.
Just wanted to say I love all the details you're dropping here in the comments, and hope to see some more of them up in the main body of the article. And regarding the article itself, I think you're on the right track. Some good stuff up there!
A lot of these details are going to be brought up and worked into the article (and I've started pulling some of them up) though the time between the comment and when the details are brought up are dependent on my phrasing of them. I'm also working to pull the notes from the drawing into the article itself as well.
I love the new shield and all of the changes you've done! :D
Thanks! I really has changed and adjusted since you last saw the article, hasn't it? XD
Following up on my earlier comment, it's so great to see how well this whole thing came together. Congrats!
Thank you! I love when people can compare and contrast how an article used to be! I'm also really glad that it sounds, at least, like I was able to pull all these sweet sweet details from the comments that I dropped here, and drag them back up into the article!