Feather Knuckles

The Feather Knuckles are a pair of lightweight, elegant gloves that are crafted from the finest silk and adorned with delicate feathers that are from common birds, or rarely exotic birds and even more rarely Shifter Dragon feathers. Despite their seemingly delicate appearance, these gloves possess formidable magical enchantments, providing both offense and defense to the wearer.

Mechanics & Inner Workings

The enchantments that are on Feather Knuckles are varied and focus on making the wearer faster which enhances their hand-to-hand combat. The wearer's strikes are often blinding or quick as each punch or strike feels effortless however each strike will carry a force of a much heavier blow. This allows the wearer to overwhelm opponents with a flurry of swift attacks. The heavier feel of the blow could also be an advantage to smaller combatants where a hard punch may not be expected.
Those who have these gloves have reported feeling weightless while fighting with them which allows them to be agile and evasive. Those that have them can gracefully leap away from and towards combat while making their dodging swift so they are hard to hit themselves. The wearer of Feather Knuckles will have an understanding of the wind due to their intuitive connection with the element. They will have more insight about their environments making wears of these knuckles good scouts as they can easily scan their surroundings for potential threats. This allows them to anticipate attacks and adjust their strategy accordingly.
Another magical effect that the wearer of Feather Knuckles has is that once per day they can briefly take flight. They will be able to soar through the air with the same grace as birds or even Dragons. This magical ability allows the wearer to have unparalleled mobility, allowing the wearer to traverse obstacles, reach inaccessible areas, or escape danger from above. The ability can only be used after ten minutes of flying or when the wearer lands.
If the gloves are made with Dragon feathers the wearer can open a Portal that is the same color as the feathers used. They can do this once a day but their attacks will be weaker after a portal has been used and no feathers will be lost if a portal is opened. If the wielder doesn't focus on where the portal is going it will take them to the Dragon who allowed the feathers to be used.
In addition to flight, the gloves offer a passive enchantment that allows the wearer to fall from great heights without harm. There are limits to this though as the wearer will die or get hurt if they jump off a tall cliff or building like a skyscraper.
The last enchantment that is typically on these gloves is that with each successful strike that is landed while of course wearing the Feather Knuckles, the speed and agility of the wearer increases incrementally. Those with these gloves will often maintain an aggressive fighting style that focuses on continuously building up momentum and becoming more formidable as the battle progresses. This will make it important for the opponent to end the fight as quickly as possible which is hard because of how fast the wearer of Feather Knuckles is.

Manufacturing process

Mastery is required to put these gloves together as sewing feathers into anything can be difficult but artisan craftsmanship is not the only thing that is needed mastery of enchanting and magic is needed. It can take a while to learn how to craft these gloves.

History

These gloves are often used by Monks across various factions and faiths. This is because feathers are believed to symbolize freedom and that is something that most Monks believe in. The feathers may have started as decorative with the useful magical enchantments being placed on the gloves later. The magic that was added often was meant to make the monk faster in combat.

Significance

The feathers adorning the gloves often symbolized a harmonious relationship with the natural world by understanding the wind and harnessing its power. Wearers of Feather Knuckles demonstrate an understanding of the wind element and therefore usually have respect for all of the elements and their roles in shaping the world. Gloves that are made of Dragon Feathers show that a mortal is trusted by a Dragon.
These Dragon Feathers allow the wielder of gloves to open a Portal. This can be a point of pride to the mortal wearer who has Dragon Feathers and some Dragon believes that this is another showcase of their kind's powers and shows a willingness to protect mortals.
The Monks typically use these types of weapons used by them to emphasize the importance of balance and fluidity both in combat and life. Through swift strikes and graceful maneuvers, the wearers have learned to navigate challenges with ease and adapt to changing circumstances without their sense of purpose or direction. The knuckles serve as a reminder to remain flexible and not take life that seriously.
Furthermore, the Monks believe that the ability to take flight, briefly, represents a transcendent experience that lifts the wearer above their earthly concerns and limitations. They see the Feathered Knuckles as a symbol of personal growth and enlightenment. This encourages the wearers to aspire to greater heights in both their physical and spiritual journeys. The empowerment granted by the Feather Knuckles through successful strikes reflects the unity of body and mind in achieving mastery in whatever the Monk is striving to become. Usually by honing their physical skills and sharpening their mental focus wearers can unlock their full potential and achieve extraordinary feats beyond their initial capabilities.
For students of Jangsung Myong and his Kwo Chon Matan Mya discipline getting a set of these gloves from Jangsung meant they passed their initial training. The gloves that he gives his students have bright orange plumage that is made of Jangsung's feathers. Those who are given these gloves are given a chance to study more advanced techniques under him or if they are fine with what they learned they are free to go on their own.

Item type

Weapon, Melee

Current Holder

Aùshe Sûngâzuōng

Rarity

Uncommon

Raw materials & Components

• Gloves: most will start with silk gloves of a high quality although lightweight leather gloves will do. The main thing to look for are gloves that are durable and lightweight so that is provide flexibility for the wearer's hands.
• Feathers: these can be common normal feathers, exotic feathers, or even the feathers from a Feather Dragon with a preference for the more beautiful feathers. The feathers contribute to the gloves' enchantments.
• Magical Runes and Enchantments: these are often engraved or embroidered onto the gloves to imbue and hold the magic in place. These runes hold the gloves' abilities and facilitate a strong connection to the elements, well mostly the wind. These runes also have enchantments of flight and featherfall.
• Magical Catalyst: these are usually Focus Crystals that are needed in lots of enchantments to focus the magic and imbued into gloves. 

Tools

Much like most enchanted items, these gloves need an Enchanter to get the magic on the gloves. In addition to that the Artificer or other such crafter will also need a sewing kit will needle and thread.