Scale Mail

“In ancient times, the warriors of Swafnir all wore scale mail. No matter whom, or what, they faced — whether the swords of the Gjalsks, the spears of the Nostrians, or the claws of a Firun’s bear — their scale mail protected them. We still bequeath our armor to our children as a sign of prosperity and honor.”
— Erlgard Swerfildsdottir, warrior of the Fortress of Prem, 1037 FB

Scale mail is made by sewing or bolting individual metal scales onto a leather hauberk. Its excellent protection derives from its overlapping scales. Scale mail is heavier than chainmail but offers better protection.

This type of armor is especially common in northwest Aventuria, especially in Thorwal, Albernia, and the area around Riva. It is so valuable to Thorwalers that they bequeath scale mail to their heirs, and experienced warriors and hetjas alike wear it as a status symbol that represents glory and power.

According to Thorwalian legend, scale mail was invented in imitation of the dragons that plagued Thorwaler settlements. Many smiths studied the arrangement of scales on dragons’ bodies, but it was Master Smith Tjore Husgardson, a famous figure in Thorwalian mythology, who designed the first functional hauberk of scale mail.

Victims of repeated Thorwal raids know of scale mail’s one weakness, namely that daggers (and other thin blades) can find their way between the scales to bite at the relatively soft leather underneath.

“Finally! Armor that deserves my respect. But why did you base it on dragon scales, of all things?”

— Arbosh son of Angrax, forge dwarf master smith

“I thought dwarves knew dragons best. Their hide is immune to most weapons. Why shouldn’t we turn this into an advantage for ourselves?”

— Tjalva Garheltsdottir, Hetja of Prem

“Good point. You think almost like an Angroshna.”

— Arbosh son of Angrax, forge dwarf master smith

“I hope that was a compliment.”

— Tjalva Garheltsdottir, Hetja of Prem

“Well, Arbosh didn’t say you looked like an Angroshna, so I would say it is a compliment.”

— Rowena of the Transweal, Bornish cat witch

Type	Protection	Encumbrance	Penalties	Weight	Cost	Complexity
Chain Armor	5	2	-1 MOV, -1 INI	18 stn 36 lbs	400 S	complex (3 AP)

Note: Scale mail is a variant of chain armor.

Armor Advantage: Grants PRO 6 versus weapons of the combat techniques Impact Weapons and Two-Handed Impact Weapons.

Armor Disadvantage: Grants only PRO 2 versus weapons of the combat technique Daggers.