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Crafting Motif 98: House Hexos Style
by Fortis Scaeva, Chief of Operations
A guide to crafting armor and weapons in the House Hexos style
Welcome to the service of House Hexos! You now are part of a mercantile empire that extends far into the myriad realms of Oblivion. From our emporium in Fargrave, our agents pursue the goods of a dozen worlds and arrange for their delivery to discerning buyers throughout Tamriel.
Naturally, our enterprise comes with certain risks. This is why we hire mercenaries such as you. Fargrave is safe enough, but our merchants require escorts to the strange realms in which they do business. The best practice is to deter attacks with conspicuously well-armed troops. But when deterrence fails, we must be ready to fight.
Since we venture into hostile environments, House Hexos issues weapons treated to remain useful in storms of ash, corrosive swamps, or bitter icefields. And we expect mercenaries in our service to proudly wear the colors of our house: olive green, brown leather, emblems of deep red. In many planes, our safe-passage agreements require us to identify ourselves. Discard our colors at your peril!
AXES
- Many of the creatures we encounter are ill-tempered beasts armored in thick carapaces or scales. It takes a heavy blade to cut through the hide of a monster such as a Daedroth or an Infernium. A Hexos axe also features a haft of steel alloy, since wooden hafts often split or rot in the harsher planes.
BELTS
- Simple and functional, Hexos belts are made from plates of treated alloy sandwiched in reinforced leather sleeves (or just the reinforced leather, in the case of lighter suits). House troops assigned to ceremonial posts often display red gemstones in the shape of the Imperial diamond on the buckle.
BOOTS
- Overlapping shin-plates of browned iron or boiled leather protect the Hexos guard's lower legs. Beneath this sturdy defense, supple leather completely encloses the foot. There are places in the Deadlands (and other planes) where you don't want to step unless you have secure and durable footwear.
BOWS
- Wood is hard to find in Fargrave. As a result, we import our bows from Tamriel. Most House Hexos bows are made from Niben Valley olive wood, treated with special waxes to resist damaging conditions. However, it should be noted that we find ourselves in close combat more often than not in the realms of Oblivion. Archery is something of an afterthought for Hexos forces.
CHESTS
- Strong and closely fitted to the wearer, a heavy House Hexos breastplate cosists [sic] of articulated plates of browned iron with layers of reinforced leather above and underneath. Browning involves treating the metal with a weak solution of acids before scrubbing away the solution with hard brushes. Between the leather cladding and the browning, Hexos armor can stand up to almost any planar climate.
DAGGERS
- A well-balanced blade built on the familiar leaf-shaped pattern common in Imperial lands, a House Hexos dagger has sufficient heft for effective chopping strokes as well as a strong diamond-shaped point for thrusting. Not all Daedric monsters should be engaged at close quarters, but if you must do so, you will want a good weapon in your hand.
GLOVES
- Strong but supple vambraces of reinforced leather (and plates of browned iron, in the case of heavier suits) protect wearer's hands against both battle injuries and dangerous terrain such as knife-edged rock, spined plants, and gouts of flame or acidic rain.
HELMETS
- In general, House Hexos prefers open-faced helms. While they may not offer the same level of protection as visored helms, the ability to see and hear your surroundings is often the difference between life and death in the planes we sometimes visit. Ceremonial helms of heavy armor often feature a handsome pair of blood-red wings—a proud statement of the wearer's Hexos loyalties.
LEG GREAVES
- Fitted plates of boiled leather or browned iron protect a Hexos guard's hips and thighs. We have found that smooth, well-fitted greaves allow the wearer plenty of flexibility and mobility. Standing up to a heavy blow is sometimes not as important as being agile enough to get out of the way.
MACES
- A House Hexos mace is a heavy weapon with a four-flanged head, easily capable of cracking the heaviest Daedric carapace. A haft made from treated steel alloy is more durable than one made from wood, and can generally stand up to the harsh conditions of almost any plane.
SHIELDS
- A warrior's shield is an excellent place to display an emblem, and House Hexos shields proudly carry the blood-red Imperial diamond. Hard olive wood from the Niben Valley provides strength, and a steel rim prevents the shield from being hacked apart.
SHOULDERS
- Many armor sets feature exaggerated shoulder pieces, but we have found little use for such impractical ornaments at House Hexos. Instead, we favor a snug, closely-fitted pauldron of browned iron and reinforced leather that does not interfere with the wearer's movements.
STAVES
- As one might expect, we employ a number of mages. A Hexos staff features the Imperial diamond in the headpiece, atop a shaft made from lightweight metal alloys. Most wooden staves simply do no weather well in the harsh conditions of hostile planes.
SWORDS
- Swords have always been versatile weapons, suited for both cutting and thrusting (and bashing as well, if you're not above a pommel-strike). This proves useful in dealing with the wide variety of Daedric creatures we encounter. Hexos blades are forged from steel tempered with rare reagents from the planes of Oblivion.