Wondrous Item

Very Rare

Pauldrons constructed primarily from dense metal plates, their surfaces bearing evidence of severe aging, deformation, and exposure to relentless environmental decay. Each pauldron extends generously outward and curves downward to cradle and protect the shoulder joint, tapering inward gently to meet seamlessly with the adjoining mail beneath. The metal, deeply worn and weathered, exhibits irregular corrosion patterns, mottled in tones gray and deep browns, interrupted only occasionally by remnants of its original darkened metallic sheen. Dominating the visual design are sculptural details of intertwined arms and grasping hands that seem to rise organically from the surface of the metal itself. The limbs depicted are elongated, sinewy, and rendered with exceptional anatomical fidelity, their surfaces displaying prominent, articulated joints and precise musculature. Fingers, delicately thin and knotted, curl and twist intricately around the pauldron’s form, their tips pressing inward into the armor as though gripping fiercely. Every finger joint is clearly delineated, knuckles raised and weathered, the slender digits flexed tautly. The individual lines of tendons and veins on these hands are rendered in precise, lifelike detail, though now softened by abrasion and centuries of slow erosion. In between these grasping figures, the surface is heavily marked by physical distress; deep gouges, irregular dents, and scratches speak to profound impacts. These marks vary greatly in depth and width, some mere surface abrasions and others deep, jagged indentations that deform the curvature of the plates themselves. Edges, once cleanly beveled and crisply defined, have been worn unevenly, leaving them chipped and jagged, their contours irregular yet still structurally formidable. The chainmail beneath the metal plates is composed of tightly interlocking rings of metal, once impeccably aligned and meticulously formed. Now, many of these rings show signs of corrosion, brittle breaks, and partial disintegration, with multiple small voids appearing randomly throughout the structure. Where intact, however, the mail remains firmly secured to the metal plates through small anchor points, each one compressed and bonded without traditional welds or rivets. These anchors are integrated seamlessly into the sculpted limbs, subtly hidden beneath curled fingers or within the bends of sculpted wrists and elbows, invisible except upon the extremely close inspection of a well-trained eye. Between the plates and chainmail are thin remnants of fabric, deeply stained and frayed, now almost entirely blackened with age and exposure. This layer, shredded to near-absence, peeks out intermittently between gaps and damage points in the metal. The fabric is rough, its weave coarse and uneven, seemingly once intended to provide a measure of cushioning or comfort between metal and skin.     +2 AC when worn.   Restrictive (do not include your dexterity modifier when calculating AC if any item with the Heavily Restrictive attribute is equipped)   While equipped you gain 15 Radiant damage mitigation.     Set Bonus (Dusty Grasping Set):   1: N/A   2: Increase cold damage mitigation by 27. Increase the Strength Requirement of every piece of armor in the set to 16.   3: Increase holy damage aggravation by 27. Increase the Strength Requirement of every piece of armor in the set to 18.   4: Increase cold damage mitigation by an additional 27. Increase the Strength Requirement of every piece of armor in the set to 20.   5: Increase holy damage output by 27%. When an ally is damaged within 10 ft of you, you take 27% of the damage, that they would’ve taken, for them as incoming damage. Increase the Strength Requirement of every piece of armor in the set to 23.   6: When determining AC, add your Strength Modifier. Increase the Strength Requirement of every piece of armor in the set to 26.

"What a pitiable fate, to defend the sole thing she had left to cherish and protect."

Weight: 2LP