Armour Up

Another weakness inherent to the scale and mail design was its vulnerability to blunt force trauma. Unlike plate armour, the small ebony scales would bend, twist, and deform to a limited degree. While this allowed the user a far larger degree of manoeuvrability, it also made them vulnerable to hammers and other heavy weaponry.

Blades, arrows, and other sharp implements would be stopped in their tracks, but a giant's club to the chest? His heart still might just explode out of his back from the force of it.

Still, despite its weaknesses, Michael was very happy with the armour. He clenches his gauntletted fist and slowly nods to himself, but a thought pops into his mind causing him to turn to Eorlund who was watching at the side. "Say, are you any good at tailoring?"

...

Eorlund shrugs, "I can do it, if that's what you're askin', couldn't call myself an expert though, smithing is my main focus." he replies.

Michael nods and retrieves the Book of Heroes, afterwards pulling out a bolt of the strange black fabric he'd found alongside the rest of the treasure. He'd almost forgotten about it, but hearing Eorlund's remarks about the armour had him wondering if it needed... More.

Enchanted fabrics or inert metals were apparently the way people in this world resisted magical attacks, along with just not getting hit by them in the first place. So maybe he could use the fabric to make something to go over or under his armour... He'd probably need to wear something over it when he headed North anyway, otherwise, the cold would just freeze it solid screwing with the armour's balance and the reason he'd chosen this design in the first place.

Eorlund takes the bolt of black fabric and begins looking it over, unfurling it and pulling at it to see its resistance, strength, elasticity, etc. Michael was confused however to find the man growing more and more intrigued by it the more he studied it.

"Lad, where did you get this? I've never before seen anything like it!... First a pile of ebony and now this? I hope you're not trying to seduce me, because I'm both too old and already married." the old Nord jovially remarks.

"Being too old and married is the only reason?" Michael sarcastically asks while taking a tentative step back. "I'm not going to become your material sugar daddy, so go bark up another tree."

Eorlund just shakes his head and chuckles, "I need to get something, wait here would you... It might be important." the old smith says before leaving, handing Michael the bolt of fabric as he rushes away.

Not long afterwards, he returns with a book in hand... A very old-looking book not written in traditional Tamrielic script. Michael wasn't immediately able to read it, and he couldn't be bothered to try either, as Eorlund made it clear that it was a family heirloom.

The man skims through the book before quickly pointing at a page, one depicting a strange plant with green leaves and a black flower head. It looked somewhat similar to a rose, but it differed in that it sprouted a small black, cotton-like material... Or so Eorlund says.

"Ebonthread... It might really be that..." Eorlund says as his finger taps the drawing, a contemplative look on his face.

"Ebonthread?" Michael inquires, already liking the name of it.

"Aye, Ebonthread... Unlike Ebony, it's said to only grow in some plains of Oblivion. Some used to grow here too from what the book says, but that was only when a Daedric Prince was trying to invade... His presence is probably what caused them to grow."

Michael weighs the bolt of Ebonthread in his hand, if what the old man said was true, this shit might be the only Ebonthread left in Tamriel... It was a shame they didn't have any plants or seeds to try and grow the stuff. "So, is it any good?"

Eorlund scoffs, "Is it any good!? I doubt you'd find a stronger fabric if you spent your entire life searching for it! Let me put it this way, ebonthread is to cloth what ebony is to iron. ebonthread clothes might just be stronger than steel plate... Or even maybe orcish. If those mage's in the Empire found out you had this then they'd hunt you for it..." (FYI, Ebonthread is way better than even Steel Plate armour in Elderscrolls Online... Plate armour, yeah shit's OP.)

Michael shrugs, not really caring about that, "Can you make anything out of it? I should have enough for a couple sets of clothes." he says, wanting to outfit both himself and the girls. After all, who wouldn't want to outfit their friends with arrow-proof robes?

Eorlund lets out a forlorn sigh, "No, I wouldn't dare try my hand at it and risk ruining the material. An expert in tailoring is required..."

"Any suggestions?" Michael asks, knowing that a famous smith like Eorlund would have contacts all over the place.

The man nods, "Two I can think of. The sisters who run that clothing store in Solitude, the Radiant Raiment or something of the sort... Also, keep this quiet, but I have a friend in the College of Winterhold who helps with some projects. They make most of the robes the College wears, though, I know she isn't the one who enchants them. Her name is Editth, let her know I said hi if you do go and see her."

Michael nods and stores the bolt of ebonthread in his inventory, "Thanks for your help Eorlund, seriously, it means a lot to me." he says, tossing the man a hefty sack of gold. While Eorlund had said he was happy to be paid little for the opportunity to work with ebony, his work had seriously blown Michael away.

The old man doesn't seem surprised, and doesn't say anything in response, instead just simply accepting the gold. Nord's and politeness, eh?

"I'll see you around Eorlund, I'll probably come back one day to get some more stuff made, until then." Michael says, giving a small wave as he departs.

"Good luck."