Armor Behind the Magic: Chainmail
by Ronin of Dreams
Welcome again, one and all, to the Silver Stone Forge for another brief look into the nature of the Forge Arts that I can present. Today I intend to begin a true departure from the styles of weapons many of you have either used yourselves or seen in action, to discuss the styles and varieties of protection available. My brief lesson on naming various armor components was a prelude, and I expect many of you may need to reference back to that lesson during the course of this and future lessons. Preparations to any act of forging, even if a mere lesson on the Forge Arts, are things I prefer not to forget for you.
With the pleasantries aside, however, I bring to you a discussion on the nature of maille armor, or mail if you would prefer the simplicity of inflection. Its most common iteration is the variety known as chain maille, which on the whole appears as a meshwork of metal rings to provide protection. Also within chain maille itself, the rings are typically patterned with one ring connecting into four others when locked. Unlike heavier plate armors, the rings for most maille types is mere wrought iron. It almost sounds as if the process is easy and less work intensive, eh?
Not so true, though there is a certain elegance to the rhythms of a smith creating chain maille. There are actually two separate types of rings within the maille itself, purely solid rings and rings that are actually riveted pieces of wire. The solid rings are punched out of a sheet of iron using a hammer and a sized punch to set the ring diameter to the desired size for the project. This does not necessarily guarantee every ring will be exactly perfect, but we smiths do our best to spot any shoddy links before assembly. These rings are set in a four square pattern on the most typical sets of chain maille and then a piece of wire is slipped through to lock them together. This wire is pulled into a circle as its own ring before being riveted closed and creating just the smallest part of the greater mesh.
What of ring maille, you might ask? In this instance, chain and ring (among others!) are merely different in the style of the rings and interlocking nature of the pattern as a whole. King's maille, for instance, is the same ring size as regular chain maille, but is set with an eight to two pattern of solid links to riveted links, according to traditional methods. Their properties are mostly the same, regardless of style of maille. Bladed edges merely skip, skid, and slide off of maille, making them very resistant to cuts and slashes. Maille is also quite mobile indeed, rarely interfering with the wearer's range of motion save for potential concerns with weight. Even thrusting and piercing attacks are resisted well, the layering of rings within the mesh spreading the force slightly from a truly singular point. However, maille is hardly a perfect armor, so it is worth warning wearers to beware blunt impacts as maille does not resist impacts and transfers most of the force to the wearer.
As for Lore itself, maille seems to be quite uncommon as standalone armor. Versions of full plate armor seem to rule the day, at least as the armor of choice for many fighters. However, this is not to say chain maille isn't used at all, rather the opposite. Chain maille does tend to be the protection of choice for the joints that plate armor leaves exposed, and I do rather believe it you'll find plenty of it within such legendary plates like the Reign and Nemesis Plates. Regardless of where you find it, however, now you, too, know how to manufacture it in case you are forced to do or even to repair such.
Thank you for spending yet another visit with me, learning what I may furnish on the matter of the Forge Arts. If there is any subject, whether among the Forge Arts or those among the Magical relating to Creation of the many weapons, armors, and items at your disposal, feel free to simply ask and I shall do my best to accommodate your wishes. Feel free to leave a message for me with Yulgar at his Inn or, if Falerin is feeling generous, perhaps he will direct you to a device allowing you to email me at talonmk5@yahoo.com with such questions or requests.
