Warrior Guild Sheathmaking

By Thaleles



I have written this guide in an attempt to explain the process of warrior guild sheathmaking both for those who are interested in obtaining one of the final products, and for those guild members interested in the trick. I have interspersed Brightroc’s instructions with my explanations, where necessary. Brightroc’s words are in italics.





Bightroc says, "Need a refresher? Ok, let's get started..."



Bightroc says, "First thing you need to do is find out how many units of animal hide you need for your sheath by measuring the weapon you're making a sheath for." Bightroc picks up a bit of marked cord and demonstrates by measuring his arm.



"The standard size for a sheath is thirty units."



Command: WTRICK SHEATHM MEASURE



Measuring only really applies if you are making a sheath for a single weapon. Aside from dagger sheaths and dagger scabbards, all of the patterns can hold more than one. The maximum number of skins you can use in a sheath is 50 (except for dagger sheaths and dagger scabbards that max out at four), and the formula for how many pounds it will hold is number of skins / 2. The final weight of the sheath is number of skins / 11, rounded. In short, that 50 skin sheath would hold 25 lbs. (or five items, whichever comes first), and weigh 5.





Bightroc continues, "Once you have your hides, you cut as many units as you need for your weapon sheath. We have eleven basic patterns: sheath, scabbard, baldric, weapon sling, weapon harness, sword belt, dagger sheath, dagger scabbard, bow sling, axe frog, and quiver."



Command: WTRICK SHEATHM CUT <# units> <pattern>



Nothing particularly complicated with this part, except for the person making it. You hold a bundle of skins in your left hand before entering the command. Since a bundle can only hold ten skins, you will probably have to do this a few times. If your previous pattern is in your right hand, the additional skins will be added to it automatically. If not, you can always bundle the patterns, later.





"After you have enough hides cut for your pattern, you cure it, so it will last a good long time." Bightroc picks up a portable wooden rack and says, "After you stretch the pattern on one of these wooden racks, you coat the non-furry side with the curative. We carry three types of curative: mild, strong, and lacquer. The mild curative will merely preserve the hide indefinitely, while the strong curative will allow the hide to harden into leather. Lacquer provides a glossy coating on your sheath, but also obscures the type of hide you used. The mild curative costs fifty silvers per unit of hide, the strong curative costs one hundred silver per, and the lacquer costs five hundred silver per unit."



Command: WTRICK SHEATHM CURE <MILD|STRONG|LACQUER>



Basically, if you start with a scabbard pattern made from kobold skin, the mild curative will cause you to end up with a kobold skin scabbard, the strong will create a leather scabbard, and the lacquer, a lacquered scabbard. The amount of time it takes the curative to dry depends on the number of skins you used. 50 skins can take up to 35 hours. Fortunately, you do not have to actually be around for the entire time. If you like, you can just put the resulting package in your locker and forget about it until it’s dry.





Bightroc says, "When the pattern has dried, you sew it together with some leather threading. The thread costs five silver for every four units of animal hide. The sheath is then ready to wear, but you can add more details..."



Command: WTRICK SHEATHM SEW



Obviously, you have to open the package first, once it is dry.





Bightroc says, "You can stamp your initials in the hide..."



Command: WTRICK SHEATHM INITIAL



You should never feel compelled to have someone’s initials on your sheath, if you do not want them. If you do, they will be visible when you look at the sheath.





Bightroc says, "For sheathes and scabbards, you can add a strap to wear it as a belt, over your shoulder, or on your wrist, arm, back, thigh, or ankle. Sling and harness patterns are already equipped with a shoulder strap. Also, you can only attach wrist straps to sheathes or scabbards made with four units, arm or ankle straps with to ones made with eight units or less, and thigh straps to ones made with sixteen units or less."



"Belts cost 50 silver. Shoulder, arm, back, and thigh straps cost 100 silver. Wrist and ankle straps cost 25 silver."



Command: WTRICK SHEATHM STRAP <type>



Brightroc’s instructions on this are fairly complete. If you do not put a strap on a sheath or scabbard, it is simply worn on your belt, just like one you would buy at the general store.





Bightroc says, "Next, you can add one or two of the five following treatments: dye, inlaid jewels, metal binding, metal trimming, or fringe.



Bightroc says, "Before getting into these treatments, you should know that there are two possible locations for placing your decorations: noticeable first, and noticeable last. For example, you may choose to create a gold bound rolton hide scabbard fringed with wraith talons."



"For that, the gold binding is in the noticeable first slot and the wraith talon fringe is in the noticeable last slot. Normally, the slots are filled in the order that you add decorations, starting with the noticeable first slot. However, you can specify that you would like to hold the first slot empty while using last slot first."



Command: WTRICK SHEATHM HOLD



His explanation on this, combined with the statements on each of the treatments, is very complete.





Bightroc says, "You can use the dye pots here to mix colors for use in coloring your sheath. The dye costs fifty silvers per unit, and will take some time to dry. We keep a wide variety of colors in stock, and will place orders for others to suit your needs. Special color orders cost 5,000 silver, which is non-refundable should your order be denied. Dye can only be used in the noticeable first decoration slot."



Command: WTRICK SHEATHM DYE <color>



<color> can be one or two words.



Dyes can take quite a long time to dry, based on how many skins you have used. A 50-skin sheath can take up to 45 hours.



Colors currently available: orange, white, snow white, chalk white, lily white, ivory white, pale white, black, sable, dark, inky black, ebony, coal black, jet black, sooty black, dusky, black, dingy black, grey, dark grey, light grey, dove-colored, iron grey, dun, drab grey, dingy grey, steel grey, ashen, ash grey, dapple grey, dappled, slate-colored, stone grey, brown, dark brown, light brown, nut brown, hazel, puce, ecru, tawny, maroon, tan, oak brown, russet, rust-colored, roan, sorrel, henna, auburn, red, scarlet, cardinal red, vermilion, crimson, pink, rose-colored, magenta, sanguine, blood red, coral red, ruby red, fiery red, flame red, dark red, brick red, green, verdant, olive green, dark green, light green, forest green, leaf green, sea green, grass green, pea green, aquamarine, blue-green, yellow, light yellow, lemon yellow, sallow, tawny yellow, ocher, ochre, flaxen, amber, purple, dark purple, violet, plum-colored, lavender, lilac, mauve, blue, dark blue, light blue, turquoise, azure, cerulean, cyan, sky blue, steel blue, pearly white, rosy pink, rosy red, indigo, murky indigo, coppery brown, grey-blue, greyish blue, slate grey, dusty rose, pure white, dark azure, storm grey, royal blue, ruddy crimson, deep violet, dark cyan, celadon, midnight black, ale brown, chrome, cherry red, dark cerulean, and blue-black.





Bightroc says, "You can also attach jewels that you supply. The fixtures cost 50 silver apiece, and you'll need at least six for them to be noticable. Not all gems are suitable for this, however, but most are. If you inlay less than six jewels, a description slot is not used up and you will be able to see them if you LOOK closely enough. You can also inlay two different types of gems, if you use the noticeable last decoration slot."



Command: WTRICK SHEATHM INLAY



This one is a little incomplete, as are the instructions for binding, fringing, and trimming. I have added a section of a post on the subject by GM Kitrina, at the end. When it comes to inlaying with fewer than six gems, as stated, it will not take up a slot. That means you can have “a black leather sheath bound in gold” that when you look at, you can see diamonds.





Bightroc says, "Binding your sheath with metal adds to its strength, and adds a decorative touch. We have copper, which costs two silver per unit, brass for ten silver per, bronze for 25, iron for 30, steel for 40, silver for 50, gold for 100, mithril for 140, ora for 160, imflass and alum for 200, vultite for 300, and veniom for 1800. You can bind with two different kinds of metals, if you use the noticeable last slot."



Command: WTRICK SHEATHM BIND <metal>



When it comes to the rarest of the metals available, Wehnimer's has veniom, Ta'Vaalor has vaalorn, Icemule has rhimar, Solhaven has laje, River's Rest has vaalin, Teras has glaes, and (eventually) Ta'Illistim will have mithglin.

See below for more about dual bindings and examples.





Bightroc says, "If you like a more fierce look to your sheath, you can add a fringe of claws, teeth, talons, feathers, horns, fangs, stingers, plumes, manes, mandibles, pincers, whiskers, incisors, canines, jawbones, or bones. You'll need six of these items for the fringe to be noticable and the six fixtures will cost 300 silver. You can fringe with two different kinds of items, if you use the noticeable last slot."



Command: WTRICK SHEATHM FRINGE



See below for more.





Bightroc says, "Trimming your sheath with metal adds to its durability, and adds a decorative touch. We offer the same selection of metals for trimming as we do for binding, at the same prices. You may also trim with two different kinds of metals, if you use the noticeable last slot."



Command: WTRICK SHEATHM TRIM <metal>



From GM Kitrina:



“(Sheathmaking now has) the ability to add dual bindings, trimmings, fringings, or inlays. For example, a kobold skin scabbard inlaid with emeralds and rubies, or a ruby inlaid bear skin thigh sheath bound in gold and silver.


The ability to inlay six gems of the same type to provide the full gem name in the description. For example, a kobold skin weapon harness inlaid with dragon's-tear diamonds. The full description will only be available if all six diamonds are of the dragon's-tear type (you can still mix and match nouns if you want the generic description) and only if the inlay is used in the post-noun description slot. Dual inlaying will also result in the use of the generic noun, rather than the full description.

Fringing will also use the more complete description, in the same format as just described.”



Bightroc says, "That about wraps it up. Try not to make anything too gaudy-looking." Bightroc smiles.



Here are examples of a few of the things I have made, so far, with their show descriptions:



a gold trimmed leather swordbelt

You see a gold trimmed leather swordbelt, which was made with the utmost skill and care. The outer rim of the swordbelt is trimmed with gold.



a leather swordbelt trimmed with gold (the lack of hyphenation in the previous one bothered me)

You see a leather swordbelt trimmed with gold, which was made with the utmost skill and care. The outer rim of the swordbelt is trimmed with gold.



a black leather swordbelt trimmed with silver

You see a black leather swordbelt trimmed with silver, which was made with the utmost skill and care. The outer rim of the swordbelt is trimmed with silver.



a black lacquered scabbard trimmed with silver

You see a black lacquered scabbard trimmed with silver, which was made with the utmost skill and care. The outer rim of the scabbard is trimmed with silver.



a black leather dagger sheath bound in gold

You see a black leather dagger sheath bound in gold, which was made with the utmost skill and care. The seams of the sheath are bound with gold.