Crafting Motif 75: Sunspire Style

Contents
Rejoice, children of Alkosh! After many lean years, the Dragon King of Cats has returned to guide us to glory. We Khajiit are magnificent, yes, with our glistening fangs and silky fur. But to truly honor Alkosh, we must adorn ourselves with a fitting panoply—armor and weapons that give voice to both Khajiit and Dragon! Therefore, the smith-adepts of Sunspire have created this collection of arms and armor. Each piece bears the First Cat's blessing.

AXES

Our mighty axes honor Alkosh, yes, but Jone and Jode also. Smith-adepts affix weighted disks to the axe heads to add great heft to every swing. On each disk, the faces of the moons—their waxing and waning—shine like the Topal waters on a cloudless night. A weapon as beautiful as it is deadly!

BELTS

Any avowed Khajiit, from highest curate to lowliest novitiate, can tell you that prayer begins at the belly. We do not mutter our mantras to blessed Alkosh with our mouths alone. No! We summon them up from the stomach. No surprise then that we protect our stomachs with woven cloth and metals of the highest quality.

BOOTS

While many Khajiit insist that all footwear should leave the toes bare, there is something to be said for a snug leather sole—particularly when wandering the frigid peaks and searing depths of Sunspire. Whether boot, shoe, or sandal, our footwear provides ample protection from the elements and the foes of blessed Alkosh.

BOWS

The bowyers of Sunspire are right to boast when demonstrating the strength of their arms. Wood cured in the sacred heat of the Shrine of Jode flexes like a young Dagi, but launches arrows that strike with a Senche-raht's strength!

CHEST PIECES

Our Dragon-father, Alkosh, made us strong, while our mother, Azurah, made us lithe and swift. The snug tunics and sturdy breastplates of Sunspire reflect the will of both! No true Khajiit would suffer inside a stuffy metal shell. So, even our heaviest hauberks leave room to flex and bend.

DAGGERS

Of all the weapons our smith-adepts forge, the daggers are the most distinctive. Some say they resemble the fangs of mighty Alkosh; others say that their crescent blades match the curves of Jone and Jode. Both are true, I think. In the hands of a pious warrior, these twin blades are deadly indeed!

GLOVES

Our boots may shield our toes from the elements, but even the most pious Khajiit with the most cautious heart cannot keep all their claws restrained. Sunspire gloves are little more than masterfully crafted bracers; they protect the wrists, but leave our birth-weapons free to slash and rend the enemies of Alkosh!

HELMETS

A child of the Dragon King of Cats must be more than a simple Khajiit. They must find their truest heart, where the Dragon within resides. Our helmets' design serves as a constant reminder of our true nature. We are both cat and Dragon. The cat's silhouette crowned by the snarling aspect of blessed Alkosh makes that truth manifest!

LEG GREAVES

A Sunspire adept spends many long hours on their knees in solemn prayer. As such, our pants and leg greaves are both lightweight and smartly tailored. Neither cold stone nor faithless weapons can inflict injury on an adept wearing this garment.

MACES

A Sunspire mace features a perfect, striated sphere at the striking end that mimics the forms of Jone and Jode. Like Alkosh himself, these weapons strike with perfect force—leaving flesh intact while pulverizing the bone and sinew beneath.

SHIELDS

A Sunspire adept knows the value of quickness, but sometimes even the swiftest paws are not enough. In those times, we might reach for one of our flawless shields. Smith-adepts affix multiple plates to a central aegis, then lace it with prayer cords to create a sturdy, but visually pleasing work of art!

SHOULDERS

All Sunspire shoulder armor, from the simplest epaulets to the strongest pauldrons, honor Alkosh with prayerful motifs and woven prayer cords. Our arms may not bear the sublime weight of a Dragon's wings, but we must protect them nonetheless!

STAVES

Ah, old age! It is a curse, it's true. In the days before Alkosh's return, I often leaned on cedarwood walking sticks and the like. Now, though? Now I steady myself on one of our mighty staves—proud weapons that bear the phases of Jone and Jode emblazoned on precious metal disks. Great power swirls within their headpieces. With Alkosh's blessing, we shall use that power to lead the Khajiit to enlightenment!

SWORDS

Our Sunspire swords are like the mighty claws of Alkosh himself—beautiful, intimidating, and razor-sharp. While these blades honor our beloved First Cat above all other deities, the blessed crescents of Jone and Jode appear on the crossguard, the pommel, and the blade itself. Truly, there is no holier weapon in all of Elsweyr.